Best Adventures in Provence Tour Itinerary - 6 Days/5 Nights
Spectacular Walks, Sumptuous Gourmet Meals, French Wines & Cheeses & Cultural Discovery in the Heart of Provence!
(with daily options for both walkers and non-walkers alike)
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Provence
Tour Summary • Provence
Dates & Prices 
Reserve a Provence Tour BEFORE March 2, 2012 and SAVE $400 per person off the tour price!
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Our Provence trips are designed for and cater to both walkers and non-walkers alike, and feature a lot of flexibility, daily options and freedom to choose what you would like to do each day and how active you would like to be each day. Participate in every activity and walk or pick and choose to participate in only those activities of interest to you.
Off the Beaten Path Small Group, Provence, France Tours Feature:
- Professional Off the Beaten Path, LLC Tour Guide(s) - history, culinary and wine specialists - 1 lead guide, 1 assistant guide
- A personalized photo album of your tour in Provence.
- 5 Nights, HOME BASED, historical, luxury hotel accommodations at Hotel Le Mas des Carassins in historic St. Remy de Provence (NEVER any Hotel Hopping) - Voted "BEST luxury boutique hotel in 2011" in St. Remy de Provence and No. 2 on Trip Advisor!
- 13 Meals: 5 buffet breakfasts, 3 lunches, 5 Dinners: including Michelin-star, gourmet and bistrot style lunches and dinners.
- All pre-dinner cocktails and classified wines included at all group meals.
- 3 guided walks (optional and designed for interested guests -- (1) Alpilles winery to village walk -- (2) Luberon village to village walk -- (3) Calanques Mediterranean coast walk --details in itinerary and at bottom of page.
- Support van provided for walks.
- 1 fun cocktail hour learning to play pétanque, a favorite French pastime.
- 45 minute calanques viewing cruise along the Mediterranean coast.
- Private winery tour and VIP wine tasting at Provence's leading organic wine producer.
- Visit and shop at 1 of the last authentic "artisan savonneries" (soap workshops) in France.
- Cultural discovery of colorful, Luberon perched villages --Gordes and Roussillon.
- Guided Tour and Shopping at the most prestigious art, artisan, crafts and regional products market in Provence.
- Artisan cheese tasting throughout the trip.
- 1 fun, hands-on culinary (cooking) class with our friend, a master celebrity Chef, at her Provençal farmhouse followed by cocktails & gourmet lunch with regional wines.
- Day along the Mediterranean coast in Cassis wine producing village - discover the village, market and beautiful Calanques (fjords).
- Leisure time to pursue independent interests.
- All ground transportation throughout the tour by comfortable, spacious, air-conditioned Mercedes vans.
- Roundtrip transfers between Avignon TGV rail station and the hotel on tour start and conclusion day at designated transfer times.
- Lots of options available daily for ALL travelers (Walkers and non-Walkers alike).
- Additional Option Available (for interested guests) - Borrow a bike (free of charge) and explore St. Remy and/or the countryside just outside of St. Remy during leisure time.
- This exclusive Provence Tour is limited to a maximum of 12-16 guests per tour date.
- EMAIL or CALL 1-877-846-2831 to speak with a tour specialist.
Day-by-Day Itinerary for Off the Beaten Path, LLC's Provence Tour
DAY 1: Guests Meet Guides at Avignon TGV Station - Transfer to Hotel for Check-in, Welcome Cocktail Hour and Gourmet Dinner - D
Meet and Greet by your tour guide(s) at AVIGNON TGV Rail Station at scheduled group pick-up time and location inside the TGV station. The group pick-up time is at 4:00 PM. Transfer, as a group, to your luxury historical hotel in the heart of the Gallo-Roman village town of St. Remy-de-Provence.
Dinner: Our first evening of Provence cuisine together prepared by one of our favorite local Chefs.
DAY 2: Morning : Guided Tour & Shopping at the St. Remy-de-Provence Artisan, Art and Crafts Market, Celebrity Hide-a-Way Bistrot Lunch, Afternoon: CHOOSE YOUR OPTION : Option No. 1 - Walkers : Guided Provence "Alpilles Valley Winery to Village" Walk with Private Winery Tour & VIP Wine Tasting OR Option No. 2 - Non-walkers : Private Winery Tour & VIP Wine Tasting, Explore museums & sites in St. Remy de Provence, Shop or Pursue Independent Interests in town or Borrow a Bike - B, L, D
Buffet Breakfast.
