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Food Wine Culture Tours
216 Lindbergh Avenue
Frederick, MD 21701 USA
Toll free (866) 874-4219
Phone: (301) 663-9160
"AFFORDABLE LUXURY"
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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.
Package includes:
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.
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.
Package includes:
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