Itinerary Planning
June 2025 Private Provence Tour
"It’s an early June day in the Provence countryside. After viewing the jaw-dropping and wondrous Monet/Rousseau exhibition at Carrieres des Lumieres in Les Baux, a delightful picnic for three is set up in a nearby olive grove. This was the start of our magical 4-day adventure with our phenomenal private guide, Emily Durand. From traversing the brilliant ochre quarries to walking in Van Gogh's footsteps in St. Remy to trying (and loving!) pork cheek, each day brought exciting new experiences in t…"
June 2018 3-day custom tour
""We had a great trip with Emily and highly recommend her. Before we arrived, she had designed a lovely tour of Provence villages just for us. Attentive to our interests and needs, she crafted an adventure that was a highlight of a trip to France and Italy.In several days, she introduced us to the history of these hill towns, the beauty of the rural landscape, and the feel of markets, twisty streets, churches, and Van Gogh’s world. Though we saw a good deal, she also made time for little mat…"
2019 Lavender Tour
""2019 Lavender Tour This tour exceeded all of my expectations! The small group size made it easy for us to get to know each other and each day was such a treat! Emily shared not only her love and knowledge of her adopted country but afforded us a glimpse into life in Provence. She introduced us to local chefs, farmers, and artisans and each was colorful and engaging and passionate about their chosen profession and excited to share with us. We visited beautiful villages and ate marvelous local f…"
10-Day Road Trip through all of Provence, 2021 – Hiking tour everyday!
""Our guided trip with Emily was different from the typical tour of Provence. We wanted the trip to mostly involve hiking, but still give us an opportunity to spend some time in small villages. Each day we hiked somewhere and in the evening we were on our own to explore the various towns we stayed in. Provence is a wonderful place to hike. In the north it looks similar to Colorado with exceptional scenery. Emily appeared to know every trail. We avoided the 'tourist' areas, usually hiking withou…"
Lavender Tour July 2018
""We recently returned from France and wish to leave a few comments on our experience.At the top of my bucket list is a visit to Provence France. My husband and I are not world travelers and were somewhat hesitant about this trip, we were anxious about almost everything, the language, the travel and the fact that we were in a foreign country. Despite all these concerns we bite the bullet and decided to go for it. We booked a package with My Private Provence.Much to our surprise and delig…"
September 2023 – 10-day private tour
"Emily was our guide and driver for 10 days during our private tour of Provence. There were 7 of us, all friends and we have traveled all over the world for the past 50 years. Our 10 days with Emily traveling all over Provence was perhaps the finest travel experience any of us have ever had. She completely embodies all of the qualities needed to take complete strangers and make them feel as if they are part of her family. She was so professional, knowledgeable, kind, caring and flexible as well…"
June 2018 Lavender & Cultural Tour
""Thank you, Emily, for all your help in arranging my trip and transporting me before and after the tour. Also, the tour was so special. I enjoyed it all. You are a great guide to all the special things, places, foods, and experiences in this area of Provence."Diane Logon, Florida"Our group consisted of six women and one very brave gentleman with of a wide range of ages, backgrounds, personalities, and abilities. We toured the historic Chateauneuf Du Pape. We visited a Winery, Ala…"
Poppy Madness Tour 2024
"What a treasure it was to partake in Emily’s Spring Poppy Tour. Out of the 7 of us traveling together, 5 were painters and two were not however there was something for everyone. Emily took our interests and custom designed the itinerary to meet our needs. Besides painting in breathtaking settings, some of the highlights were meeting the lovely local people and enjoying immersive experiences such as cooking in local homes, learning about wines, and olive trees , even creating our own olive oil…"
September 2016 Day Tour in the Luberon
""For my first time in Provence I decided to hire a guide. It’s not something I normally do but I didn’t want to be bothered with driving and trying to find my way on my own. I didn’t want to waste precious time because I had so little there.We had several conversations via email in advance of my visit about what my interests are and what I wanted to get out of my time with her. Emily showed me some wonderful places for photos and a little off the beaten path Abbey that was a lovely way to e…"
June 2018 3-day guided tour
""We had a wonderful time exploring Provence with Emily as our guide! With her intimate knowledge of the region, Emily was able to weave into the itinerary places of interest for which we had made special requests, and was able to suggest good alternatives when necessary.Emily’s deep knowledge of Provence came through best as she led us through several little villages — the little nuggets of information she shared along the way certainly helped us appreciate much better the history of the pl…"