Provence Highlights

Immerse yourself in the landscape of Provence

Provence, known as France's sun-kissed paradise with its fertile valleys, the Mediterranean coastline, ancient and medieval cultural hubs, the fragrant aroma of herbs, and the Provençal way of life, is a remarkable cultural landscape. Its unique light and vivid colours have drawn countless painters like van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall to its embrace. Beyond its diverse and stunning landscapes, Provence beckons with its rich history, art, and architecture. Visitors are captivated by renowned architectural marvels such as the Papal Palace in Avignon (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the Arena in Arles, the Pont du Gard (also a UNESCO World Heritage site), as well as the Greek and Roman excavation sites of Glanum and the medieval city of Les Baux in the Alpilles.

One of the tour's highlights is a bike ride through the Camargue, a protected wetland in the Rhône delta. This unique landscape is home to famous pink flamingos and white horses, offering a striking contrast to the previous attractions. Throughout your journey, you'll immerse yourself in the vibrant life of Provence: the bustling cities, colourful markets, Spanish influences, village life beneath plane trees, and soothing Mediterranean tranquillity.

Book this holiday: Provence Highlights

Details about the bike tour in Provence

There's nothing quite like a cycling holiday to fully immerse yourself in Europe's most stunning regions, and this certainly holds true for the South of France, including Provence and Camargue. Over the course of eight days, you'll embark on a journey to discover some of the most exquisite locales and create memories that will linger in your heart long after you return home. By the end of this eight-day adventure, you'll undoubtedly find yourself enchanted by the serene and captivating ambiance of the South.

The highlights of the Provence cycling holiday at a glance

  • Picturebook landscapes: Intense violet of the lavender fields, the bright red of tomatoes in the markets, a deep blue sky.

  • Camargue: The protected wetland area in the Rhône Delta, is known for its pink flamingos and white horses. A spectacular contrast to Provence!

  • Culture through time: Culture in the South of France reflects the region's eventful history. Whether visiting the Papal Palace in Avignon, Norman Foster's Carré d'art in Nîmes or the famous aqueduct of Pont-du-Gard.

Worth knowing about the bike tour in Provence

The ancient Roman city of Orange is the beginning and the end of your cycling holiday at the same time. On the way through picturesque villages and the unique nature, you cycle between 45 and 55 kilometres a day in and day out. You will cover a total of 305 kilometres by bike. The medium-difficult tour runs on mostly small, car-free roads and only a few small climbs have to be overcome.

This tour has been graded as Medium. Find out more about our cycling holiday difficulty levels.

Book this holiday: Provence Highlights

Tour information
Medium
  • 8 Days / 7 Nights
  • Self-Guided
  • Luggage transfers included
  • Total cycling distance: approx. 305 km
Steven Rittey
Steven Rittey
+44 1706 618 155 Contact
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Itinerary

Individual arrival in Orange, the city with famous monuments from the Roman period. Of course Orange is also known for its connection with our royal family, to this place Willem van Oranje owes his name. The Roman theater is one of the best preserved in the world and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the city arch with its three gates. Taste the regional specialties, rabbit in white wine sauce and drink a good glass of wine.

The first stage takes you to the world famous wine village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The place was already known for its viticulture in the 13th century. Many hours of sunshine, the mistral and the soil of the soil provide perfect conditions for good wines. The journey continues to Avignon.

 

ca. 50 km

Your route continues to St. Rémy, the birthplace of the famous Nostradamus and perhaps the most beautiful and certainly one of the most typical towns in Provence. The old town streets, fountains, restaurants and cafes are ideal places to enjoy the flair of Provence. An interesting sight are the ruins of the Roman city of Glanum to the south of the city. You drive past Les Baux, the "City in the Rock", to Arles. In addition to a plethora of Roman-era monuments, which today belong to the world's cultural heritage, Arles has attractive sacred and palace buildings. At times, this city was home to Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. You will spend two nights in Arles.

ca. 55 km

Today it goes into the fascinating landscape of the Camargue with its salty steppes and numerous shallow lakes. The height hardly limits the view. The vegetation is quite sparse, yet more than 400 species of water birds live here, including the famous pink flamingos. Other well-known animal species in the Camargue are the Camargue horses and the black Camargue bulls. From Mejanes you can take a little train into the middle of this fascinating landscape before returning to Arles.

ca. 45 km

In the morning you will visit the two cities separated by the Rhone Tarascon and Beaucaire. Sights of these places are the castles from the 12th century. In Beaucaire, numerous canal side cafes invite you to take a break. In Nîmes, many very well-preserved buildings bear witness to Roman times. Admire the arena, the Maison Carrée or the Tour Magne on a guided city tour. But modernity also sets accents, for example with Norman Foster's Carré d'art (cultural centre).

ca. 45 km

Via the castle of Tarascon, perched high above the Rhône River, you will continue through the vineyards of the Costiéres-de-Nimes. Around noon you will already see the Pont-du-Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct and also listed on the World Heritage List. Aromatically scented plants such as lavender, thyme and rosemary accompany you to the pretty town of Uzès with its enchanting medieval charm.

ca. 45 km

Today the landscape changes again. The last stage takes you on roads lined with holly and oak trees, and continues into hills covered with Mediterranean herbs. Then the vines and beautiful orchards of Provence dominate the view again. You cross the Rhône. On the other side of the river, you will cycle through the southern French village of Caderousse, rejoining the town of Orange in the afternoon and enjoying the typical Provencal way of life for the last time. An overnight stay in Orange. 

ca. 55 km

After breakfast, the individual return journey follows or your extension starts in Orange.

