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"... a world-wide travel and experience company"
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"AFFORDABLE LUXURY"
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| from $3,135 per person double occupancy-exclusive of air |
from $2,799 per person double occupancy-exclusive of air |
from $2,489 per person double occupancy-exclusive
of air |
Welcome to the hidden treasures of Provence: Frances' most colorful and loved destination. Enjoy centuries old attractions, medieval villages, monuments, and castles. Diverse landscapes from glacier peaks to warm sunny beaches, breathtaking gorges, stunning views, and charming villages contribute to the charm of Provence. Art galore, festivals, open air markets, and an incredible mild climate make Provence an attractive vacation mecca. But what makes Provence so special is the mosaic of fine wines, some of the best in the world; and above all the cuisine that is extremely fresh and luxurious with tastes so savory they explode in your mouth.
Apr
27 to May 7, 2007
&
Oct 20 to 30, 2006
Package includes:
- 11 days / 9 nights accommodations in 3 star hotels in Grasse (3 nights), Avignon (3 nights), and Nimes (3 nights)
- Breakfast daily, 3 dinners, 3 lunches
- 3 wine tastings and visits to vineyards
- Olive oil Mill visit and tasting
- Cooking lesson
- Transportation by private deluxe motor coach with guide
- Sight seeing and visits as follows:
- Guided tour of Nice, its old city, and Eze
- Guided tour of famous vineyard of "Chateau de Bellet"
- Guided tour of Aix-en-Provence
- Visit and tasting of Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas, among the best wine in France
- Tour of Avingnon and its’ Roman monuments
- Tour Nimes and the "Pont du Gard", Roman Acqueduct
- Tour the Camargue and Arles
- Visits to Provencal markets
- Land only price from $2,799 per person double occupancy
- Lots of leisure time and flexibility to adjust daily excursions and activities
Great Food and Wine
We found that tour members get a lot more out of their holiday if they are free to select their own lunch and dinner arrangements on some of the tour days. It gives tour members the opportunity to try local restaurants, essential if they are to get to know the French, and to eat lightly or informally on some occasions. In those instances we will recommend restaurants for each of these occasions. The special dinners will be occasions at which we celebrate the food and wine of each region.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Fri - Depart USA to Nice
Day 2 Sat - On arrival in Nice, the tour group will be met by a private coach and tour guide for transfer to hotel in Grasse for a three night stay. After everyone is settled, a local guide will provide an orientation to the area and the main sights. There will be time to relax before the welcome dinner and to enjoy a complimentary drink. Tour members will have the opportunity to meet each other and the guide who will outline plans for the days ahead. There will be ample time to explore Grasse on your own and its beautiful panorama of the bay of Nice
Day 3 Sun - After breakfast, you will visit the famous perched villages: Saint-Paul de Vence, Tourettes sur Loup, and Vence. With time to explore, you may want to visit one of the many museums to see the paintings of Picasso and Matisse. The time taken to explore an old olive mill and sample some tastes is well worth the visit. Mid-afternoon the group will visit the studio of a potter in the famous village of Vallauris. Tonight your tour guide will host an optional dinner at a good restaurant and everybody is invited to join. The guide will recommend good value for money restaurants for those who wish to dine more casually or simply. Hotel in Grasse.
Day 4 Mon - After breakfast we will depart for a guided tour of the beautiful village of Eze perched high above the "Golfe de Nice". You will have plenty of time to enjoy the panoramic view of the bay, to explore, shop, and to find the perfect restaurant for lunch. After lunch, on your own, we travel to Nice for a guided tour with ample time to stroll through the streets of the old town and view its many monuments. We conclude our day with a visit to the famous vineyards of " Bellet" with a wine tasting. While a quality restaurant will be recommended for dinner, you will have the option to choose your own. Hotel in Grasse.
Day 5 Tues - After breakfast we will depart by motor coach to Avignon. On the way, we will stop at Aix-en-Provence, the former Roman capital of the region. Aix’s most famous son, Paul Cezanne, was born here in 1839 and his studio, preserved as it was left when he died in 1906, is our first visit. After a guided tour of the old city, we will take time for a gastronomic lunch. After lunch, we will depart for Avignon and check into your hotel for a three night stay which is located close to the "Palais des Papes". We will dine as a group at one of the many fine restaurants in Avignon.
Day 6 Wed - A free day to explore the fine city of Avignon. We recommend that you start your day with a visit to the lively markets. The group will meet at lunchtime at a fine restaurant for a cooking lesson and a chance to meet the chef and taste the specialties of the area. The chef will lead a discussion about pairing food and wine. After lunch there will be plenty of time to explore Avignon and its many Roman monuments. Dine on your own or at one of the many restaurants recommended by the tour guide. Hotel in Avignon.
Day 7 Thurs - After breakfast, depart by motor coach for an informative and enjoyable day of vineyard visits and tasting. You will visit and taste the vintages of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, ranked among the best "crus" in France. A wine specialist will welcome you in his vineyard and initiate you to his "savoir faire". Lunchtime will be taken at leisure in Châteauneuf. There will be ample time to visit the perched villages of Comtat Vénaissin and "Dentelles de Montmirail": Châteauneuf, Gigondas, Séguret, Beaumes de Venise. A quality restaurnt will be recommended for dinner in Avignon. Hotel in Avignon.
Day 8 Fri - After breakfast, the group will depart for Nimes where it will spend the next 3 nights in a comfortable hotel in the centre of the old village. On the way, you will discover the Alpilles hills and the famous villages of les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The group will lunch together at a farm house where you will sample their speciality, goat-cheese. After lunch, the Pont du Gard built by the Romans is our destination. A quality restaurant will be recommended for dinner or you can accompany the tour guide. Hotel in Nimes.
