Provence

Collect the hire car at Avignon TGV(45 minutes)

Budget 50-70 EUR a day in July; automatics need booking well ahead. The shuttle into the walled centre takes 10 minutes if you would rather leave the car at the hotel and walk

Check in inside the ramparts(45 minutes)

Stay inside the 14th-century walls — everything is walkable and you avoid the ring road entirely. Hotels near Place Pie or Rue des Teinturiers put you in the good half of the old town

Rue des Teinturiers(1 hour)

A cobbled street along the Sorgue canal with four surviving waterwheels from the old cloth-dyeing trade, plane trees overhead and the best bar terraces in Avignon. Free, and almost nobody on the papal-palace circuit walks down here

Dinner at Le Vintage or L'Épicerie(2 hours)

L'Épicerie sits on Place Saint-Pierre facing a Gothic church front; expect 25-35 EUR a head. Remember that kitchens stop serving lunch at 2PM sharp and don't reopen until 7:30PM

Learn the greeting(5 minutes)

Always open with 'Bonjour Madame' or 'Bonjour Monsieur' before saying anything else — in a shop, a bakery, at a market stall. Skipping it reads as genuinely rude in Provence, and it changes how the entire week goes

Palais des Papes(2 hours)

Around 12-14 EUR, or a few euros more combined with the Pont d'Avignon. Mostly bare stone now, but the included Histopad augmented-reality tablet rebuilds each room around you. Open from 9AM — go first thing, especially in July when the theatre festival takes the city over

Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Rocher des Doms(1 hour)

The famous half-bridge that stops mid-Rhône, and the gardens on the rock above the palace, which are free and give the best view of it. The bridge of the song only ever had people dancing under it, on the island, not on it

Lunch at Les Halles d'Avignon(1 hour)

The covered market on Place Pie, open Tuesday to Sunday mornings until about 1:30PM. Oyster bar, charcuterie counters, and a plate at a stall for 12-18 EUR — vastly better value than the palace-square restaurants

Pont du Gard(3 hours)

A 50 m three-tier Roman aqueduct bridge, about 25 minutes west, roughly 9-11 EUR per car including the museum. Walk across the lower tier, then down to the river — swimming below the arches is permitted and is the way locals use it. Late afternoon light on the golden stone is the best of the day

Dinner back in Avignon(2 hours)

La Fourchette on Rue Racine, a genuine local bistro that books out days ahead. Around 30-38 EUR for three courses

Gordes viewpoint and village(2 hours)

Stop at the layby on the D15 as you approach from Cavaillon for the classic shot of stone houses stacked in tiers. Park in the village lots (about 4 EUR) rather than circling — the lanes are one-way and unforgiving

Abbaye de Sénanque(1 hour)

The 12th-century Cistercian abbey 4 km below Gordes with its own lavender field in front, in bloom roughly late June to mid-July. Visits are by pre-booked timed ticket only, about 9 EUR, and sell out in July. It is a working monastery — silence is expected inside

Lunch in Roussillon(1.5 hours)

Le Bistrot de Roussillon on the square, or assemble a market picnic instead: tapenade, saucisson, goat cheese and a baguette runs 12-15 EUR for two against 25-35 a head sitting down

Sentier des Ocres(1.5 hours)

A trail through the former ochre quarries in seventeen shades of red and rust, about 4 EUR for the 30- or 50-minute circuit, open daily from around 9:30AM. Do not wear white shoes — the dust stains permanently

Ménerbes and Lacoste at golden hour(2 hours)

Two quieter Luberon villages ten minutes south. Lacoste is crowned by the ruin of the Marquis de Sade's château; Ménerbes is where Peter Mayle wrote A Year in Provence. Both free, both largely empty at 6PM

Sunrise on the Valensole plateau(2 hours)

About an hour east of Avignon along the D6 and D8. Free and open at any hour. The fields are private working farms — park fully off the road, walk only on the tracks between rows, never cut stems, and expect bees. Drones are banned over most listed sites here and the fines are real

Breakfast in Valensole village(1 hour)

The bakery on Place Frédéric Mistral for a croissant and coffee, then the distillery shops for lavender essential oil at producer prices — a fraction of what the same bottle costs in Aix

Route des Crêtes, Gorges du Verdon(2.5 hours)

A 23 km one-way road above the north rim with a dozen belvederes over a 700 m limestone gash. Closed in ice, and genuinely vertiginous in places — the guardrails are minimal. Free

Lac de Sainte-Croix by boat(2 hours)

Hire an electric boat, pedalo or kayak at the Galetas bridge for roughly 20-30 EUR an hour and paddle into the canyon mouth, where the walls close to a few metres and the water turns an unreal turquoise. Last hire is usually around 5PM

Dinner in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie(2 hours)

A village wedged into a cleft with a gilded star strung on a chain between two cliffs — a knight's crusader vow, replaced repeatedly since the 13th century. La Treille Muscate for a proper Provençal dinner, 30-40 EUR

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Saint-Paul-de-Mausole(2 hours)

The asylum where Van Gogh voluntarily committed himself in 1889 and painted 150 canvases in twelve months, including Starry Night. About 7-8 EUR; his reconstructed room and the wheat field beyond the wall are still recognisable. Wednesday is the town's big market day

Glanum Roman ruins(1 hour)

A whole Gallo-Roman town excavated at the foot of the Alpilles, 200 m from the asylum, around 9 EUR. The triumphal arch and mausoleum outside the fence are free to look at and predate the rest by centuries

Les Baux-de-Provence château(2 hours)

A ruined fortress on a limestone spur with working replica siege engines and enormous views over the Alpilles, roughly 10-12 EUR. The village below is beautiful and completely overrun by midday — the château itself thins out after 4PM

Carrières des Lumières(1 hour)

