Skip to content
Rows of flowering lavender on the Valensole plateau in the evening dusk

Sample journey · 10–12 days

Provence and the Alps, for two

The Alpilles, the Luberon, the Verdon Gorge, Annecy & Chamonix

Photo: Antony BEC / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The first half of the journey follows the rhythm of Provence: a morning market, a long lunch in the shade and evenings on a terrace as the hills turn gold. Stays are in stone farmhouses and country houses among olives and vines, the kind of places you want to stay in longer than planned. Then the landscape rises: the Verdon Gorge and its turquoise water, and further north Lake Annecy and the Chamonix valley beneath the glaciers of Mont Blanc.

This is a sample honeymoon or special-occasion route for a couple who want both rest and movement: mountain trails matter here as much as wine and cheese. Every place has at least two nights, and the drives are arranged so the days never feel rushed. All of it could be slowed down, changed or added to around what you want to celebrate.

The route

The journey

  1. Avignon
  2. Alpilles
  3. Luberon
  4. Verdon Gorge
  5. Annecy
  6. Chamonix
  7. Geneva
  1. Olive groves and vineyards seen through an arch of the castle at Les Baux-de-Provence

    01Days 1–2 · The Alpilles

    Olive groves and limestone hills

    After landing in Avignon or Marseille, it's only half an hour to an hour before you're among the limestone hills of the Alpilles. The first nights are at a Provençal farmhouse with a garden and pool. Les Baux-de-Provence is at its best early in the morning, before its lanes fill, and the market in Saint-Rémy and a tasting at an olive mill fill the day with the flavours of Provence.

  2. The stone village of Gordes, stepping up its hill above the Luberon valley

    02Days 3–5 · The Luberon

    Hill villages and market mornings

    Three nights in the Luberon, at a stone country house or a home overlooking the valley. Gordes, Roussillon with its ochre cliffs, Ménerbes and Lourmarin each have their own market day, so the days are worth planning around them. One afternoon could go to a wine tasting, another to cycling through the vines, and dinners here often last until dark.

  3. The turquoise Verdon river winding through its deep gorge between wooded cliffs

    03Days 6–7 · The Verdon Gorge

    Turquoise water and high cliffs

    The road east crosses the Valensole plateau, where, if the year is kind, lavender flowers in early summer. Two nights near Moustiers-Sainte-Marie allow you to see the gorge from every angle: driving the Route des Crêtes above the drop, walking the trails down, and paddling a kayak or pedal boat from Lac de Sainte-Croix into the gorge itself. Evenings are for swimming and quiet.

  4. Lake Annecy and the silhouettes of the mountains at a still summer dusk

    04Days 8–9 · Annecy

    A mountain lake and a town of canals

    The longest day of the journey: around five hours' drive north past Grenoble, with lunch on the way. The reward is Annecy, an old town of canals and flower-hung balconies, and a lake so clear you'll want to swim even on a cool morning. You could hire a boat, cycle round the lake or simply spend an afternoon on the shore with Savoyard cheeses.

  5. A mountainside with scattered pines and jagged peaks above the Chamonix valley in evening light

    05Days 10–12 · Chamonix

    Trails beneath Mont Blanc

    The final nights are at a mountain chalet in the Chamonix valley. The cable car to the Aiguille du Midi opens up a world of glaciers, and balcony trails such as the one to Lac Blanc lead through alpine meadows with views across the whole massif. Evenings mean fondue or raclette and a sauna facing the peaks. On the last morning, Geneva airport is about an hour away.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Stays among the olive groves

    Provençal farmhouses and country houses where mornings begin in the garden and evenings end on the terrace.

  2. 02

    The Luberon's markets

    Each village's market day brings cheeses, olives, lavender honey and fruit in season.

  3. 03

    The Verdon from the water

    By kayak or pedal boat into the gorge, with cliffs rising straight above you.

  4. 04

    Chamonix's balcony trails

    Half- or full-day walks across alpine meadows facing the glaciers of Mont Blanc.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Even slower

    Leave out the Verdon and stay longer in the Luberon and the mountains: less driving, more evenings in one place.

  • More active

    A few guided stages of the Tour du Mont Blanc, a via ferrata, or a cycling day through the Alpilles.

  • With the Riviera

    A few days by the Mediterranean before heading into the mountains, perhaps in a quieter coastal village.

  • In autumn

    In September the grape harvest begins in Provence, and mountain trails are often still open, with cooler evenings.

Practical considerations

  • Lavender usually flowers from around late June into July, but timing depends on altitude and the year, so it's best not to plan the journey around it alone.
  • Chamonix's higher trails and some lifts usually run from around mid-June to mid-September; mountain weather changes quickly.
  • A hire car is the easiest way to travel; returning it in another town or country may carry an extra charge.
  • Summer in Provence is hot and busy, so the best places to stay are often reserved well in advance.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

Keep exploring

Destinations

Ways to travel

Related articles

More journey inspiration

Plan your journey

Shape a journey like this

Planning a honeymoon or a special occasion? Tell us how you'd like it to feel, and we'll shape a Provence and Alps journey together.

Shape a journey like this

This journey becomes the starting point of your enquiry — you can change or remove it.

All journey inspiration