Classic Provence
- Relaxed walking in the heart of the Provence
- Perched villages, vineyards, orchards and forests
- Walk surrounded by the scents of lavender, pine trees and wild herbs
- “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”, Gordes and Roussillon
- The instantly recognisable Cistercian 12th century Abbey de Sénanque
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in AptArrive in Apt, hub for the Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon, criss-crossed by walking trails and an excellent place to begin your Classic Provence self-guided tour. The local market is here on Saturdays and Tuesdays. If you have the opportunity, have a wander through the narrow streets with stalls full of crystallised fruits and ceramics (both of which Apt is famous for).
You will be welcomed warmly to this hotel by Sophie and Flora. It is well-located with the historic quarter of Apt only a short walk away. Eat a delicious buffet breakfast (with homemade jams) in the outdoor garden.
The Aptois Hotel is a family-run accommodation located in the heart of downtown Apt, it offers 19 rooms for 1 to 4 people. All rooms are equiped with free toiletries, hairdryer, flat screen TV, and Wi-Fi. Refrigerator and iron available at reception.
Head out of Apt and shortly reach the surrounding countryside of rolling vineyards, stone farmhouses, orchards, and pretty woods. Pause on the trail for a picnic lunch; maybe some fresh baguette, creamy Picodon goats cheese and cherry tomatoes, which gives you sustenance to continue on to the rustic hilltop village of Bonnieux.
Ascent/Descent: 426m / 312m
This lovely lodging is much more than just a B&B. The rooms all lead out onto the terrace, gardens and swimming pool area. The breakfasts and warm welcome are highlights and while you are here you are sure to relax in these beautiful surroundings.
An extremely charming and welcoming family-owned hotel, the Clos du Buis is very conveniently located at the entrance to Bonnieux. Guests can treat this hotel as though it is their own home, relax by the pool and enjoy the views over Mont Ventoux and the glorious Provençal countryside.
This incredibly charming chambre d’hote offers spacious and unique rooms. The views from the terrace over the Luberon, and even to Mont Ventoux on a clear day, are simply special. At the end of your walking day enjoy a refreshing dip in the outdoor pool.
After a lovely French breakfast of fresh croissants and fruits, today’s walk takes you into the Petit Luberon range and through the century-old “Forest of the Cedars”.
A gradual climb brings you to the top of a ridge with views over the surrounding landscape. Walk under a majestic canopy of trees before descending back into Bonnieux.
Ascent/Descent: 472m/481m
This lovely lodging is much more than just a B&B. The rooms all lead out onto the terrace, gardens and swimming pool area. The breakfasts and warm welcome are highlights and while you are here you are sure to relax in these beautiful surroundings.
An extremely charming and welcoming family-owned hotel, the Clos du Buis is very conveniently located at the entrance to Bonnieux. Guests can treat this hotel as though it is their own home, relax by the pool and enjoy the views over Mont Ventoux and the glorious Provençal countryside.
Set off from Bonnieux and walk through the heart of the Luberon countryside to Roussillon. Interestingly, as you get closer towards this village you will notice the change in the colour of the earth to ochre and the curiously cut rock-formations that this area is famous for.
Roussillon is a lovely little Provencal village and you can explore its shady squares with fascinating architectural details, faded shutters and lazy cats sleeping on window ledges - everything you hope for from a Provençal village.
Ascent/Descent: 194m/215m
This delightful hotel is located away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre and you can relax in its delightful gardens or by the pool. The rooms reserved for you all have air-conditioning.
The hotel, completely renovated in 2016, offers 18 rooms with an open view of Gordes and the Valley.
The beginning of today’s walk takes you along peaceful trails and to the charming perched village of Joucas. Stroll through the picturesque narrow streets paved with ancient stones and have a restful lunch whilst revelling in the surrounding views.