Immersive art projected onto the 14 m walls of an abandoned bauxite quarry next to the château, about 16 EUR for a 45-minute loop. It is also the coolest place in Provence on a 35°C afternoon, which is not a small consideration

Drive to Aix and dinner(2.5 hours)

About an hour southeast. Check in near the Cours Mirabeau, then eat in the old town — Le Petit Verdot on Rue d'Entrecasteaux for local wine and a short chalkboard menu, around 30 EUR

Place Richelme morning market(1.5 hours)

Produce every single morning, which is unusual in Provence — most towns rotate by day. Melons, olives, chèvre and the flower market on Place des Prêcheurs. Assemble a picnic here for later

Cours Mirabeau and the old town fountains(1.5 hours)

The plane-tree-shaded boulevard with the moss-covered thermal fountain in the middle that runs at 34°C. Coffee at Les Deux Garçons, open since 1792, where Cézanne and Zola argued

Atelier Cézanne(1.5 hours)

Cézanne's studio, 15 minutes uphill, preserved as he left it in 1906 down to the skulls and fruit bowls in his still lifes. About 7-8 EUR, groups are capped and timed, so book ahead. Note it has been subject to restoration closures — confirm before you walk up

Free afternoon(4 hours)

The rest slot of the week. The Pavillon de Vendôme gardens, a rosé on a terrace, or the Musée Granet (about 8 EUR) if the heat is punishing — it holds nine Cézannes and a strong Giacometti room

Dinner and a walk in the Mazarin quarter(2.5 hours)

The 17th-century grid south of the Cours, all hôtels particuliers and quiet squares. Eat at Chez Féraud, an old-school Provençal kitchen on Rue du Puits Juif, around 28-35 EUR

Drive to Cassis(45 minutes)

About 40 km southeast of Aix. Park at the Gorguettes lot on the way in and take the shuttle down — the harbour lots fill by 9:30AM in summer

Calanques boat trip from Cassis harbour(1.5 hours)

About 20-30 EUR for a 65-90 minute circuit of three to eight calanques — white limestone fjords with pines and improbably blue water. Far easier than the 2-3 hour hike each way to En-Vau, and the only option on fire-closure days

Lunch on the Cassis quay(1.5 hours)

Le Bonaparte or the smaller places off the harbour for grilled fish and a bottle of Cassis white, the AOC that has been made on these slopes since 1936. Around 25-35 EUR

Drive to Marseille Provence airport(1 hour)

About 60 km. Non-EU visitors can reclaim VAT on purchases over 100 EUR at the airport, but you must do it before checking bags — allow the extra half hour

Departure from MRS(1 hour)

Or return the car at Aix-en-Provence TGV and take the train back to Paris in about 3 hours if you are continuing overland

Collect the hire car at Avignon TGV(45 minutes)

Budget 50-70 EUR a day in July; automatics need booking months ahead. A shuttle runs into the walled centre in 10 minutes if you would rather leave the car at the hotel tonight

Check in inside the ramparts(45 minutes)

Stay inside the 14th-century walls — everything is walkable and you skip the ring road. Around Place Pie or Rue des Teinturiers puts you in the better half of the old town

Rue des Teinturiers(1 hour)

A cobbled street along the Sorgue canal with four surviving waterwheels from the cloth-dyeing trade, plane trees overhead and the best bar terraces in the city. Free, and skipped by everyone doing the palace circuit

Dinner at L'Épicerie, Place Saint-Pierre(2 hours)

Tables facing a Gothic church front, 25-35 EUR a head. Kitchens stop serving lunch at 2PM sharp and don't reopen until 7:30PM — plan around it all fortnight

Learn the greeting(5 minutes)

Open with 'Bonjour Madame' or 'Bonjour Monsieur' before saying anything else, every time, in every shop. Skipping it reads as genuinely rude here and it changes how the whole trip goes

Palais des Papes(2 hours)

Around 12-14 EUR, a few more combined with the Pont d'Avignon. Mostly bare stone, but the included Histopad tablet rebuilds each room around you. Open from 9AM — go first thing, particularly in July when the theatre festival swallows the city

Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Rocher des Doms(1 hour)

The famous half-bridge that stops mid-Rhône, and the free gardens on the rock above the palace with the best view of it. In the song, people danced under the bridge on the island, never on it

Lunch at Les Halles d'Avignon(1 hour)

The covered market on Place Pie, Tuesday to Sunday mornings until about 1:30PM. An oyster bar, charcuterie counters and a plate at a stall for 12-18 EUR

Pont du Gard(3 hours)

A 50 m three-tier Roman aqueduct bridge 25 minutes west, roughly 9-11 EUR per car including the museum. Cross the lower tier, then go down to the river — swimming under the arches is permitted and is how locals actually use it. Late light on the golden stone is the best of the day

Dinner at La Fourchette(2 hours)

A genuine local bistro on Rue Racine that books out days ahead. Around 30-38 EUR for three courses

Gordes viewpoint and village(2 hours)

Stop at the layby on the D15 approaching from Cavaillon for the classic shot of stone houses stacked in tiers. Use the village car parks (about 4 EUR) — the lanes are one-way and unforgiving

Abbaye de Sénanque(1 hour)

The 12th-century Cistercian abbey 4 km below Gordes with its own lavender field, in bloom roughly late June to mid-July. Pre-booked timed tickets only, about 9 EUR, sold out in July. A working monastery — silence inside

Lunch in Roussillon(1.5 hours)

Le Bistrot de Roussillon on the square, or build a market picnic — tapenade, saucisson, chèvre and a baguette runs 12-15 EUR for two against 25-35 a head seated

Sentier des Ocres(1.5 hours)

A trail through the old ochre quarries in seventeen shades of red and rust, about 4 EUR for the 30- or 50-minute circuit, from around 9:30AM. Don't wear white shoes — the dust stains permanently

