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Day 1: Arrival

Welcome in Arles. Explore Arles and its Roman treasures including its Roman Arena and its theatre. Take in the atmosphere of this lively Provence town surrounded by city walls on the banks of the Rhone River. There are numerous museums to visit. It was Van Gogh's home for a year when he produced about 300 of his celebrated paintings.

 

Day 2: Tour from Baux de Provence

After breakfast, transfer to Baux de Provence. Explore Baux de Provence with it 22 architectural treasures classified as "Historic Monuments" (including the church, chateau, town hall, hospital, chapels, houses, doorways etc). This car-free village has plenty of ancient houses that have been carefully restored, beautiful Renaissance facades and several magnificent "hotels particuliers". Above them all, are the ruins of the citadelle which crown the hill. Visit the chateau ruins, cost about 8 euros. One of the must-see sites close to the village is the Carrieres de Lumieres, where artistic works are projected on enormous quarry walls. Currently (2019), Van Gogh's works are being shown.

You also have the option of a walk onto the hills behind les-Baux-de-Provence. After passing through neat olive groves and vines, climb slowly in a wild and rugged valley cut off from the surrounding plains. Reach the ridgeline with great views. Return to Baux-de-Provence via a wonderful viewpoint overlooking the village.

Possible to book extra days and nights at Baux-de-Provence.

Overnight: Baux de Provence, Walk: 12km, +300m.

 

Day 3: Baux de Provence - Aureille

Pass over the Majan Hills with great 360-degree views before reaching the pretty village of Maussane in the heart of the most important olive-producing area in France. Visit the famous 17th century Cornille mill where you can taste one of Provence’s best olive oils. Afterwards, you have the option of going via the unique site of les Caisses de Jean-Jean, a dry limestone grassy plateau encircled by cliffs. At the end of the plateau are the remains of a prehistoric settlement. Great views before descending. Afterwards, a beautiful walk alongside the irrigation canal of the Baux Valley as it cuts across the hillside with views towards the higher hills. End the day at a beautiful guest house in the quiet village of Aureille.

Overnight: Aureille, Walk: 20km, +300m

 

Day 4: Aureille - Eygalieres

A beautiful walk leads you past the rugged hills of les Opies and the highest summits in the Alpilles. A steady climb takes you up to a look-out tower at 337m with superb views across much of Les Alpilles. Descend gently through shrub with more great vistas to reach the Grande Randonnee GR6. Follow it to return to a pretty valley planted with vines and surrounded by the fin-like rock cliffs of Les Calans hills. A last climb permits you to get further panoramic views before descending to the historic village of Eygalieres.

Overnight: Eygalieres, Walk: 14km, +350m

 

Day 5: Tour from St Remy de Provence

Transfer to St Remy de Provence. Spend the day visiting St Remy de Provence and/or do an optional walk.
Among the possible visits in St Remy is the Saint-Paul de Mausole monastery where Van Gogh created 150 paintings in a year. Vincent Van Gogh had been living in Arles during 1888-89. In May 1889 he was voluntarily confined in the Asylum of Saint Paul de Mausole where in a productive year he painted two of his most notable works: Starry Night and Self-Portrait. Saint Remy de Provence is also home to the historic remains of Glanum which was founded in the 3rd century BC, before control passed to the Romans under Julius Ceasar. Two important monuments are visible next to the site: l'Arc de Triomphe and the Mausolee des Antiques.

You have the choice of doing a walk around St Remy, climbing onto the Plateau de la Caume for wonderful views. The far end of the plateau arguably provides the finest views in the whole of the Alpilles. On the way visit the bizzare fin of rock with two holes. Return to St Remy via the beautiful Lake Peirou.

Possible to book extra days and nights at St-Remy-de-Provence.

Transfer to Gordes.

