Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: France Provence Village to Village Hiking
Day 1 Welcome to Avignon
An MT Sobek representative will meet you at Avignon TGV station at 2:30pm today and transfer you to your hotel. After a welcome group meeting, complete with local wine, it's time to explore the wonders of this ancient city. Meander through a labyrinth of cobbled streets, discover 14th-century ramparts, and the Papal Palace (entrance to the Pope's Palace not included) - all within its historic UNESCO-listed town center.
Accommodation: Avignon Grand Hotel
(D)
Day 2 Hike from Saint Rémy to the Alpilles
30-minute private van transfer
3.5 hours/6 miles hiking with 600' elevation gain & loss
After breakfast, take a 30-minute transfer to Saint Rémy de Provence, nestled at the foot of the Alpilles Mountains. Follow Van Gogh's footsteps through an aromatic landscape of wild herbs and sun-baked pine trees up towards the jagged ridge of the windswept Alpilles. Enjoy panoramic views from the summit and a gourmet Provencal picnic before completing the loop back to Saint Rémy. After completing the hike, visit with a local producer of goat's cheese to tour the farm and have a taste of fresh cheese. Tonight you can choose from one of the many restaurants in town.
Accommodation: Hotel Gounod
(B, L)
Day 3 Hike to Les Baux de Provence
3.5 hours/6 miles hiking with 600' elevation gain & loss
Start the day at Saint Rémy's morning market with its bounty of fresh regional produce - perfect for today's picnic. From there, follow a path up a shaded valley laden with cedar and pines, back up to the crest of the Alpilles. From here, take an easy trail along the ridge, enjoying wide-sweeping views. Perched atop the ridge is the 1,000-year-old village of Les Baux de Provence - a few dozen stone homes huddled together high above the valley. Meander through its narrow, cobbled streets, then stop at a working olive mill for a visit and a tasting. In the evening, savor a group dinner in Saint Rémy.
Accommodation: Hotel Gounod
(B, D)
Day 4 Journey from Gordes to the Senanque Abbey
1-hour private van transfer
3.5 hours/6 miles hiking with 900’ elevation gain & loss
After breakfast, transfer from the Alpilles to the Luberon mountains, dotted with lofty medieval villages such as Gordes, its golden-stone homes rising in vertiginous circles above the Calavon valley. Explore its steep labyrinth of cobblestoned streets, while the guide picks up picnic fare, before heading out along thyme-laden hills toward Senaque Abbey, a collection of 850-year-old Romanesque structures hidden among lavender fields. Enjoy a private guided tour, then hike up for aerial views before returning to Gordes for dinner together at the hotel.
Accommodation: Mas des Romarins
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Walk in the Landscape of Cezanne & Roussillon
1-hour private van transfer
3 hours/7 miles hiking with 1,500’ elevation gain & loss
Today begins with a transfer to nearby Bonnieux, a village nestled between the two Luberon Mountains that took center-stage in Peter Mayle's best-selling memoir A Year in Provence. Head out for a long gradual climb up the northern slope of the Luberon, through a forest of white oak and shrub. At the ridge, take in magnificent views across the valley, and have a Provençal picnic. Walk to the medieval village of Lacoste, crowned by the ruins of the Marquis de Sade's castle. Visit a family farm to sample traditional Provençal fare. (weather permitting). On our way back we stop in Roussillon, the village is built at the top of an ochre cliff face and offers a perfect blend of colors with its stones, roofs and facades mirroring the red tones of the neighboring landscape.
Accommodation: Mas des Romarins
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Hike the Vineyards Above Gigondas
1.5-hour private van transfer
3 hours/7 miles hiking with 1,200’ elevation gain & loss
Today set out for the tiny medieval village of Gigondas, nestled under the imposing limestone cliffs of the Dentelles de Montmirail, and renowned for its rich red wines. Walk between the gnarled vines, and above them into the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail. Trails crisscross the dramatic rock formations and lead to the top of a ridgeline that soars above the village. After the hike, enjoy wine tasting at one of the local estates. Return to Vaison for dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Hostellerie le Beffroi
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Depart from Avignon
1-hour private van transfer
After breakfast, take a morning shuttle to the Avignon TGV train station for your onward journey.
Accommodation: Hostellerie le Beffroi
(B)
