The bucket-list things to do — and who runs each one.
Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, who runs it, and how to book it direct — so you can weigh it against your ship’s excursion and pick what suits you.
In port at La Rochelle, the bucket-list move is La Rochelle: Private Custom Walking Tour with a Local Guide. Below: 2 bucket-list things to do on a La Rochelle port day — worth weighing against whatever your ship offers.
Unlock La Rochelle's soul with a private local expert — medieval towers, arcaded streets, Huguenot heritage and hidden courtyards at your own pace. Utterly personal and completely unhurried.
We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for
this one, so we are not quoting either.
Climb all three medieval sentinel towers that guard La Rochelle's Vieux Port — each with dizzying Atlantic panoramas and centuries of intrigue locked into their stone walls. A trilogy of bucket-list views.
Book itTowers of La Rochelle: Entry Ticket$11 per ticket
Run by The Lantern Tower of La Rochelle · 4.50 from 3,700 reviews
Sail out to the legendary Fort Boyard — the 19th-century mid-ocean fortress rising straight from the Atlantic, immortalised by television and centuries of legend. An utterly unique maritime spectacle.
Book itLa Rochelle: Fort Boyard Guided Boat Trip$27 per person
Run by La Rochelle Croisières · 4.60 from 87 reviews
Journey inland to Cognac — the world capital of fine brandy — and the Roman-era city of Saintes, with a small-group of fellow connoisseurs and an expert English-speaking guide. Culture, history, and exceptional tasting in one day.
We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for
this one, so we are not quoting either.
Cross the Île de Ré bridge to France's most chic Atlantic island — whitewashed villages, salt marshes, oyster beds and 100 km of cycling paths. A private half-day of pure, unhurried island life.
We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for
this one, so we are not quoting either.
Glide by flat-bottomed boat through the Marais Poitevin — a vast, emerald-canopied wetland of poplar-lined waterways nicknamed 'Green Venice'. One of France's most surreal and beautiful landscapes, virtually unknown to international visitors.
We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for
this one, so we are not quoting either.
Your day in La RochelleNothing picked yet — tick what you fancy
$0for two, booked direct
Now plan the rest of it
You know what to do on the day. Here is the trip it belongs to —
each one opens as a whole plan, not a list: where to fly in, every port, what it runs.