Day 1 Lourmarin
We rendezvous in the old city of Avignon, where Popes once ruled, and proceed to our hotel in the village of Lourmarin, dominated by its towering medieval chateau, for a welcome dinner and introductory talk.
Tourist Information Avignon      City map Avignon      Climate

Day 2 Lourmarin
We climb the gentle hills of Luberon, through cherry orchards and deep green valleys, for lunch at a village cafe. Centuries-old houses mark our path back to Lourmarin and a look around, then on to Chateau d' Ansouis for a private tour and aperitifs.

Day 3 Bonnieux
Following a sparkling river, we explore deep and dramatic gorges bounded by dramatic cliffs and inhabited only by birds of prey. An old packhorse trail brings us to a picnic lunch near the splendid hilltop ruins of Fort de Buoux. Our walk today is punctuated by stunning Provencal panoramas viewed from the hills we climb. After a guided visit to a cheese farm, we meander to our hotel near the hilltop village of Bonnieux for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 Bonnieux
We explore Bonnieux, then follow a winding path through woods and vineyards to the Marquis de Sade's picturesque village of Lacoste for lunch. The heady scents of rosemary, cedar and wild thyme accompany us past craggy stone walls and almond trees to old Menerbes, a former Calvinist stronghold in the Middle Ages. We finish our day by visiting a local wine grower to taste the Luberon wine before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 Gordes
We walk to the beautiful multi-hued village of Roussillon for a guided visit to an ochre museum and time to browse the market and village shops before lunch. We continue across the valley to the stunningly situated, tiered village of Gordes, perched on the rocky face of the Vaucluse Plateau, nearby lies our destination for dinner and overnight at our hotel near to Gordes.

Day 6 Gordes
We visit the source of the River Sorgue at Fontaine de Vaucluse and follow an ancient silk route to Cabrieres d'Avignon for lunch. We return along rocky hillsides to Gordes where, in this village of centuries-old dwellings and vaulted passageways, we enjoy our farewell dinner.

Day 7
The glittering Cote d'Azur is close at hand. A weekend in sophisticated St. Tropez or cosmopolitan Cannes is a perfect au-revoir to France.