We will depart from the hotel and drive to Avignon, a historic city where the Pope resided from 1309 - 1376. A palace was built to protect the Pope in the middle of the walled city and is one of the stops on the tour that we will explore today. We will also visit the famous Pont d'Avignon from the children's song that you may remember. Afterwards we will have a nice lunch in town.

The next stop on the tour is the prestigious wine region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which is also the oldest wine appellation in all of France. It translates as "New Castle of the Pope," and the ruins of the castle built for Pope John XXII are still visible on the hilltop of the village. The Pope was also the first to plant the vines here in this special soil with a lot of stone. Wine here from this region is excellent and Papal treasury records show regular purchases of wine from this region, adding to it's prestige. Here we will visit a local winery with a wine expert guide and learn more about the wine region and taste the wines.

We will return back to Roussillon early evening and you will have a free night to relax and enjoy one of the many restaurants in town on your own.

Today we will be visiting Les Baux-de-Provence, one of the most beautiful villages in France, former home of the powerful Lords of Baux. The stone village is perched on top of a hill, with the ruins of a castle adding some extra charm to the already picturesque scene. 

After a group lunch in the village we will go to the Carrieres de Lumieres just a short drive down the hill. Here you will see an amazing exhibit that showcases masterpieces of famous artists by projecting them on the walls of an abandoned quarry and integrating animation and sound. 

The next visit on the tour will be the Herbs Provence Farm. The farmer will show you the property, talk about the plants, explain their history and how to cook with them, and then treat us to a group dinner before we return back to Roussillon.

Cassis is a little bit farther than most stops on our tour but worth the trip! It is a colorful, historic port village. We will give you some time to explore the village and then meet back for a fun boat ride to see the famous "Calanques" which are little inlets carved into the limestone cliffs by the waves over time. We will stop back at the port after the boat ride and enjoy a nice lunch in the town. You will have a bit more free time after lunch in Cassis to continue exploring and shopping.

Next we will take you to the Marseille Soap Factory where they make the famous fragrant bars of soap from olive oil. You will get to visit the factory and learn the process and take home some soap as a souvenir.

You will arrive back at Roussillon early evening and have a free night to relax and enjoy one of the many restaurants around town.

Along with Roussillon, Gordes is one of the most quintessential Provencal villages. To make this visit even more special, we are taking you on a market day to see the locals selling their goods and maybe find a souvenir or a tasty snack. You will have plenty of time to explore the market and wander the streets for a bit before heading to lunch at a restaurant near Carpentras.

Next you will visit the Carpentras Synagogue, the oldest active Synagogue in France. It is also significant as a testament to the Jewish Community who settled in Carpentras while the Pope was residing there for protection from the King of France who was persecuting them in France at the time. You will have a guided tour to see the inside of the Synagogue and learn more about it's interesting history.

Little do most people know, Provence makes some of the best olive oil in the world. Olive farming in the region dates back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans who lived in the Mediterranean and was a major activity before winemaking became the focus of the French. We will visit an olive oil mill and have an interesting lesson about olive farming and oil making. (This activity is optional, you may decide to return to Roussillon mid-afternoon for some extra free time)

You will return back to Roussillon early evening and have a free night to relax and enjoy one of the many restaurants around town.

Close to the Luberon, and just south of Les Alpilles (mountain range) near Avignon, St-Remy-de-Provence is known as the birthplace of Nostradamus, the village where Van Gogh sought refuge, and a delight for visitors exploring Inland Provence. We are also visiting there today on market day and it is known to be one of the best markets in Provence. After exploring and perusing the market, we will have lunch in town.

Next stop is the St Paul de Mausole Asylum where Van Gogh stayed for a year and was treated for his mental breakdown. Some of his most famous works were painted here and replicas are posted around the sites where he painted. You will also be able to see a replica of the room where he stayed.

One of the most sought after culinary ingredients is the famous truffle. Today we will learn exactly how to find them at a truffle farm. You will meet the owner and learn about truffles and how to hunt them with a dog. We will also be treated to a convivial dinner at their farm before driving back to Roussillon for the night.

After checking out of your hotel we will head to Arles, a city with rich Roman and Art history. It is also where Van Gogh called home for a few years. First we will do a Van Gogh themed tour of the city with an expert guide to learn more about the painter and the Provencal town. Your guide will take you to many sites where he painted some of his most famous works and you can see them through the eyes of the artist, with replicas of the paintings marking the site to aid you. 

The Roman Amphitheatre in the center of the city dates back to 90 AD and is still in use today. You will get to have a visit and walk around the theatre while learning about it's history. Then you will have lunch with a view just outside the theatre.

The last visit in Arles is the Van Gogh Foundation. It is a nice art gallery, dedicated to the life and legacy of the painter, with a couple of his original paintings, and the works of several other painters who were inspired by him.

Along the way to Palavas (short for Palavas-les-Flots), a small fisherman village on the beach, we will make a stop at the Pont de Gau, an ornithological park, to see birds and flamingos which are famous in the region. At the end of the day we will check in to Les Coquilles which is a fabulous boutique hotel just steps away from the beach, complete with a wine bar and renovated rooms. There are lots of things to do in Palavas and it is a great town for walking around and shopping for souvenirs. You will have a free evening to relax and spend your time following our recommendations that we will give you.

In the morning there is a nice little market in Palavas just outside your hotel. After you have a relaxed morning, we will head to the walled city of Aigues Mortes, a location with 1,200 years of history. The city was built by King Louis the IX in order to serve as the first port in Southern France and home base for launching the 7th and 8th Crusades. The agenda is a walking tour of the city and a lunch in the town inside the walls.

Outside the walls you can see a sea of pink.  These massive marshes have been used for making salt since the 13th century.  We will visit the salt production and go on an interesting little train tour to learn more about it. They make a prestigious type of salt here called "Fleur de sel" that is collected by hand under special conditions, making it the most expensive type of salt.

After the salt visit we will venture deeper into the Camargue region to visit a bull ranch. The bulls and the cowboys are an icon of the Camargue and here you will get to learn about them up close and be treated to a traditional ranch dinner before returning back to the hotel with grilled sausages, charcuterie, cheese, dessert, and more! 

This is the last day of the tour and we may have just saved the best for last. You will have a tour of St Guilhem le Desert in the morning, which is frequently our traveler's favorite village on the tours. It is also classified as one of the most beautiful villages of France. After a nice lunch with a view of the canyon and river, you will have some time to explore the picturesque village, a stop on the Santiago de Compostela road. 

The next stop is a local winery near Palavas which makes really great wine. After a visit of the vines and a tasting we will have our famous TripUSAFrance picnic. There will be lots of food made by Julia's mother, some friends will join us and play Petanque: the traditional backyard game of Southern France, and Julia's father Stephane might just bring along his guitar and sing you a few songs! A perfect way to end 9 days of exploring the South of France.