Visiting the Villages of Provence

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Advisor - Lisa Garber
Curated By

Lisa Garber

  • Food & Wine

  • Boutique Travel

  • Off-the-Beaten-Path Travel

  • South of France

  • France

  • Local Culture

  • Local Food

The image captures an individual strolling through a lavender field, basket in hand, clad in a white dress and hat, amidst the vibrant purple blooms.
Curator’s statement

Visiting Provence is truly a fairytale. It is the ideal destination for multi-gen families, girls' trips, honeymooners and solo travelers. You can spend a morning and early afternoon immersed in the local markets and exploring tiny villages. In the afternoon, relax and enjoy the slow pace of life with lazy lunches and dinners around an extended table of tasty local food. Take cooking classes and wine tours. Provence has something for everyone.

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Where to stay

Day 1: Arrival in Avignon

A person admiring a scenic landscape from behind a stone wall under a cloud-streaked blue sky.

Arrive in Avignon by train from Paris (a 2.5-hour train ride). Pick up your pre-arranged car rental and begin to explore the South of France. The roads in Provence are quiet and beautiful with a lot of roundabouts.

Enjoy the scenery on the 45-minute drive from Avignon as you pass lavender fields (June-August), olive trees and wine vineyards. Arrive at your hotel in St. Remy de Provence.

Day 2: Explore Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

The image features a cozy outdoor cafe seating area with vibrant cushions, red chairs and a menu on blackboards.

Explore Saint-Rémy on your own. Stroll through cobblestone streets and alleys, discovering secrets around every turn. Saint-Rémy is clean, with pristine stone buildings with pastel shutters lining the windows above the storefronts. This village has an understated French aesthetic, full of boutiques, shops, bistros and cafes. The city center is the hub for locals and tourists to gather and enjoy an espresso and croissant under shaded trees watching the carousel go round.

A local farmers market is on Wednesday mornings (8 am-1 pm). Bring cash because you will want to shop. Here, you’ll find mountains of savory olives, scented soaps, woven basket bags, freshly picked seasonal produce, local cheeses and more. It has everything.

Saint-Rémy is perhaps most famous as the place where Vincent Van Gogh was confined in an asylum towards the end of his life. Van Gogh was brought to the hospital here for recuperation after he sliced his ear and was having episodes of despair. He stayed at the hospital, walking in the gardens, finding inspiration to create 150 paintings at the end of his life.

Day 3: Les Baux-de-Provence & Chateau Estoublon

A close-up of a wine glass etched with "Estoublon,” with other glasses and a blurred social setting in the background.

In the morning, drive 15 minutes from Saint-Rémy to the ancient village of Les Baux-de-Provence. Arrive early to avoid spending time later in the day looking for a parking spot.

Perched atop Les Alpilles mountains, Les Baux-de-Provence is recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Start your visit at the Château des Baux, a fortress located at the top of the village with beautiful views overlooking the valley below. On a clear day, you can see Aix-en-Provence, Arles and Mont Saint-Victoire in the distance.

The castle at the top of the village served as the residence of the influential Les Baux family during the Middle Ages. Wander down the hill, stopping to visit some of the village’s main attractions, including St. Vincent Church, the Chapel of Penitents and the Yves Brayer Museum.

Drive 15 minutes from Les Baux to Chateau Estoublon. This chateau will blow you away! Experience the beauty of this incredible property as you stroll through the gardens on a guided tour of its wine and olive oil vineyards.

Enjoy a tasting of three olive oils and three wines along with a snack board of meats and cheeses. After the tasting, have lunch at the magical restaurant under a huge, shaded tree and umbrellas. Enjoy the delicious food with a glass of their signature Roseblood wine. You will thank me!

Chateau Estoublon is a magical experience from beginning to end.

Day 4: Gordes & Rousillion

A person relaxing on the steps of a building adorned with ivy, bathed in the warmth of a clear blue sky.

Drive from Saint-Rémy to Gordes (50 minutes). Gordes is perched high on a cliff above the valley floor and overlooks the luscious scenes of the Luberon below. Its beauty is heavily protected by its residents.

You can explore the village and its beautiful cobbled streets, visit the Le Château de Gordes and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views, discover the ancient fountains, take a tour in the caves below the village, check out the incredible views from the edges of the village and experience the beauty of the Luberon region’s lavender fields. So much to see and do.

Gordes is home to some of the best restaurants in the region.
Taking a cooking class in any of these villages is an experience you will remember forever.

Drive 15 minutes from Gordes to the village of Rousillion, best known for its distinctive red (ochre) clay cliffs. Its location at the top of a steep hill gives it a fantastic panoramic view.

The colors of Roussillon: the reds, yellows, oranges and pinks merge into one another as you wander around the spiraling streets. The contrast of the green pine trees or the blue sky against the red cliffs is stunning.

Eateries are sprinkled throughout the streets of Roussillon, offering a chance to rest your feet while soaking up incredible views. Sit back and satisfy your appetite with a sweet from the local patisserie while people-watching in the square.

Need to know

If you have extra days to explore the South of France, I recommend the French Riviera. It is home to some of the most famous towns and beaches in the world. Travel from St. Tropez to Nice, stopping in Cannes, Antibes, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Monaco.

The best time to visit the South of France (Provence or the French Riviera) is in the spring or fall. The weather is much cooler, and the crowds are fewer than in the summer. To get a real taste of local life and no crowds, travel in the winter, but it can be cold and rainy. I try to avoid all of Europe in the summer, especially in August when all Europeans take a month-long vacation.

This itinerary is a part of our ongoing series on travel to South of France. Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out my guide, Explore Iceland: The Land of Fire & Ice.