Provence hiking : from the famous Luberon in Provence to the spectacular calanques of Cassis

  • The hilltop villages of the Luberon: Bonnieux, Saignon
  • Medieval Avignon & the famed Provence market of Apt
  • The coloured red-yellow-orange ochre quarry
  • Spectacular and dramatic coastal walking in the Calanques
  • The unique & rustic BB at the foot of the Aiguebrun gorge

    Customize your holiday here

  • From 1980€ /pers
    • Guided Walking
    • Moderate
      • 8 days
      • From March to May
      • From August to October
      • Simple -
      • Comfort -
      • Charming
      • Ref : A1301

Itinerary

Day 1 - Medieval Avignon

best guided holiday starting in avignon and the pope s palace. Our advice for the start date : We highly recommend starting this trip on a Monday so that you can enjoy the market in Apt on day 6 ! 

Arrival on your own on Avignon.  A papal city and World Heritage Site. The city is surrounded by its 14th century ramparts behind which a wealth of history and monuments wait to be discovered. The group will meet at 7pm at the hotel in Avignon, located in the historic centre.  After a welcome meeting with your guide, we meander through the labyrinth of cobbled streets in the old centre, just enough to work up an appetite for a great meal in town. 

Meals included : dinner
Night : Avignon

Day 2 - From Bonnieux to the Aiguebrun valley

best hilkes in provence perched village of bonnieuxShort morning transfer to the village of Bonnieux, another gem of the Luberon. You visit its beautiful town squares and the old cobbled steps leading to its 12th century church. On the crest of the Luberon we stroll under the magnificent canopy of the cedar forest, and find a secluded spot to enjoy our provençal picnic. Beyond Bonnieux, we enter the "Grand Luberon", following a lavender field before reaching Buoux castle and the village of Buoux itself. Spectacular arrival at the Auberge des Seguins in depths of the Aiguebrun gorge : a restored 17th century goat farm, an unknown gem in an idyllic setting. The Auberge des Seguins – as far off the beaten-track as you can get - is a rustic & simple B&B, hidden in the heart of the Luberon mountains, literally at the end of the road, and at the crossroads of the most beautiful walking paths in the Luberon. Les Seguins will be our home for the next two nights.

Walk : Bonnieux > Buoux  | 4h30 |  12 km - 7 miles | Elevation: +250m/-150m
Meals included : breakfast & picnic & dinner
Night : Buoux

The B&B Auberge des Seguins
Hidden at the base of the Aiguebrun gorge, beside the only river in the mountain, and at the very end of the road, the B&B Les Seguins is both storybook scenic and peaceful. And with no television, Wifi, or cell phone reception, we’re taken blissfully back in time. It is a very simple-rustic accommodation, where you appreciate the authenticity and the friendly welcome.
A truly unique place, a
ll that’s left is watching the swifts dance atop the soaring limestone cliffs, or relaxing in a lounge chair in the open field, facing the centuries-old golden stone buildings. Dinner is family-style, with home-cooked Provençal specialties near the huge roaring fireplace or on the terrace. Breakfast is also “communal” eaten on large farm tables, with no bells and whistles but with the fresh breads and tasty homemade jams.

Day 3 - The crest of the Luberon

We leave the Auberge des Seguins on foot and reach the 3000 year-old Buoux Fort. With sheer cliffs on all sides and outstanding views, we explore the ruins of many different civilizations that sought refuge atop this rocky crag. From medieval ramparts and churches to Roman silos and watchtowers, and even Celto-Ligurian ruins, the site is fascinating. For those with enough energy left, we can climb up to the rounded crest of the Luberon moutains, carpeted in thyme and wildflowers, from where on a clear day the views extend to the chain of the Alps to the north and even to the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

Walk : Buoux > Crest > Buoux  | 4h30 |  12 km - 7 miles | Elevation: +500m/-500m
Meals included : breakfast  & picnic & dinner
Night : Buoux 

Day 4 - Hiking from Aiguebrun to Saignon

walk buoux sivergues saignon luberonYou walk along the base of the Aiguebrun canyon to the hidden hamlet of Sivergues. Its stone wall terraces the only remains of the cultivated fields that once sprawled around the tightly-packed handful of homes. Continue through the vast lavender fields and truffle oak plantations to Saignon where you visit this small, charming village and continue onwards to Apt. 

Walk : Buoux > Apt | 4h |  11 km - 7 miles | Elevation: +400m/-300m
Meals included : breakfast & picnic & dinner
Night : Apt

Day 5 - The beautiful coloured ochre quarries

colorado of provence ochre quarriesTransfer (10mn) to the foot of Caseneuve, on the heights of Apt. The trail climbs a ridge where cherry trees, crops and dry-stone huts alternate up to the crests. Descend to the Provencal Colorado: you can see the red and orange ochre peaks in the distance. Arrive in Rustrel, in the heart of these ancient ochre quarries, which form a colorful maze of combes where flamboyant yellow, orange and red ochres are sculpted by erosion. You can choose to walk along the ochre trail. Transfer from Rustrel to Apt. 

Walk : Caseneuve > Rustrel | 2h10 |  9 km - 5.5 miles | Elevation: +330m/-180m + Colorado visit 
Meals included : breakfast & picnic 
Night : Apt

Day 6 - Provence market and Cassis by the med sea

guided tours of france hiking tour in cassis and marseille in the calanques

Today, you have a free morning to enjoy the saturday morning market of Apt, one of the most famous & colourful in Provence ! Lunch is on your own.  Then,  we transfer south towards the Mediterranean Sea and the riviera town of Cassis situated on the eastern edge of the Calanques.  The Calanques are a set of dramatic limestone inlets spanning 20km from Marseille to Cassis: a playground of cliffs and hiking trails, remote and unspoiled. Each of the isolated coves unveils its secrets, the pure white limestone casting turquoise reflections in the still waters. The site has become France’s newest National Park. 
. Option : you can enjoy an optional boat excursion to the famous Calanques (1h tour apxm 25/30€) or just relax by the beach.

