NEW! Paris Travel! 4-Day Walking Tour of Paris
Famous Sights and Hidden Delights. Steve enthusiastically leads you through the cobblestone streets of the City of Lights. Put on your walking shoes and discover the REAL Paris! Includes 4 nights in a charming, comfortable hotel and 4 breakfasts.

Hidden Provence Itinerary

Hidden Provence Travel Day One:
Overnight flight to France, dreaming of your Provence travel experience...you're really going! (Airfare not included.)

Hidden Provence Travel Day Two:
Steve welcomes you in Paris and we transfer to our flight to the south of France. Our small hotel is right on the picturesque square in Beaulieu-sur-Mer (that means “beautiful spot on the sea”...which it is).

Hidden Provence Travel Day Three:
We hop on the coastal train to explore the bustling market and flower-filled passageways of Antibes. We visit the Picasso Museum, in the beautiful waterfront château where Picasso worked in a creative frenzy for several months. In the afternoon we can visit the home and studio where Renoir passed his final days, in the middle of a grove of gnarled olive trees, then stop at the picturesque fishing village of Villefranche for fresh seafood. Breakfast included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Four:
We go to Menton on the Italian border. We can pick up picnic supplies at the bustling market or dine at a sidewalk café in the old town, then stroll to the waterfront for a magnificent view and a quick tour of the Cocteau Museum. We stop at Cap d'Ail for a walk along the waterfront path to one of the most beautiful beaches you'll ever visit, at the foot of villa-topped 300 foot cliffs. Here's your chance to swim in the Mediterranean! Breakfast included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Five:
Free day. Ideas: relax, lounge on the beach, go to the fabulous Rothchild villa and gardens, paint, take an invigorating walk along the seaside promenades of Cap Ferrat. Breakfast included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Six:
We board the Train de Pignes. This tiny train of yesteryear takes us along a rushing river through spectacular gorges. We stop in the quintessential Provençal village of Annot. Once again, our small, family-style hotel is right on the main square, two minutes from boulangeries, cafés, and gurgling fountains. We explore the town and take a walk to awesome rock formations and "troglodyte". Breakfast and dinner included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Seven:
We take the train to the medieval village of Entrevaux. We go through an arch, cross a stone bridge, then cross an actual drawbridge and go through another arch between two turrets to enter this astonishing car-free walled village. It's as if we've stepped back in time hundreds of years. We explore the winding alleyways, the tiny houses in the terraced olive groves outside the walls, then descend through the fortified citadel that looms over the town. We visit an ancient olive oil mill, whose huge grinding stone is still powered by a wooden waterwheel. Breakfast and gourmet country-style dinner included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Eight:
Those with the energy for a vigorous hike will join Steve for one of the most memorable experiences of their lives: a visit to an abandoned village so remote that it rarely even appears on maps. This hamlet, now a ghost town of stone, has no roads--it is accessible only by ancient mule tracks. We'll be surrounded by dozens of curious goats, because two people have returned to this forgotten Shangri-La and they now make delicous goat cheese, which we will enjoy with crusty French bread for lunch. Or, go horseback riding, or simply relax in a café and watch the locals play pétanque. Breakfast and delicious dinner included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Nine:
Round-trip by train to Digne, the end of the line. We wind our way through incredibly beautiful countryside, much of it inaccessible by car. In Digne, a famous spa town, we can soak in hot mineral waters, admire the open-air sculpture gardens, or visit the home of Alexandra David Néel, the dynamic French adventuress who lived here until the age of 101 after a life exploring Asia and Tibet. Breakfast and dinner included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Ten:
We return to the coast by train, then ride along the Moyen Corniche, an engineering marvel suspended high along the cliffs of the Côte d'Azur, offering gorgeous views of the Mediterranean Sea. We stop at the "eagle's nest" village of Eze, a labyrinth of flowery alleyways and fountains. Then on to the working convent of Notre Dame de Laghet, where we stay in the simple rooms of this former monastery. Benedictine nuns sing sweetly to the sound of a plucked dulcimer during services in the Baroque church, dripping with ornate curliques and cherubs. As we dine in the refectory we can imagine the ghosts of monks bidding us “bon appétit.” Breakfast and dinner included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Eleven:
We explore Notre Dame, enthralled by the moving naïve art of the hundreds of “ex-votos” left in thanks by pilgrims. As we stroll the grounds we discover the overgrown ruins of an olive oil mill. We can then relax, hike into the hills, or take the local bus to the nearby village of La Turbie, with its famous Roman "trophy." Breakfast and dinner included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Twelve:
We travel via minivan to the extraordinary perched villages of Peille and Peillon. No shops, no tourists...just perfectly preserved medieval stone villages...real undiscovered gems. Breakfast included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Thirteen:
Free day in Nice. If you like art, there are still more museums to visit. How about socca or pissaladière in the Vielle Ville? Stroll along the palm-studded Promenade de Anglais. Treat yourself to a gourmet dinner. Breakfast included.

Hidden Provence Travel Day Fourteen:
After last minute shopping, we say "au revoir" to the French Riviera and are whisked home to the California Riviera.