Day 1:  Provence for 4 nights

Meet & greet private transfer from Marseille airport to hotel

1 double deluxe with terrace, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Oustau de Baumaniere*****

This hotel is located in les Baux de Provence and offers 56 guest rooms split between 5 buildings. There are 2 restaurants and one of them has 2 Michelin stars. The property also features a bar and many terraces at guests’ disposal.

Baumanière – La Cabro d’Or features 3 outdoor pools, a tennis court and a spa including an indoor pool.

Each air-conditioned room is decorated with a combination of Provençal and modern style. They are non smoking and equipped with satellite TV.

In the summer months, guests can enjoy their meals looking out over the beautiful French formal gardens from the terrace. A library and chic lounge area is provided for guests to enjoy and relax.

Baumanière – La Cabro d’Or boutique sells fine regional products. Bicycle and car rental is also available for guests to explore the region. Many activities can be booked on site.

http://www.oustaudebaumaniere.com/fr/hotel-luxe-provence

 

Day 2:

Half day private guided tour of St Remy & Les Baux

You will start your private tour in charming St. Remy, known for its well-preserved Roman ruins, including a grand arch and a mausoleum. Next door you will see the psychiatric hospital where Van Gogh spent a year after cutting off his ear. Your private tour of the Alpilles will continue in the town of Les Baux, a rock-top fortress which belonged to the rebellious family of the same name in the Middle Ages. The dramatic rocky cliffs on which the town was built are said to have inspired Dante in his vivid descriptions of Purgatory in the Inferno.

 

Day 3:

Day at leisure

 

Day 4:

Full day private guided tour of Luberon villages

Gordes is a very beautiful old village, perched on the southern edge of the high Plateau de Vaucluse. The stone buildings built in tight against the base of the cliffs and those perched on the rocks above, including the 12th-century castle, are made of an beige stone that glows orange in the morning sun. The view from the village is a southern panorama out across fields and forests and small perched villages to the Montagne du Luberon.

Behind the village (to the north), small roads lead into the rocks and valleys and forests of the Plateau de Vaucluse, with the picturesque Abbaye de Sénanque only 4 km away, yet isolated in its little valley.

Village des Borries

South of Gordes lies a bizarre phenomenon – primitive dry-stone dwellings in the shape of a beehive. Used as refuges in times of plague, locals believe they date back to Neolithic times. The 12 bories have now been carefully restored as a rural museum

Rousillon:

This ocre-red village is a tourist destination on the southern edge of the Plateau de Vaucluse. Roussillon is a beautiful village, with its red rocks, red stone buildings and red tile roofs. The old village is well-kept and lovely, and the remains of the ancient château which is built into the buildings. The 19th-century clock and bell tower is topped by a 19th-century wrought-iron belfry.

Bonnieux:

The village of Bonnieux is perched on a narrow, steep ridge, rising up from a flat plain to the 12th-century « Eglise Haute  » church at the top with its high, pointed steeple.

Access to this « vieille église » is via 86 steps going up from the village. Take a fast hike from bottom to top, winding up through the narrow streets passing in arched tunnels beneath the houses, up the 86 steps, and you’ll earn the spectacular view, shaded by tall pine trees and magnificent centuries-old cedars. Just out of the village to the east, you’ll find signs along the road to the Fôret de Cèdres.

Lacoste:

Lacoste is a beautiful village perched on the east end of a mountain spine rising up out of the plains between the Plateau de Vaucluse to the north and the Luberon to the south.

Lacoste looks across the lower farmlands to Bonnieux, perched on its hilltop just 2 km to the east.

The Mairie of Lacoste has a fine old sundial built into the wall above the doorway. The ruins of the château at the top of the village date mostly 16th-18th centuries, but the walls go back to the 12th. The chateau of the Marquis de Sade is in ruins, and because of the bad state, it is no longer open to visitors. You can approach it, though, for a close look from the exterior.

 

Day 5:  French Riviera for 4 nights

Private transfer from hotel to Marseille train station

1st class train from Marseille to Nice with seat reservations

Departure at 12:31 pm, arrival at 3:06 pm

Meet & greet private transfer from train station to hotel

 

1 superior junior suite, sea view balcony, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Chateau St Martin*****

Located in Vence, 14.9 miles from Nice, Château Saint-Martin & Spa is a 12th-century Knight Templar Castle with panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. It offers a heated swimming pool, a restaurant and well-being centre.

All rooms and suites are air-conditioned. They feature views of the garden, countryside or sea, a TV with cable channels and a safety deposit box. The en suite bathrooms include a hairdryer, free toiletries and slippers. Some rooms feature a balcony.

There are several restaurants on site including the gourmet Saint Martin, which features a terrace with panoramic views of the Mediterranean coast and an open kitchen. There is also a bar, Le Rossini. Room service is available throughout the day.

Additional features include body treatments, yoga lessons, wine tasting, a boules and a 24-hour reception. The beach is 8.1 miles away and free private parking is possible on site.

http://www.chateau-st-martin.com/fr/accueil/

 

Day 6:

Half day private guided tour to Nice

This private Nice tour gives you a great overview of this elegant and historic city and all it has to offer. You will begin with a visit to Castel Park, overlooking the Bay of Angels, and Old Town, site of the trading center founded by the Greeks 2,700 years ago. From here, you will drive along the harbor and admire the historic Genoese architecture. You can contemplate the old in the 18th century Place Garibaldi and the new along Promenade des Arts, home to the Modern Art Museum, among other sights.

Next your private Nice tour will take you to Cimiez, the winter home of Queen Victoria, making a stop at the Roman Arenas of Cemenelum. You can peruse the art at the Matisse Museum or walk among the olive garden and the 15th century garden of the Franciscan Monastery. Visit the extraordinary Russian Cathedral; built in 1912, it is the largest and most beautiful outside Russia. You will return by Promenade des Anglais, passing its famous landmarks and “Belle Epoque” buildings. You will end the tour with a visit to the colorful and fragrant flower market in the Old Town. Here you can try socca, a chickpea crepe that is a not-to-be-missed Niçoise specialty. You can be dropped off here to spend some more time in Old Town or driven back to your hotel.

 

Day 7:

Full day private guided tour of French Riviera

This lovely private day tour of St. Paul de Vence, Gourdon, Grasse and Cannes starts with a drive through the French Riviera. Your first stop on this guided tour will be the village of St. Paul de Vence, just a few miles from Nice, where you will enjoy exploring its ancient cobblestone lanes, fortified walls and art galleries. The picture-perfect views and plays on light here make it clear why so many impressionist painters came here for inspiration. You will make a photo stop at Tourrettes-sur-Loup, a medieval village known for its violet production, before winding up the charming Loup Gorges. You’ll round out your visit to Tourrettes-sur-Loup by tasting the Riviera’s special fruit and flower sweets at the Florian confectionary.

Your private tour of the French Riviera ends in Cannes, where you can walk along famous Croisette Boulevard, by the Film Festival Palace, designer shops and sandy beaches.

 

Day 8:

Day at leisure

 

Day 9:

Private transfer from hotel to Nice airport