Overnight: Gordes, Optional Walk: 13/18km, +350m

 

Day 6: Walk from Gordes

Explore the historic perched village of Gordes - probably the most famous village in the Luberon - and undertake a circular walk via Abbaye de Sénanque. Your walking tour takes you to Sénanque Abbey. Built in 1148, the abbey has housed an order of Cistercian monks for over 850 years. A guided tour of the abbey is possible and will allow you to visit the medieval parts of the monastery. Your path then climbs out of the Sénancole valley, with breath taking views of the abbey. Your descent back to Gordes is just as scenic, walking along ancient stone walls and among bories – dry stone dwellings. Short walk through the historic streets of Gordes and through fields to your hotel just outside the village.
Other options include exploring the Vezoule Ravine or semacole gorge.

Overnight: Gordes, Walk: 13-17km, +250m or +450m

 

Day 7: Goult - Bonnieux

Transfer to the perched village of Goult, a wonderful historic village far less popular than Gordes but nonetheless charming, its alleyways twisting around the ruins of its castle. From Goult you descend through old terraces into the Calavon valley. Your walking trail then takes you off the beaten path but provides an overview of so much of what makes the Luberon special: tiny hamlets, vineyards, an ancient church, bories, an old lavoir and amazing views. Then reach the beautiful perched village of Lacoste, where you can climb on cobbled streets and visit the ruins of its castle. You then make your way to Bonnieux, another wonderful Provence village, on top of which stands a 12th-century church surrounded by century-old cedars. The view from Bonnieux is wonderful out across the valley floor with its patchwork of orchards and vineyards, towards Lacoste.

Overnight: Bonnieux, Walk: 16km, up to +390m

 

Day 8: Petit Luberon & Cedar Forest or rest day

After exploring Bonnieux climb onto the Petit Luberon hills for stunning views and a walk through its Cedar Forest. Visit a borie village on the way. Or you can decide to have a rest day at your lovely guest house with a swimming pool.

Overnight: Bonnieux, Walk: 14km, +450m

 

Day 9: Boux - Saignon

Transfer to the wild and beautiful Aigue Brun Gorge. You have the option of going via the pretty village of Sivergues or of visiting Fort Boux before passing picturesque lavender fields to reach Saignon, another pretty hilltop village. There is also the option of climbing to the grassy ridge of the Grand Luberon hills for great panoramic views for those who want a challenge. Transfer at the end of the day or at the start of the next one depending on accommodation options.

Overnight: Saignon, Walk: 10-19km, +350-710m

 

Day 10: Viens - Rustrel

Your trail leads you to the historic hilltop village of Viens with its chateau perched on the edge of a rock band. Here you have great views towards the Gorge of Oppedette. A great ridge walk follows that descends gradually towards Rustrel. Afterwards, explore the wonderful landscapes and colours of the Colorado Provencal where ochre deposits form wonderful towers, cliffs and fins of rock. A delightful woodland trail leads you to a desert of exposed rocks before making your way to Rustrel for your transfer to your guest house.

Overnight St Saturnin les Apt, Walk: 13km, +450m

 

Day 11: St Saturnin les Apt - Roussilon

Visit the wonderful hill-top village of St Saturnin les Apt, nestled along the base of a long, low cliff, with the ruins of a castle above. Explore its pretty streets and climb onto the cliff for beautiful views of the Luberon before heading west through vineyards and orchards. The easier walking trail stays below the wooded slopes whilst the harder option climbs to the north to follow the top of the impressive Madeleine cliffs overlooking the hamlet of Lioux, which are 100m high and over 1km in length. Great panoramic views as you progress before heading south and climbing to the pretty ochre-coloured village of Roussillon, which sits on top of a small hill and is classed as one of the prettiest villages in France.

Overnight: Roussilon, Walk: 19km or 22km, +290m or +600m.

 

Day 12: Roussilon & Avignon

After exploring the village and ocre quarry, transfer to Avignon, one of the prettiest cities in Provence, which includes famous sites such as the Palais des Papes and the Pont d’Avignon. Explore the city at your leisure. Possible to do a walk and transfer at the end of the day if you prefer.

