Cycling Provence: Luberon Landscapes

Arrival will take place in St-Rémy-de-Provence, where you will settle into your hotel before the tour begins. A welcome briefing and bike fitting will be arranged with the local team, giving you time to get familiar with your equipment and the week ahead. For the remainder of the day, you can explore the narrow village streets lined with boutiques and cafés, or enjoy a relaxed first drink in one of the town’s shaded squares.

Today, you will have the option to ride a loop into the Alpilles towards Les Baux-de-Provence, one of the region’s most well-known hilltop villages. The ride will climb gradually, with increasing views across the surrounding countryside before reaching the village, where you will be able to explore stone streets beneath the remains of a hilltop fortress. After a relaxed lunch stop, the return ride will follow a long, twisting descent, bringing you comfortably back to St-Rémy-de-Provence.

Leaving St-Rémy-de-Provence, you will pick up the EuroVelo 8 cycle path for a flat, traffic-free ride to Mollégès before crossing the Durance River at Cavaillon. Riding then turns north towards Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, a village set at the foot of cliffs and home to the largest freshwater spring in Europe. You will roll into town alongside the river, guided by its striking emerald-green water, finishing the day in a setting defined by water, stone, and shade

Today you can choose between a rest day in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse or a short loop ride to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, often known as the “Venice of Provence” for its network of canals. The route follows gentle terrain into town, where water channels, cafés and small shops shape the experience, and the Sunday market, one of the most well-known in the region, adds local colour. A relaxed return ride leads you back to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse for the night.

Leaving the river behind, you will ride deeper into the Luberon Valley, with a short but more demanding profile that includes three distinct climbs, starting as you leave Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. You will pass through countryside shaped by vineyards and olive groves before climbing to Gordes, a hilltop village long favoured as a holiday base by A-list celebrities and known for its wide views across the valley. A long descent returns you to the valley floor, followed by gentler riding past lavender fields as the ochre-coloured cliffs mark your arrival in Roussillon.

Today, you can choose an optional loop ride heading east along the northern edge of the Luberon Valley, passing ochre mines and small villages set into the landscape. Riding winds through Villars, perched on a low hill, before dropping into Apt, often referred to as the “town of wonderful tastes”, where you can stop to grab a bite or enjoy a coffee. From here, the loop curves back through rolling countryside, returning to Roussillon by quieter inland roads.

Leaving Roussillon, you will descend back to the bottom of the valley before joining the veloroute for a long, gentle ride towards Cavaillon, with the terrain continuing steadily downhill. The pace will feel relaxed, with wide views back towards hilltop villages passed earlier in the week. Before returning to St-Rémy-de-Provence, the route passes through Eygalières, a lively Provençal village, followed by an easy final stretch back to the hotel for a last night in Provence.

After breakfast, you will depart from St-Rémy-de-Provence, bringing the cycling journey through Provence to a close. For those wishing to extend their stay, additional nights can be arranged in nearby Avignon or Marseille, offering the option to continue exploring southern France beyond the tour.