Small-Group Trips, Workshops and Retreats in 2025
Planning a trip to Provence? Sometimes you want to go it alone...other times the fun and ease of a group trip seems like a better choice. I'm often asked if I can recommend any great getaways to Provence and it's a pleasure to suggest the ones below for 2025. I've chosen these in particular because I know the tour operator, host or guides well...or I think the itinerary is superb...or my clients have taken the tour and raved about it! Or, the program just looks so delicious to me that I'm tempted to sign up myself. Whether you call them group trips, tours, vacations, escapes, packages or retreats...these trip leaders and tour operators have done all the heavy lifting so all you have to do is show up. If you're interested in any of the following, let's discuss! --Julie (WhatToDoinProvence@gmail.com)
A Week with a Pro Photographer
September 16 to 23, 2025
This well-known English photographer travels worldwide, shooting for magazines, publishers and private clients--but her heart is in Provence, which she has called home for almost 20 years. And it’s here that she’ll hold another edition of her popular 6 day Provence photo workshop, for anyone interested in travel, interiors, lifestyle, still life and portrait photography. Dates are September 16 to 23, 2025 and group size is 8 max. You’ll stay in a gorgeous private home, a 17th-century olive mill close to the beautiful, historic village of Eygalières, and spend time in the photographer’s own antique-filled home and studio nearby. You’ll visit flea markets, food markets, local artisans and private homes…honing your skills with your mobile phone or traditional camera while soaking up the gorgeous ambiance of Provence in fall. Everyone is welcome, from beginners to pros. The photographers’ husband—a chef, artist and antiques dealer--will be on hand dishing up delicious meals along with his best secrets and sources for brocante and antiques lovers. Pricing starts at €4,950 (depending on which guestroom you choose) and includes 7 nights lodging, airport/train transfers, all sessions (group and 1 on 1), all excursions and all meals.
Sip, Savor, and Spoil Yourself
June 14 - 23, 2025
Experience the best of Provence on this unforgettable journey, from the company named Best Niche Tour Operator in 2024 by Atout France. Picture endless fields of lavender and sunflowers, medieval towns with cobblestone streets, and warm summer evenings paired with a glass of rosé. Indulge in experiences like exclusive pairings, VIP tastings at historic wineries, alfresco dining with vineyard and lavender views, a truffle hunt, a private cooking lesson with a local chef, and a chocolate-and-wine pairing. Enjoy an immersive art experience in a one-of-a-kind venue, then unwind poolside at a privatized château near Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This 9-night dream vacation includes seven nights at a private winery château and two nights in a four-star boutique hotel in Avignon. Perfect for couples, solo travelers or friends, with group size limited to 14 guests. Early booking price: $5750 pp, double occupancy. Single supplement: $1000.
A Taste of Provence
May 16 - 23, 2025
May 26 - June 2, 2025 (full with waiting list)
October 5 - 12, 2025.
Hosted by a French-born, US-based tour operator with 25+ years experience escorting groups throughout Europe and Latin America, these luxury 8 day/7night small-group trips (6 guests max) focus on the food, wine and culture of Provence. Cooking classes at the homes of local chefs, shopping at outdoor markets, gourmet walking tours, winery tours and exclusive visits to artisanal purveyors and producers are combined with visits to the charming hill towns of the Luberon and to historic sites in Avignon, Les Baux de Provence and more. Brush up and practice your French at the optional breakfast "table ronde" conversation sessions. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the perfect balance between planned activities and leisure time. Stay at an elegant boutique hotel and dine from the menu with wine at authentic restaurants inaccessible to larger groups. Leisure time for shopping and experiencing the rhythm of Provençal life. Clients have said "If you've ever considered culinary tourism, this will be the trip of your dreams. Excellence at every turn!" and "There's attention to every single detail. Once you begin your tour, you will not need to be concerned about anything. Yours will be a trip of a lifetime, for sure." These trips are perfect for friends, couples and singles...and fill up quickly. 2025 Price (includes everything except travel to the Avignon starting point is $7400 pp, with no single supplements. *Early-booking discount on the Oct 5 - 12 trip as follows: book by Dec. 31, 2024 to get a special $6900 price (7% discount).
Adventures in Provence
Departure Dates from April thru October, 2025
This American-owned company, specializing in active tour travel exclusively in France, offers fully escorted six-day, five-night group tours in Provence. The tours, created by the owner (a tour operator, travel author, and photographer who holds dual French/US nationality who has been living in France for 30+ years) and her team of charming local, English-speaking American and French guides, offer a diverse range of experiences. The itinerary caters to both walkers and non-walkers alike, offering guided cultural excursions for guests not participating in scheduled walks. You’ll discover some of France’s most beautiful villages and historical sites, walk Provence country trails, dine at the homes of local friends in a private Provence farmhouse and a vitner's wine estate, visit artisan food producers and artisans, learn about Van Gogh’s presence in Provence, see gorgeous Cassis and the Calanques, and enjoy a mix of our favorite bistros and restaurants; local gems in unique settings. You’ll experience four of the most beautiful areas of Provence — the Alpilles, the Luberon, the Mediterranean Coast, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape — and return each evening to your charming boutique hotel with pool in the heart of St. Remy. For those who wish to arrive early or stay on, we’re happy to help you with planning. Max # of guests per trip is 16. 2025 Prices: $5,499 p/p based on double/twin occupancy; single supplement $800. 2025 Dates: April 29-May 4, May 6-11, May 13-18, May 20-25, June 3-8, June 10-15, June 17-22, June 24-29, July 1-6, July 8-13, July 15-20, July 22-27, July 29-August 3 – September 2-7, September 9-14, September 16-21, September 23-28, September 30-October 5, October 7-12, October 14-19.
A Magical Week in the Luberon
May 3 – 10, 2025
May 17 – 24, 2025 (Women’s Week – Full with wait list)
September 20 – 27, 2025 (Full with wait list)
September 27– October 4, 2025 (Full with wait list)
This award-winning small group tour is led by an American woman with a second home in the beautiful Luberon. She has welcomed small groups of 10-14 travelers for more than 18 years, drawing on her extensive knowledge of the area and relationships with locals. The authentic village of Bonnieux is the perfect base to experience the best of Provence, based in a charming small hotel. This seven-night trip includes nearby perched villages, colorful outdoor markets, wineries, countryside walks, and memorable meals in a variety of settings. Much more than a sightseeing trip…it’s designed to be a true experience in the lifestyle of Provence. Ideal for couples, small groups of friends and family, and solo travelers. Price: $3,700 USD/per person, double occupancy. $4,200 USD single occupancy of a double room.
A Week on the Mediterranean Coast
April 21 – 28, 2025
June 11 – 18, 2025 (Women’s Week)
September 5 – 12, 2025
Enjoy a week exploring the beautiful Mediterranean coastline of Southern France, between Marseille and Toulon. This seven-night, small-group trip is led by an American woman living in Provence (a food and wine expert) and focuses on the protected, lesser-known western area of the French Riviera, where “la mer” meets “la terre.” The landscape features a mix of natural Provence forests, rocky cliffs, coastal paths, discreet sandy coves, and the azur blue sea. The group bases in the colorful seaside town of Bandol and enjoys a variety of experiences including visits to coastal villages and vineyards, day trips to Marseille and Toulon, boat trips to enjoy the spectacular scenery, and much more. Ideal for couples, small groups of friends and family, and solo travelers. Price: $4,300 USD per person double occupancy; $4,650 USD single occupancy of a double room.
Rambling in the Riviera Hills
May 17 – 24, 2025 (Women’s Week)
Experience the foothills behind the famous French Riviera, offering a very different ambiance from the glitzy beaches of the Riviera. The backcountry of the Côte d'Azur is bathed in sunshine and carpeted in olive groves. The protected micro-climate favors temperate plant species and flowers of all kinds, important for the perfume industry. Based for the week in a charming hotel in an authentic village near Grasse, this trip includes visits to perched villages and lush gardens, a special day focused on art and artists, an excursion by boat to an offshore island, food-related experiences and much more. This seven-night, small-group trip is hosted by an American woman who lives in Provence and is passionate about this region and its food and wine. Ideal for couples, small groups of friends and family, and solo travelers. Price: $4,300 USD per person double occupancy; $4,650 USD single occupancy of a double room.