Ménerbes and Lacoste at golden hour(2 hours)

Ten minutes south, both free and largely empty at 6PM. Lacoste is crowned by the ruin of the Marquis de Sade's château; Ménerbes is where Peter Mayle wrote A Year in Provence

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue market(2.5 hours)

A town built on islands in a spring-fed river, with mossy waterwheels still turning. The Sunday market covers antiques, produce and brocante and runs 8AM to about 1PM; Thursday is the smaller local version. Park outside and walk in

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse(1.5 hours)

The source of the Sorgue: France's most powerful spring, welling out at the foot of a 230 m cliff. Free, a 15-minute walk from the village. Impressive in spring flood, a dry hole by late August — the water table decides

Lunch in Fontaine or a riverbank picnic(1.5 hours)

Philip on the river below the spring, or the picnic you bought this morning eaten on the bank with your feet in genuinely cold water

Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting(2 hours)

Thirty minutes northwest, where the popes planted their vineyard in the 14th century. Domaine tastings are usually free if you buy a bottle — Domaine de la Janasse and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe both take visitors; call ahead. The famous galets roulés stones covering the ground are what hold the day's heat into the night

Free evening in Avignon(3 hours)

Rest slot one. A rosé on Place de l'Horloge and no driving at all

Sunrise on the Valensole plateau(2 hours)

About an hour east along the D6 and D8, free and open at any hour. These are private working farms — park fully off the road, stay on the tracks between rows, never cut stems, and expect bees, since the fields are actively pollinated. Drones are banned over most listed sites and the fines are real

Breakfast in Valensole village(1 hour)

The bakery on Place Frédéric Mistral, then the distillery shops for essential oil at producer prices — a fraction of the Aix boutique markup

Route des Crêtes, Gorges du Verdon(2.5 hours)

A 23 km one-way road above the north rim with a dozen belvederes over a 700 m limestone gash. Free, closed in ice, and genuinely vertiginous — the guardrails are minimal in places

Lac de Sainte-Croix by boat(2 hours)

Electric boat, pedalo or kayak hire at the Galetas bridge for 20-30 EUR an hour, paddling into the canyon mouth where the walls close in and the water turns unreal turquoise. Last hire is usually about 5PM

Dinner and overnight in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie(3 hours)

A village wedged into a cleft with a gilded star strung on a chain between two cliffs — a crusader's vow, replaced repeatedly since the 13th century. La Treille Muscate for dinner, 30-40 EUR. Staying here saves two hours of driving tomorrow

Drive up Mont Ventoux(2 hours)

The bald white summit at 1,912 m, the Tour de France's most feared climb, reached free by car from Bédoin or Sault. The last 6 km are bare limestone scree that looks lunar. It is 10-15°C colder and often blowing hard at the top — the name means windy mountain for a reason. The road closes with snow, typically November to April

Sault lavender plateau(1.5 hours)

Higher and cooler than Valensole, so the bloom runs mid-July to mid-August. The fields around Sault and Aurel are smaller-scale and framed by the Ventoux — many photographers prefer them. Free

Lunch in Sault(1.5 hours)

Le Provençal on the main street, and André Boyer's nougat shop, working since 1887 — the lavender-honey nougat is the reason people detour here

Dentelles de Montmirail and Gigondas(2.5 hours)

Serrated limestone ridges an hour west, with Gigondas and Vacqueyras vineyards at their feet. Tasting rooms on the Gigondas village square pour free with a purchase; Séguret, ten minutes on, is one of the officially designated most beautiful villages in France and gets a fraction of Gordes's traffic

Return to Avignon(1 hour)

Or push straight on to Saint-Rémy if you would rather not backtrack — tomorrow starts in the Alpilles

Saint-Paul-de-Mausole(1.5 hours)

The asylum where Van Gogh committed himself in 1889 and painted 150 canvases in twelve months, Starry Night among them. About 7-8 EUR; his reconstructed room and the walled wheat field are still recognisable from the paintings

Glanum Roman ruins(1 hour)

A whole Gallo-Roman town excavated at the foot of the Alpilles, 200 m from the asylum, around 9 EUR. The triumphal arch and mausoleum outside the fence are free and centuries older than most of the site

Les Baux-de-Provence château(2 hours)

A ruined fortress on a limestone spur with working replica siege engines and huge Alpilles views, roughly 10-12 EUR. The village is overrun by midday; the château thins out after 4PM

Carrières des Lumières(1 hour)

Immersive art projected onto the 14 m walls of an abandoned bauxite quarry, about 16 EUR for a 45-minute loop — and the coolest place in Provence on a 35°C afternoon

Dinner in Saint-Rémy(2 hours)

La Cuisine des Anges or Bistrot Découverte on Boulevard Victor Hugo, 30-40 EUR. Wednesday is the town's big market day, one of the best in Provence

Arles Amphitheatre(1.5 hours)

A 20,000-seat Roman arena from AD 90, about 9 EUR or on a 16 EUR combined pass with the theatre, cryptoporticus and baths. It housed an entire medieval village inside its arches for 500 years, and still stages bullfights and concerts

Van Gogh trail(1.5 hours)

Marked panels at the spots he painted — the Café Terrace on Place du Forum, the Espace Van Gogh courtyard garden, the Rhône embankment of Starry Night Over the Rhône. Free. The Fondation Vincent van Gogh nearby (about 10 EUR) shows a rotating original alongside contemporary work

Lunch on Place du Forum(1.5 hours)

Skip the painted yellow café aimed at visitors and eat at L'Ouvre Boîte or Le Galoubet a street away — 20-28 EUR and much better food

Musée Départemental Arles Antique(1.5 hours)

About 8 EUR, and it holds a 31 m Roman barge raised whole from the Rhône riverbed in 2011, plus the finest mosaic collection in France outside Paris. Under-visited because it sits a 20-minute walk from the centre

