Classic Provence

Classic Provence invites you to travel from village to village, exploring the picturesque Luberon. Hand-picked lodging, fine food and wine, and a carefully planned itinerary make this a wonderful choice for walking in Provence.

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This tour has a moderate grading. The trails are a combination of dirt or wooded trails, gravel tracks and tarmac country roads. This tour is suitable for walkers with reasonable physical fitness.

There are some rolling hills and, while in the Petit Luberon range, some fairly significant elevation gains and losses. It is also pertinent to note that the terrain in Provence can be rugged and rocky, so you will need to be sure-footed, especially on the section between Roussillon and Gordes, where light scrambling is required. However, we do suggest an alternative route to skip this section if preferred. Another walk worth mentioning is the route from Gordes to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, which includes a few steep and rocky ascents and descents. These sections require extra care and attention underfoot. Head for heights is also required on this walk as there is one exposed section short after the Abbaye.

Water refill points may not be readily available throughout the day of walking, so you should fill up at your overnight locations before setting off each day. 

This tour is suitable for walkers with a reasonable level of physical fitness. While daily distances are manageable, the terrain in Provence can be uneven, rocky, and occasionally steep underfoot.

On this tour you will stay in hand-picked charming and characterful hotels, B&Bs and chambres d’hotes. These lodgings are truly special places and one of the highlights of this tour.

Alternate Accommodation

We will always try to book the accommodation listed. However, if any of the hotels listed are unavailable, alternative accommodation of the same or better standard than those described will be provided. 

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single rooms we will be happy to book these for you, although there is a single room supplement payable. This trip is available to solo walkers, but a supplement is payable to cover the extra costs that are not shared.

Meals

A continental or buffet breakfast is included each morning. Lunch is not included. On most days you will be walking through small villages with cafes, restaurants and a shop or two, so you will be able to buy lunch en route. However on some of the walking days it will be essential to take a packed lunch as there are no cafes or restaurants en route. Dinner is not included so that you can customize your expereince to your wishes. Perhaps try some excellent local cuisine in nearby local restaurants or dine at your accommodation if they have a restaurant.

Navigation is straightforward as you can use the award-winning Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation on this tour will be made simple and you cannot get lost.

You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

This trip is available to start on any day of the week from the beginning of April to the end of October. 

Due to Provence’s popularity and limited accommodation in the smaller villages, this tour can sell out months in advance, so we suggest booking as soon as possible. We will always try our best to book your preferred dates, and having some flexibility in your travel dates improves our chances of confirming your booking.

This tour is unavailable in July and August due to hot weather and the likelihood of trail closures during wildfire season. Outside these months, occasional trail closures may still occur during particularly hot periods.

Local Markets

• Apt—Saturday
• Bonnieux—Friday
• Lacoste—Tuesday
• Goult—Thursday
• Roussillon—Thursday
• Isle-sur-la-Sorgue - Thursday and Sunday

These local markets are usually open in the mornings and finish around lunchtime (12-1pm)

There are a number of different options to get to Apt. The closest airport is Marseille-Provence Airport. From the airport, you can take a bus/train to Apt, via either Cavaillon or Aix-en-Provence. The journey takes anywhere between 2 and 3 hours, depending on your route. For more info on local bus/train timetables, please visit ZOU! or SNCF.

Alternately you can arrive by train into Avignon. It is possible to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Gare du Nord - Paris, then take the TVG train to Avignon (approx. 7hrs), or fly into any of the Paris Airports and take a train south to Avignon from here (a journey of just over 3 hours). From the Avignon TGV Station, you can take a bus (takes approx. 1H15) directly to Apt. Again you can check out times and schedules on the Lignes Express Régionale website.

Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to and from Apt and L’Isle Sur la Sorgue to local airports/train stations. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.

From L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, you can easily reach Marseille Provence Airport by regional train or bus. The journey typically involves a train to Vitrolles Aéroport station, followed by a short shuttle to the airport, with total travel time around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can take a regional bus with a longer travel time. 

Another option is to take a train to Avignon TGV station, with frequent departures—roughly every hour—and a travel time of about 30 minutes. From there, high-speed trains to Paris operate regularly, taking approximately 3.5 hours, offering convenient connections to any of Paris’s major airports.

For the most up-to-date schedules and ticket prices, visit the SNCF Connect website for train services, or the ZOU! website for regional bus information. https://zou.maregionsud.fr/ 

Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to and from Apt and L’Isle Sur la Sorgue to local airports/train stations. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person.