 

Day 13: Departure

Walking holiday ends after breakfast

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At a glance
 
March - June & September - October
€2095 per person (based on 2 sharing)
Self-Guided
12 nights / 10 or 11 days walking
Linear Trail

       

Distance: 12-22km per day
Ascent: upto 600m per day
Small guest houses & 3 star hotels
B&B, 4 evening meals & 3 lunches

gordes panoramic hilltop village luberon

bonnieux village provence france

colorado provencale luberon

Other walking holidays in the Luberon

Luberon: Classic Provence

Grand Tour of the Luberon

Other walking holidays in the Alpilles

Les Alpilles: Van Gogh's Provence

Grand Tour of Les Alpilles

Similar self-guided walking holidays in Provence

Historic Hilltop Villages of Drome Provancale

Secret Provence: Tour of the Baronnies

Full list of self-guided walking holidays

Book this holiday

Alpilles & Luberon

This unique self-guided walking holiday allows you to discover the very best of Provence in the Alpilles & Luberon Regional Parks. You'll explore many of the must-see sights as well as walking the most interesting & beautiful off-the-beaten-track trails.

Your first 4 days explore the beautiful Alpilles region sometimes traversing a patchwork of olive groves and vines, whilst at other times making your way through wild, craggy hills bordered by sheer limestone cliffs. You'll explore several beautiful villages in this stunning part of Provence, including St Remy de Provence in southern France, celebrated as the place where Van Gogh created 150 of his famous paintings. Here you can also explore the Gallo-Roman site of Glanum as well walking onto the Caume Plateau for excellent views. In addition you'll spend time in the beautiful historic village of Baux de Provence perched atop a jagged ridge and crowned by its castle ruins. Other highlights include the olive mills of Maussane-les-Alpilles, the Cathedral of Images in Baux-de-Provence, and the wonderful Provence market in Eygalieres.

You then move onto the Luberon and undertake a beautiful circuit around the hills, gorges and historic villages of the Luberon Regional Park in Provence. As well as visiting some of the best loved historic hill-top villages such as Gordes, Goult, Lacoste, Bonnieux, Roussillon and St Saturnin les Apt, each with their own special character, your walking trail takes you off the beaten track and through some less frequented, charming hamlets and villages. You'll discover Luberon's pretty landscapes covered with vines, lavender, orchards and forests, where small and bigger hills alike provide generous vantage points. Despite the popularity of this picturesque part of Provence, your walking holiday explores quiet trails inbetween the villages where each step is infused with the smell of Provence herbs. At the end of each day, relax by the pool and soak up the Provence sunshine at your delightful guest house or hotel.

Holiday Profile

12 nights/13 days: 10 or 11 days independent walking moving between guest houses

Dates

Every day of the week subject to availability during March, April, April, May, June, September & October

Walking Profile & Grade

10 or 11 days of independent walking moving between hotels and guest houses with 4 days with circular trails from your accommodation. This holiday has walking days with an average of 15km and 350m of ascent per day. You'll be walking on a mixture of small paths, tracks and quiet roads. The paths in the Luberon and Alpilles are often stony and rugged due to the nature of the geology, and so walking boots are recommended.

walking grade moderate

This walking holiday is graded moderate. See more information about walking grades.

Accommodation & Meals

12 nights accommodation in several charming guest houses in historic buildings full of character and interspersed with quality 3-star hotels and auberges, double or twin rooms with own bathroom.

