Sceneries of Provence

Sceneries of Provence

The scenic face of Provence with breathtaking and magnificent landscapes: Calanques, Ardéche Gorges, Colorado of Rustrel etc.
8-day and 7-night self drive holiday.
This self drive holiday starts at Avignon in the morning and ends late afternoon on 8th day in Marseille.

Description of the tour :

Day 1: arrival at Avignon – Tour of the Popes city that harbors many monuments and museums, some are ranked among the UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Day 2: Dentelles of Montmirail and Mont Ventoux – Scenic tour in the Dentelles of Montmirail, white chalky mountains to discover some wine producing and perched villages as Beaumes de Venise, le Barroux, la Roque Alric, Suzette… You will reach Malaucène and start the ascent of Mont Ventoux, Giant of Provence along the northern road. Breathtaking view from the top. You drive down along the southern road via picturesque villages as Bedoin to head to Vaison la Romaine and Orange, your overnight stop.

Day 3: Ardeche Gorges, Pont du Gard and Nîmes – You head to Vallon Pont d’Arc, the village at the entrance of these famous and impressive gorges. For 35 km, you will follow the scenic route with numerous view points. Then, you will discover the Pont du Gard, the tallest and most beautiful acqueduct bridge in the Roman world, before reaching Nîmes and its Roman buildings.

Day 4: Camargue and Arles – The Camargue is an immense flat era of seashore, marshlands and fields between the Mediterranean sea and the two arms of the river Rhone delta with a fantastic flora and fauna. You will visit Aigues Mortes, a medieval fortified city in the middle of marshes and Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, well-known for gypsies pilgrims before reaching and touring Arles , a city of Art and History. All the Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles are listed as UNESCO World heritage.

Day 5: Alpilles discovery tour, Les Baux de Provence and Saint Remy de Provence – You will visit the Montmajour abbey, cloister of which is dated back from the 12th century, the ruins of the acqueduct and flour mill of Barbegal, the only hydraulic Roman factory known in the world, the Alphonse Daudet’s windmill, the tiny and beautiful St Gabriel chapel, the rocky fortress of Les Baux de Provence and its medieval village. After crossing the Alpilles mountains, you will reach the ruins of Glanum, a former Roman commercial city and further, St Remy de Provence.

Day 6: Ochre Luberon and perched villages in Petit Luberon mountain – You will tour Roussillon, a picturesque colored village perched on ochre cliffs and later, will have a stroll through the Colorado de Rustrel, a vast quarry site where ochre was once extracted. Then, you head to Petit Luberon mountain to discover some old perched villages as Maubec, Oppede le Vieux, Menerbes, Lacoste and Bonnieux before reaching Lourmarin, on the other side of mountain.

Day 7: Aix en Provence, Sainte Victoire and Sainte Baume mountains – The day will start with the visit of the Romanesque abbey of Silvacana, before exploring Aix en Provence, a history city. Then, you will discover the two sacred Provence mountains and some provencal villages as Gemenos built upon the last foothills of the Sainte Baume mountain.

Day 8: Cassis and Calanques – You will fall in love with Cassis, the beautiful and tiny port surrounded by cliffs or vineyards. You will discover the Calanques and the Soubeyranes cliffs above the Mediterranean sea before reaching Marseille, last stop of this tour.

The cost of the rental car is not included in the price. This tour can be done with a chauffeur-driven car or can be tailor made to meet your specific needs. Thank you to contact us if you need more information.

What’s included?

• Lodging on B&B basis in hotels handpicked by us among the best.
• Parking fees if the hotel has one (only for Prestige and Luxe tours)
• The detailed road book with information about villages, attractions and hotels. It also contains maps of cities you will explore
• IGN maps of the area (scale 1 cm = 1 km)
• Green Michelin guide (tour guide) of the region
• Emergency phone number available 24/24 and 7/7