Provence Active Culinary Walking & Hiking Tour
From $5,149.00 CAD
About Avignon, France
Traveling under your own power and at your own pace, you'll connect more meaningfully with your destination and have more fun! We provide amazing support on meticulously planned itineraries so that whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you’re sure to love our incredible active adventures. We believe biking, hiking and multi-adventuring are the key to a richer, more fulfilling experience, and we promise: once you experience the magic of active travel, you’ll never want to adventure in any other way.
"Provence is made for cooking," raves writer Luke Barr in Travel + Leisure. With us, you'll walk in the very forests, fields and orchards that nurture each produit du terroir. Sample wine where the grapes are grown. And expand your culinary repertoire alongside our charming local friends. Provence was made for this.
France: Start/End in Avignon
HIGHLIGHTS
- Learn about the secrets of classic Provençal dishes in a private cooking class with a renowned local chef
- Stroll through atmospheric markets and meet merchants peddling the fresh flavors of the Luberon
- Enjoy locally grown olives, goat cheese wrapped in oak leaves, herbes de Provence and other specialties
- Hike pristine routes through limestone hills, celebrated perched villages and picturesque vineyards
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 1-4
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Several routes and a range of levels are offered each day so you can choose how much or how little activity you want to do.
ROUTE NOTES
The terrain on this trip includes forested mountain trails, paved and dirt roads, limestone hill paths and village walkways.
THIS ITINERARY: 6 days, 5 nights
ACCOMMODATIONS: Premiere Hotels
FROM: $5,149 - $5,349 pp dbl occ
($800 - $1,100 for sgl occ)
ITINERARY: 6 Days
Premiere Hotels Accommodations may vary based on departure date.
DAY 1
Kick off your trip with a hike in the Alpilles, a limestone mountain range surrounded by olive trees and orchards | Have an immersive art experience at Carrières de Lumières | Wander the spellbinding streets of Les Baux-de-Provence, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France | Discover classic Provençal recipes during a lunch at a traditional mas (farm house) | Enjoy a glass of crisp rosé and taste local olive oil | Rose gardens, cypress trees and Relais & Châteaux luxury await.
Baumanière
Les Baux-de-Provence
|Premiere HotelAn enchanting hideaway in the heart of the Alpilles Mountains with magnificent gardens. A Relais & Châteaux member. (pool, spa)
DAYS 2-3
Hike a ridge trail above Les Baux through fragrant pine trees overlooking the Alpilles peaks | Admire Le Rocher des Deux Trous, a fascinating geological feature | Join chef Yvan Cadiou for an exclusive hands-on cooking class | Alongside a local art historian, gaze at the same landscape painted by van Gogh over a century ago | Discover iconic St-Rémy-de-Provence | Do as the locals do and engage in a friendly game of pétanque | Lounge by the pool at our peaceful country retreat.
Le Château des Alpilles
St-Rémy-de-Provence
|Premiere HotelA refined 19th-century manor house in the same family for more than 40 years and lovingly cared for by three generations of women. (pool)
DAYS 4-6
Voyage further into the Luberon Valley—the land of honey, lavender and cherries immortalized in Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence | Hike past Provençal farms, cypress groves and vineyards | Discover regional farm-to-table secrets over a delicious dinner | Visit idyllic perched villages like ocher-hued Roussillon and Gordes | Hike past oak groves and truffle farms | Explore lovely Bonnieux, perhaps climbing the 12th-century church tower for views of the valley below | Savor unforgettable Michelin-starred cuisine | A dreamy final morning in elegant Gordes ends at medieval Sénanque Abbey, a quintessential image of Provence.
Hôtel Les Bories & Spa
Gordes
|Premiere HotelThis Small Luxury Hotels of the World member features a Michelin-starred restaurant, a tranquil setting and stunning views of the Luberon. (pool, spa)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- All breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage