There is something very meaningful and connecting about discovering a destination on foot and ending the day in a boutique hotel where your luggage meets up with you so you can enjoy cosy comforts and hearty local cuisine after a day of walking and fresh air.
UK-based, self-guided walk operator, On Foot Holidays, offers this authentic experience in 39 destinations across Europe and one of its most popular walking holidays is a hike through the romantic vineyards, olive groves and hilltop villages of Northern Provence in France.
Redesigned in late 2024, On Foot Holidays’ six-night journey through Northern Provence has been curated for independent travellers, with walkers staying at a series of small, provincial B&Bs along the route, with luggage transferred between the inns so walkers can enjoy the dreamy landscapes pack-free. And because this is gastronomic France, the local food and wine are as appealing as the postcard scenery.
Just east of Avignon, the journey begins at Venasque, a pretty hilltop village in Northern Provence surrounded by ruined ramparts, before walkers embark on a circular route through forest and hills, with fine views of Mont Ventoux on the return journey.
The next day’s walk will be a gentler one, to Malemort du Comtat with its 12th century church, and the fortified village of Mazan. Walkers will then pass olive and cherry tree groves enroute to the hilltop village of Crillon le Brave and stop for a picnic lunch, before journeying past a number of vineyards and finishing the day in Le Barroux’s narrow streets below its 12th century castle. The fifth day will see hikers climbing to the highest point of their walk to arrive near the Dentelles de Montmirail, a small but spectacular chain of mountains, whose jagged rocks travellers will explore the following the day. The final day gives the chance to walk in amongst hidden valleys, shimmying around rocks and admiring spectacular views, passing through the pretty village of Gigondas before returning to the end of the walk in Vacqueyras.
Graded medium-hard in difficulty, with four to six hours of walking per day, the Northern Provence walking tour package includes six nights’ accommodation, all breakfasts, three evening meals, two picnic lunches, local transfers and all luggage transfers – meaning travellers only carry a day pack.
Including a five per cent saving if booked by February 28, 2026, the Northern Provence walk costs £1159 British pounds per person, twin-share (approx AUD$2305 per person depending on exchange rates). Walkers can select their own departure dates in spring from April to June and during autumn in September and October. Quote discount code NPV5.