Continue on, eventually connecting with the GR97 which brings you into the outskirts of the village of Gorges, a well-deserved “Les plus beaux villages de France” It is situated on a promontory and is crowned with a gigantic fortress, around which spreads a warren of crooked lanes with shops and cafés.
Ascent/Descent: 250m/223m
Dating from the early 19th century, this character property with dry-stone walls is a charming, cosy 3-star hotel and complete with a heated pool in summer, a terraced garden and lovely guest rooms.
A boutique style B&B consisting of four houses, in 1.4 hectares of land. Secure access is via a wrought iron gate with videophone. Breakfast is on a south-facing terrace with beautiful views over the Luberon Valley. There is also a relaxation area is in the park, with heated pool, pool house, and sauna.
As today’s walk is fairly short you can take advantage of having extra time to explore Gordes and perhaps the village des Bories (entrance payable locally). And if you time it right you can discover its great local market on Tuesdays.
Today’s walk takes you through the surrounding countryside of Gordes, through woods, criss-crossing the small Sénancole river, and on quiet trails with views over local limestone cliffs.
Ascent/Descent: 244m/245m
Dating from the early 19th century, this character property with dry-stone walls is a charming, cosy 3-star hotel and complete with a heated pool in summer, a terraced garden and lovely guest rooms.
A boutique style B&B consisting of four houses, in 1.4 hectares of land. Secure access is via a wrought iron gate with videophone. Breakfast is on a south-facing terrace with beautiful views over the Luberon Valley. There is also a relaxation area is in the park, with heated pool, pool house, and sauna.
Today’s walk takes you past the iconic Abbey de Sénanque, founded in 1148 by Cistercian monks and which has an austere beauty. During lavender season is spectacular as the abbey is surrounded by blooming purple fields.
Also pass a small section of the Wall of the Plague or “Mur de la Peste”, constructed in 1721 to stop the population from fleeing from the diseases source in Marseille. Arrive in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse which features the world’s fifth largest underground spring. Explore here before your transfer to L’Isle sur la Sorgue.
Ascent/Descent: 432m/702m
This hotel-restaurant is in a great location, right next to the river and in the centre of town. The rooms are spacious and your hosts gracious. Enjoy a buffet breakfast on the balcony overlooking the river.
This hotel establishment in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is open all year round and offers many 3-star services: warm bar, comfortable rooms, tasty breakfast, swimming pool with panoramic view, meeting room and much more.
Set in LʼIsle-sur-la-Sorgue, 7.5 miles from Gordes, La Chapelle sur la Sorgue offers an outdoor swimming pool and free WiFi.
If you have time, L’Isle sur Sorgue is definitely worthy of exploration. It is also known as the “Venice of Provence” because of its location amid a maze of canals and several branches of the Sorgue river and famed for a collection of some 30 antique shops.
Make your way to Avignon or Marseille Airport for your onward journey.
This trip has a carbon score of 5kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 5kg is equivalent to 1 Neapolitan margherita pizza. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?Classic Provence walking from village to village, exploring the picturesque Luberon. Hand-picked lodging, fine food and wine, and a carefully planned itinerary make this a wonderful choice for walking in Provence.
Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This tour has an easy to moderate grading. The trails are a combination of dirt or wooded trails, gravel tracks and tarmac country roads. This tour is suitable for walkers with reasonable physical fitness.
There are some rolling hills and, while in the Petit Luberon range, some fairly significant elevation gains and losses. It is also pertinent to note that the terrain in Provence is fairly rugged and quite rocky at times, you will need to be sure-footed in order to negotiate the terrain. Walking poles might be useful, particularly for the descents.
Water refill points may not be readily available throughout the day of walking, so you should fill up at your overnight locations before setting off each day.
On this tour you will stay in hand-picked charming and characterful hotels, B&B’s and chambres d’hotes. These lodgings are truly special places and one of the highlights of this tour.
