Prepare to enjoy a perfect mix of wine and sightseeing on your tour of The wines of Limoux and the Cité of Carcassonne from Narbonne. There is no hotel pick-up for this excursion. You should make your way either to the Narbonne Tourist Office where you will be picked up in an air-conditioned mini-bus by your bilingual (English and French) driver cum guide.
You will first head to the town of Limoux, home to the wonderful Blanquette de Limoux sparkling wine, said to pre-date Champagne by 200 years. On the way, your guide will answer questions and give you a brief history of winemaking in the area, as well as plenty of information about vine cultivation.
On arrival, you will enjoy a fascinating tour of one of the best wineries in Limoux, and get a chance to sample some of their finest wines. You will also stop in the vineyard to discuss the life cycle of the vine, and how climate, soil and other factors affect the quality of the final product. The winery you visit also produces non-sparkling wines, and is one of the best producers of Pinot Noir, a grape which thrives in the cooler climate of Limoux.
Leaving Limoux you will head for the magical walled city of Carcassonne, arriving just after noon. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Carcassonne was a stronghold of the Cathars, a religious group persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church, which considered them to be heretics.
You will be dropped off in the city at around 1230h (12.30pm), and you will have four hours to have lunch (payable direct) and explore the drawbridges, towers and atmospheric cobbled streets of this delightful place.
If you enjoy meat and good hearty fare, this would be a good opportunity to sample a traditional Cassoulet in one of the restaurants. Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole containing meat (typically pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), and white haricot beans.
At the end of your tour, you will be dropped off at the Narbonne tourist office.