France: Provence

Trip Includes:

Experienced, friendly, and knowledgeable guides

Transportation during the trip

All accommodations while on tour, including two charming hotels with rooms unique in size, shape, and style, all private baths. Most rooms have bath tubs and no shower stalls. Please note that there is no air conditioning in these hotels, however the thick stone walls typically keep the properties quite cool.

All meals included except two lunches and one dinner; alcoholic beverages not included

DAY 1
Châteauneuf-du-Pape loop walk; 5 miles, easy, 330-ft elevation gain and loss. Cuvée du Vatican Domaine visit and wine tasting
Your walking exploration of Provence begins in Avignon; this picturesque and historical city on the banks of the Rhône River is easily reached by rail and equally simple to explore on foot. Shortly after meeting your guide(s), you set off for the nearby town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, source of the renowned wine of the same name. Literally translating as the “new castle of the pope,” this was the site of the pope’s summer retreat when the seat of the papacy was moved to Avignon from Rome in the 14th century. From the hilltop town, views extend over thousands of acres of vines, originally brought here during the papal period, as well as over the Rhône valley, Avignon, and the Lubéron Mountains, providing an excellent visual introduction to the week’s itinerary. Your walk is on undulating back roads used only by the locals to work the surrounding vineyards and trails linking three estates, each with a different character.
Following a picnic lunch, you make your way to Cuvée du Vatican, one of the 55 producers of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, where you stop for a tour to learn more about its cultivation and classification. Later in the afternoon, you arrive in Vaison-la-Romaine, your home for the next three nights. Your hotel is located in the heart of its medieval center, the “haute ville,” with its castle ruins, perched on a cliff above the river Ouvèze. Along the river bank on the opposite side is the lower town with remains of the original Roman settlement—one of France’s most important Gallo- Roman archaeological sites.
A welcome apéritif awaits in the cozy living room, perhaps a chilled pastis, the anise-flavored drink of the South of France, accompanied by locally-grown olives. Dinner is a medley of Provencal cuisine, flavored by a true Mediterranean blend of olive oil, herbes de Provence, and tomatoes.
L’Hostellerie Le Beffroi, Vaison-la-Romaine

DAY 2
Vaison-la-Romaine guided tour and market. Col de la Chaîne loop walk; 5 miles, easy to moderate, 980-ft elevation gain and loss
Vaison-la-Romaine is known for a plethora of outdoor markets set up in its squares throughout the year, offering the bounty of the nearby farms and hillsides, seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as local specialties such as jars of truffles, lavenderinfused honey, or olive tapenades. After breakfast at the hotel, you stroll the narrow streets of the town and discover its highlights accompanied by a local guide. There is time for you to make your way to one of these markets, where you are free to explore on your own and may choose local delicacies for your independent lunch—perhaps a bit of Picodon goat cheese and a fragrant olive “fougasse,” a flat loaf similar to foccaccia. Alternatively, you can visit parts of the archaeological site or museum before reuniting with your group.
Your marketing or visit complete, a short drive takes you to the start of the afternoon’s walk in the Saint Amand range. Traversing green oak forests and terraced fields, the route passes by mas, traditional stone farm houses, and offers splendid views of fertile valleys, vineyards, rocky spires, and Mont Ventoux. Mont Ventoux is best known for its occasional appearance in the Tour de France and its daunting reputation even amongst the most seasoned professional cyclists—at just over 6,000 feet with a 7.5-percent gradient over 13 miles of switch backs to the summit. This mountain is one of Provence’s central geographical and cultural landmarks, known to have been climbed and celebrated as early as the 13th century by the Italian poet Petrarch. Today its treeless summit attracts outdoor enthusiasts in all seasons, from walkers and hikers, to cyclists and skiers.
Dinner this evening is at the hotel’s restaurant, where you may start with delicately prepared fish or seafood, and perhaps followed by lamb flavored with the same herbs that dotted the path of today’s walk.
L’Hostellerie Le Beffroi, Vaison-la-Romaine

DAY 3
Gigondas loop via Dentelles de Montmirail; 7.5 miles, moderate, 1,000-ft elevation gain and loss, including a short, steep ascent at the beginning
Fortified with excellent coffee and buttery croissants with jams, you begin the morning’s outing with a 20-minute drive to the town of Gigondas. Another medieval gem, Gigondas is synonymous with the red wine grown in the shadow of the low chain of mountains known as the Dentelles de Montmirail, named for their lacelike profile. Among its yellow stone buildings is the medieval castle, which became a hospice in the 17th century. The five-mile-long Dentelles range is perfect for walking. An extensive trail network branches out from Gigondas, whose name is derived from jocunditas, the Roman word for joy, perhaps from the region’s beauty and wine, produced here since Roman times.
The walk starts with an invigorating ascent and loops through the hillside vineyards and Aleppo pines, opening onto dramatic views of the lacy limestone ridges eroded into sharp points and crests. As the trail continues to Châteauneuf de Redortier, you slowly discover what makes Côtes du Rhône wines unique and learn about the concept of terroir. A picnic spread in the shade overlooking the landscape features mixed salads with ripe vegetables, crusty bread, creamy cheeses, or cold cuts.
Returning to Vaison-la-Romaine, the rest of the day is yours to design. An evening stroll through the car-free streets may bring you past the elegant facades of 18th-century “hotels particuliers” or private palaces, as well as boutiques brimming with the rich colors and designs of Provence’s signature fabrics, and lavender. A square with one of the town’s many fountains could be the perfect place for an apéritif before moving on to a restaurant of your choosing, as the relaxed pace of life in the South of France takes hold.
L’Hostellerie Le Beffroi, Vaison-la-Romaine

