Starts | Avignon, France |
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Ends | Marseille, France |
Region | Europe |
Duration | 7 days |
Tour Operator | Peregrine |
Itinerary
Day 1 - Starting: Avignon & Finishing: Avignon
Your trip begins in Avignon. This charming city is located on the left bank of the Rhone River in the south-east of France. You can make your way to the hotel anytime before your evening welcome meeting, which is usually at 5 pm (check the hotel reception or notice boards for more details). Afterwards, there's an evening walking tour that includes the 14th-century Papal Palace and the 12th century Pont d’Avignon bridge. Your guide will be able to recommend a local restaurant for those who wish to continue on to dinner. Notes: We recommend arriving and departing by train where possible in Europe, as this method of transport is efficient and has minimal carbon emissions.
Day 2 - Starting: Avignon & Finishing: Avignon
After breakfast you will take a tour around Les Halles, Avignon’s famed covered market, to discover the building blocks of Provencal cuisine. Savour locally produced olive oil, admire regionally grown vegetables and enjoy the aroma of fragrant herbes de Provence. As you wander the colourful market stalls, your guide will select seasonal ingredients to take to a nearby cafe. The chef will cook your selection for lunch. In the early afternoon, take a taxi to the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape (approximately 30 minutes). Located in the Rhone wine region in southeastern France, Chateauneuf-du-Pape is also a renowned French wine appellation d’origine controlee (AOC). Take a walk through the vineyards (approximately 1.5 hours), then enjoy a tasting at one of the centuries-old estates. Return to Avignon in time for dinner.
Day 3 - Starting: Isle sur la Sorgue & Finishing: Isle sur la Sorgue
After breakfast, take a train (approximately 30 minutes) to the picturesque village of Isle sur la Sorgue. As its name suggests, the village is surrounded by the flowing waters of the Sorgue River. Arrive in time to explore the impressive Sunday market which has operated since the 16th century. Here is an entire village filled with fresh produce, spices, crafts, clothing and antiques. In the afternoon, after a walking tour of the village, enjoy a game of pétanque complete with a tasting of the local drink of choice: pastis. In the evening, join a hands-on cooking class where you will learn to prepare some classic regional Provencal dishes. This will be followed by dinner. The menu will be determined by what is in season.
Day 4 - Starting: L'Isle sur La Sorgue & Finishing: L'Isle sur La Sorgue
In the late morning, take a taxi (approximately 20 minutes) to the village of Robion which is nestled against the abrupt slopes of the Luberon mountain. Here you will enjoy lunch at a traditional table d’hôte. In France, this term refers to a communal meal offered in a chambre d'hôte, prepared by the hosting family for their guests. Your hostess will be preparing your meal in her ancestral home which originally belonged to her grandmother. After lunch there will be some time to explore the town at your leisure. In the evening, return to Isle sur la Sorgue for dinner.
Day 5 - Starting: Marseille & Finishing: Marseille
After breakfast, take a local train (approximately 1.5 hours) to the cosmopolitan port city of Marseille. Second only to Paris in size, Marseille is fast being recognised for its distinct culinary identity, which combines influences from around the Mediterranean and beyond. Discover the flavours of Marseille on a tasting tour of the city, sampling unexpected local specialities around the lively streets surrounding the old port (which had a complete makeover in 2013). In the afternoon, you have the choice of many optional activities, including a coastline hike, a boat excursion along the Calanques (limestone inlets) or a ferry ride to the Château d’If and Frioul islands.
Day 6 - Starting: Marseille & Finishing: Marseille
Visit an authentic fishing village along the Côte Bleu. Weather permitting, we will journey there on the scenic ferry boat. Otherwise we will catch the picturesque coastline train. Few tourists venture to this coastal “suburb” of Marseille, but the local Marseillais come here religiously on weekends to savour two local delicacies. Meet the maker and savour them for yourself. For lunch continue to another village off the tourist-path, where a limestone inlet is the perfect invitation to an afternoon swim. Return to the centre of Marseille via the coastline train. In the evening, perhaps choose to join your fellow travellers for a final meal of the local dish par excellence – bouillabaisse. This signature Marseillaise fish stew was originally eaten by fisherman who cooked it using bony fish they were unable to sell to restaurants or markets. Today it is considered a French classic, enhanced by the addition of locally grown Provencal herbs and spices.
Day 7 - Starting: Marseille & Finishing: Marseille
Your trip comes to an end after breakfast in Marseille. It's a convenient location to finish in, as it's connected by rail to many other destinations in France, including Aix-en-Provence (30 minutes), Nice (2 hours and 30 minutes) and Paris (3 hours via the high-speed TGV services which depart hourly). For those who wish to spend more time in Marseille, additional nights’ accommodation can be booked at the same time this trip is booked.
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