To Provence With Love
May 11th - 21st, 2025
September 7th - 17th, 2025
October 12th - 22nd, 2025
The owner of this company is a Connecticut-based guide with years of experience hosting small groups (10 guests or less) in Provence. These intimate tours are designed to immerse you in French culture...to whisk you away down back roads to some of the most spectacular cities and villages such as Aix, St. Rémy, Nice, Cassis, Sanary-sur-Mer, Èze and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. For 11 days and 10 nights, soak up the irresistible beauty and culture of Southern France! After breakfast, you might find yourself cruising on the French Riviera and that same afternoon exploring the small vineyards of inland Provence. You'll experience a French cooking class with an English-speaking chef, explore the streets where Van Gogh, Cézanne and Chagall once walked. In Saint-Paul-de-Vence, you'll delight in a visit to the Maison Godet Perfumery. If shopping for antiques, French gifts and street food thrills you, you'll be treated to three of southern France’s best outdoor markets, in Aix, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Sanary-sur-Mer. And we'll cruise on the Mediterranean to the famous Calanques, one of the most beautiful natural wonders of Provence. Take a break to unwind, refresh and reinvigorate…and nurture your soul in the beauty of Southern France. Price includes: full breakfasts, lodging in 4-star hotels, entry into all advertised activities, transport in a private van with English-speaking driver/guide, and group welcome dinner. Price: $7,500, single occupancy.
A Cooks Tour
Available various weekends throughout 2025
This immersive food-and-market experience will give you a taste of real Provence, with two top local chefs (originally from the UK) as your hosts. Nestled amongst the sun-drenched orchards, olive groves and vineyards of St. Remy, their warm and welcoming B&B (in a 19th-century stone farmhouse) sits just over 1 km from the village center. The old mas once produced herbs and flowers for market but now it’s a relaxed and homey table d’hôte, with a large beautiful garden, a gorgeous country kitchen, a big terrace for outdoor dining and two en suite guest rooms: one with a roof terrace and apricot-orchard view; the other opening out on to the terrace and garden. The idea here is that you’ll spend the weekend doing what the hosts themselves do when they’re off work…and what they love to do when friends come to visit: marketing, antiquing, site-seeing, restaurants, cooking, drinking and long dinners under the stars. Included are two informal cooking classes called cooking “experiences” because while there will definitely be instruction, the chefs like the vibe to be more like friends cooking and learning together. All meals are provided including the evening meal at the mas on arrival day, 2 meals as part of your cooking experiences, 2 restaurant meals and 3 breakfasts! Also included are 2 market visits in gorgeous nearby villages with transportation (one food market, one antiques/brocante market)…and 3 nights lodging. You’ll be involved in all menu planning, with the emphasis on locally grown Provençal produce, and get recipes for everything to take home. Come solo, as a couple, with a friend or with another couple; group size is four people max. 2025 Price: €1400 per person (single) or €2300 (total for two sharing a room). Available: Most weekends year round, except in December.
A Cooking Vacation in Wine Country
May 3 - 10, 2025
May 25 - June 1, 2025
September 27 - October 4, 2025
October 11 - 18, 2025
In the middle of an organic vineyard, in the shadow of the magnificent Mont Ventoux, this week long cooking vacation will feed your body and soul. Your host is a passionate Canadian-born chef, who gathered culinary knowledge from around the globe before settling down in this storied wine region of Provence, where she has lived and worked since 2013. Her first endeavor, an organic food truck, developed into this popular residential cooking program, where classes focus primarily on ingredients: high quality, local, fresh and organic. From there, you’ll learn how to develop layers of flavor, balancing them to bring out the best in every dish. When you’re not in class, there will be time for swimming (or a poolside glass of rosé), tennis and nature walks, or simply enjoying the beauty of the country house where you are staying…everything about this region is gorgeous! After class, everyone gathers on the bucolic, shaded terrace to savor the creations of the day paired with perfect wines from this very vineyard, nearby famous Southern Rhône wine villages or elsewhere in France. Class size is six people max and companions are welcome. All rooms are en suite. Prices: €4000 per student based on double occupancy; €5500 per student single occupancy; €6400 for one student sharing with non-cooking companion.
France for Foodies
Sept 13 - 20, 2025
Join an American teaching chef, food blogger and TV personality who brings her love of food and France to life each year by creating and hosting meticulously planned foodie adventures for groups of 7 travelers max. Don’t delay, these trips sell out early! Guests on her 2025 trip to Provence will cook alongside and learn from renowned French chefs in a cooking class and wine tasting in legendary Chateauneuf-du-Pape...and in a French Market cooking class with plenty of wine, bien sur! As an added treat, guests will become chocolatiers for a few hours as they craft sumptuous morsels to take away from this one-of-a-kind experience. This culinary excursion is packed full of tastings including an olive oil mill and a goat cheese farm. Along the way, you'll meet Provencal food artisans oozing with passion for their products. You'll explore the most beautiful hilltop villages, the city of Avignon and lovely, seaside Cassis and so much more. Travelers will enjoy shopping in some of the best French markets in the world. This 7-day, 7-night tour is based in a charming Saint Remy hotel appointed with French antiques and boasting a fascinating history. Price: $6295 (double occupancy); single upgrade is $700. This company also offers Burgundy and Champagne (September 3 -10, 2025), Paris (April 2026) and Loire Valley (April 2026). Details and pricing for those upon request.