 

Where are the Alpilles & Luberon regions?

image

 

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking tour of the Alpilles and Luberon regions is available from March to June inclusive and in September and October. We do not run this holiday in the height of the summer due to the high temperatures and the difficulty in securing our top choice accommodation. Because much of the vegetation is evergreen the landscape remains relatively colourful the whole year round. The vines start to sprout from April onwards. Ideal walking temperatures are experienced up to mid June, after which it can become very hot. Average day time temperatures are 18°C for mid April and 23°C for mid-May. By Mid June temperatures have reached 27°C on average in the afternoon whilst September highs average 25°C. March can still be fresh with morning temperatures averaging 6°C and highs of about 16°C. It is also a relatively dry and calm period. October remains warm with temperatures often still reaching 20°C. Mistral winds are more common during the transition periods of April/May and September. The autumn is wetter than the spring in general due to the chance of stormy weather.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

This walking holiday partly follows GR (Grande Randonnee) long-distance trails which are well way-marked with red and white markings. There are also several signposts along the trails. The walking follows clear paths for its entire duration. The remaining sections follow local trails waymarked in yellow, whilst other sections have no or little markings. Our walking notes are very detailed (more information here) and include intermediate distances for sections of the trail. They also include information about the sites which can be explored along the route. We supply one walking guide per person on this holiday. As well as the detailed walking notes we supply official walking maps produced by IGN at a scale of 1:25,000. Your trail is highlighted on the maps.

Luggage Transfers

On this walking holiday your main luggage is transferred between guest houses so you only have to carry a day rucksack with picnic lunch (supplied by the guest houses and included in the holiday price), water and spare clothes, waterproofs, camera etc. On this holiday a local taxi company is responsible for transporting your main luggage. We use the same company throughout the walking holiday, so if you have any specific requests you can ask the driver at the beginning of your trip. Please limit the weight of your bags to 20kg. We generally use hotels and small guest houses in historic buildings and some of the rooms are accessible only by stairs.

Travel Info

Taxi transfer from Arles to Baux de Provence at the start of the holiday and from Roussillon to Avignon at the end of your holiday included in the price.

Holiday starts in Arles.

Train: Trains direct from Marseille, Lyon or Paris to Arles or change in Valence, Nimes or Avignon. Transfer to Baux de Provence at start of day 2.

Flights: The closest airports are Avignon and Marseille. Regular flights from a number of UK airports to Avignon. Flybe has services from Exeter, Southampton, Birmingham, Manchester & Leeds. Fly to Marseille Marignane: There are regular flights from Bristol, Edinburgh, London Stansted and London Gatwick. Shuttle bus every 20 minutes between 6.

 

12 nights / 10 or 11 days walking & 1 or 2 rest days

  • From €2095 
  • Price per person based on 2 sharing.
  • Contact us for single supplements
  • Loyalty scheme reduction applies for returning customers (see terms and conditions)

What's included in the price

  • 12 nights accommodation
  • Meals: All breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 evening meals
  • Detailed walking notes and maps
  • Luggage transport between guest houses
  • 5 transfers during the walking holiday
  • Taxi transfer from Arles to Baux de Provence on day 2 of the holiday and from Roussillon to Avignon on day 12 of the holiday

What's not included in the price

  • Travel to Arles and from Avignon, France
  • 8 lunches and 8 evening meals
  • any entrance fees or excursions
  • travel insurance

Payment

  • A deposit payment of 30% or at least £250 or 250€ per person must be made to confirm your booking. The balance of payments is due 8 weeks before the holiday date. If the holiday date is less than 8 weeks away at the time of booking, then the full price should be paid. 

A mixture of delightful small guest houses in historic buildings full of character and quality 3 star hotels. They are located in wonderful settings, often on the outskirts of the historic villages. Warm welcome and fine Provence cuisine. Most of your guest houses have swimming pools. Below you'll find a selection of the accommodation on this walking holiday in Provence. Your tour includes all breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 evening meals.

