History

Tour · 7 nights · with Explore Worldwide
A small-group escorted cycling holiday through Provence’s vineyards, Roman sites and hilltop villages with Explore Worldwide, covering varied routes around Avignon and Pernes-les-Fontaines.
Highlights
Cycling across the Rhone River and Chateauneuf du Pape vineyards
Roman ruins and Van Gogh sites in St Rémy-de-Provence
Pont du Gard aqueduct cycling option
Pernes-les-Fontaines medieval village and cycling museum
Wine tasting and picnic on a vineyard terrace
This gentle week of cycling with Explore Worldwide starts in Avignon, where medieval ramparts and the Papal Palaces form a suitably historic backdrop. The routes take in the Rhone River valley and the famous Chateauneuf du Pape vineyards before leading south to St Rémy-de-Provence, a town crammed with Roman ruins and Van Gogh connections.
Journeys
History
From Avignon, the pace eases as the group moves to Pernes-les-Fontaines, a village once home to more fountains than streets and notable for its link to cycling innovation. Optional rides take in the Pont du Gard aqueduct or ascend to Gordes, which sits perched above the Luberon plateau. Each day’s route varies between 40 and 60 kilometres, mixing vineyards, orchards and limestone villages, with a wine tasting and picnic at a local château to round off.
The tour strikes a balance between riding and time to stroll or relax. There’s nothing rushed about it, even when the climbs ask for a steady rhythm. It ends with a return to Marseille and the airport, generally before midday.
Itinerary
Avignon
Chateauneuf du Pape
St Rémy-de-Provence
Pernes-les-Fontaines
When to go
Lowest price each month, per person.
Explore Worldwide confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.
Need to know
For full details of what’s included, check with Explore Worldwide. See the full details on their site
The operator
Small-group adventures, walking and wildlife
Small groups with local leaders, and a fondness for the places at the end of the road. Trips are graded so you know how active they are.
You book with Explore Worldwide directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.
New to France? Our France guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.
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Gordes
Marseille
These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.