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Avignon
- Anreise
- Altstadt
- 1 Nacht
SnifferTrek
Provence.
Six days. Four bases.
Avignon, ochre, Aix and Verdon.
A 6-day Provence road trip does not need twelve villages. Our route links Avignon, two nights in the Luberon, Aix-en-Provence and the Verdon – with hotel bases instead of packing every day.
The route
The route
5 nights. Four bases. Fewer suitcases than photo stops.
- 1 night
Avignon
History & arriving
- 2 nights
Gordes / Luberon
Villages & ochre
- 1 night
Aix-en-Provence
Market & old town
- 1 night
Moustiers
Valensole & Verdon
The route is about 300 kilometres – the slow days matter more than the distance.
Getting there
Car, TGV or a flight to Marseille
By car through the Luberon – arrival by TGV to Avignon or a flight to Marseille is possible.
Your own car
Flexible for the Luberon and Verdon; count a long drive separately.
Tolls + fuel
TGV to Avignon
A good start without city traffic; a rental car from Avignon is possible.
Price depends on date
Flight to Marseille + rental car
Practical for Aix and the return; check one-way fees.
Price depends on date
Day 1 · Avignon
Arriving behind the city wall
Avignon packs history and short walks. Keep the car at the hotel or in a car park outside the tightest old town; the Palais des Papes, squares and the Rhône bank connect on foot.
For a single day: do not try every exhibition. One main visit, a slow loop and an evening square are enough as a start.
We curated this route; we are not presenting it as a personal on-the-ground experience. That is why we always check opening hours and access again directly with the official sources.
- Official informationHours, tickets and current notes.Avignon Tourisme
Avignon · Palais des Papes
Day 2 · Luberon
Gordes as a base, not a photo stop
The Luberon works better with a fixed base than with packing every day. Gordes is prominent and visited accordingly; if you start early and stay into the evening, you see the place more calmly.
For the second half of the day pick only one extra: Abbaye de Sénanque, Bonnieux or Lacoste. Too many villages turn the landscape into a checklist.
Gordes · two nights as a quiet base
Day 3 · Roussillon & Lourmarin
Ochre in the morning, village square at night
In Roussillon colour comes first: façades, earth and the short ochre trail. Sturdy shoes help; light clothing is impractical because of the dust.
Afterwards Lourmarin works as a contrast south of the Luberon. The drive should be part of the day – not just the link between two photo spots.
Roussillon · ochre in the village
Day 4 · Aix-en-Provence
A city day between markets and shade
In Aix-en-Provence the car stays put. Old town, markets and squares sit close enough for a full day on foot; in summer the shade sets the pace.
Cézanne sites are a possible deeper dive, not a must. If you would rather wander the lanes, you miss nothing.
- Plan the city visitCurrent markets, museums and getting around.Aix tourism
Aix · market and a city pause
Hidden tips · Luberon
Goult and Saignon instead of another queue
Goult sits between Gordes and Roussillon and the tourist office describes it as a “village caché”. The small centre, the mill path and the Thursday market are an alternative when the better-known viewpoint villages fill up.
Saignon fits better on the drive towards Aix: short lanes, a viewpoint rock and less of a must-do list. Neither place is an extra day stage – pick one, do not tick both.
- Goult officialVillage, market and current notes from the Pays d’Apt Luberon tourist office.Discover Goult
Hidden tips · market & food
Build the market day into the route
The best food tip is not a single restaurant, but a matching market day. In Goult the market is seasonal on Thursday morning; in Aix there are several markets with different days and focuses.
Buy only what you can eat the same day: bread, cheese, fruit and something for a picnic. Market hours change with the season – so check with the town or tourist office shortly before you travel.
Days 5–6 · Valensole & Verdon
Lavender is seasonal. The gorge stays.
The Plateau de Valensole is not a year-round purple promise. Outside bloom it remains a landscape stop; fields are working land and you do not walk onto them for photos.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is the last base. The Verdon needs a weather buffer: wind, heat, water level and road conditions can change the plan.
- Verdon Nature ParkProtection, access and current notes.Parc du Verdon
Gorges du Verdon · finish with a weather buffer
At a glance
Fewer villages. More Provence.
Avignon
Gordes
Roussillon
Aix
Moustiers
Map
Route & places
Blue = core route. Grey = seasonal or optional. Tap a marker for notes.
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Stay
Four bases. Five nights.
Four bases cut down on backtracking and packing every day.
Hotel links may be affiliate links. The price stays the same for you; SnifferTrek may earn a commission.
FAQ
Common questions about a Provence road trip
How many days do you need for Provence?
Six days are a good start for Avignon, the Luberon, Aix and the Verdon. With four days you should drop the Verdon; with eight days the route becomes much calmer.
Do you need a car in Provence?
For this road trip, yes. Avignon and Aix are reachable by train, but villages in the Luberon and the Verdon connect much more sensibly by car.
When does the lavender bloom?
It depends on altitude, weather and harvest. Instead of fixed promises, check regional notes shortly before you travel and treat Valensole only as a seasonal extra.
Where should you stay?
On this route: one night each in Avignon and Aix, two nights in the Luberon around Gordes, and one night in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.
Is the route suitable with children?
Yes in principle, if daily distances stay short. For ochre trails, heat and Verdon activities, factor in age, weather and local safety rules.
Provence does not get better by stacking as many villages as possible.
Provence does not get better by stacking as many villages as possible. With four bases you keep time for ochre dust, a long market and a Verdon day that can also drop out if the weather turns.