Our tours are private and may be customized, combined, lengthened or condensed.

Full Day Tour – Provence Lavender Fields  (8H)

Meet your driver/guide in the lobby of your hotel for today’s day tour. A hotel in Aix or the Luberon region is suggested for this tour.

July to mid August is the best time to see lavender fields in Provence when the fragrance of lavender hangs heavy in the air.

Driving through the Plateau de Valensole, lavender fields and almond trees offer unbelievable scenery.

You will have the opportunity during this private guided tour to enjoy a stop at Riez, an authentic village of Provence full of history on your way to the medieval town of Moustiers Sainte Marie. Here enjoy a peaceful atmosphere and walk around the village to discover the world’s most famous producers of ceramic and faïence.

Lastly you will make a stop at the stunning Gorges du Verdon with its blue-green water your last stop before heading back to your hotel.

Full Day Tour – Avignon with Wine Tasting (8H)

Your driver/guide will meet you in your hotel lobby for today’s tour of Avignon. You will be transferred to the city center where you will meet your walking guide for a 2 to 2.5 hour walking tour. Avignon is a fascinating town. Overlooking the city and the Rhône River, the Rocher des Doms presents an exceptional set of monuments including the Saint Bénezet Bridge, the Ramparts,

the Petit Palais, the Cathedral and the impressive walls of the Popes’ Palace, which is flanked by four mighty towers. Enjoy a guided tour through the palace.

The Palace of the Popes stands as a mighty symbol of the church’s influence throughout the western Christian world in the 14th century. Construction started in 1335 and ended in less than twenty years under the leadership of two popes, Benedict XII and his successor Clement VI. The Popes’ Palace is the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe (the equivalent of 4 Gothic cathedrals). Of interest are frescoes by the Italian artist Matteo Giovannetti. Note: Tour is not suitable for persons with walking difficulties or in wheelchairs.

There are approximately 200 steps in the Palace.

The ancient streets, courtyards of private mansions, and renovated facades of Avignon’s old city will charm you! You’ll love the Antiquaire quarter, the Place de l’Horloge and the Chemin de Ronde which will take you to the Rocher des Doms. From the top of the ramparts you’ll understand why the site was chosen as a fort: Avignon stands high above the immense plains of the Rhône River and is the strategic point of the whole valley! The Avignon Bridge (Pont St Bénezet)

After your Avignon tour your walking guide will leave you and we suggest wine tasting and lunch at Chateau Neuf du Pape (not included).  Located between Avignon and Orange, Châteauneuf-du-Pape spreads out at the foot of the remains of its fortress castle. The village looks over the plain of Comtat and the 3 000 hectares of vine fields. The village is almost completely dedicated to its world famous wine “Châteauneuf du Pape”.

As you saunter down the twisting narrow streets with their numerous beautiful fountains including the XIV° century Souspiron fountain, you’ll see the ancient bread oven and olive press and you can walk as far as the Papal castle built by his holiness Pope Jean XXII between 1316 and 1333. Wide stone staircases take you up to the fortress where the Popes lived until 1377, and their return to Rome.

The fortress was destroyed by fire during the religious wars and then further damaged in 1944. Little remains apart from a short stretch of wall, one of the high towers and a lower room. However, from the ruins there is a 360 ° panoramic view over the Rhône valley, the Luberon, Avignon and the papal Palace, which can be seen in the background. After your tour you will be returned to your hotel.

Full Day Tour – Aix- en- Provence and Les Baux- de- Provence (9H)

Morning: Your driver/guide will meet you in your hotel lobby for your tour of Aix en Provence and Le Baux-de-Provence.

An hour’s drive from Avignon is Aix en Provence. Your walking guide will meet you upon arrival for a 3 hour walking tour of Aix en Provence. Two of Aix’s most famous sons are Impressionist Paul Cezanne and novelist Emile Zola. The Cours Mirabeau, a lovely street flanked by intertwining plane trees, divides the old town Vieux Aix into two parts. The older, medieval streets are to the north and the sophisticated 18th-century mansions to the south of it. The cathedral St. Sauveur has a remarkable 15th-century triptych by Nicolas Froment. Its Romanesque cloisters feature carved pillars and slender colonnades.

