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! 

Order of activities subject to change depending on specific dates booked. 

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.
• Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Three

• Breakfast.
• Today enjoy a shared (max 8 people) morning wine tour in the Cezanne countryside. You will enjoy stunning views before going on to learn lots about the provencal wines, grape varieties, and terroir… and of course tasting them! The Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire vineyards are located East from the city of Aix-en-Provence, at the foot of the Sainte-Victoire Mountain which was a source of inspiration for the famous painter Cézanne from 1880 to 1883. Sample the tasty, full-bodied red wines and subtle and elegant rosés. Wine–tastings included in 2 wine properties of the appellation.
• Enjoy a gastronomic dinner tonight.
• Overnight.

Day Four

• Breakfast.
• Meet your driver and transfer for your Cooking lesson in Avignon – Meet your English-speaking Chef at the covered market LES HALLES, and discover the local market of Avignon… You’ll choose with the Chef the products that you’ll need for your provencal lunch! Walk with him to his cooking atelier, where you will create lunch with the Chef.
• Then – start your guided walking tour of Avignon and get ready to see the best sites in the city! Climb to the top of the fortified medieval city walls to reach the “Rocher des Doms” garden and gaze upon the city as it stretches out along the Rhône River. Discover the historical past of Avignon where the papacy was established in the early 14th century.
• Next it’s time to visit the Papal Palace for a guided tour (entrance ticket included). Explore the largest gothic-style palace in Europe and begin to imagine the luxurious way of life enjoyed there in the medieval period. Enjoy interesting stories and anecdotes from your local guide as you go.
• After the Popes’ Palace you’ll walk through the cobbled streets of Avignon to the Place de l’Horloge where you will uncover the secrets of its painted windows. See the town hall topped with its clock tower, and the theatre.
• The end of your walking tour in Avignon will be toasted with a glass of Côtes du Rhône wine served in a local place close to the Pope’s Palace.
• Back to the hotel in Aix. Dinner on your own.
• 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). Your first stop of the day is to Saint Rémy de Provence. Enjoy some free time in this picturesque town. (If you are there on a Wednesday, you can also visit the weekly market.)
• Next, your guide will take you for a photo stop at the Roman monuments and Van Gogh’s hospital where the painter was interned from 1889 to 1890. You can purchase a ticket to see a recreation of Van Gogh’s bedroom in Saint-Paul de Mausole (ticket not included).
• Leaving Saint Remy de Provence behind, it’s time to continue on to the exceptional village of Les Baux de Provence. This village has remained true to its medieval past. Walk through its narrow streets, explore the shops and see the imposing ruins of its castle. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the exceptional scenery that amazes all the visitors. Possibility to attend the show at Les Carrières de Lumières, an old quarry that has been turned into a unique immersive museum (ticket not included).
• Continue your tour of Provence with a visit to Arles where you will walk in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh! Follow your guide on a tour of the city and discover the places where he created his most famous paintings dating back to 1888-1889.
• Arles is also famous worldwide for its architectural heritage: the Roman amphitheatre and theatre, and the magnificent Romanesque Saint Trophime church (entrance fees not included, paid on the spot if you wish to enter). On Saturdays the market is on in Arles – so you may have free time to explore its colorfull stalls!
• You will return to Aix-en-Provence around 5:30 pm with a true appreciation of the sites of Saint Remy de Provence, Les Baux de Provence and Arles.
• Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Six

• Breakfast, and checkout.
• Transfer to Aix TGV station.