Everyday Extraordinary Provence
September 6-13, 2025
September 13-20, 2025
Live the French way…everyday! If you're a decor aficionado, creative traveler, or devotee of French style, this tour is for you—a week of design discovery, treasure-hunting, traditional Provençal crafts, history, and of course, exceptional food & wine! Immerse yourself in exclusive excursions, private workshops, and market visits--and then return to a fabulous mas in the heart of Provence at the end of day. Think drinks & nibbles on the terrace, followed by leisurely dinners catered by a private chef, with conversation as inviting and inspiring as the food. Your hosts are American design experts/tour guides with 10+ years of experience leading design-focused tours in Provence. 8 day / 7 night tours are kept deliberately small; capping at 6-7 people. Feed your wanderlust and stretch your creative wings! $5600 single occupancy with ensuite baths.
PAINTING VACATIONS IN PROVENCE
For more than 15 years, this trusted company has brought artists to amazing locations in the South of France, igniting their creativity in inspiring surroundings. Whether you’re ready to dive into the world of art for the first time or continue to sharpen your skills, we highly recommend these well-planned retreats that combine art-making with French landscapes, history and culture for an inspiring joy-filled escape!
*Bonjour Bootcamp Painting Workshop
June 12–17, 2025
Whether you’re a seasoned painter or an eager beginner, the Bonjour Bootcamp Painting Workshop could be the perfect painting workshop for you. An inspiring and immersive painting workshop in the heart of Provence! Designed to get artists out of the studio and into plein-air painting. The Bootcamp will build confidence and techniques, with tailored painting projects, demos, and personalized feedback from skilled instructors. Stay at a historic château estate near Avignon, paint breathtaking vistas, private vineyards, charming villages, and enjoy the rich culture of southern France. Here’s your chance to create and connect with artists of all levels. Mentoring is available upon request. Enjoy a balanced itinerary of painting, exploring, and relaxation while you experience the joy of art and living the good life in southern France! Price includes daily gourmet meals from an in-house chef (only 2 or 3 meals are on your own), château accommodations and ground transport. Non-painting partners are welcome (special discount available). $5250 USD.
*Lavender Season Art Retreat
June 20–28, 2025
Experience the magic of painting Provence during a Lavender Season Art Retreat, where vibrant fields of violet create a painter’s paradise. Spend nine idyllic days at a historic château perched above a medieval village, painting, exploring, and finding inspiration among fellow artists. Paint the beauty of charming hilltop villages, private vineyards, and iconic lavender-filled landscapes. Walk in Van Gogh’s footsteps in St. Rémy, visit the medieval city of Les Baux and immerse yourself in the spectacular tribute to the Impressionists at Les Carrières des Lumières. Paint, sketch, and enjoy the good life while living and learning side-by-side with fellow creatives in one of the most beautiful settings on earth! Artists of all media and skill levels are welcome, with mentoring available upon request. Price includes food prepared by our in-house chefs, wine, accommodations, entry fees and ground transport. Non-painting partners are welcome (special discount available). $5600 USD.
*Impressionist Provence Art Retreat
September 24—October 2, 2025
In this Impressionist Provence Art Retreat, you’ll stay east of Avignon and paint and explore the iconic villages of southern France that inspired so many artists. Enjoy a balanced painting, exploring, and relaxation itinerary for artists of all media and skill levels. Daily painting locations include private vineyards, Aix-en-Provence, St. Rémy, outdoor markets, and historic villages. The company provides a distraction-free painting experience while visiting the sites where Van Gogh and Cézanne painted. This retreat is ideal for those who enjoy the camaraderie of working side-by-side with fellow artists from around the world, creating art and forming connections. Mentoring is available; just ask! Price includes fine food prepared by our in-house chefs, all wine, château accommodations, and ground transportation (airfare not included). Non-painting partners are welcome, with discounts available. $5750 USD.
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Photos: Left courtesy of France off the Beaten Path Tours. Center courtesy of Workshops in France.