Tour & Excursion reviews in Provence — 9 of Our Favourites

The Gorges du Verdon are easily accessible from most parts of the French Riviera and the Alpes de Haute-Provence. We set off from the Provencal towns of Moustiers Sainte-Marie after checking in overnight to sample some of the hotels and local cuisine in the narrow medieval streets and vaulted passages.
An equally good starting point for the tour is from Manosque where you’ll also find the famous L'Occitane factory.

The driving tour started early with the aim of reaching a viewpoint for a breakfast stop and back down to the lake for a leisurely lunch and a swim.

Heading towards Aiguines on the southern side of the Gorges, cruise up the D71, a small vertiginous road that overlooks the Verdon river and has a number of panoramas en route.

Driving past the Col d'Illoire, expect to see a great view back down onto the end of the Gorges du Verdon (at the Pont du Galetas) and also of the Lac de Sainte Croix. Continuing up the gorge, you can admire more views from the Cirque de Vaumale, Falaise de Baucher and the Falaise des Cavaliers.
Past the Fayet tunnel you will arrive at the Pont de l'Artuby (the bungee jump Mecca) so expect to see a few scared individuals approaching the edge.
Then come the Balconies of the Mescla, another prime viewpoint.

At this point we turned back to ensure sufficient lounge time on the beach of Lake of Sainte-Croix however you can carry on up towards Comps sur Artuby then loop back via the ridge road that passes through Trigance, Rougon and La Palud sur Verdon for full days drive.

Take the guided tour which lasts around an hour and a quarter. You can have the tour in English or French.

Visit the medieval garden, the olive groves, the museum of rural life, the medicinal garden and the 18th century peasants houses.

Price 10 euros per person.

When you've finished the tour there is a shop on site from where you can purchase olive oil, books and other local produce to take home.

By car, by foot or on two wheels the majestic Mont Sainte Victoire and the surrounding landscape is worthy of exploring on a day trip from Aix.

The area known as the Grand Site Sainte Victoire covers an immense stretch from the Mediterranean to the Alpine mountains but the main focus is the Montagne Sainte-Victoire which peaks at 1,011 metres and sprawls over both the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var.

Setting off in the comfort of an air conditioned car under clear blue skies, leaving Aix in the direction of Vauvenargues on the D10 to circumnavigate the Sainte Victoire. Although you can travel in either direction, we suggest going clockwise to experience the vineyards and view of the stunning south face at the end of the day.

A scenic drive around the Cezanne route will take you a half day if you travel at a leisurely pace and enjoy a few stops along the way, which could include:

• Bibémus Quarries - the Carrières de Bibémus are old ochre sandstone quarries which gave much inspiration to Cezanne. Visit takes 1 hour & not suited for people in wheelchairs or with walking difficulties.
• Jardin des 5 Sens - a peaceful, colourful & aromatic garden in Saint Marc Jaumegarde.
• Vauvenargues - pretty little village with a selection of restaurants and information centre for hiking advice
• Domaine de Saint Ser & Domaine Sainte Lucie - Pretty vineyards just below the rocky face of the Sainte Victoire, stop off to try & bag some fabulous rosés
• Moulin de Cezanne - an old mill has been converted into a free art gallery just at the entrance to Tholonet
• La Table de Beaurecueil or the Saint-Esteve - are two well regarded restaurants which would be an ideal place to finish the day

For those seeking a more sporty approach there are numerous walking trails on the Mont Sainte Victoire, be sure to pick up a map of the trails available at the information points at Vauvenargues or Saint Antonin sur Bayou to choose a hike based on your level of fitness and amount of time.

Be aware that during the summer months, due to the fire risk, access is restricted between 1 June and 30 September. Depending on the level of risk the routes could be closed after 11am or closed altogether - be sure to check on the morning of your departure. Cyclists can find their bonheur in either completing Le tour du Mont Sainte Victoire which is a two to four hour circuit with a number of climbs, or by taking on one of the adrenaline pumping mountain bike trails.

