| Day
1 : Arrival at Avignon - Tour of the 'Popes City' host to many
monuments and museums, some ranked among the UNESCO World Heritage
sites.
***Provence
accommodation: Avignon - Hotel
de L’Horloge
**Provence 2*hotels: Avignon - Hotel
de Blauvac
Day
2 : Villeneuve Lez Avignon on the opposite bank of the Rhone
River is worth visiting. The Abbey and the Castle are remarkable.
You could even walk back to Avignon! Stop along the River Rhone
to take great photos of the Pont d'Avignon (the Benezet Bridge)
and the Pope’s Palace. Return to Avignon and stroll through
its quaint districts.
***Provence
accommodation: Avignon - Hotel
de L’Horloge
**Provence 2*hotels: Avignon - Hotel
de Blauvac
Day
3 : Tour the ancient town of Carpentras before continuing towards
the Dentelles of Montmirail and discover some wine producing villages
(Beaumes de Venise, Gigondas, Vacqueyra) and reach Vaison la Romaine
with its Roman ruins and romantic medieval perched town.
***Provence
accommodation: Vaison
la Romaine – Le
Beffroi (BONUS: dinner offered)
**Provence 2*hotels: Vaison la Romaine
– La Bastide
Day
4 : Passing through vineyards, reach Orange and visit the famous
antic theatre, the Arc de Triomphe and other monuments. Drive to
Uzes, a superb medieval town. End this day by exploring the Pont
du Gard, the tallest and the most beautiful aqueduct bridge in the
Roman world. Allocate a minimum of 2 hours to visit the site and
the very informative Museum. (NB the 15 euros parking entry fee
includes everything, museum, terraces, beaches, etc - some locals
spend the whole day there at leisure)
***Provence
accommodation: Pont du Gard – La
Bégude St Pierre (BONUS: dinner offered)
**Provence 2*hotels: Pont du Gard –
L’Arceau at St Hilaire
Day
5 : The day starts with the tour of two Medieval cities –
Beaucaire and Tarascon- located on both sides of Rhone River. Then
head to Nîmes and discover remarkable Roman monuments as the
Maison Carrée or the Arena. Afterwards, cross the Petite
Camargue to reach the medieval city of Aigues Mortes, the historical
departure point of departures of two Crusades. Continue to Les Saintes
Maries de la Mer, a pleasant city on Mediterranee seaside before
reaching Arles in the evening.
***Provence
accommodation: Arles
– Hotel
Arlatan
**Provence
2*hotels: Arles – Hotel
de l'Amphithéatre
Day
6 : Arles has a rich history of more than 2000 years, a huge
inheritance of monuments. All the Roman and Romanesque buildings
of Arles are listed as UNESCO world heritage! For art lovers it
was the home to Vincent van Gogh for over a year – visit his
house and numerous painting locations.
***Provence
accommodation: Arles
– Hotel
Arlatan
**Provence
2*hotels: Arles – Hotel
de l'Amphithéatre
Day
7 : Historic and religious sites in Alpilles mountains - visit
the Montmajour Abbey, cloister of which dated back from the 12th
century, the ruins of the aqueduct and flour mill of Barbegal (
the only hydraulic Roman factory known in the world), the Alphonse
Daudet’s windmill, the tiny and beautiful St Gabriel Chapel,
the rocky fortress of Les Baux de Provence and its medieval village.
After crossing the Alpilles mountains, reach the ruins of Glanum,
a former Roman commercial city and a little further on St Remy de
Provence (where van Gogh painted and was hospitalised).
***Provence
accommodation:
St
Rémy de Provence – Hotel
Gounod (or equivalent)
**Provence
2*hotels: St Rémy de Provence – Hotel
du Soleil (or
equivalent)
Day
8 : Visit Luberon and abbeys - The first stop will be Fontaine
de Vaucluse and its famous Sorgue River Springs. Amble on to Gordes
and the Cistercian Senanque Abbey. You will discover Roussillon,
a picturesque red colored village perched on ochre cliffs and Apt,
a typical Provencal city. Pass through the Luberon mountains via
the Roman Pont Julien (bridge) and along the Combe of Lourmarin
(deep and narrow valley) to reach Lourmarin and the Silvacane Abbey,
abandonned during the 15th century. Conclude the tour at Avignon
or Aix en Provence.
Tour
commences at Avignon in the morning and concludes on 8th day in
late afternoon in Avignon or Aix en Provence.
For
complete Provence self-drive brochure, Click
here |
