A Week In… Paris and Provence
Thankfully for us, much of their work is available to us in museums from Provence to Paris to destinations the world over, where moments in time are immortalized, landscapes are honored for eternity and a week filled with culturally rich discoveries and artful treasures lingers long after you return home… For one week, savor the bounty of Provençal life at tastings in wineries and olive orchards alive with local flavor… in architectural icons inspired by Romans, poets and popes… and in joie de vivre of Paris, aglow with glamour, past and present. Visit trendy Cannes and Nice; explore historic Avignon, Arles, and Aix-en-Provence, and see firsthand what inspired van Gogh in St- Rémy and Cézanne at Mont Ste-Victoire. Enjoy a tour and folkloric dinner at Moulin Castelas, an award-winning olive oil producer in Maussane les Alpilles; a guided adventure walk on the Pont du Gard; a locally guided visit inside Palais des Papes; and a high-speed rail journey to Paris for a three-night stay highlighted by a guided tour of Musée du Louvre and dinner at a popular restaurant.
ONLY WITH TAUCK
- TAUCK’S YELLOW ROADS – Traveling along the back roads of Provence is a vivid contrast of lush forests, olive groves, deep valleys & ancient villages splashed with sepia tones
- TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Exclusive after-hours visit to the Louvre Museum on select departures!
Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, first class service aboard the TGV from Avignon to Paris, entertainment, special dinners, sightseeing, admissions, porterage and the services of the local guides, drivers and the Tauck Director are included. Transportation from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport to the InterContinental Carlton Cannes is included, regardless of the time you check in to the hotel, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight information at least three weeks prior to your departure date. If you are arriving into a local train station please retain a receipt from your taxi and submit it to your Tour Director for reimbursement. Transportation is also provided from your Tauck selected Paris hotel to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport or Gare de Lyon Train Station when you check out of the hotel. Transportation to and from airports and train stations may be shared with other Tauck guests.
Rates and schedules are not guaranteed until booked and will vary based on departure date.
Tour begins: 6:30 PM, JW Marriott Cannes. A transfer is included from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport to the JW Marriott Cannes. Join us for a welcome cocktail reception and dinner this evening at your contemporary luxury hotel on Cannes’ celebrated Croisette boulevard facing the Bay of Cannes, on one of the most famous waterfronts on the French Riviera. Please join us tonight for a welcome reception and dinner at your seaside hotel.
MEALS – Dinner
A marvelous day in southern France begins with a walking tour of Cannes – a popular Mediterranean resort for more than a century, and home to the world-famous annual Cannes International Film Festival since 1946. Then head off on a cruise along the Riviera (weather permitting) to seaside Nice for an orientation walk through the old city that recalls the days when aristocrats and royals spent their winters here. Enjoy some free time to explore as you please before an afternoon visit to Musée Marc Chagall, a national museum spotlighting religious-inspired works by the Russian-born painter who made France his home. Return to your hotel in Cannes for an evening spent as you please.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch
Imagine great artists like Paul Cézanne at work amidst the spectrum of colors found in Provence as you view Mont Ste-Victoire and join your local guide for a walking tour among the fountains, squares and medieval center of lovely Aix-en-Provence. After free time for lunch in Aix,
visit Domaine de Valdition for an afternoon wine-tasting. Continue on to St-Rémy-de-Provence, where Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh spent one year of his life at a monastery that served as an asylum; his stay here resulted in a period of creativity that produced 150 of his most beloved paintings including Starry Night, Wheat Field with Cypresses and Irises. You, however, will spend two nights in town at charming Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa.
MEALS – Breakfast, Dinner
LODGING – Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa
No journey in southern France is complete without exploring the Provençal landscapes that inspired van Gogh, where olive groves, cypress trees, and flowers the colors of the rainbow greet you. Travel today to ancient Arles, exploring the historic Old Town noted for its narrow streets, medieval stonework and lingering evidence of its ancient Roman residents. Then take an adventurous guided walk on the famous Pont du Gard, an ingenious 2,000-year-old Roman aquaduct spanning the River Gardon, before visiting Moulin Castelas, an award-winning olive oil producer in Maussane les Alpilles; their product is a delight, as you’ll discover on a tour of their orchards. Travel a short distance for a Provençal evening – enjoy a Provence-style dinner and a presentation of Provençal folklore.
MEALS – Breakfast, Dinner
LODGING – Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa
Avignon has reigned as one of Europe’s most beautiful medieval cities since the 14th century, when it was briefly the capital of Christendom and the home of the popes. A visit inside the fortress-like Palais des Papes with a local guide reveals the treasures and lifestyles of the pontiffs who reigned in Avignon for almost 70 years. Explore more of the walled city on your own, before traveling first class this afternoon on the high-speed TGV train to inimitable Paris. This evening, you’re in for a culinary treat – dinner at Aux Lyonnais, the popular Alain Ducasse bistro in Paris.
MEALS – Breakfast, Dinner
LODGING – Sofitel Paris le Faubourg
A guided orientation tour today gives you a great overview of Paris and includes the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Élysées, Place de la Concorde, the Eiffel Tower and Cathedral of Notre Dame. Join us for a lunch affording memorable views of landmark sights, then explore the city as you wish for the rest of the day and evening.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch
LODGING – Sofitel Paris le Faubourg
Join our local guide this morning for a visit inside the legendary Musée du Louvre, where you’ll view some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. Spend the afternoon at leisure and join us for our farewell dinner tonight at a well-known brasserie, Les Ombres, with spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower – and bid adieu to Paris with gourmet food and wine.
MEALS – Breakfast, Dinner
LODGING – Sofitel Paris le Faubourg
Tour ends: Paris. Fly home anytime. Your transfer is included from Sofitel Paris le Faubourg to Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Orly Airport or a Paris train station. You should allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.
MEALS – Breakfast
