8 Days Provence Adventure Tour Package
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Priced From: $3490 pp.dbl.occ.
Dates: Apr - Jun, Sep, Oct

Seeing luminous Provencal landscapes through the eyes of Cezanne, then picturing them with your own hand… picking up a few phrases en Francais with a language lesson in Aix… discovering the flavors of fougasse, goat cheese, ratatouille, and herbes de Provence… mastering the art of preparing Provençal cuisine with a local chef... pub crawling in St.-Rémy-de-Provence… walking in the footsteps of van Gogh… kayaking on the Sorgue River… discussing French politics with the locals in Joucas… wrapping yourself up in Provençal life dawn to dusk. Maximum group size is 16.

Hotel: Le Pigonnet, Aix-en-Provence, France
Meals Included: Dinner
Activity Level: Today’s introduction to Aix is on foot, but an easy walk on paved streets and sidewalks.

Day 2: C'est Cezanne
Walk in the footsteps of post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne through his hometown. See the landscapes he painted, and the fields where local residents became his subjects. Step into the studio where props pictured in his still-lifes remain, many just as he left them. Aix’s grandest boulevard, the Cours Mirabeau, dates back to the 17th century. Lined with plane-trees, elaborate fountains and opulent mansions, it invites a leisurely bike ride, a brisk walk, or a cognac in one of its many popular cafés. Garner a few handy phrases en francais during a French lesson, and hike up to a favorite painting spot of Cezanne’s, Inspiration Point, where you might be inspired yourself to create a masterwork of your own. Cezanne loved the views of Mont Sainte-Victoire...

Hotel: Le Pigonnet, Aix-en-Provence, France
Meals Included: Breakfast
Activity Level: Moderate walking on level streets; an uphill hike on a dirt path; and an optional ride on a rented bicycle at leisure, along streets that are flat and easy for biking.

Day 3: Time stands still
Some call the hilltop villages of Luberon the “sentinels of time.” No wonder. Looking out over wild stretches of cedar and oak, they seem to have been here forever. Gordes, with its arcaded medieval lanes twisting, invites you to sample its cheeses, olive oils and breads on market day. Take a few hours’ walk (or a shorter walk, if you prefer) to Roussillon, where the deep ochre used in the town's architecture harmoniously blends into the warmth of the natural surroundings. Spend some time in a little café, perhaps over lunch – gossip, daydream, while away some time... Stroll among Bonnieux’s narrow streets and 13th-century walls; perhaps you'll unwind over a pastis at a café. Arriving in Joucas, you'll receive a warm welcome at your gem of a hotel, Hostellerie Le Phebus. Dine tonight at the hotel, where the chef / owner was recently awarded the "Rising Chef" award by Relais & Chateaux.

Hotel: Hostellerie Le Phébus, Joucas, France
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner
Activity Level: Today includes an extended self-paced walk (approximately 2 hours, 15 min.) on hilly, uneven footpaths, and moderate walking on winding and hilly (often steep) medieval streets.

Day 4: Bories, Abbeys & Boules
A little morning exercise can warm you up for more adventures among the chalk cliffs, fairy tale villages, meadows and moorlands of the Luberon. In a nearby village, pick up the makings of a traditional picnic lunch – perhaps a baguette, fruits and meats, cheese, olives and, naturellement, wine… whatever tempts your palate! Today you'll take a walk to the beautiful Abbaye de Sananque; your path is a treat for the senses. Rich with color, chalk and red ochre cliffs, cedar forests, taupe moorlands and river hewn gorges surround. No matter what time you visit, during lavender season or not, your imagination can picture it in full bloom in the meadows surrounding the 900-year-old Abbaye de Senanque, still home to Cistercian monks. Picnic in a Provençal meadow, then return to Joucas. Spend an afternoon hiking, biking, riding or what-have-you (there is an exquisite spa, pool, gardens) in Joucas; and learn to play a game of boules, a Provence tradition.

Hotel: Hostellerie Le Phébus, Joucas, France
Meals Included: Breakfast and lunch
Activity Level: A moderate hike (approx. 60-90 minutes) along gravel and dirt trails, on hilly, open and shaded areas.

Day 5: Kayaking on the Sorgue & on to Arles and St. Rémy
After bubbling away deep beneath the hills of Provence, the most powerful spring in France bursts forth at nearly 20,000 gallons per second to feed the mysterious Sorgue River. Climb aboard a kayak and paddle along this picturesque waterway from Fontaine-de-Vaucluse to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue... and check out the waterwheels! The Romans felt it. So did the builders of its Romanesque churches… and artists from van Gogh to Picasso, who particularly loved the pubs. And so will you – strolling its boulevards and leafy squares… lunching in one of its charming cafes… people-watching within a city of contrasts. Arrive late afternoon in St-Rémy-de-Provence and a fantastic boutique hotel. Tonight you'll discover the allure of “pub crawling” – not the tourist places, but the pubs where the locals go.

Hotel: Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues, St-Rémy-de-Provence, France
Meals Included: Breakfast
Activity Level: Today includes a fairly easy kayak journey on the Sorgue River (fine for beginners), and a walk in Arles on paved, mostly flat sidewalks (approx. 90 minutes).

Day 6: What’s Cooking in Avignon
On market day in Avignon, partake in the process of bringing great Provençal food from the market to the plate. Join a chef on a buying trip to an Avignon market – smelling, tasting, and feeling your way through the fresh produce, breads, meats and cheeses. Learn the chef’s kitchen secrets firsthand as you help prepare a traditional meal in a hands-on cooking lesson. And after a professional sommelier guides you through a tasting of fine Rhone wines, it’s time to eat… drink… and be very merry. For much of the 14th century, the Roman Catholic popes ruled from Avignon. Take an insider’s look at the ten-towered Palais des Papes, more fortress than palace – or if you wish, explore lovely Avignon on your own. You'll have free time today to spend as you wish. A bicycle ride? A walk? A long afternoon drink in a café? In St. Rémy, after-dinner drinks often lead to lively discussions on every topic under the Provençal sun...

Hotel: Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues, St-Remy-de-Provence, France
Meals Included: Breakfast and lunch
Activity Level: Today includes minimal walking; the Palais des Papes visit requires navigating many steps and irregular surfaces.

Day 7: Van Gogh’s Footsteps in Provence
In Provence, art and beauty are one... shared with the world by Vincent van Gogh, whose work skyrocketed with the region’s extraordinary light. High atop a rocky outcrop lies Les Baux-de-Provence – spend the morning time-traveling to the 10th century. Sample the fruits of the vineyards and olive groves of Chateau d’Estoublon at an afternoon tasting. Next up – the asylum of St-Paul-de-Mausole in St-Remy, where van Gogh spent a year and created over 150 paintings including Starry Night. You'll feel you've had a glimpse inside the artist’s head as Van Gogh scholar Mathilde Duvilliers shares insights on Vincent’s complicated life and reads from his letters on a walk in his footsteps in St-Remy. Celebrate the flavors of Provence with cocktails, canapés and a spectacular dinner of local specialties... a perfect finis to Provence travel days with Culturious!

Hotel: Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues, St-Remy-de-Provence, France
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner
Activity Level: Moderate walking today through the market and streets of Arles, and on the grounds of St-Paul-de-Mausole.

Day 8: Au revoir, Provence…
The warm, inviting colors… sun-kissed meadows… those amazing Provençal flavors… intangible sensory imagery that linger not only on the return to Marseille and on your flight home… but far beyond…

Meals Included: Breakfast

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