Cezanne, flamingos and lavender fields
Art, lavender, and just enough wine to make it all unforgettable
When
July 2025
How long
6 nights ideal length
Price
from €6.800 pp excl. flights (based on 2 ppl sharing)
Cezanne, flamingos and lavender fields
Extreme Pleasure. Minimal Effort. Maximum of French Riviera
When
July 2025
How long
6 nights ideal length
Price
from €6.800 pp excl. flights (based on 2 ppl sharing)
What the tour is about
This year marks an unmissable event—one of those once-in-a-decade, possibly once-in-a-lifetime occasions you simply cannot miss if you’ve ever even heard of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, or painting in general. After years of restoration, Jas de Bouffan is reopening—yes, the very place where Paul Cézanne lived, painted, and experimented for forty years. A little-known Spaniard named Pablo Picasso once referred to him as “Le père à nous tous” – “The father to all of us”, meaning himself, Matisse, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and frankly everyone who dared pick up a paintbrush after the great Impressionists, hoping to turn a flat two-dimensional canvas into passion, vibrating air, sound—into life itself.
Exhibitions like this don’t come around often. For most of us, eternally caught in the hamster wheel of everyday obligations, it may well be once in a lifetime. Cézanne’s works are being brought in from museums all over the world. The Musée d’Orsay, MoMA, The Met, the National Gallery of Prague—to name but a few. Over 130 works in one perfect place to see them. The place where they were painted, battled with, and eventually born. Where you can walk the very same streets, gaze upon the very same landscapes, which, miraculously, haven’t changed much at all.
Of course, healthy hedonism remains firmly in place on our journeys. So yes—there will be wine, lunches, dinners, lavender fields stretching to the horizon, jaw-dropping views of the Verdon Gorge, the Camargue, wild white horses, pensive pink flamingos, and outrageously colourful villages and towns. All the sort of things one likes to remember fondly and casually drop into conversation later
Go — but why, really
1
To finally understand why Cézanne spent forty years staring at the same mountain — and to maybe do the same, glass in hand
2
To sit at a vineyard table, surrounded by vines, drinking the very wine you’re sitting in, without sounding pretentious about it
3
To witness flamingos being flamingos, white horses being fabulous, and your camera roll being absolutely full
4
To stand where Van Gogh stood, look where he looked, and wonder how on earth they let Gaughin in the door
5
To eat, drink, float through lavender fields, and come home claiming it was “very educational”
6
To find a slightly better, deeper version of yourself — and maybe, just maybe, realise happiness isn’t some far-off fantasy. It’s right here. Right now
Tour itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Nice Airport – Hotel check-in – Welcome drinks and introductions
As tradition dictates, we never plan anything too ambitious on arrival day. First of all, no one knows how the flight will go. And secondly, there are always three immediate priorities after a journey: a shower, a cold drink, and a proper meal to forget the sad little airline chicken-fish combo. So, the plan is simple: do exactly that. Once we’ve brought you back to life, we’ll democratically decide how best to gently enjoy what’s left of the day. Most often, the idea of lounging by the sea wins by a landslide. The motto of the day: Don’t worry, be happy
Day 2: The world capital of perfume – A road so beautiful it borders on offensive – Europe’s largest canyon
After a leisurely breakfast, we hit the road. But not just any road—we’re driving along one of the most beautiful routes in the world: the Route Napoléon. (Yes, there’ll be a bit of background on the emperor’s life and fate.)
We’re heading into the hills, and these roads are anything but straight. So we’ll be stopping regularly—and not just for the sake of it. First stop: Grasse. The world’s perfume capital. We’ll take a meaningful stroll through the town and learn a surprising amount about something that surrounds us constantly yet rarely crosses our minds: scent. Where it comes from, how it’s made, how it shapes our world—and how many rose petals you need for a single kilo of absolute. (Not the vodka.)
Next stop, seven kilometres further and 200 metres higher: Cabris. 1,400 residents, 11 Nobel Prize winners, the noses of Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Dior, the Countess de Saint-Exupéry, seven excellent restaurants, and one spectacular view. So much to take in—time to digest. And to digest, one must eat. Lunch.
It’s hard to tear ourselves away, but we must. The next 40 minutes require neck awareness. You’ll want to look in every direction constantly. Battling the post-lunch drowsiness and trying not to miss a single alpine vista, we’ll reach Castellane. A well-deserved stop. No spoilers here—you’ll see.
From there, we continue towards the Verdon Gorge. First, we’ll climb to its highest point, where it’s a sheer 800-metre drop straight down, then descend to the bottom, where the gorge meets the shimmering Lake Sainte-Croix. We’ll glide into the gorge on pedal boats. Have a look at the photos. Words simply fail here. They don’t exist
Day 3: Lavender fields – Wine tasting – An unexpected profession – One of the officially prettiest villages in Provence – Avignon
This morning, we throw ourselves headfirst into all things purple. Lavender. Horizon to horizon. Time to finally close that photo-gestalt. A woman without a lavender-field photo is simply incomplete. Then we carry on.
Today is the day of “essential experiences”. Surely you weren’t planning to come all this way and not visit at least one vineyard? Well, we’ll be visiting two. We’ll even have lunch at one of them. Is there anything more joyful than eating something wonderfully local and washing it down with wine that was grape juice only recently—grapes that were growing right there, where you’re sitting? Oh, and how do you feel about a corkscrew museum? Not quite the Louvre, granted, but everyone’s done the Louvre. This, you definitely haven’t.