Route information

Easy to medium. The bike rides are between 45 and 55 km long and lead through the different landscapes of Provence. With the exception of small climbs in the Garrigue hills and in the Alpilles, an easy and varied tour awaits you even for inexperienced cyclists. This mainly runs on small, car-free streets and asphalted farm roads. With our e-bike, this trip is an easy journey for everyone.

Prices and dates

Prices are per person in GBP and exclude flights. All bookings are ABTA-protected.

Price calculation and check availability: Provence Highlights

Place of arrival: Orange
  Season 1
18.03.2023 - 05.05.2023
08.10.2023 - 21.10.2023

Saturday, Monday
Season 2
06.05.2023 - 16.06.2023
03.09.2023 - 07.10.2023

Saturday, Monday
Season 3
17.06.2023 - 02.09.2023

Saturday, Monday
Provence Highlights, Cat. B, FR-PRRHP-08B
Base price
959.00
1,019.00
1,059.00
Single room surcharge 259.00 199.00 259.00
Provence Highlights, Cat. A, FR-PRRHP-08A
Base price
1,199.00
1,269.00
1,339.00
Single room surcharge 579.00 579.00 579.00
  • Category A: You stay in comfortable 3*** to 4**** Hotels (French classification) with facilities, some with air conditioning and swimming pool
  • Category B: You stay in well maintained 2** Hotels and 1x 3*** Hotel (French classification) with facilities
Season 1
Mar 18, 2023 - May 5, 2023
Oct 8, 2023 - Oct 21, 2023
Saturday, Monday
Season 2
May 6, 2023 - Jun 16, 2023
Sep 3, 2023 - Oct 7, 2023
Saturday, Monday
Season 3
Jun 17, 2023 - Sep 2, 2023
Saturday, Monday
Provence Highlights, Cat. B, FR-PRRHP-08B
Base price
Single room surcharge
Provence Highlights, Cat. A, FR-PRRHP-08A
Base price
Single room surcharge
959.00
259.00
1,199.00
579.00
1,019.00
199.00
1,269.00
579.00
1,059.00
259.00
1,339.00
579.00
  • Category A: You stay in comfortable 3*** to 4**** Hotels (French classification) with facilities, some with air conditioning and swimming pool
  • Category B: You stay in well maintained 2** Hotels and 1x 3*** Hotel (French classification) with facilities
Season 1
Mar 18, 2023 - May 5, 2023
Oct 8, 2023 - Oct 21, 2023
Season 2
May 6, 2023 - Jun 16, 2023
Sep 3, 2023 - Oct 7, 2023
Season 3
Jun 17, 2023 - Sep 2, 2023
Orange
Double room Cat. B
Single room surcharge
Orange
Double room Cat. A
Single room surcharge
66.00
40.00
70.00
45.00
66.00
40.00
70.00
45.00
66.00
40.00
70.00
45.00
Additional nights
Place of arrival: Orange
  Season 1
Mar 18, 2023 - May 5, 2023
Oct 8, 2023 - Oct 21, 2023

Saturday, Monday
Season 2
May 6, 2023 - Jun 16, 2023
Sep 3, 2023 - Oct 7, 2023

Saturday, Monday
Season 3
Jun 17, 2023 - Sep 2, 2023

Saturday, Monday
Orange
Double room Cat. B 66.00 66.00 66.00
Single room surcharge 40.00 40.00 40.00
Orange
Double room Cat. A 70.00 70.00 70.00
Single room surcharge 45.00 45.00 45.00
Price
21-Speed Unisex Bike
Unisex E-Bike
30-Speed Bike PLUS
99.00
239.00
159.00
Prices per person in GBP

Services / Information

Services

Included

  • 7 nights in the chosen category, including breakfast
  • Luggage transfer(s) max. 1 piece of luggage 20 kg per person
  • Travel folder 1 x per room (German, English with route and overview maps, detailed route description, places of interest, important telephone numbers, suitcase labels)
  • GPS data available on request
  • Service Hotline

Not included

  • Tourist tax, if applicable, to be paid locally
Arrival information
  • Train: Orange station, from Paris by TGV to Orange. Start hotels are approx. 2-3 km from the train station
  • Airport: Lyon or Marseille
  • Parking Category A: Free parking spaces are available on the hotel grounds. Reservation is not possible and mandatory
  • Parking Category B: Hotel L'Herbier d'Orange has no parking spaces, but cooperates with the "parking du théâtre antique", which is nearby. We recommend driving to the hotel for loading and unloading luggage. On request, you will receive a parking card for €5 at the reception, which allows you to park for 24 hours in the "parking du théâtre antique". Booking in advance is not possible. You can pay on the spot

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