Fortunately this dream is a reality thanks to Vintage Road Trips, who offer a range of vintage vehicles, from charming Citroen 2CV's to punchy Porches', for hire in Provence.

We met with the friendly team in a little village just west of Aix en Provence early morning to take first pick of their range of vintage vehicles - wanting something indiscreet we went with a roll top, kermit coloured, flat twin Citroen 2CV. Armed with a camera, road map and a very detailed guide book provided by the owners we set off in search of a vintage Provence to match the car that can easily be found in the nearby Luberon.

Vintage Road Trips provide a number of suggested itineraries to best explore Provence (Cote d'Azur, Luberon or the Mont Saint Victoire) which they have gone to great efforts to produce; the guides provide all the details of the road ahead, the history of the villages and even offer some honest advice on where to stop en route.
After coffee and a croissant in Lambesc admiring our fine new motor (and we were not alone - these things are a smile-magnet) we headed north for our first vintage village stop in Lourmarin, a chic little village with boutique-lined little streets now very popular thanks to it's proximity to the Avignon TGV station.

The Chateau de Lourmarin should be the first stop on a sightseeing trip but if you prefer browsing the boutiques then the village has lots to offer. After a leisurely lunch we decided to press on, with a number of villages still yet to visit, next up was Bonnieux.

Bonnieux is 'another' hill top village with 'another' fantastic view and more pretty lanes to get lost upon, the village itself looks as if it has unravelled down the hillside. Soon we were winding up the quiet alleys towards the Lacoste chateau, former home to the infamous Marquis de Sade and now owned by Lacoste like fashion designer Pierre Cardin. Needless to say the rich heritage of this chateau makes it well worth a visit - particularly during the opera festival in July.

Following the itinerary round our 2CV takes us through the villages of Vaugines, Cucuron & Ansouis for more sights but this time we don't stop as the sun is getting low in the sky signalling aperitif o'clock...

The walking-tour takes you along the winding streets of Arles and out along the Rhône River. It should take around an hour and a half to walk the route, although there are opportunities to stop for a break and soak up the scenery. The loop also takes you past the Musée Réattu and the Van Gogh Foundation so allow extra time if you wish to stop and explore either of these exquisite museums.

The beauty about the tour is that you can start it from anywhere you desire once you have the map and are aware of what the stone easels will look like. I had to double back once or twice after having missed one or two of them, but once I knew what to look for it was no-problem.

Arles possesses some of the quaintest buildings I have seen in France; the narrow streets and cobble stoned roads feel special and inspiration seeps from everything. My first stop is at the garden of the hospital in Arles where Van Gogh was interned after cutting his ear. The sunlight beams in and illuminates the yellow paint on the balconies overhead while the courtyard basks in the heat. The garden is simple yet well-tended and a few other tourists mill around trying not to spoil the experience for each other by being too intrusive.

The next stop is Café Terrace at Night a well-known painting in Place du Forum. I stopped at the café itself for a coffee as it was still quite early in the morning, but if you plan your self-guided walking-tour you could visit here at lunch time and try one of the many great restaurants in the square before moving on.

The tour takes you up past the Van Gogh Foundation, which I thought was so interesting that I spent a full afternoon inside, before heading out onto the wide banks of the Rhône where there are three easels, each from a different vantage point that the great artist painted from. Other people seem to be following the same tour as me, or maybe they have stumbled upon the stone easels by chance and are taking a moment to learn something of this charming city, either way the paintings draw people to them.

The arena is another stop on the walking tour and the painting here invites us to imagine what the crowd must be like on a busy day during a festival or bull-fight. The arena itself is well worth a visit while you are in Arles and it holds a few mysteries up its sleeves.

My own personal favourite sight on the tour was the public park which was the subject of Van Gogh’s painting simply titled “Entrance to the Public Garden, Arles”. The park is small, but has just enough privacy that you can find a little spot and pull out a book to read as you rest your feet. The bust of Van Gogh situated at the entrance is spectacular and I’m sure that during his time spent living here the artist never thought there would be this much appreciation for him in Arles.

