Things to do in

Aix-en-Provence

Travel along the lavender road on the Valensole plateau on this half-day tour from Aix-en-Provence. Capture pictures in the lavender and sunflower fields. Uncover the secrets to making lavender products at a local lavender distillery. Meet your guide at a centrally-located spot in the city of Aix-en-Provence. Ride in a comfortable and air-conditioned minibus to the Valensole plateau. Stop for pictures a stunning locations along the lavender road.  Have some free time to take pictures and enjoy the lavender and sunflower fields which bloom between June and July. Visit a local lavender distillery to find out how lavendin essential oils, olive oil, and honey are made. After your visit to the local producer, understand the difference between Lavender and lavendin. Return to your starting point in Aix-en-Provence at the end of your tour.

Depart from Aix-en-Provence and drive along the scenic, countryside roads passing the colorful lavender fields on the Plateau of Valensole. Enjoy plenty of stops to take photos and soak up the breathtaking sights and scents of the 'Blue Gold of Provence'.  Later, stop at a farmer/producer's place and learn everything about the cultivation, distillation, and the properties of pure lavender and lavadin (a hybrid plant). Finally, take the opportunity to purchase the essential oil, olive oil, lavender honey directly from them.

Drive through the valley of the Durance River and discover the Plateau of Valensole specializing in the cultivation of lavandin, where small roads wind through the fields of flowers. Many stops will be included by the fields in bloom. Stop at a farmer/ producer's place with lavender and lavandin essential oils, olive oil and lavender honey. Stop in the perched village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, so famous for its earthen ware workshops (free time for visit and lunch not included). In the afternoon, continue to the breathtaking opening of the Grand Canyon of the River Verdon. Stop in the lavender fields for a photo. Have free time in the picturesque village of Sainte Croix du Verdon settled by Sainte Croix Lake (possibility of swimming or sunbathing) before going back to Aix-en-Provence.

Depart from Aix-en-Provence, drive along the scenic roads winding across the fields of flowers. Arrive on the wide Plateau of Valensole with its 800 square meters plateau, it specializes in the cultivation of lavandin, a hybrid lavender plant as well as cereals. It's nicknamed 'The Granary of the Region.' You will have many photo stops by the lavender fields in bloom and enjoy the breathtaking sights and scents. Stop at a farmer/ producer's place and learn everything about the cultivation, distillation and the properties of pure lavender and lavandin.  Have an opportunity to purchase pure lavender and lavandin essential oils, olive oil and lavender honey directly from them.

Get the full South of France experience with this half-day, small-group wine tour to two wineries in the Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire wine region.  This half-day tour from Aix-en-Provence to the Sainte-Victoire mountain wine-producing area will begin with a trip through the stunning landscape. A majestic mountain and lush vineyards serve as the perfect backdrop to the experience.  A wine region that extends over more than 47,000 acres, the Côtes de Provence AOC is the majority producer of Provence wines. Once you have reached the Côtes de Provence wine region, visit and taste local wines in two carefully selected, family-owned wineries.  Go on a fascinating journey through the history of each estate, with a focus on the wine-making process. After a visit to the technical installations to better understand how the wines are made, you'll then taste the excellent wines. 

Enjoy a half-day wine tour in the scenic landscape of Sainte-Victoire Mountain, inspiration for the famous post impressionist artist Paul Cézanne, who painted many pictures of the mountain between 1880 and 1883. The Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire vineyards are located east of Aix-en-Provence, and like all vineyards in Provence, are considered some of the most natural in France, due to the drying effects of the Mistral wind. The poor and shallow soils, formed by limestone and argillaceous sandstone, help to produce high-quality vineyards. Learn about the characteristics of the terroir, and explore the wine making process while visiting the cellars of 2 separate wine estates. Meet the winemakers, and taste AOC Côtes de Provence wines in 3 colors - tasty, full-bodied reds of excellent structure, subtle elegant rosés, and whites of distinction.

Visit the most beautiful medieval hilltop villages in the southern Luberon. Discover the charms of Lourmarin, Bonnieux, Roussillon, and Gordes on a 6-hour tour. Stop in Lourmarin for some free time, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful villages in France, and noted for its Renaissance castle.Take a photo in Bonnieux, a picture-perfect Provençal village that features a 12th-century church surrounded by ancient cedars. Continue to Roussillon via the Roman-era Pont Julien. Roussillon, perched atop an ochre-colored cliff, is a favorite of painters, and a magical place where combinations of oxides give the ochre an infinite variety of colors. Gordes offers an extraordinary vision of a stone village erected on a massive rock. Its fortress castle and church dominate the houses of the village, which were built with stones taken from the rock on which they sit.

Spend the day among the purple-blue sea of the lavender fields of Provence, which bloom stunning shades of lilac and mauve from June through August. Start your day in the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence, fondly known as the “city of art and water.” Located approximately 19 miles (30 kilometers) from Marseille, Aix dates back to Roman times and has a wide promenade called the “Cours Mirabeau” that is lined with plane trees. Discover the cafés that were once frequented by Cezanne, Camus, and Zola. Go to one of the numerous markets that take place in the city center every day, and admire the shimmering palette of fragrances and colors. After some free time for lunch on your own, continue along the picturesque roads lined with golden wheat and blue lavender fields. Your driver will stop for plenty of photo opportunties en route to Valensole, with free time to explore this traditional Provencal village on arrival. They will also give useful information about the uses of lavender essential oil, and the lavender crop in Provence in general.

This full-day tour takes you on a discovery of the hilltop villages in the Luberon region as well as the wine-making region of Sainte-Victoire. You will journey from Aix-en-Provence to Mount Sainte-Victoire, which was the source of inspiration for the famous painter Cézanne from 1880 to 1883. You will visit 2 wine properties, where you can sample the locally produced red and rosé wine from the appellation of Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire. You will have some free time for lunch in Aix-en-Provence before you head off to discover the typical hilltop villages in the Luberon region. Along the way you will take a photo stop in Lourmarin, famous for its Renaissance castle. You will visit Bonnieux, where you can stroll through this picture-perfect Provencal village topped by a 12th century church. You will then explore the colorful village of Roussillon, where all the houses are painted ocher. You will also visit Gordes, an amazing hilltop village built entirely with local dry stones called “lauze“.

The tour starts and finishes at the shop in Aix-en-Provence where you will be set up with a Scott Electric mountain bike and helmet. The first few kilometres to get to the mountain are on paved roads and then the route follows different off-road trails. There are various viewpoints to stop at and appreciate the magnificence of the mountain, take videos, photos and have a snack. An E-Bike is a great way to explore the trails and makes the mountain accessible to people of all ages and riding capabilities. The electric mountain bike makes it easy to ride up steep hills and you'll be able to ride areas that you never thought possible. Each route is chosen depending on the skill level of the group.