Day 9 Sat - A free day to discover and explore Nimes and its many features at your leisure: the Amphitheater, the Arenas, the Arc to name a few. After sleeping in, we recommend that you start your day with a visit to the lively outdoor markets and explore the many shops in the area. A quality restaurant will be recommended for dinner or choose your own.
Day 10 Sun - After breakfast, you will leisurely visit the beautiful National Reserve of Camargue, its wild horses, bulls and birds. A special provencal lunch will be held at a farm in Camargue where they raise horses and bulls. Afterwards we visit Aigues-Mortes, a vineyard close to the sea, for a tasting of the excellent white wines. You will have plenty of time in the afternoon to explore Arles and its famous Monuments or to shop. In the evening, the group will come together to enjoy a special farewell dinner and share the many experiences of the past week.
Day 11 Mon - After breakfast, we will be transferred
by motor coach to the airport to begin your journey back home.
PROVENCAL GASTRONOMY
July 6– 14, 2007
Package includes:
- Seven nights accommodations in 3 star hotels in Grasse (3 nights) & Avignon (4 nights)
- Meals as follows: all breakfasts, 2 dinners, 4 lunches
- 2 wine tastings and visits to vineyards
- 2 cooking lessons
- Transportation by private deluxe motor coach
- Professional tour escort
- Sight seeing and visits as follows:
- guided tour of Eze, and the old city of Nice
- guided tour of famous vineyard of "Chateau de Bellet"
- guided tour of Aix-en-Provence
- visit and tasting of Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas, some of the best crus in France
- Time to explore Avignon and its’ Roman monuments
- visits to typical Provence market
- Lost of leisure time and flexibility to adjust daily excursions and activities:
- Transfers on arrival from Nice airport to the hotel in Grasse, and on departure from Hotel to Marseille airport
- Limited to 22
- Land only price from $2,489 per person double occupancy
Great Food and Wine
We found that tour members get a lot more out of their holiday if they are free to select their own lunch and dinner arrangements on some of the tour days. It gives tour members the opportunity to try local restaurants, essential if they are to get to know the French, and to eat lightly or informally on some occasions. In those instances we will recommend restaurants for each of these occasions. The special dinners will be occasions at which we celebrate the food and wine of the region.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Fri -- Depart U.S.A. for Provence
Day 2 Sat-- Arrival in Nice Airport
Morning arrival at Nice airport and transfer to your hotel in Grasse.
After you check in to your hotel, where you will spend the next 3 nights,
you will have time to explore and discover Grasse and its beautiful panorama
of the bay of Nice. Welcome dinner, aperitif, and a chance to meet your
tour guide.
Day 3 Sun -- A day on "Route des Saveurs
Today you will discover the subtleties of Nice cuisine. After a walk through
a typical provençal market in Cannes, you will visit the famous
restaurant "Le Moulin de Mougins" for a cooking demonstration
of local cuisine and a gastronomic lunch. In the afternoon, you will have
time to explore the villages of "Arrière-Pays" Niçois,
Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Saint-Paul de Vence, and La Colle-sur-Lou. Your tour
guide will make recommendations for dinner. Hotel in Grasse.
Day 4 Mon -- The French Riviera and its vintages
After breakfast, we will depart for a guided tour of Eze, a beautiful
village perched above the "Golfe de Nice". After the guided
visit, there will be plenty of time to explore and discover Eze, to shop,
and to enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a guided visit of
Nice, and the little streets of the old town and the Nice Monuments. After
some time for shopping, we will visit the famous vineyards of " Bellet"
with wine tasting, located high above Nice. The views from the vineyard
are magnificent. Hotel in Grasse.
Day 5 Tue -- Aix-en-Provence and Avignon
After breakfast, you will be transferred to your hotel in Avignon where
you will spend the next 4 nights. On the way, you will stop in Aix-en-Provence,
the old Roman Capital, for a gastronomic lunch. In the afternoon, you
will enjoy a guided visit of the city on the footsteps of Paul Cezanne,
a famous local artist. Your hotel in Avignon, is located close to "Palais
des Papes".
Day 6 Wed -- Initiation to the provençal cuisine
You will have plenty of time in the morning to explore the markets of
Avignon. Lunch will be at a charming restaurant in the center of town.
You will prepare your own lunch as you work with the chef and take his
cooking lesson. In the afternoon, you will have plenty of time to explore
Avignon and its roman monuments
Day 7 Thur -- The Côtes-du-Rhône famous vintages
Today you will discover the vintages of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and
Gigondas, ranked among the best "crus" in France. A wine specialist
will welcome you in his vineyard and initiate you to his "savoir-faire"…
Lunch on your own will be at Châteauneuf. You will have plenty of
time to visit the perched villages of Comtat Vénaissin and "Dentelles
de Montmirail": Châteauneuf, Gigondas, Séguret, Beaumes
de Venis. Our tour guide will make several recommendations for dinner.
Day 8 Fri -- Discovery of the Luberon Regional Park
(Breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Today you will visit some of the "most beautiful villages in France",
from castles to perched villages: Gordes, Roussillon, Menerbes, Lourmari.
We will visit an olive oil-mill for a demonstrations and tasting. Lunch
will be at a farm house. Your farewell dinner will be at a special restaurant
in Avignon.
Day 9 Sat -- Breakfast and departure
Transfer to Marseille/Marignane airport