LUMA Arles tower(1 hour)

Frank Gehry's crumpled steel tower on the old railyard, free to enter the ground floor and the park. A jarring, deliberate contrast after a day of Roman stone

Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau(2 hours)

About 8-9 EUR, 4 km north of Saintes-Maries. Boardwalks through lagoons holding greater flamingos year-round — the only place in France where they breed. Early morning and late afternoon are when the birds are active; bring binoculars and industrial-strength mosquito repellent

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer(2 hours)

The delta's one real town, with a fortified church holding the shrine of Sara-la-Kali, patron of the Roma, who make a mass pilgrimage here each 24-25 May. Free; the church roof is a couple of euros and gives the whole delta

Lunch on the seafront(1.5 hours)

Bull is the local meat — gardianne de taureau, a slow-cooked stew, at Le Grillon or Casa Romana, around 18-25 EUR

Salin de Giraud pink salt pans(1.5 hours)

An hour east on the delta's other arm, where evaporation ponds turn deep pink from the algae the flamingos eat. The viewpoint on the D36D is free; the little train tour is around 12 EUR

Manade visit or horse ride(2 hours)

Working ranches across the delta offer 1-2 hour rides on Camargue horses — born dark, turning white by age four — through the marshes for roughly 25-40 EUR. Book the same morning; several also do gardian demonstrations with the black bulls

Arènes de Nîmes(1.5 hours)

The most complete Roman amphitheatre standing anywhere, from around AD 70, about 10 EUR with an excellent audio guide or 13 EUR on a pass with the Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne

Maison Carrée and the Musée de la Romanité(1.5 hours)

A near-perfect Roman temple that Jefferson used as the model for the Virginia State Capitol, now UNESCO-listed. The glass museum opposite (about 9 EUR) has a rooftop terrace looking straight down on both it and the arena

Lunch in Nîmes(1.5 hours)

Try brandade de morue, the local salt-cod and olive oil purée, at Le Cerf à Moustache or the Halles market food counters. 15-25 EUR

Uzès and the Duché(2.5 hours)

Thirty minutes north, a golden-stone town around the arcaded Place aux Herbes. The Duché castle, held by the same family for a thousand years, is about 15 EUR with a tower climb. The Saturday morning market here is the best in the region — build the week around it if you can

Dinner back in Saint-Rémy(2 hours)

Or eat in Uzès at La Table d'Uzès if you want one properly serious meal — Michelin-starred, needs booking, around 90-140 EUR

Drive Saint-Rémy to Aix-en-Provence(1 hour)

About 70 km. Park in the Rotonde or Mignet underground lots and leave the car — the centre is small and pedestrianised

Place Richelme morning market(1.5 hours)

Produce every single morning, unusual in Provence where markets rotate by day. Melons, olives, chèvre, and the flower market on Place des Prêcheurs alongside

Cours Mirabeau and the fountains(1.5 hours)

The plane-tree boulevard with the moss-covered thermal fountain running at 34°C in the middle. Coffee at Les Deux Garçons, open since 1792, where Cézanne and Zola argued as schoolfriends

Atelier Cézanne(1.5 hours)

His studio 15 minutes uphill, preserved as he left it in 1906 down to the skulls and fruit bowls from the still lifes. About 7-8 EUR, capped and timed, so book ahead — and confirm it is open, as restoration has closed it for stretches

Free afternoon and evening(5 hours)

Rest slot two. The Pavillon de Vendôme gardens, a rosé on a terrace, or the Musée Granet (about 8 EUR) with its nine Cézannes if the heat is punishing

Check the fire-risk rating(10 minutes)

Non-negotiable from June to September. The Prefecture rates each massif daily and on red or black days all trails close from as early as 6AM, with fines for entry. Check the departmental prefecture site or the MyProvence Balade app the night before

Walk from Le Tholonet or Vauvenargues(3 hours)

The Barrage Zola loop from Le Tholonet is easy and shaded; the Croix de Provence summit from Vauvenargues is a hard 3-4 hour return with 600 m of climbing. Free. Picasso is buried at Vauvenargues château, which is closed to the public but visible from the road

Lunch at Le Relais Cézanne, Le Tholonet(1.5 hours)

A shaded terrace on the road Cézanne walked daily to paint the mountain. Around 22-30 EUR

Provençal cooking class(3.5 hours)

Several Aix schools run afternoon classes starting at the Richelme market — roughly 90-140 EUR covering ratatouille done properly, aïoli, tapenade and a tart, ending with dinner and wine. Book two or three days ahead

Drive to Cassis and park at Les Gorguettes(1 hour)

About 40 km from Aix. Use the Gorguettes lot on the approach and take the shuttle down — the harbour car parks fill by 9:30AM in summer

Calanques boat trip(1.5 hours)

From Cassis harbour, about 20-30 EUR for a 65-90 minute circuit of three to eight calanques. The only way in on fire-closure days, and far easier than the hike

Hike to Calanque d'En-Vau — conditions permitting(4 hours)

The most beautiful of them, 2-3 hours each way from the Port-Miou car park over rough limestone with a steep final descent. Access to popular calanques including Sugiton needs a free online reservation in summer, and the whole massif closes on high fire-risk days. Carry 2 litres each — there is no water and almost no shade

Late lunch on the Cassis quay(1.5 hours)

Le Bonaparte or the smaller places off the harbour for grilled fish and a bottle of Cassis white, made on these slopes under an AOC dating to 1936. Around 25-35 EUR

Cap Canaille coast road(1 hour)

The Route des Crêtes from Cassis to La Ciotat climbs the highest sea cliff in France at 394 m. Free, spectacular, and closed in high wind or fire risk

Vieux-Port and Le Panier(2 hours)

