Provence Tour 2025 The Experience of a Lifetime!
May 26th-June 1st
Day 1: Tour start, arrival in Aix-en-Provence. We will spend our first night in Aix (pronounced like the letter “X”) after bike fitting. Meet your fellow travelers, and enjoy a possible bike ride in the surrounding vineyards, whose well known “Cote d’Aix” is a light, fruity rose that you’ll have a chance to enjoy at dinner. You may want to take the opportunity to take a stroll around Aix and admire its many fountains and elegant courtyards. This is the birthplace of the painter Paul Cezanne, whose early paintings of the nearby Mont Ste-Victoire encapsulate his passion for the Provencal landscape. We’ll gather for an aperitif at an outdoor cafe on the Cour Mirabeau, and then walk together for our first dinner.
Day 2: On our first full day of cycling, we’ll pedal out of Aix, and join small country roads as we head toward the Vaucluse region, and our home base for the next two nights. We’ll stop for lunch at the halfway point, in the village of Rognes, and then coast downhill as we cross the Durance river. We’ll pedal through the village of Cadenet, and then enjoy the flat for the last few kilometers to Lourmarin. The village of Lourmarin has lovely, small cafes where you may want to sit and enjoy a cafe or a glass of crisp rose wine before heading to our hotel for the evening. Or you may prefer to cuddle up in a lounge chair by the hotel pool and soak up the fragrant air and radiant sunlight of the Provencal countryside. We’ll plan on having dinner together on the terrace at the boutique hotel restaurant, whose chef puts his own creative spin on Provencal regional specialities.
Route essentials: 30 miles approx, elevation gain 1645 ft, estimated time 3-6 hours depending upon how you want to set your pace.
We encourage you to take your time, let go, explore and savor your experience.
Day 3: Today we will pedal up a narrow road winding through a canyon to the perched medieval villages of Bonnieux, Menerbes, and LaCoste. Enjoy expansive views of rolling hills from the summit of Bonnieux before coasting down into the valley, where you’ll pedal through vineyards, olive groves, and fruit orchards. We’ll slowly pedal up to the yellow sandstone village of Lacoste, where we’ll enjoy lunch at a lovely cafe perched at the edge of the village with commanding views of the valley. Lacoste has a somewhat colorful past as its most famous resident, the Marquis de Sade, resided in his castle there for many years. After lunch, we’ll ride a few miles up to Menerbes, and then to the charming and less visited village of Oppede-le-Vieux. Oppede offers some great spots for photo ops, and we’ll plan to linger there for a while before heading back on a thrilling downhill ride back to our hotel. We’ll plan on taking you for dinner in a stunning location at the foot of the Buoux cliffs, a destination for rock climbers from around the the world. The family-run restaurant serves hearty Provencal cuisine–ratatouille, achoiade, tapenade, slow cooked lamb, and they will even catch your trout from a small lake before dinner.
Route essentials: 35 miles, elevation gain 2785 ft, estimated time 4-5 hours
Day 4: Lourmarin to St-Remy-de-Provence. This morning we bid au revoir to the Vaucluse and head west, crossing the Durance river and traveling quiet country roads on our way to St-Remy de Provence, an elegant village at the foothills of the craggy Alpilles mountains. The route is mostly flat, so it’s a good day to enjoy pedaling as we head toward the Rhone river valley and its hearty red wines. You’ll have a chance to admire small working farms today and pedal along apple, peach, and pear orchards. You’ll notice that the air becomes a bit warmer as we are also heading back toward the Mediterranean sea. St-Remy is famous for its lively cafes, boutique art galleries, and vibrant night life. Vincent Van Gogh spent some of his most productive years in St-Remy, the setting for his masterful painting, “Starry Night.” We’ll suggest a stop at the hospital where he recuperated after cutting off his ear, and where he painted some of his most well known works. St-Remy is also famous for its high quality olive oil, so this might be one of your best stops to grab a bottle to take back with you. Dinner will be on your own tonight, but we’ll have lots of suggestions depending upon your fancy. It’s a fun place to tuck away at a cafe at sunset, and then take a leisurely stroll around town after dinner.
Route essentials: 47.4 miles, elevation gain 1038 ft, estimated time 4-6 hours
Day 5: St-Remy to Arles. On our route to Arles, we’ll visit the medieval fortress town of Les Baux. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful town perched in the cliffs of the Alpilles. One of the highlights of the day will be a visit to an old limestone quarry, Les Carrieres de Les Baux, where you’ll enjoy a sound and light show in the cave. We’re excited to just learn that this year’s show will feature images of the impressionist paintings of Monet, displayed on the ceilings, walls, and floors of the cave. After visiting the caves at Les Baux, you’ll love the downhill ride out of Les Baux through the picturesque town of Le Paradou and then very flat roads to Arles. We’ll spend our final two nights on tour in Arles, one of our favorite cities! Arles features some of the best preserved Roman ruins in Europe, and we’ll suggest a visit to the museum of Roman antiquities. The town, its cafes, and other points of interest may seem familiar to you as they were prominent subjects of many of Van Gogh’s paintings. We’ll plan on an early afternoon arrival in Arles so that you’ll have a chance to explore this vibrant town and plan a special dinner on your own.
Route essentials: 18 miles, elevation gain 1786 ft (climb begins 5 miles out of St-Remy to Les Baux, then it’s downhill from there), estimated time 2-3 hours
Let's Explore!
Let's Explore!
Day 6: Arles to the Pont-du-Gard. On your final morning, we’ll gather together and walk to one of the best markets in France, the Saturday market in Arles. Your guides will be on hand to assist you with purchases to take back, and we’ll also plan to pick up picnic supplies for our afternoon ride to the Pont-du-Gard, a remarkably well preserved Roman aqueduct stretching over the Gard river. We’ll have our final dinner together at a traditional Arles restaurant, and have a final toast to our week together in Provence!
Day 7: We’ll plan on having a final breakfast together and reminisce over our adventure in Provence with “Let’s Explore!” We will assist you with your train connections, or suggest other places of interest to explore in the nearby area. Hopefully, we’ll see you again on upcoming tours in France. Bon voyage!