Everywhere, throughout the town, fountains big and small bubble. Aix-en-Provence is a city of art, light and activity. It is also home to several art schools and universities, including some American, attracting a youthful population that sparks the atmosphere.

Be delighted by Aix’s bustling daily open-air market on the Place Richelme. The market offers Provencal products such as fruit, vegetables, olives and oysters. And not only food: wicker baskets, brightly patterned tablecloths made from Provencal cloth, olive wood bowls and platters and rolling pins. Enjoy a visit to a Calissons boutique and taste the local specialty! The main market takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This market, located by the Palais de Justice, is a big affair of fresh produce and food, bric-à-brac and a flea market. On market days, a colorful flower market is held at the Place de l’Hotel de Ville (Town Hall).

Lunch: your guide will suggest a restaurant depending on your tastes After lunch you will continue on to Les Baux-de- Provence

Les Baux de Provence is located in the heart of the Alpilles on a rocky plateau that offers gorgeous views of Arles, the Camargue and the Alpilles. This immense and superb stone fortress is without doubt one of the “must-sees” of the region and has only 500 permanent residents. The village has been painstakingly restored and is officially classified one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Its cultural heritage is exceptionally rich, with 22 architectural treasures classified as “Historic Monuments”, including the church, chateau, town-hall, hospital, chapels, houses, doorways…

The site can only be visited by foot. You will admire the ancient houses that have been carefully restored, beautiful Renaissance façades and several magnificent “hôtels particuliers” which today host art galleries or museums. After your tour you will be returned to your hotel.

Full Day Tour – Saint- Rémy and Arles (8 H)

Your driver/guide will meet you in your hotel lobby for today’s tour.

Located in the heart of the Alpilles, Saint Rémy is one of the “must-sees” in Provence. Surrounded by lush green perfumed valleys, its ancient streets are lined with beautifully restored old houses. The beauty of the countryside and the quality of light has inspired many artists, writers and painters. Without a doubt, the most famous was Vincent Van Gogh who produced more than 150 paintings of the countryside surrounding Saint Rémy de Provence.

While strolling through the narrow winding streets you will discover fantastic old fountains, shady squares, picturesque restaurants and elegant boutiques. From the place Jean Jaurès to the gates of the old town, enjoy the long succession of “hôtels particuliers” (often converted into museums or art galleries), convents, chapels, and ornate houses from the 17th and 18th century.

Saint Rémy de Provence was built on one of the oldest archeological sites in Europe. Explore the remains of the “Comptoir de Glanum” which was founded in the 3rd century BC, before control passed to the Romans under Julius Cesar. Visit the “Grands Thermes”, the long residential avenue, the temple and the natural spring of a true gallo-roman city, dating from 30 to 10 years before Christ. Two important monuments are visible next to the site: l’Arc de Triomphe and the Mausolée des Antiques.

Outside of the city is the Antiques plateau, the ancient town of Glanum. Beautiful Roman remains there include the mausoleum (18 metres in height), the municipal arch and the field of ancient ruins comprising temples, a forum, thermal baths, and an ornamental lake.

The Saint-Paul-de-Mausole monastery, hospice since the 18th century, is famous for having welcomed Vincent Van Gogh. Inspired by surrounding nature, the painter produced some of his most famous works there, such as the Sunflowers (Les Tournesols) and the Cypress (Les Cyprès).

Lunch: your guide will suggest a restaurant depending on your tastes

Arles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arles sits on a low hill where the Rhône River branches in two parts to the sea. The commune is the largest in France, with an area of 75,893 ha (about 170,000 acres). The town dates back to the 7th century BC, and was a major Gallo-Roman city.

Vincent van Gogh arrived in 1888. He was fascinated by the Provençal landscapes, producing over 300 paintings and drawings during his time in Arles. Many of his most famous paintings were done in the region, including The Night Cafe, the Yellow Room, and the Starry Night over the Rhone, and L’Arlésienne. Paul Gauguin also visited Van Gogh in Arles.

Van Gogh’s mental health deteriorated and he became alarmingly eccentric, culminating in the infamous ear-severing incident in December 1888. The concerned Arlesians circulated a petition the following February demanding that Van Gogh be confined. In May 1889 he took the hint and left Arles for the asylum at nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. After your tour you will be returned to your hotel.