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Truffles, Wine & Provencal Cuisine Tour

A Provence Gourmet Escape

February 29 – March 9, 2024

10 nights / 11 days

LIMITED TO 7 GUESTS

PRICE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST – (tour organized for private party request from 2 – 7 participants)

Provence is one of your top destinations for tasting the Black Winter Truffle (also known as the Perigord Truffle). We won’t stop with truffle pleasures though. Continue with me to the baker’s oven for making croissants, the chef’s kitchen for learning Provençal cuisine, cozy fireplaces, memorable lodging locations, and some invigorating countryside walks in the winter sleeping beauty.

freshly dug truffles on Provence truffle tour

Tour Notes

This is a perfect tour for friends traveling together. Your evenings are free to enjoy at your leisure. The B&B in Saint Remy is cottage style so some evenings can be enjoyed « alfresco » or light cooking in your studio kitchenette. In Aix, your boutique hotel is just a few minutes walk to some very good restaurants.

Dietary restrictions would make this tour less enjoyable.

Itinerary

NOTE: This is a working itinerary; the final itinerary will be posted and provided to guests closer to the tour date.

Day 1 (Thursday, February 29)
Avignon table setting in sunshine

Today is arrival day…pick-up can be either at the Marseille airport and the Avignon TGV. Before settling into our lodging in Saint Remy, we’ll embark on a journey to the 14th century in Avignon to get the full story of why the Popes made the biggest Gothic palace in Europe here in Avignon. Time to rest and freshen up at the B&B. Dinner on your own in Saint Remy.

Lunch in Avignon included

Day 2 (Friday, March 1)
Cotes du Rhone wine with a view

It’s market day in Carpentras. Despite the off-season for tourists, this market stays lively with locals (and a few privileged tourists). Along with the traditional items, we’ll be looking for that perfect truffle to enjoy at lunch. With our basket full of regional specialities, we make our way to the Cotes-du Rhone wine region to stop at a Gigondas & Vacqueyras AOC winery. The tour and tasting will be followed by a casual market shopping lunch at the wine domaine. Last, but not least, we cross over to Chateauneuf-du-Pape for exploring this unique terroir and tasting the different styles from more traditional to contemporary. Dinner on your own in Saint Remy.

Market shopping lunch included

Day 3 (Saturday, March 2)

Rise & shine…it’s 8:30 am and we have a cooking lesson schedule soon in Avignon. This bistro restaurant opens its doors for us to learn a few tricks and make a great lunch. This cooking experience starts with meeting the chef at the popular Les Halles indoor gourmet market to buy our ingredients and then a short walk to the restaurant to put it all together. The after-lunch digestive walk takes us to one of the greatest Roman endeavors…Le Pont du Gard.

Free dinner in Saint Remy. Cooking lesson lunch included

Day 4 (Sunday, March 3)
top ten places to visit in provence

L’Isle sur la Sorgue is a lively small town all year long. Today we browse both the Provencal market and the antique flea market. Emily will guide you through the history of this town also known as the Little Venice of Provence for its canal lined streets. Should the weather be pleasant, we’ll have a picnic lunch next to the Sorgue River. Two villages today are classed as « most beautiful » in France: Gordes & Roussillon. Unlike the summer months, these villages can be a bit sleepy during winter but the light and reflections (not to mention no tour buses or herds of tourists in your pictures) still bring magic to your day. Dinner on your own in Saint Remy.

Lunch in Isle sur la Sorgue included

Day 5 (Monday, March 4)
roman monument

We start the day with an atelier (workshop) to make a face cream or cold cream with essential oils distilled at the distillery. Your hardest decision today will be between lavender and everlasting or if you use half & half. With our faces now looking younger, on we go to the city of Arles to discover the well preserved Roman monuments and also continue our steps on Van Gogh’s path. Dinner on your own in Saint Remy.

Bistro lunch in Arles included

Day 6 (Tuesday, March 5)
French cooking lesson making croissants

Wake up to the music and art at the Carrières de Lumière show near the Les Baux-de-Provence. The former rock quarry holds an inspirational multi-media sure to start your day on the best note ever. After roaming the cobblestone lanes in the village and taking in the views at the top, we’ll make our way to an unforgettable classic French bistro lunch with wine on the table as you arrive and cheese tray making your eyes bigger than your stomach. At 3 pm we meet Patisserie Chef to learn the steps in making French croissants and macaroons. Dinner on your own in Saint Remy.

Countryside bistro lunch included

Day 7 (Wednesday, March 6)
gourmet truffle tasting essentials on guided truffle tour

Craving some more truffles? No worries, today we meet our truffle grower and his dogs. Our hunt will take us out into the peaceful agricultural grounds interlaced with the garrigue (Provencal forest and scrublands). We’ll fill up on a gourmet tasting with all you want champagne and then visit the charming village Lourmarin. Later afternoon we arrive in Aix-en-Provence with check-in to our boutique hotel and then an orientation tour of the city. Dinner at your leisure in Aix.

Lunch (gourmet truffle tasting) included

Day 8 (Thursday, March 7)
fresh breads at Aix market

This morning we meet our chef for a market tour in Aix where we’ll pick up the essential ingredients for making our Provencal home cooked lunch. Before arriving at his house, we’ll swing by the local winery to get our wine. Later afternoon is yours to explore the center of Aix at your leisure. Dinner on your own in Aix.

Cooking lesson lunch included

Day 9 (Friday, March 8)
top ten places to visit in provence

Oh to see the Mediterranean blue during winter when the air is so pure! Let us venture on the Calanques near Cassis , stroll the fishing port, take a boat out to the everlasting blues of the sea. After our efforts of taking in the remarkable beauty, we’ll sit down at a café with a glass of Cassis white wine (AOC) to absorb it all. Before going back to Aix we’ll stop at two artisan boutiques to marvel at the way clay is worked to perfection: Pottery and Santons makers. Dinner on your own in Aix.