Alternate Accommodation
We will always try to book the accommodation listed. However, if any of the hotels listed are unavailable, alternative accommodation of the same or better standard than those described will be provided.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms we will be happy to book these for you, although there is a single room supplement payable. This trip is available to solo walkers but a supplement is payable to cover the extra costs that are not shared.
Meals
A continental or buffet breakfast is included each morning. Lunch is not included. On most days you will be walking through small villages with cafes, restaurants and a shop or two, so you will be able to buy lunch en route. However on some of the walking days it will be essential to take a packed lunch as there are no cafes or restaurants en route. Dinner is not included, but you will be able to try some excellent local cuisine in nearby local restaurants or you can dine at your accommodation if they have a restaurant.
Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation on this tour will be made simple and you cannot get lost.
You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.
- 7 Nights in hand-picked hotels, B&B’s and chambres d’hotes
- 7 Breakfasts
- Luggage transfers
- Transfers as per your itinerary
- Access to maps, GPX tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
- All your trip documents provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
- 24/7 telephone support from our UK office
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to Apt
- Travel from l'Isle-sur-Sorgue
- Lunches & Dinners
- Drinks and snacks
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
- Personal equipment
- Additional nights
- Taxi transfer from Apt to Avignon or Aix-en-Provence
This trip is available to start on any day of the week from the beginning of April to the end of October. The best time of year to walk in the Provence and the Luberon is the Spring and Autumn/Fall. In the spring the wild flowers will be blooming and in the Autumn/Fall it is quieter with lovely autumnal colours, whilst still being warm and sunny in the day time. Provence boasts over 300 days of sunshine per year.
The summer months of July and August are very hot. We do not advise choosing this holiday during this time unless you are accustomed to intense heat. It must be noted that if you choose to walk in July and August there may be fire restrictions set in place by local authorities, in which case you will need to find an alternate walk or not walk at all that day.
Also please note that lavender is usually in bloom from mid-June to August.
Local Markets
Apt—Saturday
Bonnieux—Friday
Lacoste—Tuesday
Goult—Thursday
Roussillon—Thursday
Isle sur Sorgue - Thursday and Sunday
These local markets are usually open in the mornings and finish around lunchtime (12-1pm)
There are a number of different options available in order to get to Apt. If you want to fly, the closest airport is Marseille-Provence Airport. From the airport, you can take a bus/train to Apt, via either Cavaillon or Aix-en-Provence. The journey takes anywhere between 2 and 3 hours, depending on your route. For more information on local bus/train timetables, please visit Lignes Express Régionale or SNCF.
Alternately you can arrive by train into Avignon. It is possible to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Gare du Nord - Paris, then take the TVG train to Avignon (approx. 7hrs), or fly into any of the Paris Airports and take a train south to Avignon from here (a journey of just over 3 hours). From the Avignon TGV Station, you can take a bus (takes approx. 1H15) directly to Apt. Again you can check out times and schedules on the Lignes Express Régionale website.
Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to and from Apt to local airports/train stations. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.
From L’Isle Sur la Sorgue you can take a train to Avignon TGV Station (every hour and a 33-minute ride) and from here take a train to Paris (approx. 3.5hrs), and fly out of any of the Paris Airports. You can also take a local bus to Avignon. There are a few bus companies that operate this service, such as Lignes Express Régional. For more information on trains, you can visit the SNCF website.
There are buses from L'Isle Sur La Sorgue to Marseille airport; information and tinetables can be found here https://zou.maregionsud.fr/
Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to and from Apt and L’Isle Sur la Sorgue to local airports/train stations. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
The distances and descents / ascents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necesssary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/ cycling gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as the region is extremely popular especially during the summer months. It is always better to book as far in advance as possible, however, we will always try our best to accommodate your plans.
This itinerary is graded easy to moderate, however the terrain can be tricky at times with rocks underfoot, so you will need to be sure-footed.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
Your detailed information pack will be sent to you after you book. This has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes and a day pack.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
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