Experience the best of Lyon and Southern France's exceptional gastronomy
Luxury | From $9,199 pp
Day by Day
Day 1: Lyon
Luxury Private transfer from Lyon Airport or train station to Hotel in Lyon
A chauffeur will meet you for a private transfer from Lyon Airport or train station to your accommodation in Lyon in a luxury vehicle.
Overnight stay and breakfast, in a stunning 5-star hotel in Lyon
Day 2: Lyon
Private Half-Day Gourmet Walking Tour of Lyon
This gourmet tour passes through Lyon’s most emblematic neighborhoods with stops to taste local specialties.
Meet your guide by the Saint-Jean Cathedral. He is a specialist in culinary history, who will show you around the charming historical Lyon and point out the admirable traboules, sheltered medieval passageways.
The first gourmet stop is to one of the best pastry shops in Lyon, where you will learn about how pralines are made. Of course, you’ll get to taste them too! The popular pink sugar-coated almonds are a perfect dessert on their own but are also the base of a number of praline-based treats.
The tour continues on the other side of the Saône River, where the Bourgeoisie settled in the 17th century. The Presqu’île district has seemingly countless bouchons, traditional bistros found only in Lyon. Learn the history of the Mères Lyonnaises, or the mothers of Lyon, 19th-century middle-class women who worked outside their homes as cooks. They created brand new culinary traditions incorporating regional cooking.
A stop at one of the famous Chocolats Voisin stores to taste Coussin de Lyon is a must! This unique chocolate and marzipan dessert is shaped like the cushions used by Lyon’s silk weavers. It has been a symbol of Lyon since the 1960s.
Finally, visit the indoor Paul Bocuse Market, in the modern Part-Dieu district. This is a center of Lyon gastronomy that brings all of the region’s fine products under one roof: charcuterie, cheese, quenelles, chocolate, wines, and much more. Products change based on seasonal availability, but no matter when you visit, it is a gourmet pleasure.
Overnight stay and breakfast, in a stunning 5-star hotel in Lyon
Day 3: Lyon
Full day private guided wine and chocolate tour
Leaving from Lyon and heading south, you will follow the Rhône river to the city of Tain l’Hermitage, at the bottom of the iconic Hermitage Hill.
You will visit one of the most famous winery in the Rhône Valley, the Cave de Tain. It is the biggest producer of the Rhône Valley, you will learn all about the history of the vineyard and the winemaking process.You will also get to sample some of the wines.
Then, you will head to visit the museum of chocolate of a french chocolate maker Valrhona who has been supplying the finest chefs and artisans since 1922.
Overnight stay and breakfast, in a stunning 5-star hotel in Lyon
Day 4: Lyon - Aix-en-Provence
Luxury Private transfer from Lyon Hotel to Lyon Train Station (Part-Dieu)
A chauffeur will meet you for a private transfer from your hotel in Lyon to Lyon Train Station (Part-Dieu) in a luxury vehicle.
Direct Train from Lyon to Aix-en-Provence in First Class
Private Transfer: Aix-en-Provence TGV Train Station to Aix-en-Provence in a Luxury Vehicle
A chauffeur will meet you for a private transfer between the Aix-en-Provence TGV train station and your accommodation in Aix-en-Provence.
Note: For transfers, a maximum of 1 checked bag and 1 carry-on bag per person is included. If you have more luggage, please let us know so we can provide you with the appropriate vehicle.
Overnight Stay with Breakfast at a 5-star Hotel in a Converted 18th-century Aix-en-Provence Mansion
Day 5: Cadenet -Aix-en-Provence
Full-Day Custom Tour with a Driver in a Luxury Vehicle
Enjoy a custom-built private tour from Aix-en-Provence with an English-speaking driver.
Private truffle hunting and tasting tour
Explore the world’s most exciting and secretive business. Take a tour of a Provençal truffle plantation, study the cultivation of truffles, and training of truffle dogs. Experience hunting for France’s elusive “black gold” with trained hunters. Learn the difference between a real Provençal tuber melanosporum and its inferior Chinese counterparts and the process of cleaning, storing, and cooking truffles.
While on the exciting tour, you can also enjoy discovering wild herbs, vineyards, olive groves, and bee hives.
The tour is followed by three different hors d’oeuvre with truffles ice cream with truffle honey, and finally a tasting of the organic extra-virgin olive oil, truffle oil, and truffle salt, with all you care to drink Champagne.
During the tasting, you will learn how to buy truffles and truffles products, clean them, store them and prepare them.
Suggestion: Visit the Charming Villages in the Luberon Regional Nature Park
An idyllic piece of the rural landscape, the Luberon Regional Nature Park is an off-the-beaten-track area in the Vaucluse department (Provence). This UNESCO-listed nature reserve is based around the rugged mountainous area of the Montagne du Lubéron. The 120,000-hectare reserve encompasses limestone mountains, rolling hills, serene valleys, orchards and farms. The picturesque villages of the Luberon are some of Provence’s most charming, unspoiled tourist destinations. Exploring this area requires a driving itinerary, but it’s worth it.
One of the famous perched villages of Provence, Menerbes is a medieval village spread out along a hilltop in the center of the Luberon region. Typical of the ancient Luberon villages, you will find narrow streets passing carefully restored medieval houses as you climb up the hill. Most of the houses in Menerbes date from the 16th and 17th centuries, and a large number have been beautifully renovated in recent years. The village of Menerbes has long attracted artists – Nicolas de Stael and Picasso lived here. But the village is better known for a more recent resident, Peter Mayle, who wrote his ‘Year in Provence’ books while living in the village. These books undoubtedly brought fame and repute to the villages of the Luberon and Menerbes in particular, and deservedly so.
