Walking tours Provence [M]

Walking tour Provence is an exclusive hiking extravaganza: a 'tale of two rivers,' as you walk in the fine territory succulently sandwiched between the lower reaches of the beautiful Ceze Valley and the impressive gorges of the River Ardeche.

Walking tour Provence is a seemless experience that finds you staying in some of the regions finest Provencal villages and seeing some of their best kept secrets: from fine bucolic trails to medieval chateaux and Carthusian monastery; and from megalithic dolmen and menhir to magnificent limestone gorge, grotto and waterfalls. Fine hotels and Provençal farmhouses complete the bill. If you only go walking once in Provence, this is the creme-de-la-creme.

Day 1. Pont St Esprit.

Arrival and check in at this busy market town located at the confluence of the Ardeche and Rhone rivers. Take a short tour of the historic centre.
Night in Pont St Esprit.

Day 2. The GR4 & The Ardeche Gorge. 7.5 miles-11.5 kms [morning] plus 5 miles-8 kms [optional afternoon].

You hike alongside Provencal vines, through a fine circular village and up the left bank of the Ardeche to the remarkable perched village of Aigueze. After lunch you enjoy a fine ‘figure-eight’ walk with splendid views along the Ardeche gorge, including a spectacular cliff-top trail.
Night in Aigueze.

Day 3. The Forest of Valbonne.18 miles-24.5 kms.

A bucolic hike through the Valbonne forest to a Carthusian monastery, before pushing on to some fine waterfalls and across an historic bridge to your overnight hilltop resting place.
Night in Roc sur Ceze.

A memorable tour of two of the valley’s finest villages on either side of the Ceze, featuring feudal castle, tree-lined canal and fine river valley.
Second night in Roc sur Ceze.

After a short morning transfer, you climb to discover a grotto and some dolmens before descending into the bowels of the Ceze Gorge. Then you climb to a fine belvedere overlooking the gorge and then enjoy the delights of medieval Montclus itself.
Night near Montclus.

Day 6. Megalithic Man. 11 miles / 16.5 kms.

Today features a limestone pavement and dolmen, a well-hidden six-metre menhir, and a superbly-potholed and narrow limestone gorge. We collect you from nearby and transfer you to your hotel.
Night in either Nimes or Uzes.

Day 7. End of your Provence walking tour.

A memorable tour has come to an end. Breakfast and onward journey. Au revoir et bon retour.

3. Accommodations

The accommodation in this package is of a high standard, averaging a three-star rating or equivalent. You stay in three hotels and one chambres d'hotes of real character en route. In Nimes or Uzes your accommodation is in a family-run hotel, or fine chambres d'hotes, right in the historic centre. Your walking starts and finishes from your hotel or after a morning transfer, the costs of which are included in the tour.

The region is blissfully bereft of chain hotels, so family-run character accommodation is the order of the day. Staying in them is not a cheap option, thus our decision to include only B & B in the offer. This enables you to customize your holiday to your budget, by selecting the menu of your choice at your hotels, or eating out, rather than the habitual inclusive option. All information pertaining to meals, both lunch and dinner, is contained in your vacation dossier.

These are your overnight stops and the nights you stay in each:
a) Pont St Esprit - one night;
b) Aigueze - one night;
c) Roc sur Ceze - two nights;
d) Montclus - one night;
e) Nimes or Uzes - one night.

• 6 nights B & B in superior accommodation, with all local hotel taxes - leaving you free to purchase your meals according to your personal preferences and budget: relevant information is available in your dossier;
• Transfers on morning of Day 6 and on Day 7 from tour's end to either Nimes or Uzes;
• Luggage transfers throughout;
• Post-tour de-briefing;
• Mobile phone loan for non-Europeans*;
• Walking Insight Notes™ that make orientation simple;
• Themed holiday dossier and 1:25,000 scale maps;
• Emergency telephone help-line service delivered by British nationals, with ongoing locally-based British support.

* Subject to availability. Please enquire at time of booking.

Note: pre-and post tour transfers from Avignon or Nimes are available on request.

See our article on walking in Provence-Gard

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