Meals included : breakfast & dinner
Night : Apt

Day 7 - Hike in the famous Calanques of Cassis 

guided walking tours of provenceA 20-min private taxi transfer takes you to the Col de la Gardiole pass, high above the Calanques of Cassis. You're among a vegetation of shrubs and aromatic herbs, their perfume concentrated by the penetrating Mediterranean sun. Soon you find a shaded and deeply encased valley that descends in tight zigzags towards the sea and here you reach the Calanque of En Vau. This is followed by a short but steep climb through the jagged limestone to reach the Calanque of Port Pin, a narrow inlet complete with a sandy beach, the perfect stop for your secluded picnic. The third Calanque is Port Miou, over a kilometre long but ultra-thin, lined on both sides by picturesque sailboats sheltered in this quiet cove. You walk straight into the centre of Cassis.

Walk : Gardiole pass > Calanque En Vau - Calanque Port Pin > Cassis  | 4h |  12 km - 8 miles | Elevation: +200m/-460m
. Please note : There is no more car access to the Gardiole pass.  You will  then walk an extra 2km along the road to reach the Col de la Gardiole.

Meals included : breakfast & picnic
Night : Cassis

Day 8 - Bye Bye Provence

tours of provence in aix en provenceYou can spend time enjoying the beach and the town of Cassis. Transfer to Aix en provence : city of art & culture. Aix is a lively university city and unapologetically bourgeois: regal stone fountains line the Cours Mirabeau, behind which 17th and 18th century mansions now house chic shops and banks. A labyrinth of winding streets in the centre of town unveil a wealth of historic buildings, squares, and shops of all kinds. End of the trip.

Many great options : 
. Cassis : Enjoy a boat excursion to discover the Calanques: a must ! 
. Aix en Provence : Market every morning on the "town hall" square, and big market on Saturday morning 
. Add an extra hike to the Sainte Victoire mountain made famous but the impressionist painter Cézanne who immortalized the landscape on canvas (see further details below) 

    Day 9 - Add an extra walking day in Aix en Provence and explore the famous Sainte Victoire !

    hiking in aix en provence cezanne sainte victoireYou can continue your holiday and add 1 extra walk to the famous  Sainte Victoire mountain.
    A short morning transfer takes you to the start of the walk at the imposing foot of the Sainte Victoire mountain. A jagged spine soaring to the 1000m summit is your day's goal. And though it may look imposing and the climb steep, there is no scrambling involved. On a clear day from the summit, the snow-peaked Alps are visible to the north and the Mediterranean to the south. Once at the the top you can choose to continue walking along the spine, or descend due south to the village of Vauvenargues, where Pablo Picasso found his eternal rest. 
    A local bus will take you back to Aix en Provence. 

    Walk : Bimont dam > Vauvenargues > Aix en Provence  | 4h30 |  10 km - 7 miles | Elevation: +65m/-620m

     

    • From 1980€ /pers
      • Guided Walking
      • Moderate
        • 8 days
        • From March to May
        • From August to October
        • Simple -
        • Comfort -
        • Charming
        • Ref : A1301
    YOUR TRIP

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    From the blog

    More Provence walking tours

      • 6 days
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      • Self-guided Walking
        • From January to March
        • From October to December
    •   Accommodation choice :
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    Highlights of the trip

    • Walking through Van Gogh's landscapes in the  Alpilles mountains
    • The thousand year-old perched village of Les Baux de Provence
    • The Venice of provence :  canals & waterwheels of Isle sur la Sorgue
    • Gordes, the most famous hilltop village of the Luberon
    • The great markets of Provence in Saint Remy & Isle 


    Customize your holiday here 

      • 5 days
      • Moderate
      • Self-guided Walking
        • From February to June
        • From September to December
    •   Accommodation choice :
        • Simple
        • /
        • Comfort
        • /
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    Highlights of the trip

    • The charming town of Cassis by the Med sea
    • Spectacular and dramatic coastal walking in the Calanques
    • A free day to explore Marseille 
    • Swimming opportunities during the walks


      Customize your holiday here 

      • 5 days
      • Easy
      • Self-guided Walking
        • From April to October
    •   Accommodation choice :
        • Comfort
        • /
        • Charming

    Highlights of the trip

    • Staying in Gordes, the famous perched village of Luberon
    • The lavender fields in front of Sénanque Abbey
    • The ochre quarries of Rustrel
    • Authentic Provence countryside, off the beaten-track

      Customize your holiday here 

      • 5 days
      • Easy
      • Self-guided Walking
        • From March to June
        • From September to November
    •   Accommodation choice :
        • Simple
        • /
        • Charming
        • /
        • Superior

    Highlights of the trip

    • Awe-inspiring vistas atop the Alpilles mountains
    • Retracing the life and brush strokes of Van Gogh
    • The perched medieval village of Les Baux de Provence
    • The quaint St Remy de Provence, Maussane & the Roman Arles

      Customize your holiday here 



      • 7 days
      • Easy
      • Self-guided Walking
        • From April to October
    •   Accommodation choice :
        • Simple
        • /
        • Confort
        • /
        • Charming
        • /
        • Superior

    Highlights of the trip

    • Awe-inspiring vistas atop the Alpilles mountains
    • The perched medieval village of Les Baux de Provence
    • The quaint town of Saint Rémy de Provence and the Roman city of Arles
    • The vineyards and olive groves blanketing the plains


      Customize your holiday here