Provence & the Cote D'azur

Provence & the Cote d’Azur

10 DAYS/9 NIGHTS – GROUP TRAVEL SUGGESTED ITINERARY - CAN BE CUSTOMIZED

INCLUSIONS France’s region of Provence and the Cote d’Azur is home to fields of lavender, rosé wines, castles, bouillabaisse soup, Roman ruins, turquoise beaches, perfume-making, pastis liqueur,  4 nights in Nice ratatouille and picturesque rocky inlets along the Mediterranean. Stroll down Nice’s seaside  2 nights each in promenade. See the countryside that inspired Matisse, Cézanne and Van Gogh. Experience Marseille and Avignon the glamour of Monaco. Visit the picturesque and historic town of Avignon. Cruise through  1 nights in Aix-en- Marseille’s iconic calanques. Visit Nîmes’ 2000-year-old Roman amphitheatre. See the Pont Provence de Gard aqueduct. Taste local Provencal wines. This tour will show you the charm of the  Breakfast daily  countryside – and the glamour of the French Riviera. Lunch and dinner per itinerary  Ground transport via air conditioned luxury coach DAY 1 ~ ARRIVE NICE Italian kingdoms, particularly with Pisa –  English speaking and even as few as 150 years ago it was Bienvenue à Nice, a assistant and guides ruled by the Kingdom of Sardinia. By the  Admission tickets as beautifully relaxing and outlined in itinerary mid 1700’s Nice - because of its pleasant utterly scenic city on climate – developed as a winter vacation HIGHLIGHTS France’s famed French Riviera. In addition destination for wealthy Northern to having fantastic art museums and  Guided tour of a Europeans, particularly the English. During working French vibrant, turquoise beaches – Nice is also an your afternoon walking tour of Nice’s perfumery in Eze excellent base city for exploring this stretch  Ride the “petit train” charming Old Town, you will visit the city’s of the Cote d’Azur. Upon arrival to the in Cannes lovely flower market on Cours Saleya and  Day excursion to airport, a local guide will meet your group glamorous Monaco see the city’s main sights including Place in the arrival hall and accompany it to the  Wine taste in Le Masséna, Place du Palais, Place Rossetti, hotel by private bus. Lavandou and the Promenade des Anglais and the city’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape Depending on our flight’s arrival time, upon  Boat cruise through 19th-century Opera House. Marseille’s arrival to the hotel you and your fellow picturesque calanques The tour will finish back at the hotel, and group members will either store baggage  Tour of Nîmes’ 2000- your group will have a welcome dinner this with the reception staff and enjoy time for year-old Roman evening in the hotel’s restaurant. amphitheatre-turned- free lunch (in the event that you have bullring arrived before the 2:00 pm check-in time) DAY 2 ~ NICE  See the Roman aqueduct known as or (in the event that you have arrived in After breakfast in the hotel, the “Pont de Gard,” mid-late afternoon) will directly check-in, enjoy a full day at leisure to  Sightseeing tours in freshen up and the join the guide Aix-en-Provence, visit lovely Nice. Shop in Avignon, Nice, downstairs for a walking tour of Nice’s the city’s boutiques. Have lunch at a Marseille, Arles, beautiful Old Town. Nîmes, Cassis and seaside café. Swim in one of the most Monaco Founded by the ancient Greeks, the historic beautiful stretches of the Mediterranean, city of Nice is almost 2400 years old. In the or pay a visit to one of Nice’s fantastic art 9th century it was badly damaged by the museums such as the Beaux-Arts Museum, Muslim Saracens. By the early Middle the Musée Matisse, the Musée d'Art Ages, it was often politically in league with Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (all three of which are free of charge) or the Musée before continuing east to the Principality of National Marc Chagall. Monaco, the second-smallest independent state in Europe (after Vatican City) and a DAY 3 ~ NICE destination that oozes affluence and luxury. After lunch in the hotel, Upon arrival you’ll have free time for lunch meet a local guide in the followed by a guided tour of the Old Town. hotel for a fantastic Then you’ll have some time to explore on sightseeing excursion by private bus. You’ll your own or see the Royal Palace before begin with a visit to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a returning to Nice in the late afternoon. picture-perfect medieval village that is Enjoy one final evening at leisure in Nice. home to a thriving art scene. Its boutiques DAY 5 ~ MARSEILLE are a great place for those wanting to peruse boutiques that sell Provencal fabrics