DAY 4
Transfer to the Lubéron region. Gordes to Abbaye de Sénanque loop; 6.2 miles, easy-moderate, 650-ft elevation gain and loss. Roussillon visit
Now at the midpoint of the trip, you move south to the Lubéron region of Provence. The landscape is comprised of the Petit Lubéron and Grand Lubéron mountain ranges and ridge-top medieval villages contrasting with open plains, creating a mosaic of subtle shades of earth and stone, cultivated fields, orchards, and open meadows. After a drive of approximately one hour, you reach the stunning perched village of Gordes, included in the listing of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France” (“The Most Beautiful Villages in France”). Inspiration to artists over the past century such as Marc Chagall, its cobbled streets rise in terraces to the castle at its center. The day’s loop walk follows a path from Gordes to the Abbaye de Sénanque, a 12th-century Cistercian abbey situated in the Sénanque Valley, amid oak groves and lavender fields. A small community of Cistercian monks continues to live and work in this tranquil place.
Reaching the end of the trail and back in the village of Gordes, you are free to peruse the shops and select a café for lunch on your own.
The afternoon unfolds with a stop in the town of Roussillon. As indicated by its name in French, the underlying stone is a warm orange-red ochre that colors buildings, rocks, and outcroppings.
The final destination of the day is Saignon, the location of your hotel for the next three nights—an untrammeled perched village along the Grand Lubéron range overlooking the Calavon Valley. From its heights, views extend over the Lubéron Mountains and plains, and in clear weather to Mont Ventoux and the Alps of Haute Provence. You may choose to unwind in the hotel’s courtyard before moving on to a dinner of regional specialties, for instance daube de boeuf (Provencal beef stew) or aiöli complet (a mélange of vegetables and seafood with a creamy garlic side sauce), possibly finished with a tangy lemon tart.
L’Auberge Du Presbytère, Saignon

DAY 5
Colorado Provençal; 6.2 miles, easy to moderate, 650-ft elevation gain and loss
Breakfast is served in the shade of the winter garden, and includes preserves accompanying viennoiseries, fueling you for the morning walk in the “Colorado Provençal.” A short drive (20 minutes) returns you to the reddish-toned landscape similar to the one in Roussillon and a walk through former ochre quarries near Rustrel. In contrast to the white limestone found elsewhere in Provence, here the rich tones are a result of high clay content, and consequently rosemary and thyme give way to taller twisting pines and high broom shrub. A network of paths crisscross this valley, which has been carved into fantastic shapes and gorges by the Doa stream over the centuries, thus compared in name to the geology of the American West. You stop for a delightful picnic lunch in the heart of this magical landscape before heading back to Saignon with time to stroll its narrow alleyways, or perhaps enjoy a swim.
Dinner this evening is quite special—you are invited to join organic vegetable farmers in their lovely home. Tucked in the countryside near Saignon, your hosts’ gardens are overflowing with produce typically grown in the region—herbs, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant, but also vintage vegetables no longer widely available. A stroll through the lush beds whets your appetite for dinner, served on their shaded terrace.
L'Auberge Du Presbytère, Saignon

DAY 6
Goult to Bonnieux via Lacoste; 6.8 miles, easy to moderate, 820-ft elevation gain and 500-ft elevation loss
A full final day of walking through classic Lubéron villages and countryside begins with a short drive (20 minutes) to Goult. Nestled on a hilltop, rather than dramatically perched like some of the neighboring towns, this peaceful village was part of the fiefdom of the Agoult family in the Middle Ages and had an important royal glassworks. You can stroll past its 13th-century castle before starting on a route leading to the village of Lacoste. Here you wander under white stone arches, along cobbled lanes, perhaps into galleries, and continue on to lunch on a terrace boasting stunning views.
Descending along Lacoste’s ancient walls, the trail again winds through a combination of cultivated and wild landscape; portions of open forest are in the Parc Naturel Régional du Lubéron, the regional natural park founded in 1977 to preserve the unique surrounding flora and fauna. Here, rabbits, numerous birds, and even wild boar roam through thick cedar forest. Continuing on past orchards and bories, traditional stone farmer’s huts, the trail concludes at the county seat of Bonnieux. With archaeological evidence from as early as the Bronze Age, the first formal settlement was established by the Romans in the 1st century AD. In the Middle Ages Bonnieux was raised to higher ground for defensive purposes, and ramparts and superb residences remain, testament to its strategic position in the region. The day’s walk concludes in its labyrinth of alleyways and shaded lanes, overlooked by the combination Romanesque and Gothic “Eglise Haute, “ or High Church, before boarding the van for the short drive back to Saignon.
A final celebratory dinner takes place at your hotel’s nearby sister property where you can relax with an apéritif while observing the chef as she prepares dinner in the open kitchen. You toast your new friends with a glass of local wine and celebrate the bounty of the region one last time.
L’Auberge Du Presbytère, Saignon

DAY 7
Departure After a leisurely breakfast the trip comes to a close with a one-hour drive to Avignon, where you can make connections for further explorations in Provence or travel to other destinations.

Itinerary Changes: Please bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual walks and sites may vary due to season, special events, or weather. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary since tour arrangements are made up to a year in advance, and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve the tour and your experience.