Walking holidays in Provence, Vaucluse & Luberon

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Tour du Luberon

Discovering villages amongst the mauve of lavender fields of the Luberon and the different ochres of the earth will leave lasting impressions for your minds eyes.
Starting in Avignon, l'Isle sur la Sorgue orFontaine-de-Vaucluse
you will walk to the Abbey of Senanqueand Gordeson your first walking day into the Luberon. Following are walks from one village to another you will see the authentic character of St.Saturnin-les-Apt, Rustrel, and the Colorado Provençal. Saignonand or Buouxand Bonnieux or Ménerbes will be the last stages in the Luberonmountain.

Self Guided Walking
5 to 9 days, 4 to 8 nights
3 to 7 days walking
Days of 10-15 km or 15-22 km walking

Villages of the Luberon
The Luberon is a unique regional park offering visitors an infinite variety of colourful and fragrant landscapes. Part of Provence and yet separately identifiable due to the rolling hills and beautiful "villages perchés", it makes an excellent base for a holiday.
The Luberon is full of romantic villages, dramatic ruins, deep gorges, the gulf of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
and pretty valleys – you will probably not want to venture beyond its boundaries!

The Luberon, a rugged, wooded region stretches for about 65 kilometres between Cavaillon, in the West, and Manosque in the East, at its Western extremity. The Western end is known as the ‘Petit Luberon’ and the Eastern end as the ‘Grand Luberon’. The two sections are divided by the Combe de Lourmarin (the old pathway), which cuts across the mountains between the charming villages of Bonnieux and Lourmarin. It’s a beautiful region, rich in colour and contrasts, with vivid sprays of scented lavender, bright green vines, ochre-coloured villages and austere white limestone hills. This is an area that has attracted artists and writers for centuries, with dozens of lovely villages to explore, ancient forts, spectacular abbeys and countless other geographical and historical sites. There are some marvellous walks in the area, following the GR9 from the medieval village of Viens to picturesque Rustrel, or hiking across rocky escarpments down into dramatic gorges, where ochre was once mined. Provence is also known for its food, with garlic, olives and olive oil playing an important role in the preparation of many dishes.

LEVEL:
Hiking trip on good trails, without technical difficulties, but a good physical condition needed..
3h30 to 8 hours walking per day (15 - 22 km a day).
We also provide a customized Luberon walk with daily 10 to 15 km. Contact us for these short walks
Elevation gains: cumulative from 300 to 650 m per day up and from -400 to -570m per day down.

INCLUDED :
5 to 8 nights Half board in **hotels (shower-bath en suite) and chambres d'Hôtes, all dinners except day 1, local specialties, continental breakfast, all local transfers, baggage transports, a folder with maps and written instructions. We assume you are able to read a map 1:25000. We don't encourage using a compass.
Not included: Travelling to l'Isle sur la Sorgue, dinner Day 1 in l'Isle sur la Sorgue, beverages, picnics.

STARTING DAY:
Any day of the week possible (March 25 - October 30) at the hotel in l'Isle sur la Sorgue.
l'Isle sur la Sorgue is accessible from Avignon by train.
In July and August best is to take a break at 12h00 of 2 - 3 hours for lunch in a restaurant, swimming, resting, seeing a museum etc..

If you start in August or September some trails might be closed for walkers, we'll take this into account and show you the free accesible trails.

If you start mid September you might encounter hunters and should beready to hear shooting and come across men with guns.

ACCESS :
- By train :
Many TGV from Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse directly to Avignon. From the railway station of Avignon Centre by train to l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (departure every two hours). The ride takes about 30 minutes.
Info : 08.36.35.35.35.

- By train back :
From Cavaillon to Avignon Centre, ride of about 40minutes.

- By car :
Situation : Paris 742km - Lyon 271km - Marseille 80km - Avignon 56km - Aix en Provence 50km.
Highway from Paris, Lyon, Marseille to Avignon; N100 from Avignon to Apt (56km).

-By airplane:
Aiports : Avignon – Caumont, tel : +33 490 812 039, Marseille – Provence, tel : +33 442 141 414
Marseille – Provence, tel : +33 442 141 414 (From the airport take shuttle bus (3 times, every hour at 0,10, 0,30 and 0,50h) to SNCF railway station of Marseille. Train to Avignon (60 minutes) or to Cavaillon (1h45 minutes) and change on train to l'Isle sur la Sorgue (30 minutes).

Tour du Luberon

Self Guided Walking

Walking in Vaucluse Provence