Provence is the France of artists and artisans, where lavender fields meet ancient villages and time-honoured cuisine. Experience the highlights on this compact adventure, which takes you from Forcalquier’s cobbled lanes to the elegant boulevards of Aix-en-Provence, via the beautiful villages of the Luberon mountains. En route, you’ll indulge your inner Francophile, combing local markets, sampling local produce, and meeting the local people – an experience made all the more immersive thanks to the expert insight of your local tour leader.
Activity Areas
Culture
New Cultural Holidays
Region & Country & City
France, Provence
Included in the Price
— All breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, two wine tastings, one cheese tasting and one olive oil tasting
— All accommodation
— All transport and listed activities
— Tour leader throughout
— Group arrival and departure transfers available
Not Included In The Price
— Travel insurance
— Single accommodation (available on request)
— Visas or vaccinations
Accommodation Information
— Accommodation: 6 Classic nights (hotels)
— Travel by private minibus
— Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
Map
Itinerary
Day 1 Adventure begins in Forcalquier
Begin your adventure in Forcalquier, a picturesque town in the Provence region, nestled between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges.
Around 6pm, say bonjour to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big French welcome by arranging a group dinner.
Want more time in Forcalquier? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Accommodation: Hôtel Charembeau (or similar)
Day 2 Explore Forcalquier market • Walk in Lurs village • Olive oil-making workshop
Join your tour leader this morning for a guided tour of the town centre. Our adventure takes us to Forcalquier market, one of the largest in the Haute Provence with more than 200 stalls. There’s free time to explore, before we transfer (15 minutes) to the village of Lurs.
Enjoy a picnic lunch of produce from the market, before a 4mi (6km) walk in the Lurs area with magnificent views over the Durance valley. After, we visit an olive oil-making workshop led by an expert local guide, in which we enjoy a tasting, before returning to Forcalquier.
Accommodation: Hôtel Charembeau (or similar)
Day 3 Discover the pretty villages of the Luberon
Today is dedicated to the famously beautiful villages of the Luberon. First, we transfer (30 minutes) to the medieval town of Banon, where we enjoy a 45-minute walk from the new town to the old town. Along the way, we discover the Old Church, which was first built in 1350, but restored in 1826 after it was destroyed in the French Revolution.
Then, join a local producer to sample Banon cheese, a round goat’s cheese traditionally wrapped in chestnut leaves, before free time in the weekly market.
After, we head (35 minutes) to Rustrel and enjoy a picnic lunch. Here, we explore the Provençal Colorado, an open-cast ochre mining site in the 19th and 20th centuries, before transferring (40 minutes) to Lourmarin to stroll through narrow streets and discover the fountain in the square.
Finally, we head to the medieval town of Bonnieux, walking from the Low Church to the High Church, before returning (one hour) to Forcalquier.
Accommodation: Hôtel Charembeau (or similar)
Day 4 Visit the family-run farm Les Grandes Marges in Valensole • Explore stunning Sisteron
The beauty of Provence is in full bloom today, as we transfer (30 minutes) to Valensole, one of the largest plateaux in France, where lavender blooms between mid-June and mid-July and almond trees grow. Here, we visit Les Grandes Marges, a farm and boutique run by the Jaubert family for four generations. Here, we can enjoy a 45-minute walk among the olive trees, enjoy a wine tasting and smell their lavender essential oil.
After, we transfer (50 minutes) to Sisteron, nicknames the Pearl of Haute-Provence. This eye-catching town sits on the banks of the Durance with the limestone folds of the Rock of La Baume rising dramatically at the entrance. Here, we enjoy a stroll around the town with our tour leader, before returning to Forcalquier via Les Mees, a village with distinctive rock formations.
Accommodation: Hôtel Charembeau (or similar)
Day 5 To Avignon • Explore the city with a local guide
Bid à bientôt to Forcalquier, as we depart early for our transfer (two hours) to Avignon. Upon arrival, join a local guide for a tour of this historic city on the Rhône, which includes a stop at the local market, where you can enjoy lunch.
The afternoon is then free to further explore the city, perhaps visiting Avignon Bridge and the Palais de Papes (entrance included).
Accommodation: Hotel D'Angleterre (or similar)
Day 6 Explore boulevards and landmarks in Aix-en-Provence • Wine tasting in a vineyard • Farewell dinner
We transfer (1hr 20min) to Aix-en-Provence this morning, a historic university city of leafy boulevards and the birthplace of painter Paul Cezanne. Here, we join a local guide for a tour of the historic centre and local landmarks; after, there may be some free time, in which you could visit Cezanne’s studio or the Musée Granet.
After, we drive (30 minutes) to the enchanting estate of the Château des Trois Sautet, where we toast our adventure with a tasting of their exceptional wines in the vineyard.
Returning to Aix-en-Provence, we continue our celebrations with a farewell dinner.
Accommodation: Hôtel des Augustins (or similar)
Day 7 Adventure ends in Aix-en-Provence
You’ve walked, tasted and explored the best of Provence, but now it’s time to begin your return journey home.
Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative to discuss our large range of extension options.