After breakfast in the hotel, and local gourmet delicacies (olive oil, your group will check out wine, fruit liqueurs, etc.). Afterwards you’ll and begin traveling west by carry on to the nearby city of Vence to visit private bus along the pristine Cote d’Azur its Rosaire Chapel, whose interiors were (which literally means “Azure Coast.”) Your designed by Matisse towards the end of his first stop is the seaside town of Le life. This was a project of personal passion Lavandou where you will visit Domaine de and dedication for the artist, and inside you l'Anglade, a wine estate that has been run will find gorgeous tile work, stained-glass by the same family for the past three and murals painted by Matisse himself. generations. Quite unusually for a vineyard – it’s located on the beach. In general, From here you will travel south back Provence is well-loved for its production of towards the coast to one of the French rosé wines. That being said - its red wines Riviera’s crown jewels: Cannes, home to are beginning to capture the attention of fashion, beautiful beaches and one of the the wine world. (And nearby Cassis most famous film festivals in the world. As produces excellent white wines). Since the we arrive, you will have free time for lunch time of the ancient Greeks first and exploring followed by a fun, one-hour settlements, wine has been produced in sightseeing tour on Cannes’ white “petit this part of France for almost 3000 years. train” that will take you through Cannes’ Enjoy a guided tour of the wine estate medieval port and to the city’s best known followed by a wine tasting. Then head to a destination: the seaside, star-studded local restaurant for an authentic, Provencal promenade locally known as “la Croisette.” lunch with local seafood dishes with your Return to Nice in the afternoon, and enjoy traveling companions in Le Lavandou. After the evening at leisure. lunch, continue traveling west along the DAY 4 ~ NICE coast to Marseille: the capital of Provence, After breakfast in the hotel, the second largest city in France and your meet your local guide for an base city for the next two nights. interesting sightseeing Having been founded as a port city by the excursion to Eze and Monaco by private Greeks, at 2600 years old, colorful bus. You’ll begin your day learning all Marseille is one the oldest cities in Western about the word of French perfume in the Europe. It’s also been selected as the scenic village of Eze at the Fragonard official European Capital of Culture in 2013. Perfumery. Enjoy a guided tour here Upon arrival to Marseille, you will check-in at the hotel and then immediately meet a remarkably well-preserved Roman ruins. local guide for a late-afternoon / early- This is also the setting that so inspired evening walking tour of the Old Port. Vincent Van Gogh. He painted Café de Tonight, the evening is free for you to enjoy Nuit, Starry Night and Les Alyscamps while Marseille. For dinner, consider trying living in Arles. Upon arrival to Arles in mid- bouillabaisse, a fish stew delicacy that hails morning you will meet a local guide for a from Marseille. walking tour. Afterwards, your group will re-board the bus and make the short drive DAY 6 ~ MARSEILLE to the city of Nîmes, which is home to one After breakfast in the hotel, of the best preserved Roman meet a local guide in the amphitheatres in the world. Upon arrival lobby. Today you’re in for a you will have free time to have lunch, and real treat: a sightseeing excursion of then your guide will take you inside the Marseille’s famed Massif des Calanques. city’s 2000-year-old Roman amphitheatre- The calanques can be described as rocky turned-bullring. After the visit, your group stretch of land along the coastline that will make a final stop before arriving to contains dramatically carved-out, limestone tonight’s destination of Avignon. You’re coves. (They resemble fjords, which differ about to see one of the most famous sites as they are carved by glaciers and not by in France: the ancient Roman aqueduct the sea). The Massif des Calanques lies known as the Pont du Gard. This between the ports of Marseille and Cassis impressively constructed (and preserved) and spans approximately 12 miles. This is UNESCO World Heritage Site was one of the most naturally beautiful areas in constructed in 19 BC. In its heyday it all of France. You’ll begin today’s excursion transported water to over 30 miles to the with a short drive to the scenic fishing town Roman community in Nîmes. After seeing of Cassis. Here you will embark on a 90- this ancient feat of