The fish market on the quay runs from about 8AM to 1PM, sold straight off the boats. Le Panier behind it is the oldest quarter, all stairs, street art and small shops — free to wander, and best before the midday heat

MuCEM(1.5 hours)

The museum of Mediterranean civilisations in a black concrete lattice box on the harbour mouth, linked to Fort Saint-Jean by a footbridge, about 11 EUR. The rooftop and the fort ramparts are free to walk even without a ticket

Lunch and a last bouillabaisse decision(1.5 hours)

Proper bouillabaisse costs 60-80 EUR a head, takes 24 hours' notice, and is served in two courses — broth first, then the fish. Chez Fonfon or Le Miramar do the real thing. If that is too much, Chez Étienne in Le Panier does the city's best pizza for a tenth of it

Drive to Marseille Provence airport(45 minutes)

About 30 km. Non-EU visitors can reclaim VAT on purchases over 100 EUR, but only before checking bags — allow an extra half hour for the desk

Departure from MRS(1 hour)

Or drop the car at Aix-en-Provence TGV and take the train back to Paris in about 3 hours if you are continuing overland

Collect the hire car at Avignon TGV(45 minutes)

Budget 50-70 EUR a day in July; automatics need booking months ahead. A shuttle runs into the walled centre in 10 minutes

Check in inside the ramparts(45 minutes)

Stay inside the 14th-century walls — everything is walkable and you skip the ring road entirely. Around Place Pie or Rue des Teinturiers is the better half of the old town

Rue des Teinturiers(1 hour)

A cobbled street along the Sorgue canal with four surviving waterwheels from the cloth-dyeing trade and plane trees overhead. Free, and skipped by everyone on the palace circuit

Dinner at L'Épicerie, Place Saint-Pierre(2 hours)

Tables facing a Gothic church front, 25-35 EUR a head. Kitchens stop lunch at 2PM sharp and don't reopen until 7:30PM — plan around it for the next three weeks

Learn the greeting(5 minutes)

Open with 'Bonjour Madame' or 'Bonjour Monsieur' before anything else, every time, in every shop. Skipping it reads as genuinely rude and it changes how the whole trip goes

Palais des Papes(2 hours)

Around 12-14 EUR, a few more combined with the Pont d'Avignon. Mostly bare stone, but the included Histopad tablet rebuilds each room around you. Open from 9AM — go first thing, especially in July when the theatre festival takes over

Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Rocher des Doms(1 hour)

The half-bridge that stops mid-Rhône, and the free gardens on the rock above the palace with the best view of it. In the song people danced under the bridge, on the island, never on it

Lunch at Les Halles d'Avignon(1 hour)

Covered market on Place Pie, Tuesday to Sunday mornings to about 1:30PM. Oyster bar, charcuterie counters, a plate at a stall for 12-18 EUR

Pont du Gard(3 hours)

A 50 m three-tier Roman aqueduct 25 minutes west, roughly 9-11 EUR per car including the museum. Cross the lower tier, then go down to the river — swimming under the arches is permitted and is how locals use it

Dinner at La Fourchette(2 hours)

A genuine local bistro on Rue Racine that books out days ahead. Around 30-38 EUR for three courses

Théâtre Antique d'Orange(1.5 hours)

The best-preserved Roman theatre wall in the world — 103 m long and 37 m high, which Louis XIV called the finest wall in his kingdom. About 11-12 EUR with an audio guide. It still seats 9,000 for the Chorégies opera festival each July

Vaison-la-Romaine(2.5 hours)

Forty minutes northeast: two excavated Roman quarters either side of the modern town, a Roman bridge still carrying traffic after 2,000 years, and a medieval haute ville up the hill. Around 9-10 EUR for the archaeological sites. Tuesday is one of the largest markets in Provence

Lunch in Vaison's haute ville(1.5 hours)

Le Bateleur or the terraces on Place du Poids, 20-28 EUR, with the ruined castle above and the whole valley below

Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting(2 hours)

The vineyard the popes planted in the 14th century. Domaine tastings are usually free with a purchase — Domaine de la Janasse and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe both take visitors; call ahead. The galets roulés stones covering the ground hold the day's heat into the night, which is the whole trick of the appellation

Return to Avignon(45 minutes)

Dinner at Le Vintage or a shared plate on Place de l'Horloge

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue market(2.5 hours)

A town built on islands in a spring-fed river with mossy waterwheels still turning. Sunday covers antiques, produce and brocante, 8AM to about 1PM; Thursday is the smaller local version. Park outside and walk in

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse(1.5 hours)

The source of the Sorgue and France's most powerful spring, welling out at the foot of a 230 m cliff. Free, 15 minutes' walk from the village. Spectacular in spring flood, a dry hole by late August

Riverbank picnic(1.5 hours)

Eat what you bought this morning on the bank with your feet in genuinely cold water. Tapenade, saucisson, chèvre and a baguette for 12-15 EUR against 25-35 a head seated

Free afternoon and evening in Avignon(5 hours)

Rest slot one. A rosé on Place de l'Horloge, the Collection Lambert contemporary museum (about 10 EUR) if it rains, and no driving at all

Gordes viewpoint and village(2 hours)

Stop at the layby on the D15 approaching from Cavaillon for the classic tiered-stone shot. Use the village car parks (about 4 EUR) — the lanes are one-way and unforgiving

Abbaye de Sénanque(1 hour)

The 12th-century Cistercian abbey 4 km below Gordes with its own lavender field, in bloom roughly late June to mid-July. Pre-booked timed tickets only, about 9 EUR, sold out in July. A working monastery — silence inside

Village des Bories(1 hour)

About 6 EUR, just outside Gordes: a hamlet of drystone beehive huts built without mortar and used as shepherds' shelters and farm buildings into the 19th century. Twenty minutes and almost nobody stops

Sentier des Ocres, Roussillon(1.5 hours)