St. Remy-de-Provence Market. Morning perusing and shopping at the weekly market in the town that inspired some of Van Gogh’s most famous art work. Noble names of our time include Princess Diana who once had a home here and Princess Caroline of Monaco. Situated in the heart of the Alpilles, surrounded by lush valleys of olive trees and Baux de Provence vineyards, the sounds of cicadas chirping, the visual delight of plane trees and flowers and its’ Gallo-Roman architecture, St. Remy reflects the heart and soul of Provence. Market day in town is a must for any stay in Provence.
Lunch: Together at our favorite, celebrity hide-a-way bistrot in the countryside.
Afternoon CHOOSE YOUR OPTION.
Option No. 1. Walkers : Guided, "Alpilles Valley Winery to Village" walk - (optional - designed for interested guests). This afternoon walkers depart for a spectacular walk in one of Provence's most beautiful walking areas : Les Alpilles valley area full of olive orchards, rolling vineyards and flower fields. Our walk offers fabulous photographic opportunities of traditional Provencal scenery. We begin our walk with private winery tour and VIP wine tasting at an organic wine producer and conclude with options for you to visit historic sites in our destination village.
Option No. 2. Non-Walkers : Shuttle to/From Winery Tour & Tasting & Other Options :
1. Shuttle by minivan to our private Winery Tour and VIP Tasting.
2. Explore and shop in St. Remy
3. Visit the archeological site of Glanum and/or explore the sites painted by Van Gogh.
4. Borrow a bike and take a ride around St. Remy de Provence.
Afternoon and early evening at leisure on our return to the Hotel.
Dinner: Another wonderful gourmet dinner experience of Provençal cuisine this evening.
DAY 3: Morning: Fun, Hands-On Cooking Class with Our Friend, a Favorite Celebrity Master Chef of the Region, Walkers : Short (30 min.) Walk to Cooking Class - Non-walkers : Shuttle by Minivan to/From Cooking Class - Cocktails & Learning to Play Pétanque, Gourmet Lunch of Recipes Prepared Together in Cooking Class, Mid-Afternoon: At Leisure in St. Remy de Provence - B, L, D
Buffet Breakfast.
Morning Cooking Class and Lunch: This morning we depart to our Chef's farmhouse in the countryside of St. Remy de Provence where we'll embark on a culinary adventure participating in a fun, hands-on cooking class. Walkers depart from the hotel for a short 30 minute guided walk to/from cooking class. Non-walkers shuttle to/from cooking class by minivan. Our celebrity master Chef is a personal friend, and has worked with some of France's most famous Michelin-star Chefs, such as, Jacques Pépin, Alain Ducasse and Jean-André Charial. The class is pure fun and designed for all interest levels and abilities from the beginner to the more experienced. NO experience is necessary! The focus of this class is to have fun while learning to prepare traditional Provençal cuisine in a relaxing environment! It's always lots of fun, and an authentic French experience spending time with our Chef and her husband!
Following class, enjoy cocktails out in the garden where we'll learn to play pétanque, a favorite French pastime. Afterwards, we are guests at our Chef's table to enjoy a lunch of the recipes prepared together in cooking class with wine pairings from our Chef's private cellar.
Mid-Afternoon: Leisure afternoon in St. Remy de Provence to pursue independent interests, relax and/or shop, swim or borrow a bike and go for an easy ride around town or in the countryside around St. Remy.
Dinner: Another wonderful gourmet dinner experience of Provençal cuisine this evening.
DAY 4: Full Day Along the Mediterranean Coast in the Coastal Wine Producing Village of Cassis: CHOOSE YOUR OPTION : Option No. 1 - Walkers : Walk the "Calanques of Cassis" (fjords) Along the Mediterranean Coast then visit Cassis Village Afterwards OR Option No. 2 - Non-walkers : Guided Tour of Cassis Village & 45 minute Cruise on the Mediterranean Sea to View the Calanques, Shop at the Cassis Weekly Market, Lunch and Afternoon in Cassis, Visit & Shop at Our Favorite Artisan Savonnerie (Provence Soap Maker), Late Afternoon Return to the Hotel - B, D
Buffet Breakfast.
Departure to the picturesque Mediterranean coastal, wine producing village of Cassis, France which dates back to 500 BC, is surrounded by vineyards, and bordered by the Mediterranean sea, colorful cliffs and beach. Stroll through this art deco style village's pedestrian streets for photo ops of the cobblestone streets, colorful port and beautiful vineyard covered coastline. Shop and try a local cafe at the port.