 

Mas d'Aigret, Baux de Provence

At the foot of the Village of Baux-de-Provence, the Mas d'Aigret is located in a historic farm or “mas” offering an authentic stay. It is a perfect spot to relax.  Mas d’Aigret has 16 rooms, a heated outdoor swimming pool and a garden with a view of the castle of Baux. You’ll eat at the restaurant at the hotel either outside or in the dinning room which is partly built into the rocky hillside.

mas aigret accommodation alpilles

 

Maison de Line, St Remy de Provence

The old 18th century Provençal mas (farmhouse) at Maison de Line has been fully refurbished to create elegant bedrooms and several small cottages in the grounds with their refined decor and their private gardens. There is also a heated pool and wellness area. Warm welcome and relaxing stay in the village of St Remy de Provence where there is plenty to do if you don’t feel like going for a walk.

mas line st remy provence

 

Auberge Carcarille, Gordes


Delightful 3 star hotel in a historic stone building set below the historic village of Gordes in a peaceful rural location. Attractive gardens and swimming pool to relax and a good restaurant serving delicious meals.
mas aigret accommodation alpilles

 

Clos de la Glycine


A wonderful 3 star hotel in the heart of the historic village of Roussillon. Lovely rooms and great views from the hotel restaurant and rooms.
clos glycine roussillon provence

 

Le Domaine Saint Jean


Chambre d'hote style guest house located in the houses making up a hamlet near the pretty village of St Saturnin les Apt. Original guest house with character where you can relax by the pool with views.
domaine saint jean st saturnin luberon

Extra Nights

Extra nights are possible at any of the stopovers. There are already two nights in Baux de Provence in the Alpilles and at Gordes and Bonnieux in the Luberon. In the Alpilles we would recommend booking a couple of nights in St Remy de Provence where you can spend a day exploring the town and visiting the Gallo-Roman remains. This holiday can be adapted to suit your requirements. We have created it from the best elements of our Luberon and Alpilles holidays but we can extend or shorten the holiday. However you need to aware that in some locations it is very difficult to find accommodation that accepts one night bookings.

City Breaks

Arles and Avignon: We can book extra nights in Avignon as well as in the nearby historic town of Arles as part of your holiday package. The walking holiday starts with a pick up in Arles. Take in the atmosphere of this lively Provence town surrounded by city walls on the banks of the Rhone River. There are numerous museums to visit. It was Van Gogh's home for a year when he produced about 300 of his celebrated paintings. Your walking holiday finishes in Avignon. Avignon is one of the prettiest cities in Provence, which includes famous sites such as the Palais des Papes and the Pont d’Avignon. Avignon is famous as the city to which the Popes fled when leaving the corruption of Rome in the 14th century. The palace they built, 'Le Palais des Papes,' or the palace of popes, is the world's largest Gothic edifice. The Ramparts themselves were erected to keep the plague and invaders out during the middle ages, when Avignon belonged to the papacy and not the French crown. Avignon is also famous for the Saint Benezet bridge which spans part of the Rhone River and is known the world over due to a nursery rhyme. We use 3 or 4 star hotels.

Tailor-Made Trips

Active Discovery of Southern France's Beauty 

If you’re looking for an active trip to explore the natural beauty of Southern France, then this trip is made for you! Explore Provence's charming countryside, ride electric bikes through picturesque villages, and savour local culture. Delight in sun-soaked vineyards and cuisine. Next, venture into the wild heart of the Camargue, renowned for its majestic horses. Immerse yourselves in its unique equestrian culture with some horseback riding “ballades”, galloping through the marshes and alongside the tranquil shores. Finally, set your sights on Cassis and the spellbinding Calanques National Park. Spend two days hiking through the rugged terrain, discovering the best trails and hidden beaches.

French Valley of the Gastronomy Tour

Explore the 'Vallée de la Gastronomie' from Epicurean Paris to Delectable Marseille in the South of France. Experience the sights, sounds, and refined flavours of the capital before setting off to Burgundy, a mustard-infused and wine-centric region. Roam south through Lyon, Beaujolais, and into Provence where you'll be touring top vineyards and enjoying its diverse and delicious farm-to-table refined cuisine. Spend a full 12 days captivated by sublime scenery and delighting in the best food and wine of Southern France.

 

Testimonials

guillemet

Fabulous scenery. Enjoyed the lovely walks and being able to absorb the culture.
A Leete

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