A trail through the old ochre quarries in seventeen shades of red and rust, about 4 EUR for the 30- or 50-minute circuit, from around 9:30AM. Don't wear white shoes — the dust stains permanently

Dinner in Bonnieux or Ménerbes(2 hours)

L'Arôme in Bonnieux, in a vaulted stone room, around 35-45 EUR. Book — the Luberon has more visitors than tables in July

Bonnieux and the Forêt des Cèdres(2 hours)

A village stacked up a hillside with a 12th-century church at the top reached by 86 steps. The cedar forest on the ridge above (about 3 EUR to park in season) has shaded walking trails — the coolest ground in the Luberon on a hot day

Pont Julien(30 minutes)

A three-arched Roman bridge from 3 BC that carried road traffic until 2005. Free, ten minutes from Bonnieux, and you can walk straight across it

Lourmarin market and lunch(2.5 hours)

The Friday morning market is the best in the southern Luberon. Albert Camus is buried in the village cemetery, a five-minute walk from the square, under a plain stone. Lunch at La Cour de Ferme, 22-30 EUR

Buoux and the Aiguebrun valley(2 hours)

A hidden valley with the ruined Fort de Buoux on a rock spur (about 5 EUR, honesty box, and a genuinely exposed climb). The whole area is a climbers' destination and largely free of coach traffic

Free evening(3 hours)

Rest slot two. A bottle of Luberon rosé on a terrace and nothing else planned

Drive up Mont Ventoux(2 hours)

The bald white summit at 1,912 m, the Tour de France's most feared climb, free by car from Bédoin or Sault. The last 6 km are bare limestone scree that looks lunar. Ten to fifteen degrees colder and usually blowing hard at the top; the road closes with snow, typically November to April

Sault lavender plateau(1.5 hours)

Higher and cooler than Valensole, blooming mid-July to mid-August. The fields around Sault and Aurel are smaller and framed by the Ventoux — many photographers prefer them, and the crowds are a fraction

Lunch in Sault(1.5 hours)

Le Provençal on the main street, then André Boyer's nougat shop, working since 1887 — the lavender-honey nougat is what people detour for

Dentelles de Montmirail, Gigondas and Séguret(3 hours)

Serrated limestone ridges an hour west with Gigondas and Vacqueyras vineyards beneath them. Village-square tasting rooms pour free with a purchase. Séguret is officially one of the most beautiful villages in France and gets a fraction of Gordes's traffic

Sunrise on the Valensole plateau(2 hours)

About 90 minutes east of the Luberon on the D6 and D8, free at any hour. These are private working farms — park fully off the road, stay on the tracks between rows, never cut stems, and expect bees. Drones are banned over most listed sites and the fines are real

Breakfast in Valensole village(1 hour)

The bakery on Place Frédéric Mistral, then the distillery shops for essential oil at producer prices

Route des Crêtes, Gorges du Verdon(2.5 hours)

A 23 km one-way road above the north rim with a dozen belvederes over a 700 m limestone gash. Free, closed in ice, genuinely vertiginous where the guardrails give out

Lac de Sainte-Croix by boat(2 hours)

Electric boat, pedalo or kayak at the Galetas bridge, 20-30 EUR an hour, paddling into the canyon mouth where the walls close in and the water turns unreal turquoise. Last hire around 5PM

Overnight in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie(3 hours)

A village wedged into a cleft with a gilded star strung on a chain between two cliffs, a crusader's vow replaced repeatedly since the 13th century. Dinner at La Treille Muscate, 30-40 EUR

Moustiers pottery workshops(1 hour)

The village has made tin-glazed faience since 1679 and a dozen ateliers still throw and paint by hand. Buy from a workshop rather than a shop and you pay maker's prices

Drive the Route Napoléon(3 hours)

The N85 through Castellane and Grasse, tracing the road Napoleon took from Golfe-Juan to Grenoble in 1815. Steep, twisting and hugely scenic. Allow more time than the map suggests

Grasse perfume houses(2 hours)

The perfume capital since the 16th century. Fragonard and Molinard run free factory tours; the Musée International de la Parfumerie is about 6 EUR, and blend-your-own workshops run roughly 60-90 EUR for two hours

Arrive in Nice and walk Vieux Nice(2.5 hours)

Drop the car at a garage and leave it — Nice parking is punishing and the old town is entirely walkable. Dinner at Chez Palmyre or Acchiardo, both tiny, both proper Niçois, both around 20-28 EUR

Cours Saleya market(1.5 hours)

Flowers and produce Tuesday to Sunday mornings, antiques on Mondays. Buy socca — a chickpea-flour pancake baked in a wood oven — from Chez Thérésa, a couple of euros, eaten standing up and burning hot, which is the only correct way

Colline du Château(1.5 hours)

Free, reached by a lift near the Hôtel Suisse or 200 steps. A waterfall, a ruined castle site and the view straight down the curve of the Promenade des Anglais over the terracotta roofs

Musée Matisse and Musée Chagall(3 hours)

Both in Cimiez, up the hill by bus 5. Matisse lived in Nice for 37 years and left the city his collection (about 10 EUR); the Chagall museum holds the twelve Biblical Message canvases he painted for it (about 10 EUR). The Roman ruins and olive grove between them are free

Promenade des Anglais at sunset(1.5 hours)

Free, 7 km of seafront on the blue chairs the city has kept since the 1950s. The pebble beach is hard on bare feet — bring shoes for swimming

Dinner in the Port quarter(2 hours)

Away from the old town's tourist menus. La Merenda has no phone, no cards and no sign — turn up in person to book. Or Peixes for ceviche and small plates, 25-35 EUR

Èze village and the Jardin Exotique(2 hours)

A medieval village welded to a rock 427 m above the sea, reached by bus 82 or the Moyenne Corniche. The cactus garden at the summit is about 6 EUR and gives a 360-degree view down the coast. Go before 10AM — it is tiny and it fills

