* France - Provence and the Camargue : Coach Tour

Arrive in Marseilles airport where you will be welcomed by your guide. Coach transfer to the city and a sightseeing tour (by coach) taking in the harbour, Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica dominating the city and the ancient Abbey of Saint Victor built on the tomb of a Christian martyr.  Pure and natural  “savon de Marseille” soap is made according to traditional methods which you can witness first-hand at a soap manufacturers.  Check in to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Make for neighbouring Martigues, nicknamed the « Venice of Provence » due to its meandering canals criss-crossed by bridges, and taste some of the local seafood. Free time for lunch then take a boat ride along the “Cote Bleue” to enjoy the clear blue waters of its hidden criques and coves interspersed between the seaside resorts of Carro, Sausset les Pins, and Carry le Rouet. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Visit Aix-en-Provence, city of a thousand fountains, and hometown of Cezanne. Admire the Renaissance buildings of this lovely Provencal town and visit the studio where the artist worked. Then taste some of the town’s speciality sweets, called “calissons”. Free time for lunch then time to sit back and admire the surrounding countryside as we tour the Provencal massifs and landmarks immortalized by Cezanne in his paintings, notably the Sainte Baume and the Mont Saint Victoire. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Former Roman metropolis boasting some 2000 years of history, Arles lies at the mouth of the wild and untamed Camargue delta, land of white horses, flamingos and bull farms. Sample some of the traditionally made bull sausage or “saucisson” then free time for lunch. Afterwards visit the Camargue Museum installed in old farm buildings for an excellent introduction to the region’s agriculture and the life of the local herdsmen. Check-in to your hotel in the region. Dinner and overnight.

Deep in Camargue country is the little town of Saintes Maries de la Mer, an important place of gypsy pilgrimage where the Rhone flows out to meet the Mediterranean Sea. Take a boat trip on the Little Rhone river then free time for lunch (local style lunch is an optional extra). In this land full of tradition, stop at a Bull Ranch where the herdsmen will share their customs and traditions with you. Our last stop is Aigues Mortes, one of France’s major sea salt producers.  Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Explore the historic town of Avignon, seat of nine Popes, with its remarkable architectural heritage notably the majestic Palace of the Popes. Entrance to the Palace is included, wine-tasting in the Palace Wine Cellar or « Bouteillerie », is extra. Free time for lunch then visit the nearby “Pont du Gard”, not just a bridge but an aqueduct of graceful proportion and staggering dimension, and a truly remarkable feat of Roman engineering. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Leave for the Alpilles, a rugged white limestone massif, eroded by the elements, with splashes of olive groves and vines. Drive past the very windmill referred to by French author Daudet in his famous “Letters from my Mill” as we head up to the spectacular village of Les Baux de Provence, and its ancient citadel high on a rocky plateau. Our return route takes us via Tarascon to stop at the Souleiado Museum and admire its fine, and sometimes rare collection of Provencal fabrics and folk costumes. Dinner and overnight.

Transfer to Marseilles airport for your return flight. End of our services.