A first-class hotel and sumptuous gourmet restaurants await us in the UNESCO heritage city of Avignon. The Rhône Valley's rich history, its diverse geography and various grape varieties all contribute to making southern Côtes du Rhône wines so unique. We'll be joined by Laurence Minard-Amalou a French Government licensed guide with an art history degree from the Ecole du Louvre, Paris. We'll enjoy six wonderful nights at the magnificent 5-star Hôtel d'Europe, one of France’s grand historic hotels, dating to 1799 and long associated with artists, writers, and aristocrats traveling through Provence. The location is exceptional — just steps from the Rhône River, the Palais des Papes, and Avignon’s principal squares and shopping streets.

 

SUNDAY, Day 1 (Welcome to Provence) – Pick up from Avignon TGV Station. Check in for six nights at the magnificent 16th Century 5-star Hôtel d'Europe in Avignon, then enjoy a private walking tour of Avignon with our expert guide. Points of interest include the Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic palace in Europe and one of the defining monuments of medieval Christendom, as well as the Pont Saint-Bénézet, Place de l’Horloge, Rue des Teinturiers, a wonderfully atmospheric canal street lined with water wheels and cafés, and the Rocher des Doms Gardens with its panoramic views over the Rhône River and Provence countryside. Once back at our hotel, guests will be invited to join us for a welcome apéritif and to review our itinerary for the week. Tonight’s dinner is at Le Moutardier du Pape, a refined contemporary Provençal restaurant known for its terrace overlooking the illuminated Palais des Papes. Ideal for a first evening in Provence.

 

MONDAY, Day 2 (vic. Châteauneuf-du-Pape) – After breakfast, we journey ten miles north of Avignon to the medieval village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The village, the site of the Avignon Popes' former summer palace, gives its name to the highest-quality wine growing appellation in the southern Rhône Valley. The vineyards surrounding Châteauneuf-du-Pape are among the most storied in France. The region’s famous galets roulés — rounded heat-retaining stones — help create the appellation’s powerful, age-worthy wines. There are approximately 450 wine producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. During our tour we'll visit some of the very best. Our first visit of the day is with the iconic Domaine du Pegau, known as One of the benchmark traditionalist estates of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and whose Cuvée Réservée is considered a classic expression of old-school Châteauneuf. After our tasting, we'll have time to stroll around the village and visit the ruins of the papal summer castle before our lunch at Restaurant La Mère Germaine, an institution in the village dating to the 1920s. Elegant but deeply rooted in Provençal tradition. In the afternoon, we'll have time for another tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, at Domaine de Beaurenard a beautifully run biodynamic estate producing polished, terroir-driven wines emphasizing elegance and aromatic complexity. We dine tonight at La Fourchette, one of Avignon’s enduring bistro classics, La Fourchette pairs beautifully executed market-driven Provençal cuisine with an intimate old-town setting and a deeply loyal local following.

 

TUESDAY, Day 3 (Vaison-la-Romaine and Gigondas) – After breakfast we will travel 32 miles northeast of Avignon to explore the centuries-old Gallo-Roman market village of Vaison-la-Romaine, one of Provence’s finest market towns and home to some of France’s most extensive Roman architecture, including its Roman-era bridge spanning the Ouvèze River. Every Tuesday morning, year-round, Vaison-la-Romaine hosts a vast open-air marché of up to 450 stalls featuring a variety of local produce and craft goods. Lunch today will be in the wine-growing village of Gigondas at the excellent L’Oustalet, which holds a Michelin star and which boasts one of the strongest Rhône-focused wine lists in France. Its cuisine is elegant but highly regional. After lunch we’ll visit the storied winery of Château de Saint-Cosme. Saint-Cosme has been producing wine on the property going back almost two millennia as evidenced by the fermentation vats carved from living rock by the Romans who first lived and worked here. Upon return to Avignon, guests will have the rest of the afternoon and evening on their own to take in Avignon's many shopping and sightseeing opportunities. Guests will be on their own for dinner tonight to discover one of this city's many wonderful restaurants with our recommendations.

 

WEDNESDAY, Day 4 (Nîmes and Pont du Gard Detour) – Today we will have the option to explore the Roman sites of the Pont du Gard and the nearby city of Nîmes. Built in the 1st century AD, the colossal Roman aqueduct known as the Pont du Gard carried water nearly 50 kilometers to Nîmes. It is among the best-preserved Roman engineering works anywhere in the world. Next, we’ll pick up our journey and enter Nîmes, often called “the French Rome,” and possessing some of the finest Roman monuments outside Italy. There, we’ll first pause for lunch at MENNĀ, a stylish contemporary dining destination in the heart of Nîmes, showcasing inventive Mediterranean cuisine with refined technique, striking presentation, and a quietly sophisticated atmosphere. After lunch guests will have the opportunity to join our professional guide for a walking tour of Nîmes taking in points of interest including the Arènes de Nîmes, one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters in existence, as well as the Jardins de la Fontaine, the Tour Magne, and the Maison Carrée, an astonishingly intact Roman temple that inspired Thomas Jefferson’s design ideas for the Virginia State Capitol. Dinner tonight in Avignon is at L’Agape. Set on Avignon’s lively Place des Corps Saints, L’Agape offers refined modern Provençal cuisine from chef Julien Gleize, earning consistent praise from both Michelin Bib Gourmand and Gault & Millau for its inventive seasonal dishes and excellent Rhône wine list.

 

THURSDAY, Day 5 (Morning in Avignon, Afternoon in Tavel) – After a leisurely breakfast, guests will have time to explore Avignon on their own. Check out Les Halles market, the Musée Calvet, shop for linens, soaps, olive oils, books, and wine, or visit the Collection Lambert contemporary art museum. Guests will enjoy lunch on their own today with our recommendations. At approximately 2PM, we'll rendezvous back at the hotel for a short drive from Avignon to Tavel for a tasting-visit at the renowned Domaine de la Mordorée, known for their serious gastronomic rosés, biodynamic farming, and structured reds from nearby appellations. Dinner tonight is at the La Table Haute (chef’s table) in the elegant Hôtel La Mirande. Guests gather around the table of Mirande's 19th Century kitchen as master chef Thomas Longuesserre prepares our meal on the old wood stove from the freshest seasonal ingredients chosen that morning at Avignon's central market. 

 

FRIDAY, Day 6 – (Orange and Corthézon) – After breakfast, we’ll begin our day with a tour and tasting at the acclaimed Alain Jaume/Domaine Grand Veneur, followed by a wine-pairing lunch at Table d’Alain Jaume. The Jaume family produces some of the southern Rhône’s most polished wines, combining richness with refinement. In the afternoon we will venture to nearby Courthézon, for a visit and tasting at the grand maison Chateau de Beaucastel, one of the legendary estates of France and globally recognized as a benchmark for traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Perrin family’s dedication to biodynamics and all thirteen permitted grape varieties has made Beaucastel iconic among collectors worldwide. Our grand finale dinner finds us in Avignon at Restaurant Sevin. A Michelin-starred dining room situated directly beside the Palais des Papes. Chef Guilhem Sevin’s cuisine blends technical precision with Provençal ingredients and modern presentation.

 

SATURDAY, Day 7 – After breakfast, guests will be provided with transfer back to the Avignon train station for connections to Paris and beyond.