Provence, French Riviera Adventure 2026 with a finish in Paris

Travel dates:

Spring: Departure fly out date from home: May 28, return home June 9

Fall trip #1: Departure fly out date from home: September 17, return home Sept. 29

Fall trip #2: Departure fly out date from home: October 1, return home Oct. 13

All trips are currently full, please join the waiting list as cancellations do occur occasionally.

Land package price: $4,480 per person based on double occupancy. Airfare not included.

When spring returns and your wanderlust blooms, consider traveling in France! The country is never more beautiful than during this season. You can savor the gentle rays of the sun on charming terraces, stroll through parks and gardens bursting with blooms, and wander quietly along the seaside, in the mountains, or through picturesque countryside. Longer days allow for leisurely exploration. Let' us take you on this Riviera, Provence, Paris Adventure. It is filled with sunny days, fragrance, and flavors of the Mediterranean. This one is not to miss.

Your Tour Includes:

·      11 nights of lodging

·      Breakfast every morning

·      All day trips listed

·      Rail ticket from Avignon to Paris

·      All transfers listed

·      Several dinners and events

·      Services of tour director 24/7

·      Services of local historians/guides

Note that some lunches and dinners are not included.

Single supplement TBD.

Your Adventure Awaits:

Day 1: Transatlantic flight to Nice, southern France.

Day 2: Transfer to Juan-les-Pins, our home base for 4 nights on the sunny French Riviera.

Get together in the evening to get acquainted with our fellow travelers around a typical Mediterranean dinner.

Day 3: Leisurely day in Antibes, Juan-les-Pins’ sister city.

The little scenic train will take us through the two cities and delight us with commentaries. Visit of the Picasso museum. For those of you who have been to the one in Barcelona, this one will cover many other of his prolific works from paintings to ceramics. The building itself (a former Grimaldi castle), facing the Mediterranean, is a haven of simplicity, beauty and is just a few steps from the daily food market. Gather local produce filled with sunshine and flavor for a picnic on the beach, or sit at the terrace of a local cafe, the choice is yours. Meander through Antibes’ shaded alleys and open air markets, and browse around. Enjoy “la joie de vivre”. Today is a gentle day to help your body clock readjust. Free evening in Juan-les-Pins.

Day 4:  Nice

Our coach bus will pick us up after breakfast, and we’ll head 30 minutes away to Nice. Getting lost among the narrow, winding alleyways of Nice’s old town is a highlight. The layout has barely changed since the 1700s, and it’s now packed with delis, restaurants, boutiques and bars, but the center piece remains cours Saleya: a massive market square that’s filled with local finds. The food market  is perfect for fresh produce and foodie souvenirs, while the flower market is worth visiting just for its colors and fragrances.

The most famous stretch of seafront in Nice – if not France – is this vast paved promenade: Promenade des Anglais, which gets its name from the English expat patrons who paid for it in 1822. It runs for the whole 4km sweep of the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels) with a dedicated lane for cyclists and skaters; if you fancy joining them, you can rent skates, scooters and bikes.

 If a walk is not what you need at the moment, sipping an aperol at a cafe and savoring life, just might be what works for you at the moment. Mid-day surprise. Return to Juan-les-Pins after our excursions.

Day 5: Eze, Fragonard visit, Monaco

The day will start with a visit of Eze. Our coach bus will pick us up after breakfast. Eze village dates back to the middle ages and clings impressively to the mountainside above the Mediterranean Sea, between St Jean Cap Ferrat and Monaco. Panoramic views, ancient façades, and an unbelievable attention to detail are some of the most memorable features of this lovely village. Eze's cobblestone streets transport you to a bygone era, where medieval architecture whispers tales of centuries past. Wander through narrow alleys adorned with vibrant flowers, and you'll find yourself enchanted by the preserved authenticity that defines this beautiful village. For beautiful views, go up to the Cacti gardens, and let yourself be transported as far as the eye can see.

After free time in the village, we’ll visit the Fragonard perfume factory and learn about the “Nose” and his/her powerful 2 hour a day job. Fields of flowers have always graced the Riviera and the perfume industry has thrived in that location since the 1700’s.. Perfect weather, good dirt, heirloom varieties of flowers were the perfect combination for this perfume industry’s development.

Then it’s time to hop back on the coach and go to Monaco, a small stretch of land, with more yachts per square meter than anywhere else in the world. We’ll walk up to the palace for a visit. We’ll stop at the church where Grace Kelly got married, free time to meander. Return to home base for a free evening.