engineering, proceed to minute cruise that will take you to eight of Avignon. the most beautiful calanques. After this Upon arrival to the hotel, you and your once-in-a-lifetime experience, you’ll return fellow travelers can check in and have time back to Cassis and enjoy some free time to to freshen up before a group dinner tonight have lunch and explore Cassis. It is often in the hotel’s restaurant. described as one of the least spoiled towns on the Cote d’Azur. In the mid-afternoon, DAY 8 ~ AVIGNON your group will return to the hotel in After breakfast in the hotel, Marseille, and the remainder of the day will meet a local guide for a be at leisure. sightseeing tour of the DAY 7 ~ AVIGNON historic, walled city of Avignon. Avignon was one of the most influential cities in After breakfast in the hotel, Christian Europe during the Middle Ages. your group will check out In fact - in the 14th century, the Pope and board a private bus for moved the papacy from Vatican City to another fantastic day of sightseeing. You’ll Avignon. This worked out quite well for begin by heading northwest through the about 70 years until the Pope returned to lavender fields and vineyards of the Rome and Avignon went ahead and elected Provencal countryside to the very historic a second pope (often called the anti-Pope) city of Arles, which is home to some to continue ruling from Avignon. This caused a major rift in Catholic Europe for DAY 10 ~ AIX-EN- about four decades. As a result of the PROVENCE Papacy’s temporary home in Avignon, the After breakfast in the hotel, magnificient Palais des Papes was your group will check out and constructed here – and you will tour it this proceed to Marseille Airport for its return morning during your sightseeing tour of flight to the USA. Avignon. You will also go inside the city’s 12th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame des WHY TRAVEL WITH US ? Doms. After a break for lunch on own, your tour will continue with a short drive to Whether it is taking a family trip to Paris, an Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The castle there was educational group to Barcelona, or a church originally constructed as the Pope’s summer group to Rome we can build an affordable, residence. Today it is home to some of European trip tailored to your interests. From single city itineraries to multiple cities and France’s best vineyards. Enjoy a wine tasting Why Should You countries, your travel agent will work with us before you return to Avignon in the late to create custom tours for groups of 10 to Encourage Your afternoon. The tour will finish at the hotel, 500 people. Travel Agent to and your evening is at leisure in Avignon. Book Your Group We Make It Easy - We provide a quick DAY 9 ~ AIX-EN- turnaround on custom quotes. Multi-city and Through Us? PROVENCE multi-country itineraries are our specialty. In addition, we can help organize signup After breakfast in the hotel, deadlines, travel documents and payments. your group will check-out and Ease of Use travel south by private coach to the beautiful Experience - Europe Express has managed city of Aix-en-Provence. Founded by the over 6,000 custom group trips since 1990. Romans, this city oozes provincial, French We provide expert guides and high quality Experience travel products. charm. Being here really feels like you’ve

gone back in time. Home to gorgeous Flexibility - We work with your travel agent Flexibility squares, elegant fountains and lovely café- to create a tailor-made trip to accommodate filled streets, Aix-en-Provence was a source your interests, booking whatever of inspiration for post-Impressionist painter combination of travel services fit your plans Peace of Mind Paul Cézanne and for writers Ernest and budget, including airfare, hotels, rail, transfers, sightseeing and more. Hemingway and Émile Zola. Your group will arrive to the hotel mid-morning, drop its Peace of Mind - Dedicated local ground baggage off to be stored with the reception support means that there is always someone staff and immediately meet a local guide for available to help you. Relax knowing that a walking tour of postcard-like Aix-en- your trip is backed by our commitment to offer world-class quality of service. Provence. The tour will finish just before lunch time, and you will have the remainder Contact your travel agent today for a of the day to enjoy exploring. Later on in the customized itinerary and group quote! evening, your group will go to a local restaurant for one final dinner in France.

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