Classic Provence in Style
- Relax in handpicked boutique hotels
- Perched villages, vineyards, orchards and lavender fields
- Walk in the heart of the Provence
- “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”, Gordes and Roussillon
- Indulge in gourmet food and local wines
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Bonnieux and overnightArrive in the beautiful hill top village of Bonnieux and settle into your hand-picked accommodation.
Later explore the picturesque old streets, fountains, shops and Medieval walls and try out your first Provençal meal in one of the local cafés or restaurants.
Should you choose to arrive into Apt, an included transfer from here will take you to your accommodation in Bonnieux.
The beautiful hotel Capelongue offers comfortable and stylish rooms whilst keeping the charm and the rustic feel of a traditional Provencal farmhouse. Enjoy a spa, swimming pool and a Michelin star restaurant as well as stunning views of the Luberon.
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
The beautiful hotel Capelongue offers comfortable and stylish rooms whilst keeping the charm and the rustic feel of a traditional Provencal farmhouse. Enjoy a spa, swimming pool and a Michelin star restaurant as well as stunning views of the Luberon.
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, eventually connecting with the GR97 which brings you into the outskirts of the village of Gordes, deservedly part of “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
This gorgeous hotel is set in beautiful gardens of olive trees, cypress, oaks and lavender. All the very spacious rooms have a terrace and there is also an outdoor pool and spa for you to enjoy.
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
This gorgeous hotel is set in beautiful gardens of olive trees, cypress, oaks and lavender. All the very spacious rooms have a terrace and there is also an outdoor pool and spa for you to enjoy.
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
Located in the heart of town this hotel combines both elegance and refinement. As you cross the threshold you will immediately appreciate its personalized service, lovingly decorated public spaces and beautiful rooms.
Enjoy a free day in the picturesque town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. We suggest an easy circular walk around the town, giving you a chance to explore the streets peppered with antique shops, as well as spot the waterwheels the town is famous for.
Harnessing the power of the river Sorgue through the use of waterwheels, many industries flourished in the town over the centuries: flour, paper, silk where produced here. At the height of their use, there were 66 waterwheels in l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. This route takes you around the town centre to spot some of the remaining ones, as you walk along the river, where you might also spot ducks and swans.
Located in the heart of town this hotel combines both elegance and refinement. As you cross the threshold you will immediately appreciate its personalized service, lovingly decorated public spaces and beautiful rooms.
Make your way to Avignon or Marseilles Airport for your onward journeys.
This trip has a carbon score of 8kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 8kg is equivalent to 12 pints of local beer at the bar. 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 boutique, 4* and 5* hotels, fine food and wine, and a carefully planned itinerary make this a wonderful choice for walking in Provence.
In Style | After a day of exciting adventures and soaking up unbeatable scenery, retreat to stylish accommodations and unwind with fine food and wine. This trip type is for those who like sophisticated places to stay and are looking for active routes but still want the holiday to feel special.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
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 charming, characterful and hand-picked 4* and 5* hotels. These lodgings are truly special places and one of the highlights of this tour.
Alternate Accommodation
We will always try to accommodate you at the hotels and guesthouses listed. However, our In Style tours take you to unique properties, which often have a limited number of rooms. If those listed are unavailable, alternative accommodation of the same or better standard than those described will be provided where possible (in some cases, these alternatives may be in a different town) If no alternatives are available, it might be necessary to consider different dates.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you. Please note that a single room supplement is payable.
We chose not to offer this tour for solo walkers as the supplements (to cover costs not shared) is prohibitive.
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.
2 Dinners are included on nights 2 and 4 at your hotel. On the nights when dinner is not included you will be able to try some excellent local cuisine in nearby local restaurants (recommendations will be in your information pack) or you can dine at your accommodation if they have a restaurant. Dinner on day 2 is at a Michelin star restaurant on the premises of your hotel.
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.
- 6 Nights accommodation in hand-picked boutique, 4* and 5* hotels
- 6 Breakfasts
- 2 Dinners on Nights 2 & 4
- Luggage transfers
- Transfer on Day 1 to Bonnieux
- Transfer on Day 5 to L'Isle sur la Sorgue
- Detailed information pack, route notes and IGN maps
- 24/7 telephone support from our UK office
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to Apt
- Travel from L'Isle sur la Sorgue
- Lunches & 4 Dinners
- Drinks and snacks
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
- Personal equipment
- Additional nights
- Private transfers
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.
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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