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Provence Biking
A Blissful Journey through the Alpilles & the Luberon
It's a slower pace of life here in southern France. Amid the Alpilles, where olive trees glisten silver in the breeze. Where limestone hills press wavelike against the ultra-blue sky. And sun-drenched villages tempt you to linger, relax over a pastis or a local rosé. In the Lubéron, it's a celebration of color, be it poppies and wildflowers in spring, lavender in summer or changing grape leaves in fall. Pedal quiet roads to medieval hilltop towns. Soak up views of vineyards, orchards and windswept countryside. And rejoice in the Provençal cornucopia: fresh goat cheese, honey, olives, tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes and heavenly pastries. Find bliss in Provence, with Backroads, on a bicycle.
- Incredible biking through perched villages, vineyards and orchards
- Visit a family-run olive oil mill for a tour and tasting
- Discover the vibrant artists' community of St-Rémy
- Visit Saignon, one of France's ten olders towns
- Soak up Provençal life in renowned Gordes and ochre-hued Roussillon
The Day-to-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Incredible biking through perched villages, vineyards, olive groves and orchards
Warm up your cycling muscles and get to know the Alpilles, a world of windswept crags dotted with oak, pine and cypress trees Explore Les Baux, perched high above a limestone landscape pockmarked with caves and said to be frequented by witches and goblins.
Day 2 Discover the postcard-pretty artist community of St-Rémy, filled with fountains, gardens, cheery cafés and tree-lined boulevards Join a historian on a visit to the asylum where Vincent van Gogh spent his last days Drop in at Moulin du Calanque, a delightful family-run olive oil mill for a tour and tasting.
Day 3 Visit Saignon, one of the oldest towns in France Before bidding adieu to the dramatic scenery of the Alpilles, cycle to Eygalières, a small terraced town guarded by an ancient castle Spin through picturesque Lacoste and Ménerbes en route to the Domaine de la Citadelle winery, home of the Corkscrew Museum Discover Roussillon, surrounded by brilliant ocher hills.
Day 4 Marvel at the beauty of Gordes, a striking village perché clinging to the craggy southern face of the high Vaucluse Plateau Quiet roads lead through rolling fields of lavender and wheat into the foothills of Mont Ventoux, the "Giant of Provence."
Days 5-6 Savor farm-fresh cuisine and noteworthy regional wines Rub shoulders with the locals in quintessential Provençal villages such as Venasque, one of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Surrounded by venerable Côtes du Ventoux vineyards, relish a final spin through idyllic hamlets of the Vaucluse.
- Premiere Inns: These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.
- Casual Inns: These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the area with such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.
- Deluxe Family Camping: We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.
Other Trips You Might Like:
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Look at what other guests are saying about this trip!
This was the best trip I have ever taken in my life. It was exceedingly well organized. Dare I say perfect? This is the first time that I continually miss a place where I just took a vacation. I miss the multisensory experience of biking through the back roads of Provence - the lavender fields, sunflower fields, bread and cheese (nothing like these to be found anywhere in the US), winding through perched medieval villages, the satisfaction of completing a long ride and getting to eat whatever I want. I really appreciated the well-written directions that enabled me to safely bicycle alone when I wanted to. I appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of features of Provence that in 6 days made me feel like I got a taste of everything that it had to offer. I tend to live in my head a lot in real life. The biking experience kept me in the here and now, which leaves me with a flood of what feels like several weeks worth of memories. Our trip leaders were quite literally omniscient and omnipresent. I put a photo of the experience on my laptop desktop as well as on my desk to bring back the feelings of amazement, expansiveness, connectedness with the earth that I experienced while biking with Backroads in Provence.- Santa Monica, CA More about this Trip All Guest Reviews
For 32 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the tour experts. To see all our biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning walking and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning multisport tours click here.
Provence Biking
Casual Inns
Auberge de la Benvengudo
Les Baux (2 nights) Centrally situated in Les Baux and surrounded by a tranquil garden, this hotel was once a typical Provence family home. (pool, tennis)
Auberge du Presbytere
Saignon (2 nights) Nestled near La Place de la Fontaine in ancient Saignon, this hotel was originally three village houses whose foundations date back to the 11th and 12th centuries.
Le Chateau de Mazan
Mazan (1 night) This elegant 18th-century château, former residence of the Marquis de Sade, rests at the foot of towering Mount Ventoux.
Provence Biking
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Activity Level | Average Time | Biking Average | Walking Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2-3 hours | 10-20 miles | 2-5 miles |
| 2 | 2-4 hours | 21-30 miles | 5-7 miles |
| 3 | 3-5 hours | 31-40 miles | 7-9 miles |
| 4 | 4-6 hours | 41-55 miles | 9-11 miles |
| 5 | 5-7+ hours | 56-75+ miles | 11-13+ miles |
Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain
Day 1
- Level 2 1 Route Option Available
- 21 miles
- 300 feet elevation gain
Day 2
- Levels 1 to 5 3 Route Options Available
- 18, 43, 56 miles
- 450 - 1910 feet elevation gain
Day 3
- Levels 2 to 4 2 Route Options Available
- 28, 50 miles
- 660 - 2810 feet elevation gain
Day 4
- Levels 3 to 4 3 Route Options Available
- 32, 41, 54 miles
- 1620 - 3470 feet elevation gain
Day 5
- Levels 2 to 4 3 Route Options Available
- 25, 40, 42 miles
- 1250 - 3440 feet elevation gain
Day 6
- Level 1 1 Route Option Available
- 12 miles
- 610 feet elevation gain