CHOOSE YOUR OPTION.
Option No. 1. Walkers : Participate in a spectacular, guided, Mediterranean coastal walk of the historic, 10,000 year old "Calanques of Cassis" (also known as fjords) (optional - designed for interested guests). The colorful Mediterranean port in Cassis will serve as the starting point for our calanques walk. Walkers have free time after the walk to explore Cassis village, enjoy lunch at the port, meet up with other guests and more.
Option No. 2. Non-walkers : Guests not participating in the walk will be dropped off directly in Cassis with one of the tour guides for a guided tour of the port village and where they will be able to:
1. Embark on a 45 minute scenic boat tour of the calanques,
2. Shop at the weekly market and at the village specialty boutiques,
3. Explore the historic streets, enjoy a local cafe and people watch at the colorful port,
4. Some guests may also wish to try the local beach.
Lunch: Independently in Cassis village.
Following our walk of the calanques and lunch, guests who participated in the walk will have time to view the calanques by boat if they wish. End of afternoon return to St. Remy de Provence. On our return to St. Remy, we’ll stop for a visit and time to shop at our favorite "artisan savonnerie" (artisan Soap-maker’s workshop). Our artisan Soap-Maker is one of the last two authentic, artisan Soap-maker’s of the famous "Savon de Marseille" left in France.
Dinner: Another wonderful gourmet dinner experience of Provençal cuisine this evening.
DAY 5: A Full Day in the Luberon Discovering Colorful, Perched Villages and Witnessing Vibrantly Colored Flower Fields - Poppies, Lavender & Sunflowers: CHOOSE YOUR OPTION : Option No. 1 - Walkers : Participate in a Spectacular "Luberon Village to Village" walk with visits & Free Time in each Village OR Option No. 2 - Non-walkers : Guided Visits & Free Time in the "Golden Stone Village" of Gordes and the Artist Village of Roussillon - Explore the Ochre Park, Lunch : Walkers & Non-walkers : Gourmet French Picnic Together in the Luberon - B, L, D
Buffet Breakfast.
CHOOSE YOUR OPTION.
Option No. 1. Walkers : "Luberon Village to Village" Walk - (optional - designed for interested guests) - Participate in a Spectacular, guided, "Luberon Village to Village" walk. The Luberon countryside is absolutely beautiful with incredible, often unexpected variety and offers the perfect setting for a golden walking experience unlike any other. Comprised of very unique experiences, our Luberon walk begins in a beautiful golden village that is home to an imposing noble 11th century castle and takes us onward to a famous artist village whose history evolved around the tale of a red-headed damsel and her troubadour lover. We'll pass through farms, vineyards, orchards and woods, past beautifully restored homes and simple farm dwellings. The area surrounding the Luberon is a designated natural park. The countryside is rich with bits of history and evidence of life from other times, and on foot you'll discover special places that aren't in the tourist guidebooks. We pass prehistoric caves, ancient bories, a Roman oppidium, old mills, 700-year old chapels, and abandoned villages. Also famous for its vineyard and lavender covered countryside, walking in the Luberon offers photo opportunities of spectacular colors of lavender, poppies and sunflowers, and scenery that will completely contrast your experience in the Alpilles and along the Mediterranean coast.
Lunch: A traditional gourmet French picnic lunch as a group.
Option No. 2. Non-wlakers :
Shuttle from village to village for guided tours of and free time to explore 2 of the most beautiful, perched villages in the picturesque "Luberon" area of Provence made famous by Peter Mayle's books A Year in Provence and A Good Year - Gordes and Roussillon villages.
Our first visit takes us to Gordes, one of the most stunning of the perched villages of Provence. The village appears like an Atlantis surrounded by fields instead of ocean. To one side looms the massif of Mount Ventoux, the Olympus of Provence, to the other, the pastoral whale-back of Mount Luberon.The breadth and height of this region balance in utter serenity in Gordes. The viewpoint of our initial stop perches us dizzyingly at a canyon's edge across from which the village could be mistaken for a masonery version of an anthill. The village's private houses, chateau and imposing church form a kind of medieval cliff-dwelling community. Arriving to the village center, we are afforded a stroll of the cobbled lanes where dry stone walls serrate the magical vistas of the sunny land at our feet. After a leisurely visit in the village, the day's casual pilgrimage again must faithfully conclude.