Further outside the town are a few other easels and subjects of Van Gogh’s work which require some form of transport to reach. Namely the Pont du Van Gogh which I took a bicycle out to see, the Dance Hall and the Red Vineyards respectively which are just north of Arles and appear in two of the artists paintings.

Arles isn’t a large city by any means, but it does have a lot within its boundaries. The walking tour is a pleasant stroll and can be broken up into as many parts of the day as required although it is important to bring the essentials along with you like water and sun-cream.

Free walking guides in English and French are available from the Tourist Office.

Arles is easily accessible by train or bus from larger hubs in the area including Avignon and Aix-en-Provence.

The 150km route and the art along it are the brainchild of British artist Andy Goldsworthy, creating a unique concept in Europe.

Linking up three Sentinels (stone cairns, each one located in the heart of a valley), the circuit follows ancient paths among the remnants of an agricultural way of life that was once intense. Goldsworthy wanted to mark the circuit with Refuges in the form of disused houses belonging to the non-protected rural heritage, including chapels, farms and sheepfolds. These have now been restored, and a specially-designed sculpture has been incorporated into each one. They provide shelter for a pause along the route, or indeed, in some cases, the possibility of an overnight stay.

You can find out more about the route, the refuges and sentinels on the Refuge d'Art website.

The Paul Cézanne statue in Aix could be the centre point of this walking tour with its crafted detail and authoritative style, but counter intuitively the fountain is the starting point for what is an informative and encapsulating walk around the city.

The tour takes us almost across the whole city and everywhere along the way there are points of interest – not just those concerning Cézanne, but those involving the city of Aix en Provence as a whole. It is a great chance to mark down places of interest or restaurants and cafés to come back to during a stay in Aix.

The metallic “C” shaped studs on the ground guide us along back streets and along chemins that may have remained mysterious and untracked to casual tourists otherwise. The map for the tour contains accompanying information regarding each feature and facet of Cézanne’s life along the way, from the place of his birth, to the schools he attended and the place of his marriage.

Walking up through the narrow Rue Cardinale, towards the church of St. Jean-de-Malte with the sun glinting all around and the hanging flowers and traditional French street-lights alongside the decorative wrought-iron window guards of the houses, it seems to become clear and to qualify Cézanne’s quote that, “when you are born there [Aix-en-Provence], it’s hopeless, nothing else is good enough”.

The Granet Museum, one of the stops on the tour, is home to a small collection of his work, alongside other notable artists. It is said that a past curator of the museum swore that none of Cézanne’s work would ever be exhibited while he was there to oversee the museum. The museum also shows work by Picasso, Giacometti and has a section dedicated to the work of Granet himself.

The real beauty of the self-guided tour is that it can be as long or as short as you desire. If you want to stop for a drink or some lunch the decision lies only with you. There are a plethora of options for eating, drinking and for ice-creams all over the city and the meandering tour will take you past quite a few.

I stopped along the way at Les Deux Garçons restaurant on Cours Mirabeau to sample some of the food at the now famous hang-out of Cézanne and his friends. Ernest Hemingway is also said to have enjoyed this particular establishment - and it is not hard to see why it attracts this calibre of clientele as the interior is sophisticated and luxurious and there is a grand terrace at the front to enjoy the sunshine.

Some of the tour’s charm, besides walking along the beautiful streets and admiring the buildings, comes from navigating your way through Aix aided only by the map and the plaques on the ground. Kids especially will love the adventure of hunting for the next stop on the map.

The end of the tour brings you 1.5km out of the town to Atelier Cézanne which is well worth a visit in its own right. It is the studio where Cézanne worked until he died and the contents of which have been preserved as best as possible. It is a fantastic way to finish the walking tour and fans of the artist will come away with a higher understanding of the artist’s life.

The Footsteps of Cézanne walking tour could be also be transformed into a bicycle tour if you desire by hiring a bicycle from the many locations around Aix.

The walking tour is free – pick up the accompanying map from the Tourist Office and begin the tour by the Fontaine de la Rotonde.