Lavender Tours

Written by Viator, November 2010

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Good Place to Shop, Nature & Wildlife, Romantic

It’s hard to believe, but there was a time not so long ago when visitors to Provence rarely ventured far from the Côte d’Azur. The inland was chiefly known as the center of France’s fragrance industry and apart from Avignon, was thought largely uninteresting for tourists.

How times change. The same lavender hills which provide the base ingredients for a multitude of different scents now welcome multitudes of visitors, all reveling in the sight and smell of purple blooms carpeting gently sloping hills. The landscape is only interrupted by historic villages where artisanal crafts are practiced much as they were 200 years ago.

If you’re staying on the coast, you can head out from Cannes or Nice on a private full day tour of the hinterlands, stopping at the beautiful village of St Paul de Vence, its narrow streets lined with galleries, as well as the perfume center of Grasse.

Otherwise, Avignon is the ideal starting point for a full- or half-day journey filled with stunning vistas and bewitching aromas. In summer, the roads are lined with rows of lavender under bright Provencal skies as you journey to such towns as Sault or Roussillon, where you can stock up on perfumes, soaps and other delightfully scented products, right at the source. And there’s a whole museum devoted to lavender in the village of Coustellet.

The stunning hill-top village of Gordes, with its distinctive dry-stone walls, is another favorite destination. Notable historic landmarks in the region include the beautiful 12th century Sénanque Abbey, which looks over its own lavender fields, and the miraculously preserved 1st century aqueduct Pont de Gard. There are more Roman traces in the village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, birthplace of Nostradamus and the subject of Van Gogh’s most famous painting, Starry Night. And all over Provence you’ll find charming antique stores where you can find your own piece of portable history to pack away with your perfume.

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All Lavender Tours Reviews

Reply by Viator, April 2013
Doing what: Provence in One Day Small Group Day Trip from Avignon

Great tour. Our guide was prompt in picking us up near our hotel (we were staying on a pedestrian only street). We had plenty of time in each of the cities visited and appreciated seeing the Pont Du Gard as the last stop. We had plenty of time to see it and there was not a crowd. We would definitely recommend taking this tour!

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Reply by Viator, December 2012
Doing what: Provence in One Day Small Group Day Trip from Avignon

Very well run tour

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Reply by Viator, November 2012
Doing what: Lavender and Villages in Provence Small Group Day Trip

This was a great tour. Very friendly, relaxed guide who knew her stuff and made the trip enjoyable. The two towns we visited were delightful and it was great to have time to wander around them on our own. While the lavender farm wasn't flowering the museum was way more interesting than I expected.

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