Next we head to visit and shop in the artist village of Roussillon, the canto of color in It is a mythical story of a lover, a murder and the suicide of the faithful bereft that describes how the name of the village honors a redhead. The romance colors the very ground and reddish walls of the buildings that lines its winding streets. Known as the village of ochre, this unique mineral creates a substance formerly used as a dying agent. A meandering walk of the preserved ochre quarry reveals the handiwork of nature amidst the collapsing excavations of man. The residents of Roussillon are predominately artists and artisans. This has led to many shops being authentic and individual in character. Explore the village and colorful Ochre Park at leisure.
Mid-afternoon return to St. Remy-de-Provence.
Dinner: Farewell cocktail hour followed by a gourmet Provençal dinner together to celebrate a fabulous week in Provence!
DAY 6: Tour Conclusion - B
Buffet Breakfast. Trip concludes today with a 11:30 AM arrival to Avignon TGV Rail Station. Earlier and later departures can be organized. Please contact us for details.
Click the following link to download the detailed PROVENCE TOUR BROCHURE (Adobe pdf).
(B) = Breakfast Included, (L) = Lunch Included, (D) = Dinner Included
EMAIL or CALL 1-877-846-2831 to speak with a tour specialist.
Provence Tour Guest Testimonials
"Thank you for a wonderful week! I loved the variety of daily activities and having time to relax and enjoy a glass of wine after a long day. The wine included at the meals was fabulous and a definite plus! The small group was great. I loved the walks, cooking classes and having plenty of "free time" to explore on my own. There was a an excellent balance between organized activities and free time." Erica Elder, Sydney, Australia (Provence Tour)
"It was a fabulous trip! Thank you!! Our guide was very knowledgeable and fun. I loved the variety of activities, and having plenty of time to relax and explore on my own. My friend Erica Elder chose the trip, so I was a long for the experience and enjoyed every minute of it!!" Carol Franke, Toronto, Canada (Provence Tour)
"Loved it ALL!! The new friends we made, staying in one place as a base and the group size was perfect. Every day was full of fun and lots of laughs! Our guide was wonderful, knowledgeable and lots of fun too! She was always thinking about our needs and available when we needed assistance. Thanks for a great time in Provence! " Ben Francavilla and Jan Hodges, Harrisburg, PA (Provence Tour)
Information about the Walks
- Walk No.1 - For Walkers: Guided walk "Alpilles Winery to Village" with private winery tour and VIP wine tasting (optional: designed for interested guests). Walk rated easy to moderate - sturdy walking shoes recommended. For non-walkers: shuttle by comfortable minivan to/from the winery or enjoy leisure time in St. Remy to visit museums, shop or simply pursue independent interests. Borrow a bike.
- Walk No.2 - For Walkers: Guided walk of the "Calanques of Cassis" along the Mediterranean coast (optional: designed for interested guests). Walk rated moderate to challenging, sturdy walking shoes recommended. For non-walkers: guided tour of Cassis, 45 minute calanques cruise--viewing by boat, shopping at the weekly market and more.
- Walk No.3 - For Walkers: Guided walk - "Luberon Village to Village" walk in the Luberon region of Provence. (optional: designed for interested guests). Walk rated easy to moderate - sturdy walking shoes recommended. For non-walkers: shuttle by comfortable minivan to each village for guided tours and leisure time to discover these beautiful villages in the Luberon. Shopping, wine tasting, art galleries and cafés and restaurants are available in each village.
Provence Tour Walks are rated as follows -
- The "Alpilles Valley Winery to Village" walk is rated easy to moderate. Walking on vineyard and country trails. Ideal for those who walk for a morning or afternoon on a regular basis. Walk distance is 4.5 miles - approximately 2.5 hrs. of walking. Winery tour and tasting is 1-1.5 hrs.
- The "Cassis Calanques" walk along the Mediterranean coast is rated moderate. Walking on gravel trails. Suitable for experienced walkers who are comfortable with ascents and descents (but no scrambling!). Walk distance is 5.5 miles - approximately 2.5-3 hrs. of walking (includes stops for photo-ops).
- The "Luberon Village to Village" walk is rated easy to moderate. Walking on vineyard and country trails. Ideal for those who walk for a morning or afternoon on a regular basis. Walk distance is 6 miles - approximately 3 hrs. of walking (includes stops for photo-ops).
- For non-walkers - there is no walking rating, as travelers not participating in the scheduled walks will only be exposed to daily leisure walking in villages and towns.