A journey for three couples
Sud de
la France
Provence & Gard — Two weeks of Roman ruins, Luberon light, and long evenings with wine
2026
Provence & Gard — Two weeks of Roman ruins, Luberon light, and long evenings with wine
Slow mornings, ancient stones, rosé at dusk
.jpg)
Roman history, river kayaking, and a cooking class
Train from Brussels-Midi (~3.5 hrs). Pick up rental car in Avignon. Settle into your Uzès house. Evening walk through the old town, dinner on Place aux Herbes.
Travel dayVisit at 8am before crowds. Then kayak the Gardon river — you paddle directly under the Roman arches. Completely different experience. ~2 hrs on the water. Afternoon: pool.
⭐ Must-doFull day in Nîmes. The amphitheatre, Maison Carrée temple, old town lunch. Check if the Nîmes Flamenco Festival is on — it uses the amphitheatre as its venue at night.
HistoryMarket in the morning with a local chef, then cook a 3-course Provençal lunch together. The anchor activity of Week 1. Book ahead on GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences. ~€70pp.
⭐ Book aheadRent bikes in Uzès, cycle through the wild garrigue landscape to Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie and back. 15–25km depending on pace. Gentle rolling terrain — totally doable.
CyclingMorning in Arles (Roman theatre, Saturday market). Drive into the Camargue — Europe's only true delta wilderness. Nothing else on the trip looks like this. Cook dinner together that evening.
LandscapeMorning at the hilltop ruins of Les Baux. Then drive into the valley for wine tasting at Château Romanin or Mas de la Dame. Buy bottles for the week ahead. Excellent Provençal reds and rosés.
⭐ WinePerched villages, vineyard cycling, the calanques
Drive to your second base (~1h45). Stop at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse en route — a spring that erupts from a cliff face, one of the most powerful in Europe. Arrive by afternoon, settle in.
TravelRent bikes and cycle between villages through the vineyards. Stop at Domaine de la Citadelle in Ménerbes for a tasting. ~20km with a gentle climb. This is the best day of the trip.
⭐ Cycling + WineEarly to Sénanque Abbey (dried lavender fields, peaceful, few people). Then Gordes — awarded most beautiful village in the world by Travel & Leisure in 2023. Afternoon: truffle farm visit near Apt.
VillagesHalf-day hike on the ridge between Mourre Nègre and Bonnieux — panoramic views to the Alps on a clear September day. Picnic on the ridge. Then Roussillon's ochre trail as a cool-down walk.
⭐ HikingFull day. Cours Mirabeau, old town market, Cézanne's studio (book ahead). This is your splurge dinner night — Aix has excellent restaurants. Book a table somewhere good.
City dayDrive to Cassis (1.5 hrs), take the boat shuttle into the calanques (€15–20pp return). Turquoise water, limestone cliffs, warm September sea. Lunch in Cassis port. Nothing like a normal beach.
⭐ Beach dayLourmarin Friday market (one of the best in Provence). Shop for the farewell dinner. Afternoon at the pool. Cook together that evening — better than any restaurant for a last night.
Final day
Market-to-table half day with a local chef in Uzès. 3-course Provençal lunch. One of the best shared experiences for a group.
Paddle under the Pont du Gard from the water. Several outfitters at the site. ~2 hours. Completely transforms the experience of visiting the aqueduct.
From Cassis port into the Parc National des Calanques. Access Port Pin and En-Vau coves by boat, swim, return by afternoon.
Week 1: Uzès for the garrigue loop. Week 2: Lourmarin for the vineyard route to Bonnieux. Electric bikes available if the group wants them.
Check if the Flamenco Festival (late Sept) or any concert is scheduled in the Roman amphitheatre. An unforgettable evening if it lands on your dates.
Atelier Cézanne is timed-entry only. The studio is preserved exactly as he left it. Understated, moving, and genuinely worth the visit.
.jpg)