Lunch in Cassis included

Day 10 (Saturday, March 9)
wine and chocolates

Easter is approaching and our chocolate making skills need to be improved. We start the day with an Atelier au Chocolat at one of the oldest chocolate factories in Provence. Lunch will gourmet at a countryside chateau and then to top of the day, we’ll go to the nearby Aix confectionery factory to see how the famous Calissons is made. Dinner on your own in Aix.

Chateau lunch included

Day 11 (Sunday, March 10)

Transfer to Marseille airport or Aix TGV for you return trip home.

Transfer NOT included in package price

Activities & Sites Included

  • Pont du Gard
  • Provencal market Carpentras & L’Isle sur la Sorgue
  • Van Gogh asylum in Saint Remy
  • Market tour & cooking lesson Avignon
  • Market tour & cooking lesson in Aix
  • Carrières de Lumières sound & light show
  • Patisserie class
  • Face cream/cold cream workshop
  • Cassis boat tour
  • Chocolate making workshop
  • Wine tasting in Cotes-du-Rhone AOC (Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Chateauneuf-du-Pape)

Places Visited

  • Avignon
  • Luberon hilltop villages Gordes & Roussillon
  • Isle sur la Sorgue
  • Les Baux de Provence
  • Saint Remy
  • Arles
  • Aix
  • Cassis
  • Carpentras
  • Cotes-du-Rhone wine region
  • Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

Vincent Van Gogh

(Photo: Pont d’Avignon sunrise by Emily Durand.)

Includes

  • All transportation in Emily’s comfortable Mercedes van
    • Pick-up either at Marseille airport or Avignon TGV
    • Transfer on last day not included
  • 6 nights lodging at charming B&B in Saint Remy (cottage style rooms) & 4 nights lodging at boutique hotel in Aix
  • All breakfasts
  • All lunches
    • 1 lunch is gourmet truffle tasting

Does Not Include

  • Transportation to/from Provence region
  • Transfer to airport/train station on last day
  • Dinners (all dinners at your leisure)
  • Before and/or after dinner drinks (wine is included during the meals)
five star review
  • June 2018 3-day private tour

    ""The beautiful, relaxed culture of Provence makes it an ideal vacation spot for first-time guests and return visitors alike.As a return visitor, I reached out to Emily to see some of the hidden treasures I was on unable to see during my first visit. She asked me what I enjoyed, what I wanted to see most, and how I’d like to spend my time. From there, she tailored an itinerary specific to me.She was able to encompass all I requested and made excellent suggestions! I had an incredible t..."
  • Girlfriends in Provence, June 2017

    ""I can not recommend Emily highly enough.  I knew from the moment we started planning our Girls Trip to Provence together that she was going to make our trip so memorable.The attention to detail in planning our wonderful week in Provence was so appreciated and covered incredible fun filled days of exploring Provincial Markets, Private Wine Tastings, Eating, Drinking, Shopping, Cooking up a storm in a Michelin star restaurant, exploring stunning French villages and even cruising the French..."
  • May 2018 7-day custom tour

    ""What wonderful memories were made with four high school friends in Provence, thanks to our guide extraordinaire, Emily!She planned and executed every detail, taking into consideration our personal requests, with flexibility that is impossible with a large tour group.  Our last night, while we were touring the Calanques in Cassis, Emily even prepared an alfresco poolside dinner for us.   Many thanks and high recommendations to Emily, OUR Private Provence!Emily, you allowed us to have..."
  • September 2018 2-day custom tour

    ""Hi, Emily I just wanted to thank you and let you know how pleased we were to meet you and were so impressed by the tour you took us on around Avignon! You were very warm and knowledgeable about the area and answered all of our questions. Your van was top of the line as well as your service!! I will not hesitate to recommend you to friends and family visiting the area!"Connie Schuler – Alberta, Canada"We had the best time with you on our tour of the Provence region! You planned out th..."
  • 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 m..."
  • July 2022 Provence Lavender Tour

    ""Experiencing the lavender fields of Provence was just part of a fabulous week with Emily. From truffle hunting, olive oil tasting, wine tasting, visiting hilltop villages, to lovely breakfasts at an idyllic B&B, casual picnic lunches, and first class dining, Emily provided us with an off the beaten path adventure of a lifetime. Her knowledge of the history of the area made for an educational as well as rewarding and fun trip. She was well organized and such a delight to travel with in he..."
  • Group Lavender Tour, July 2017

    "Thank you for everything, it was an amazing week.  The B&B was perfect as well as the whole itinerary.  It will definitely be among my most favorite trips of all time.Leslie GrizzardEmily is a kind spirit with a gift for bringing people into an authentic Provencal experience. Her planning, organization, and itinerary were perfect and she was flexible when we needed some personal time to wind down or even take a nap and recharge. Her attention to detail is impeccable and her de..."
  • Wedding in Provence, 2018

    ""I used Emily through Your Private Provence to help me plan my small wedding/elopement and tours for my family while we were in the area.The experience went so smoothly in the amazing hands of Emily. She offered several options from vendors for the ceremony, restaurant choices, lodging, and tours throughout the Provence region. She thought of details for the wedding and the tours that would not have even crossed my mind! She was always in touch and responded promptly.She took into con..."
  • June 2014 Day Tour in Provence

    ""Thank you Emily! I have to say this was one of the highlights of our stay in Provence. I will always remember that day and it was made possible because of your connections. Otherwise we would not have experienced that glorious day. It was such a “provencal” thing to do!!"Doris and Vanessa Cotric, Montreal "
  • 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 with..."