On a golden Provençal morning, as you stroll through a vibrant market looking for the perfect ingredients to cook with a chef, the aroma of sun-kissed vegetables, creamy goats’ cheese, and freshly baked croissants still warm from the oven fill the air – you’re not just shopping, you’re making memories on a food and culture tour of Provence.
From Hilltop Villages to Hidden Kitchens
Provence isn’t just a place – it’s a sensory experience and Goût et Voyage’s culinary and cultural tours take you to the heart (and the stomach) of the region. Host, French‑born, now living in America Martine Bertin-Petersen, isn’t just another guide. She is a master planner, a local expert with in-depth knowledge whose tours of authentic Provence mean you’ll explore it like an insider.
From olive oil tasting made to traditional methods, cafés where you mingle with the locals, cooking with local chefs in their kitchens, vineyard and market visits and gourmet restaurants off the tourist trail, this is a real taste of Provence.
You’ll discover historic towns: majestic Avignon with its Popes Palace and picturesque alleys, and exotic Arles with its incredible Roman remains and memories of Van Gogh. You’ll explore postcard-perfect villages, wander Gordes’ stone‑terraced lanes and visit the iconic Abbaye de Senanque, marvel at Roussillon’s ochre cliffs ablaze in the late afternoon, and wander Les Baux-de-Provence, a hilltop heaven with romantic crumbling ramparts and exquisite views over the valley of Provence.
Every detail is meticulously thought out, but there’s still space for spontaneity. One day you might detour to witness the Transhumance, an age-old tradition of cattle moving pastures -because the moment felt right.
Each day offers a new delight, a new memory, the perfect balance of activity and down time. Beware – you may go home sun-kissed, soul-fed, and ever so slightly ruined for ordinary holidays.
Shop, Chop, Sip, and Savour on a food and culture tour of Provence
Imagine starting your morning in the enchanting village of Eygalières. The cobbled streets are warmed by the sun, and the market stalls are bursting with colour and chatter. Accompanied by a chef, you’ll source the best ingredients for a home cooked meal. Then you’ll head to his home kitchen, aprons on, and a hands-on cooking class. You’ll slice, sizzle, and sauté your way through a multi-course Provençal feast. And, when the wine is uncorked, you’ll sit down together to taste the fruits of your labour, laughing over your first attempt at tying up a bouquet garni with the precision of a French grandmother.
You’ll stroll vineyards, and swirl glasses in cellars and taste the terroir of legendary vineyards – Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise… names that make wine connoisseurs misty-eyed. It’s not just about tasting (though there’s plenty of that). It’s about learning to understand the terroir, the soul of the soil, the sunlight, the slope of a hill, and how all that magic finds its way into a bottle – and your glass.
All-Inclusive, All-Fabulous
The groups are small (a maximum of six kindred spirits), so it feels like you’ve joined a roving dinner party with friends you didn’t know you were waiting to meet. You’ll eat, laugh, explore, and experience Provence together—and more often than not, part ways with a WhatsApp group and plans to meet again next year.
You won’t have any surprise fees. No nickel-and-diming. Everything’s included for your week-long tour in France from transport to meals, wine, lodging, entrance tickets – the lot. Which means you can properly relax. This is a truly stress-free tour, never crowded, never hurried. The only thing you’ll need to worry about is whether to have the lavender crème brûlée or the tarte aux figues for dessert (or go halves with someone else – and have both).
Join a food and culture tour of Provence in late spring or early autumn when the weather is mellow, the crowds have thinned, and the landscape is at its colourful best.
Find out more and book your place at: goutetvoyage.com
