Cycling through Provence (self-guided) 7 days Tour

Itinerary

Day 1: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

Your trip starts with your arrival in the town of L'lsle-sur-la-Sorgue, a veritable island of a village surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of the Sorgue River. Whilst at your discretion, we recommend arriving and departing by train where possible within Europe due to this method of transport's minimal carbon emissions. L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is located 25 kilometres from Avignon and is easily accessible from Avignon by bus, train or taxi. Getting to Avignon is easy with regular TGV (fast trains) and regional train services from Paris (Gare de Lyon) and other cities in France. On arrival your detailed route notes, outlining everything you need to know for the week ahead, will be waiting for you at the hotel reception. If arriving on a Sunday, the Sunday Market is one of the most colourful in Provence and definitely worth a visit. The town's canals are lined by quaint cafés, restaurants and antique shops, so why not lose yourself in the labyrinth of narrow streets and absorb the town’s warm, Provençale charm?

Day 2: Venasque – Sainte Colombe - Bedoin

Meals included: 1 breakfast

A short transfer by taxi takes you to Venasque for the start of your ride. You ride the whole day in picturesque countryside as you head towards the foot of Mont Ventoux, passing through an endless stream of vineyards, olive groves, truffle oak plantations and cherry orchards. Along seldom-used country roads you pedal off-the-beaten-track through the hidden villages of Méthamis, Villes-sur-Auzon and Flassan. If you are feeling energetic you can take a detour along a beautiful canyon road to see the plunging cliffs of Nesque Gorge. (Cycling distance: 26km)

Day 3: Bedoin – Beaumes de Venise

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Continuing along the foot of Mont Ventoux a short climb leads to the hilltop town of Crillon le Brave, where we see homes tightly packed in on narrow cobbled streets. The town is famous for its luxurious hotel complex and for the wide-sweeping 360° views from the top of the village. The short climb is definitely worth the effort! Stop and enjoy a café in the town square and enjoy the spectacular views of Mont Ventoux and the plains. Riding back towards the plains you pedal through a countryside of orchards and vines, in one of the few places in Provence still off the tourist-radar. You ride through the town of Caromb before a lazy and winding descent towards your destination – the town of Beaumes de Venise. The homes of the village are clustered under the imposing ruins of the castle, while the hills above the village are strewn with medieval ruins. You may like to sample the town’s renowned muscat wine, a naturally sweet white. (Cycling distance: 17-18km)

Day 4: Beaumes de Venise – Séguret

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Today you cycle through some of the best vineyards of the Rhône Valley. The town of Vacqueyras is known for its reds, while Gigondas a little farther along the road boasts a village as pretty as its wine is succulent. Take the time to meander through the medieval streets of Gigondas, and up to the church from where the views open to a veritable sea of vines that blanket the Rhône Valley. Gigondas wines are second only to Châteauneuf du Pape in the southern Rhône, with powerful and spicy reds principally made from Grenache/Shiraz blends. And after tasting some of the local wines you continue towards the town of Séguret, perched high above the Rhône Valley, clinging to side of a hill, and rightfully classed as ‘one of the most beautiful villages in France’. Stroll through its timeless, narrow and cobbled streets before treating yourself to a well-earned dessert in the village café, suspended vertiginously above the Rhône Valley below. (Cycling distance: 20km)

Day 5: Séguret – Vaison

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Pedalling through the past the vineyards your ride takes you northbound, exploring the lost medieval villages of Roaix and Villedieu, two authentic Provençal towns worth a quick visit. Your day’s final destination is Vaison la Romaine. Vaison is your base for the next two nights and a place that merits exploring at length. Its medieval village, complete with a towering belfry and castle ruins, remains perfectly intact (except for the castle that is), one of the few towns unharmed during the perilous centuries of war that ravaged the region. The cobbled streets of the medieval town create a labyrinth of narrow alleys, built long before cars were invented, and where every turn and every building merits contemplation. Below the medieval town lays a 2000 year-old Roman bridge spanning over the Ouvèze River, leading to the largest Roman archaeological site in France. The main square in Vaison, lively and colourful, is lined with a handful of quaint restaurants and cafés – great places to just sit and watch the world go by. (Cycling distance: 16km)

Day 6: Around Vaison la Romaine

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Today’s journey explores some of the towns of the Drôme Provençale. Entrechaux, Faucon, Puyméras are all relatively untouched by the grasp of tourism, but as beautiful as any towns in Provence: with narrow cobbled streets, homes built in massive limestone, the deep blue shutters, and the same clay tiles that have shaped the region’s roofs since Roman times. Olive groves blanket the countryside, and some of the specimens here are over 1000 years old, some of the very few trees that survived the frosts of 1956 with the region’s mild micro-climate. This area creates some of the most renowned olive oils in France, known as ‘huile d’olive de Nyons’, using the “tanche” variety of olive. The olives themselves have a slightly sweet taste while the oil is extremely subtle in flavour, with notes of green apple. (Cycling distance: 20km)

Day 7: Vaison la Romaine

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Your trip ends after breakfast in Vaison la Romaine. Extra nights' accommodation can be booked in Vaison – please inquire with Peregrine at time of booking. Regular buses services depart Vaison la Romaine for Orange (45 mins) or Avignon (1hr, 15mins), where you can take train connections to other destinations in France. A private transfer from Vaison to Avignon can also be arranged. Au revoir!