Villefranche-sur-Mer(2 hours)

Fifteen minutes back towards Nice, a deep natural harbour with a painted old town and the Chapelle Saint-Pierre decorated by Jean Cocteau in 1957 (about 3 EUR). The best swimming beach within reach of Nice

Lunch on the Villefranche quay(1.5 hours)

La Mère Germaine has been on this waterfront since 1938; around 35-50 EUR. Cheaper and just as good: the small places up the stepped lanes behind

Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Fondation Maeght(2.5 hours)

A walled hill village 40 minutes inland that became an artists' colony in the 1920s. The Fondation Maeght (about 16 EUR) is one of Europe's great private modern-art collections, with a Giacometti courtyard and a Miró labyrinth. Chagall is buried in the village cemetery

Free evening in Nice(3 hours)

Rest slot three. A glass on a square in Vieux Nice and nothing scheduled

Drive Nice to Cotignac(2 hours)

Inland via Draguignan rather than the coastal motorway. Slower, prettier, and free of tolls

Cotignac(2 hours)

A village built against an 80 m tufa cliff riddled with caves that were used as houses and refuges into the 18th century — you can climb into them for free. The plane-tree square is one of the loveliest in Provence and there is not a coach in sight

Lunch and a Provence rosé tasting(2 hours)

Côtes de Provence estates around Cotignac and Carcès pour free with a purchase — Château Nestuby and Domaine de Nestuby take visitors. Lunch at Le Clos des Vignes, around 25-32 EUR

Drive on to Aix-en-Provence(1.5 hours)

About 90 km west. Park in the Rotonde or Mignet underground lots and leave the car for the next three days — the centre is small and pedestrianised

Evening on the Cours Mirabeau(2 hours)

The plane-tree boulevard with the moss-covered thermal fountain running at 34°C in the middle. Coffee or a glass at Les Deux Garçons, open since 1792, where Cézanne and Zola argued as schoolfriends

Place Richelme morning market(1.5 hours)

Produce every single morning, unusual in Provence where markets rotate by day. Melons, olives, chèvre, plus the flower market on Place des Prêcheurs

Atelier Cézanne(1.5 hours)

His studio 15 minutes uphill, preserved as he left it in 1906 down to the skulls and fruit bowls from the still lifes. About 7-8 EUR, groups capped and timed, so book ahead — and confirm it is open, since restoration has closed it for stretches

Musée Granet(1.5 hours)

About 8 EUR, holding nine Cézannes, a strong Giacometti room and the Planque collection of Picasso, Braque and Klee. The best air-conditioned two hours in Aix on a 35°C afternoon

Free afternoon in the Mazarin quarter(4 hours)

Rest slot four. The 17th-century grid south of the Cours, all hôtels particuliers and quiet squares, plus the Pavillon de Vendôme gardens. A rosé, a bench, nothing else

Dinner at Chez Féraud(2 hours)

An old-school Provençal kitchen on Rue du Puits Juif, around 28-35 EUR. Small, so book

Check the fire-risk rating(10 minutes)

Non-negotiable from June to September. The Prefecture rates each massif daily and on red or black days all trails close from as early as 6AM, with fines for entry. Check the departmental prefecture site or the MyProvence Balade app the night before

Walk from Le Tholonet or Vauvenargues(3 hours)

The Barrage Zola loop from Le Tholonet is easy and shaded; the Croix de Provence summit from Vauvenargues is a hard 3-4 hour return with 600 m of climbing. Free. Picasso is buried at Vauvenargues château — closed to the public, visible from the road

Lunch at Le Relais Cézanne, Le Tholonet(1.5 hours)

A shaded terrace on the road Cézanne walked daily to paint the mountain. Around 22-30 EUR

Provençal cooking class(3.5 hours)

Aix schools run afternoon classes starting at the Richelme market — roughly 90-140 EUR covering ratatouille done properly, aïoli, tapenade and a tart, finishing with dinner and wine. Book two or three days ahead

Drive Aix to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence(1 hour)

About 70 km. Wednesday is the town's big market day and one of the best in Provence — worth timing the move around

Saint-Paul-de-Mausole(1.5 hours)

The asylum where Van Gogh voluntarily committed himself in 1889 and painted 150 canvases in twelve months, Starry Night among them. About 7-8 EUR; his reconstructed room and the walled wheat field are still recognisable from the paintings

Glanum Roman ruins(1 hour)

A whole Gallo-Roman town excavated at the foot of the Alpilles, 200 m from the asylum, around 9 EUR. The triumphal arch and mausoleum outside the fence are free and centuries older than most of the site

Les Baux-de-Provence château(2 hours)

A ruined fortress on a limestone spur with working replica siege engines and enormous views, roughly 10-12 EUR. The village is overrun by midday; the château thins after 4PM

Carrières des Lumières(1 hour)

Immersive art projected onto the 14 m walls of an abandoned bauxite quarry, about 16 EUR for a 45-minute loop — and the coolest place in Provence on a 35°C afternoon

Arles Amphitheatre(1.5 hours)

A 20,000-seat Roman arena from AD 90, about 9 EUR or on a 16 EUR combined pass with the theatre, cryptoporticus and baths. An entire medieval village lived inside its arches for 500 years, and it still stages bullfights and concerts

Van Gogh trail(1.5 hours)

Marked panels at the spots he painted — the Café Terrace on Place du Forum, the Espace Van Gogh courtyard, the Rhône embankment of Starry Night Over the Rhône. Free. The Fondation Vincent van Gogh (about 10 EUR) shows a rotating original alongside contemporary work

Lunch off Place du Forum(1.5 hours)

Skip the painted yellow café aimed at visitors — L'Ouvre Boîte or Le Galoubet a street away are 20-28 EUR and much better