Overnight Stay with Breakfast at a 5-star Hotel in a Converted 18th-century Aix-en-Provence Mansion
Day 6: Saint Remy de Provence - Les Baux de Provence
Full-day private guided tour of Aix-en-Provence, Cassis, and Marseille
You will be picked up from your hotel for a taste of the Provence tour along the seashore and will be dropped back after the tour.
You will get to explore Aix-en-Provence, the city of Paul Cezanne by taking a stroll along Cours Mirabeau, the richest Provence Avenue where you will be charmed by the fountains, the private hotels, the small cafés, and old churches before discovering the authenticity of a Provençal market.
Next, you will be driven to Cassis, a famous fishing village, known for its sublime creeks (optional boat trip) and its wines (optional wine tasting in one of the wineries).
The afternoon will be devoted to a vehicular tour of Marseille, from the Cité Radieuse (Le Corbusier’s building, classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site) to the statue of David on the Avenue du Prado, from the Corniche to the Vallon des Auffes with a stop to discover the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde and enjoy a panoramic view of the city and its maritime area (Old Port, Archipelago of Frioul, Château d’If)
Overnight Stay with Breakfast at a 5-star Hotel in a Converted 18th-century Aix-en-Provence Mansion
Day 7: Aix-en-Provence - Cannes - Grasse
Half-Day Private Market Tour and Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence
Spend half a day shopping, cooking, and eating like a real Aixois.
Start the day off with an introduction to Aix-en-Provence’s history and food traditions. Next head to the market held in a 700-year-old market square, where you’ll meet local producers and sample their specialties.
Learn how to choose the best produce before heading to a cooking school in the old town. With the assistance of the head chef, you’ll transform fresh, seasonal ingredients into a tasty three-course meal.
Discover traditional Provençal recipes infused with a modern flair. Simplicity, flavor, and fresh ingredients are the keys to family-style cooking in France.
We saved the best part for last: you’ll enjoy your meal with some local wines.
Private Transfer in a Luxury Vehicle: Aix-en-Provence to the Aix-en-Provence Train Station
A chauffeur will meet you for a private transfer between Aix-en-Provence and the Aix-en-Provence TGV train station.
Train in 1st class between Aix-en-Provence and Cannes
Private Transfer in a Luxury Vehicle: Cannes Train Station to Grasse
A chauffeur will meet you for a private transfer between Cannes train station and your accommodation in Grasse.
Overnight stay and breakfast in a beautiful 5-Star Hotel in Grasse
Day 8: Saint Tropez
Full-Day Private Tour of Saint-Tropez
Charming Saint-Tropez is a mythical destination. Even the drive to Saint-Tropez Bay is a pleasure. The road takes you through the Maures Forest to Sainte-Maxime. From there you take a small ferry (15 minutes) to Saint-Tropez in order to better appreciate the beauty of the coastline.
In Saint-Tropez, there is something for everyone. It features an impressive historic fortress, the Annonciade Museum for art lovers, and a charming old town. The glamorous port, yachts, and boutiques will appeal to those who love luxury.
For your return, a chauffeur will pick you up in Saint-Tropez. You can choose to stop in the village of Port Grimaud (the so-called “little Venice of Provence”), Grimaud (one of the jewels of the South) or a winery near (wine tasting at your own expense).
Overnight stay and breakfast in a beautiful 5-Star Hotel in Grasse
Day 9: Grasse
Half-day Art and Wine Private driving tour
In this tour, you will be driven a few miles inland to the French Riviera to follow your passionate Sommelier for whom wine has almost no secret!
He will unveil to you what you always have loved to know about the art of wine surrounded by masterpieces of some major contemporaneous artists who have or exhibit around the world!
This delightful wine class will be set on a lovely terrace of a 17th-century medieval house overlooking the green valley facing the blue of the Mediterranean.
Suggestion: visit Grasse
The mountain roads that wind from one perched village to the next are a dream for drivers, and despite the variety of the landscapes dependent on the season – lavender fields, olive groves, maquis (fragrant scrubland), and even snow-capped mountains – you never lose sight of the sparkling Mediterranean in the distance.
The village of Grasse has had a prospering perfume industry since the end of the 18th century – it is the center of the French perfume industry and is known as the world’s perfume capital. It produces over two-thirds of France’s natural aromas. The old town is the highlight of Grasse and has numerous ancient buildings and a great deal of character; many of the houses are painted in pastel orange colors to brighten the narrow streets, and there are numerous shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Overnight stay and breakfast in a beautiful 5-Star Hotel in Grasse
Day 10: Nice
Luxury Private transfer from Hotel in Grasse to Nice Airport ou Nice train station
A chauffeur will meet you for a private transfer from your accommodation in Grasse to Nice airport or Train station in a luxury vehicle.
Map
About This Tour:
-
- Enjoy 24/7 English-spoken telephone assistance while traveling
- This itinerary includes transport, activities, guides, accommodations with breakfasts, and other listed services
- Price is in USD per person, assuming double occupancy. Note that prices and availability are subject to change.
Customize this itinerary:
Every French Side Travel trip is custom-built for your unique needs and interests. Above is an example of what’s possible. If this isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, contact us today. Put together your dream trip with our travel experts. Handpick the accommodations, guides, activities, and meals that are right for you.
When you book with French Side Travel, you’re getting a trip that’s as unique as you are.
Our Favorite Hotels in Southern France
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
