7 Days in Aix-en-Provence & Mont Sainte-Victoire
A seven-day Provençal anniversary celebrating art, wine, and countryside elegance. Aix-en-Provence is aristocratic and intimate—thermal spas, ochre-soaked villages, Mont Sainte-Victoire hikes, and farm-to-table restaurants where you'll dine on local chanterelles and Côtes de Provence rosé under plane trees.
What to expect
- Sunrise hike to Cézanne's beloved Mont Sainte-Victoire; paint-speckled studio viewpoint.
- Private thermal spa experience; traditional Provençal massage with local lavender oil.
- Wine tasting in the Côtes de Provence appellation with a winemaker couple.
- Ochre village exploration: Roussillon and Apt's Provençal markets.
- Michelin-starred dinner at Le Jasmin or similar, featuring white truffles and local herbs.
Day by day
Land in Marseille; train to Aix-en-Provence (35 minutes); check into a 17th-century hôtel particulier hotel.
Stroll the Cours Mirabeau (tree-lined boulevard of cafés); explore the fountains and bookshops of the Old Town.
Couples' massage and thermal bath at Thermes Sextius (natural hot springs); dinner at a neighborhood bistro.
Early hike to Mont Sainte-Victoire from Aix (45 minutes drive to trailhead); climb 350m for Cézanne's iconic view.
Visit the Atelier Cézanne (his studio); browse original sketches and the objects he painted obsessively.
Wine tasting at a Côtes de Provence producer near Montagne Sainte-Victoire; sunset over vineyards; local dinner.
Drive to Roussillon (40 minutes); walk the 'Ochre Trail' through rust-red cliffs and ochre quarries.
Explore the village's art galleries and terracotta shops; lunch on salade niçoise and local goat cheese.
Return to Aix; Michelin-starred dinner at Le Jasmin or similar; white truffle pasta and Provençal wine.
Drive to Apt (45 minutes); explore the Saturday or Wednesday morning market (fruits, lavender, honey, antiques).
Visit a lavender distillery near Banon; tour and tasting of lavender honey and essential oils.
Quiet dinner at a countryside inn; lamb with herbs and local wine.
Guided wine tour of three family-run Côtes de Provence estates; meet the winemakers, taste their whites and rosés.
Picnic in the vineyards with local cheeses, cured meats, and a bottle from the morning's tasting.
Return to Aix; aperitif on the Cours Mirabeau; casual dinner on the Old Town's quieter side.
Visit the Musée Granet (Renaissance and modern art); Cézanne's paintings and Ingres portraits.
Wander the Jewish quarter and vintage shops of the Old Town; afternoon pastries at a local pâtisserie.
Chamber music concert (seasonal) at Église Saint-Jean-de-Malte or Théâtre du Jeu de Paume; dinner afterwards at a wine bar.
Breakfast at a café overlooking a fountain; final stroll through the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville and the markets.
Lunch at a bistro on Rue Thiers; final thermal soak (optional) before heading to the station.
Train to Marseille for evening flight or overnight rest.
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