Cooking Vacations in Provence: A Gastronomic Holiday in Aix

Our cooking vacations in Provence provide a wonderful mix of cooking, food and wine tastings, and cultural excursions. Please remember that our itineraries can also be customized to suit your tastes!

Day One

• Private transfer from Aix TGV station to Aix city center.
• Check in to your hotel.
• Time to relax, stroll around the city, and enjoy dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Two

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• This morning meet your chef in the center of Aix for a shared trip to the weekly open air market and sample regional products such as olives, calissons, cheese, and fruit. Then it is off to her cooking atelier, where you will enjoy a cooking class followed by lunch (drinks included).
• In the afternoon, time to explore Aix on your own. You might want to visit the studio of painter Paul Cezanne, who was born in Aix. The studio was designed by Cezanne, and gives you the impression of stepping back to turn-of-the-century Provence!
• Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Three

• Breakfast.
• Meet your guide in the center of Aix for a shared walking gourmet tour (max 8 people), learning about the town and tasting some of the local specialties. Try such local delights as Calisson, tapenade, and local cheese. (During the winter months, November through March, this may be substituted with a wine tour – please inquire!)
• Enjoy a gastronomic dinner tonight (drinks not included).
• Overnight.

Day Four

• Breakfast.
• Meet your private English-speaking driver guide at the hotel. Head to the coast and discover a secret place in Sormiou, a calanque located near Marseille. You will enjoy the breathtaking views and a proper Provencal menu of fresh fish, wines, and a traditional “Bouillabaisse.”  (Please note this excursion cannot be offered in bad weather, but an alternative will be proposed). 
• On the way back to Aix, enjoy a panoramic driving tour of Marseille, the oldest city in France.
• Back to Aix, dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Five

• Breakfast.
• Meet your English-speaking guide in the center of Aix for a shared full-day tour (max 8 people). First head for the village of Les Baux de Provence, with its medieval charm and imposing castle ruins..
• Next, Pont du Gard, a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the finest Roman ruins.
• End in Avignon, the “city of the Popes,” to see its medieval walls, Pont d’Avignon, and (if you choose) the famed Popes’ Palace (entrance fee not included, paid locally). (Learn more about the Palais des Papes.)
• Free time for lunch.
• Stop at a Chateauneuf-du-Pape winery for a tasting en route back to Aix.
• Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Six

• Breakfast, and checkout.
• Spend the day exploring Aix (perhaps the Musee Granet), and enjoy a cheese and wine pairing for lunch.
• Afternoon transfer to Aix TGV station.