Day 6: And off to Provence we go!

Provence can be tranquil or social, wise or wild, unpredictable or calm, stormy or sensible. The one thing we can promise is that you’ll never be bored. Today we’re heading to Avignon, our home base for a few nights.

Upon arrival, we’ll start with a walking tour to catch the lay of the land and some of the city’s history. The Pope’s palace put Avignon on the map in the 1300’s.

Ringed by 3m-thick walls, its cavernous halls, chapels and antechambers are largely bare today – however, computerized renditions of what it was like so long ago are available with our entrance tickets.

Dinner together to celebrate Provence and the second leg of our southern journey.

Day 7-10: The most beautiful villages of the Luberon and the Alpilles.

For the next few days, we’ll visit the countryside of Peter Mayle’s book ‘A Year in Provence’ and the perched villages he discovered. You will be inspired as he was in the beauty of the Luberon Natural Regional Park with typical stone houses that are part of the landscape. . Discover exceptional villages of Provence known as ” most beautiful villages of France ” : Gordes, Lacoste, Les Baux, St-Remy de Provence, Uzes, Castillon du Gard and more…

Day 7: Day trip to St-Remy de Provence market, followed by a visit of the psychiatric hospital where Van Gogh stayed for a year. He produced 150 painting while he was there, including “Starry night”. This visit will be followed by a wine tasting with local charcuterie and cheese at the Dalmeran organic winery. DALMERAN is an estate dedicated to nature located in the Alpilles Regional Natural Park, a few kilometers from Saint Remy de Provence. With a clay-limestone soil nestled in a valley bordered by forests and garrigue, the 10-hectare vineyard harmoniously embraces the idyllic landscape of the Alpilles and offers great red wines, but also a gastronomic rosé and a rare white. You will also meet Lune (Moon), the mare who keeps the weeds down by pulling a plow between the vine rows.

The estate pays particular attention to associating its products with the local gastronomy, the arts and the culture of living well in Provence. The Land Art trail with the sculpted trees of the artist Marc Nucera is perfectly integrated in the magnificent landscaped park and at the entrance to the vineyard. An original discovery, a return to the roots, an invitation to live fully the present moment in harmony with the Nature of a unique place.

Day 8: Visit of Les Baux village, followed by a sound and light show in former limestone quarries. In 2025 Monet was featured in this multi media presentation, every year offers a new theme.

To finish our excursion, we will stop at a family run olive oil estate. It is run by a brother-sister duo, and Anne is the one who keeps the business moving forward. They not only produce olive oil, but yummy jams from their fruit trees, honey and more. Provence is blessed with an amazing climate, and nature is very generous.

Day 9: Visit of two villages: Gordes and Roussillon, with a stop near Lacoste to see Pierre Cardin’s lavender fields, (when in bloom).

Day 10: Two stops today: the Pont du Gard, a feat of Roman engineering, and Uzes, a quiet village, neat as a pin.

Walking tour on the famous roman aqueduc of Provence : le Pont du Gard, ranked as UNESCO world heritage site. The extraordinary three-tiered Pont du Gard was once part of a 50km-long system of channels built around 19 BC to transport water from Uzès to Nîmes. The scale is huge: the bridge is 48.8m high, 275m long and graced with 52 precision-built arches. It was the highest in the Roman Empire. Each block was carved by hand and transported from nearby quarries – no mean feat, considering the largest blocks weighed over 5 tons.

Late afternoon and evening, relaxing at our home base of Vieux Castillon: a 5 star spa nestled at the top of Castillon du Gard village: a haven of peace and serenity for you to enjoy.

Day 11: High speed train to Paris and walk to Notre Dame.

Now that we have left the warm south and its leisurely pace, it’s time to lace up our walking shoes and meander in the heart of Paris. If you are up to it, we will follow La Seine to Notre Dame, the bird and flower market, the Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was jailed before going to the guillotine. Return to our hotel by subway. Evening on your own.

Day 12: Many of you have been to Paris with us before, and a day on your own might just be the right thing for you. For those of you who are seeing Paris for the first time we will tailor a “first timer” visit for you. No matter what your plans are, we will provide assistance, so you can make the most of your day. We will gather together in the evening for dinner, followed by a night cruise on the Seine river when Paris is all aglow.

Day 13: Tour over after breakfast. Au revoir et merci!