Viking - Pont du Gard aqueduct or Chateauneuf du Pape tasting

These are in Avignon. Hard to compare these two, but maybe someone has an opinion? Is the aqueduct interesting enough? Right now I have us booked on the wine tour/tasting.

Have been to both (not with Viking). Depends what interests you most. I found the Chateaunuef du Pape not terribly interesting (they were mainly interests in selling wine), while the Pont du Gard was one of my favorite parts of Avignon, due to my interest in history, architecture and "wow" visits. I wish I had had more time there! Check out both and see what would interest you the most.....there is no wrong decision.

The Pont du Gard is extremely fascinating and well worth the trip.

My beef with the Viking CdP tour is that, as typical of their winery tours, they take you the lessor area wineries for the tastings, not the top houses. You will be given a short period of free time in town, so I would advise running down to the Chateau Beaucastel tasting room, right off the city square, and doing the tasting there, on your own, with the few free minutes provided to you.

There are a multitude of really great wineries in CdP that Viking could take its guest, they just always choose to go to the lower tiered ones. I'm guessing it because those provide a kick back to Viking for purchases by their guests.

I love CdP and have visited there on my own. I just feel that because of the lower quality of wineries that Viking chooses, you may more enjoy the trip to Pont du Gard. Those Viking selected wineries do not demonstrate the power, beauty, and finesse that great CdP are renown for.

Thanks for the replies. Based on your comments I'm leaning towards doing the aqueduct instead. There's an included wine tour later in Macon.

Hello zitsky,

as you have a wine tour included later I would definitely go for the Pont du Gard. I have been on it and it is amazing: http://www.pontdugard.fr/en

notamermaid

If Viking ran a wine tour to Napa Valley, they would take you to Sutter Home and Gallo for the afternoon.

Best off at Pont du Gard.

OK, y'all have convinced me. It's the aqueduct. I canceled the wine tour and added the aqueduct. My credit card shows a charge for the (new) aqueduct tour but no credit for the canceled wine tour. I guess I'll have to call Viking!

Not too excited about the included Beaujolais tour later. Sounds like Viking takes you to the bottom of the barrel places. Oh well!

If Viking ran a wine tour to Napa Valley, they would take you to Sutter Home and Gallo for the afternoon.

 

Best off at Pont du Gard.

That is hilarious!

I have grown less fond of large group wine tastings, in general. I've found them less and less fun over time. The simple logistics of pouring a tasting for 30 or more people makes it so you taste only a few wines and it's less personal, IMO. Even when we get together with friends, if it's much more than 6-8 people the experience just changes.

So no matter what cruise line is running it, I would pick the Pont du Gard trip over the wine tasting - unless you can go to CdP by yourself and taste independently of the large group, as in pinotlover's previous post. But the Pont du Gard is well worth the trip - we loved it when we visited last year.

I find the question almost impossible to answer. It's like asking someone do you like steak or fish? They both have admirable qualities.

I have no idea where Viking takes you to taste Chateauneuf de Pap but when I went with Tauck in 2014 they took us to the actual vineyard for the tasting and I got to taste some of the best reds I have ever tasted in Europe. I noted in my CC review ....

"and the French Popes own vineyard the Chateauneuf du Pape where I tasted some of the best reds I’d drunk in all of France and even a Roman influence here as the cellars are part of the Roman system."

I also like to visit History but the tour to Pont de Gard was not on that particular itinerary. You have a tough choice but if all that Viking do is take you to a wine bar for the tasting then go see Roman history.

We did not go with Viking but I would definitely vote for the aqueduct! Truly an amazing structure and we found the museum itself quite interesting. Our winery tour at Chateauneuf du Pape was also good but the memory of the Pont du Gard really stands out!!

I think the comments on Viking are not completely true. While we did not cruise Viking on this particular cruise, we did a Viking Bordeaux cruise in 2015. They took us to 3rd and 4th growth wineries for tours and dinner. The top growth wineries are not open to the public. This may be the case on your cruise where some wineries can not handle the larger tour groups or do not wish to have buses on their property. Viking could pour a better bottle of wine on the river though. Usually one has to buy the drink package to have the better wines and spirits.

We did both on our trip with Tauck and while I enjoyed both tours, I loved Pont du Gard the most! Beautiful park area with views to die for. Very interesting tour and at sunset the photos my husband took were breath taking. Over the years we have done so many wine tasting and winery tours that I am beginning to feel like "Been there and done that", but the Pont du Gard will always stand out in my mind!

In answering another question about Avignon excursions I came upon the official website for Pont du Gard. It has nice pictures and explanations:

http://www.pontdugard.fr/en/ancient-work-art

A local TV show, "Spiel the Wine" here in WNY recommended Chateauneuf du Pape recently. Although red wine is generally not my favorite, this wine is delicious. I was delighted to see your mention of the winery even though you won't be taking the tour. Cheers.

If you stay with your new choice of Pont du Gard, and if you are physically able, make sure you hike to the top. Hiking trails are on the far side of the bridge. Not many people do this, and getting up to the top provide awesome views and just an incredible experience that you don't get from below. The trail is not super difficult - I was 65 at the time, overweight and not in great shape and I made it.

If that's too strenuous, walk down under the bridge. That's another fantastic experience.

As if you can't figure it out, my vote is definitely the aqueduct!