This 9-day French vacation takes you through Provence and along the French Riviera to visit Avignon, Aix en Provence, Nice, and Monaco. It features first-class accommodations, small group tours, and pairs nicely with a trip to Paris.
Your journey begins in Avignon, the Provencal city known for being the home of the Papacy in the 14th century. A three-hour walking tour will delve into this medieval history, starting on top of the fortified city walls before skipping the line at the Pope’s Palace to see this gorgeous Gothic palace that used to be the centre of the Roman Catholic Church. Continue to the Place de l’Horloge before ending with a glass of Cotes du Rhone wine in the Old Town. While based in Avignon, you’ll head on a small group tour of nearly towns. See the Roman amphitheatre in Arles and admire the landscapes made famous by Van Gogh’s paintings. After enjoying the audiovisual show at Carrieres de Lumiere, reach Orange, where you’ll see the Roman Arch of Triumph and ancient theatre before you drive through the vineyards on route to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where you’ll enjoy a wine tasting.
Ride the train to Aix en Provence, where you’ll stay two nights while exploring more beautiful villages. A small group tour will take you to the best of Luberon, starting in Bonnieux, where you’ll see the 12th-century church surrounded by cedars. Continue to Lourmarin to see the Renaissance castle before passing the Roman Bridge of Pont Julien and see the ochre cliffs and colourful clifftop homes of Roussillon. End your tour in Gordes, built on the hilltop and known for its fortified castle and church.
Continue into the French Riviera and stay in Nice, that famous town on the Mediterranean. A city tour takes you from Castel Park overlooking the bay to Place Garibaldi, where you’ll see some of the old buildings before swinging by newer ones on the Promenade des Art. You’ll also spot Cimiez, the winter home of Queen Victoria, the Roman arenas at Cemenelum, and the Russian Cathedral before ending at a flower market in the Old Town. While in Nice, you’ll take a day trip into Monaco. Stop by the hilltop village of Eze and tour a perfumery on route. Then reach the tiny country to see the Prince’s Palace, the Formula 1 track, and the famous casinos, yachts, and shops of ritzy Monte Carlo.
At the end of your stay in Nice, you’ll head to the airport to connect to your next destination.