Ever heard of a lustriller? That’s a person. A real profession. We’ll pop into a workshop that restores antique chandeliers. And next time someone says, “Are you ever going to change that lightbulb?”—you’ll be able to raise an eyebrow and reply: “Je suis lustriller. These things take time…”
Then we’re off to Gordes—officially one of the most beautiful villages in Provence. And just when you thought the day couldn’t possibly squeeze in any more impressions, we end it in Avignon. Tomorrow, the Papal Palace awaits
Day 4: Avignon – The Papal Palace – A crash course in Catholicism – Summer residence and papal wine since 1314 – A UNESCO-listed Roman bridge – Arles
This morning, we dive headfirst into stern Catholic Gothic. You’re almost certainly picturing it all wrong. We’ll finally make sense of how the Pope ended up in Avignon and what exactly went wrong with the Vatican. We’ll peek into the world of trecento art, when the Renaissance was still warming up.
Like responsible grown-ups, by lunchtime we’ll be sipping the finest wine in Provence—Châteauneuf-du-Pape, of course, and in the very place where it’s born.
Lunch. A short but sweet siesta in the car. And then, armed with photographs, you’ll forever be able to shame any future architect or builder in your life by pointing out that yes, plumbing can in fact be elegant and structurally sound for centuries. Pont-du-Gard.
By mid-afternoon, all of Provence starts looking for shade. So will we. What used to be a seabed, then a quarry, and now—since the demand for luxury stone declined—has revealed itself as an astonishingly cinematic space. Jean Cocteau filmed Testament of Orpheus here in 1959. Josef Svoboda staged performances here in 1977. And today it’s an immersive art space. A chance to realise your childhood dream of quite literally walking inside a painting.
By early evening, we’ll arrive in Arles. A little time to recover at the hotel—most likely by the pool—and then we’ll head out. Arles by Van Gogh should be seen precisely in the evening. We’ll visit the original locations of “Starry Night Over the Rhône” and “Café Terrace at Night”, find out how Van Gogh and Gauguin fell out, and why on earth an ear ended up involved
Day 5: Arles – The Camargue – Pink flamingos and wild white horses – Aix-en-Provence – THE EXHIBITION
In the morning, we’ll finish what we started in Arles. A visit to a bookshop mentioned in Elizabeth Stamp’s 150 Bookstores You Need to Visit Before You Die. Then off to the Camargue nature reserve to admire flamingos and wild white horses in full, glorious daylight—and fill your Instagram with something that isn’t coffee and cats.
After lunch we arrive in Aix, freshen up, and finally—The Exhibition. There’s little point in describing it here. First, we’ve already told you why it’s so unique. Second, as of writing, the full exhibition catalogue hasn’t even been released. Third, we’ll definitely talk in-depth about Cézanne and his work one of the evenings before the show. And fourth—most importantly—painting is a deeply subjective experience. The viewer matters as much as the artist. So we’ll go together, yes, but each of us will go alone.
And afterwards, we’ll spend a warm evening at the table, with delicate food, excellent wine, and even better conversation about what we saw and felt. Because that’s a double joy—experiencing something deeply personal, and then sharing it with thoughtful, like-minded people. That, surely, is happiness
Day 6: Back to the Riviera – A surprising basilica in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume – The sea – Rest – Provençal cooking class
Still glowing from yesterday, we return to the Riviera. On the way, a necessary detour to admire the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. Then, as any athlete knows—recovery is just as important as training. So we check back into our familiar hotel and head straight for the sea. Swimming, sunbathing, and acquiring the skin tone of a normal human being.
In the evening, a cooking class with the best chef on the coast (by our own highly-biased standards). Together we’ll roast the biggest sea bass we can find in Camargue salt. And now, of course, we know exactly where the fish came from, and the salt, and the herbs, and the wine, and even this strangely uplifting mood we’re in
Day 7: Packing, airport transfer, and heading home
As always, we don’t schedule anything strict on departure day. The night before, we’ll decide together how to spend the time before your transfer to the airport. One last lie-in by the pool, a bit of unhurried shopping, or a stroll through Nice. We’re free people in a relatively free world. And no one’s going to tell us off if we spend our last few hours exactly as we please
Where to rest your head
We don’t just look at stars, prices, or big names when choosing hotels — and honestly, five stars don’t always mean five-star vibes. For us, what really matters is the atmosphere. That feeling when you walk in and think, “Yes, this is exactly where I want to wake up tomorrow.”
So, for this tour, we’ve handpicked places that feel just right — charming, comfortable, and full of character. Here’s where you’ll be staying:
What's included
- A 6 nights hotel stay with brekfasts
- All transfers and tours according to the program;
- Wine tastings during the tour;
- Entry and guided visit to Château de la Napoule;
- All church and cathedral visits;
- Boat tickets to and from Saint-Tropez;
- Provençal cooking masterclass and dinner;
- All activities listed in the program
What's not
- Flights;
- Visa;
- Meals and drinks not included in the program;
- Medical insurance;
- Personal expenses;
- Tips for the guide are not included — but always appreciated
Frequently asked questions
How Does Booking Work
Each and every trip here is tailored exactly to who you are and what you want to do. That’s why one-click booking isn’t an option. So tell us about yourself, and we’ll create something that’s entirely you. When the trip is set up, we’ll send you a payment link for a 30% deposit. As soon as the payment is received, we’ll secure the dates, hotels etc for your tour. The remaining balance can be paid on the spot when we meet
What if there are more than seven of us
*Why would that be a problem? We’ll gladly arrange transportation and everything else, of course, after discussing the details and pricing with you in advance
Can we do something special since we have specific interests
*Of course! We’re not here to just rattle off a standard tour program. The main goal is to have an enjoyable and meaningful experience. Tell us what you have in mind, and if it’s at all possible, we’ll do our best to make it happen
The Riviera, as it should be — slow, beautiful, delicious. Not a race, but a feeling you’ll want to keep 😎