Musée Départemental Arles Antique(1.5 hours)

About 8 EUR, holding a 31 m Roman barge raised whole from the Rhône riverbed in 2011 and the finest mosaic collection in France outside Paris. Under-visited because it is a 20-minute walk from the centre

LUMA Arles tower(1 hour)

Frank Gehry's crumpled steel tower on the old railyard, free on the ground floor and in the park. A deliberate jolt after a day of Roman stone

Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau(2 hours)

About 8-9 EUR, 4 km north of Saintes-Maries. Boardwalks through lagoons holding greater flamingos year-round — the only place in France where they breed. Go early or late for active birds, and bring serious mosquito repellent

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer(2 hours)

The delta's one real town, with a fortified church holding the shrine of Sara-la-Kali, patron of the Roma, who make a mass pilgrimage here every 24-25 May. Free; the church roof is a couple of euros and shows you the whole delta

Lunch on the seafront(1.5 hours)

Bull is the local meat — gardianne de taureau, slow-cooked, at Le Grillon or Casa Romana, 18-25 EUR

Salin de Giraud pink salt pans(1.5 hours)

An hour east on the delta's other arm, where evaporation ponds run deep pink from the algae the flamingos feed on. The D36D viewpoint is free; the little train tour about 12 EUR

Manade visit or horse ride(2 hours)

Working ranches offer 1-2 hour rides on Camargue horses — born dark, turning white by four — through the marshes for 25-40 EUR. Book the same morning; several also run gardian demonstrations with the black bulls

Arènes de Nîmes(1.5 hours)

The best-preserved Roman amphitheatre standing anywhere, from around AD 70, about 10 EUR with an excellent audio guide, or 13 EUR on a pass with the Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne

Maison Carrée and the Musée de la Romanité(1.5 hours)

A near-perfect Roman temple that Jefferson used as the model for the Virginia State Capitol, now UNESCO-listed. The glass museum opposite (about 9 EUR) has a rooftop terrace looking down on both it and the arena

Uzès and the Duché(2.5 hours)

Thirty minutes north, a golden-stone town around the arcaded Place aux Herbes. The Duché castle, held by the same family for a thousand years, is about 15 EUR with a tower climb. The Saturday morning market is the best in the region

Aigues-Mortes(2 hours)

Forty-five minutes south: a perfectly rectangular walled town built by Louis IX in the 1240s as France's only Mediterranean port, from which he launched two crusades. The 1.6 km rampart walk is about 8-9 EUR, and the salt pans outside run pink at sunset

Dinner back in Saint-Rémy(2 hours)

La Cuisine des Anges or Bistrot Découverte on Boulevard Victor Hugo, 30-40 EUR

Drive to Cassis and park at Les Gorguettes(1.5 hours)

About 100 km from Saint-Rémy. Use the Gorguettes lot on the approach and take the shuttle down — the harbour car parks fill by 9:30AM in summer

Calanques boat trip(1.5 hours)

From Cassis harbour, 20-30 EUR for a 65-90 minute circuit of three to eight calanques. The only way in on fire-closure days

Hike to Calanque d'En-Vau — conditions permitting(4 hours)

The most beautiful of them, 2-3 hours each way from the Port-Miou car park over rough limestone with a steep final descent. Popular calanques including Sugiton need a free online reservation in summer, and the massif closes entirely on high fire-risk days. Carry 2 litres each — no water, almost no shade

Cap Canaille coast road(1 hour)

The Route des Crêtes from Cassis to La Ciotat climbs the highest sea cliff in France at 394 m. Free, spectacular, closed in high wind or fire risk

Dinner on the Cassis quay(2 hours)

Le Bonaparte for grilled fish and a bottle of Cassis white, made on these slopes under an AOC dating to 1936. Around 25-35 EUR

Vieux-Port fish market and Le Panier(2.5 hours)

The quayside market runs about 8AM to 1PM, sold straight off the boats. Le Panier behind it is the oldest quarter — stairs, street art, small shops, and free to wander. Best before the midday heat

MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean(2 hours)

The museum of Mediterranean civilisations in a black concrete lattice on the harbour mouth, linked to the 17th-century fort by a footbridge, about 11 EUR. The rooftop and rampart walks are free even without a ticket

Notre-Dame de la Garde(1.5 hours)

The gold-crowned basilica on the city's highest point, free, reached by bus 60 or a hard 30-minute climb. Sailors' votive offerings — model ships, painted plaques, football shirts — cover the interior walls. The single best view in Provence

Bouillabaisse, properly(2.5 hours)

The real thing costs 60-80 EUR a head, needs 24 hours' notice, and arrives in two courses: broth first with rouille and croutons, then the fish. Chez Fonfon in the Vallon des Auffes or Le Miramar. If that is too much, Chez Étienne in Le Panier does the city's best pizza for a tenth of the price

Free evening(2 hours)

Rest slot five. A pastis on the Vallon des Auffes, a tiny fishing harbour under the corniche viaduct, watching the light go off the water

Château d'If or a last market(2 hours)

The island fortress-prison of The Count of Monte Cristo, 20 minutes by boat from the Vieux-Port, about 11 EUR for the ferry plus 6 EUR entry. Or skip it for a last wander through the Noailles market, the most North African and the liveliest in the city

Buy what you will regret leaving(1 hour)

Savon de Marseille cubes from a proper savonnerie, lavender oil bought from a Valensole distiller, Camargue fleur de sel, and a bottle of the rosé you liked in the Var. All of it costs double at the airport

Drive to Marseille Provence airport(45 minutes)

Non-EU visitors can reclaim VAT on purchases over 100 EUR, but only before checking bags — allow an extra half hour at the desk

Departure from MRS(1 hour)

Or drop the car at Aix-en-Provence TGV and take the train back to Paris in about 3 hours if you are continuing overland