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Overview

Authentic Provence Cooking Vacations

Chevre during your gastronomic holiday in Aix en ProvenceEnjoy a once-in-a-lifetime cooking holiday in southeastern France! Provence has a history and culture as rich as its gastronomy, and they are all waiting to be discovered on this 6-night cooking vacation. Not only is Provencal cuisine distinct (and delicious!), it includes many of the most popular, flavorful, and healthy aspects of the Mediterranean diet: fresh produce, lots of seafood, olive oil, and wine! Provence is a foodie’s delight, full of open-air markets and artisan food producers, all of which you will explore on your culinary vacation. Each day your host will lead you in choosing a menu based on the delectable foods you discover on your journeys–a true gourmet delight!


Latest Review

We gave this trip 5 stars
Karen & Chris
MI
My husband and I just spent five wonderful days with Chef Mark Haskell on a culinary tour of Provence. Our home base was in a lovely Inn in Vaison-la-Romaine. From here Mark took us a daily trips to wonderful markets, beautiful picnic spots, great restaurants, local wineries. His knowledge of this area was amazing. I think we were on every back road in the region. We cooked some great meals in his personal kitchen and shared wine with the local residents. What fun!! By the end of the trip I felt like a local. Thank you Mark for making our visit so memorable. And thank you International Kitchen for this wonderful opportunity.

Highlights of Our Provence Cooking Vacations

Our Provence cooking vacations are full of amazing explorations of the cuisine and culture of Provence. The chef will lead your hands-on cooking classes, and can tailor them to your tastes and expertise. The cultural tours also can be customized according to your interests, but usually include:

  • visit to Vaison-la-Romaine and the Luberon Valley
  • excursion to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on its fabulous market day
  • visits of the Vaucluse and Cote du Rhone wine region with wine tastings
  • trips to  Avignon and Ville Nueve les Avignon
  • visits of an olive mill, lavender distillery, and market in Nyons
  • and more!

Provence Cooking Vacations Itinerary

Candied fruit in Provence on a French culinary tourPlease note that our Provence cooking vacations can be customized to suit your interests, and the order of events is subject to change according to weather and the daily market schedule in the region.

Day One

  • Arrival at Avignon TGV train station and transfer to your accommodation.
  • In the afternoon, enjoy a visit to Vaison-la-Romaine, with its picturesque “upper city,” where refuge was sought during conflicts of the Middle Ages, and its “lower city,” which runs along the river. It has some of the most important Roman antiquities in France, and its ancient bridge dates back to the First Century!
  • Next, enjoy an aperitif in the nearby town of Villedieu. Each evening during your stay you will have the chance to enjoy an aperitif of local wine, champagne, or cocktails with traditional Provencal snacks such as tapanades, pissaladieres, crudities with dips, anchoides, olives, and more.
  • Welcome dinner either at your accommodation or at a local restaurant, depending on the week.
  • Overnight.

Cooking class in Provence


Day Two

  • Breakfast.
  • This morning visit one of the most famous markets in the world, that of l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a “mini-Venice” full of canals. It was originally a silk and textile-making center, and many of its quaint water wheels, which powered the mills, still work. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is now the most well-known place in France to shop for antiques, and its market provides colorful arrays of fresh fruits and vegetables, sausages and jambon, cheese, meat, fish, in addition to textiles and pottery. During your morning’s excursion you will buy ingredients for your first cooking lesson, to be held later in the day.
  • Enjoy lunch out, perhaps an elegant picnic.
  • Next stop, the lovely Luberon Valley and its charming villages, where time seems to stand still. Visit the Chateau of the Marquis de Sade and walk through its sculpture garden and courtyard, and stop at the medieval moulin (windmill) in the village of Goult.
  • Next, you will enjoy a hands-on cooking lessons in which you prepare a full meal, including such items as amuse bouches, aperitifs, soups, appetizers, main courses, and desserts. You will also learn cheese and wine pairings.
  • Overnight.

Provencal soup


Day Three

  • Breakfast.
  • This morning, the Vaucluse, the southern part of the Cotes du Rhone wine region, beckons with its variety of superior private and cooperative wineries. The Cotes du Rhone wine region runs over 200 kilometers through the Rhone River hills, and boasts a hot, sunny, but constant climate. The milder climate translates to complex wines, as well as elegant sweet wines. You will enjoy tastings of many of these superb local vintages with the perfect accompaniment: cheese and local specialties.
  • Next, enjoy a walk among the Dentelles (the French word for lace), whose jagged peaks were formed as the limestone strata was worn away to form sharp-edged spikes and ridges. Rising from the Dentelles Mountains is the famed Mont Ventoux, called the “Giant of Provence,” which affords one amazing views of the nearby hilltowns and surrounding vineyards.
  • Dinner either at your accommodation or at a local restaurant, depending on the week, and overnight.

A market in France


Day Four

  • Breakfast.
  • This morning, visit Vaison-la-Romaine and its historic market, an internationally famous 600 year old market among the Roman antiquities and medieval architecture.
  • After gathering supplies at the market, enjoy another another cooking lesson, lunch to follow.
  • A bit of time to relax, and dinner out tonight!
  • Overnight.

Avignon, France


Day Five

  • Breakfast.
  • Today you will visit Avignon, capital of Christendom during the medieval “Great Schism” that saw the French papacy established in this lovely town. Avignon boasts a unique architectural history that sets it apart from modern towns. Walk in the opulent square of the Palais des Papes (Popes’ Palace), enjoy the beautiful gardens of Doms, and explore the monuments along the ramparts.
  • For lunch, taste traditional and original Provencal cuisine at one of Avignon’s many charming restaurants.
  • After lunch, cross the Rhone River to visit Ville Nueve les Avignon, a picturesque medieval town where many cardinals of the 14th century chose to live. Enjoy stunning views of Avignon from the great French King’s charterhouse and its fortifications before traveling to the site of the former papal castle at Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a town famed for its wineries, which you will visit, including that of the Baron le Roi who founded the AOC wine-designating system.
  • Dinner either at your accommodation or at a local restaurant.
  • Overnight.

Provencal village


Day Six

  • Breakfast.
  • Nyons is another quintessential Provencal town, lying at the foot of a rocky spur near Mont Ventoux and surrounded by hills and small mountains. Its location shields it from the Provencal winds and keeps it sunny and warm year round, making it an excellent producer of olives and one of France’s most famous olive towns.
  • You will first visit an 18th- and 19th-century olive oil mill, as well as a lavender distillery, before venturing to the two hundred and fifty year old market to choose foods for your cooking class in Nyons.
  • Lunch will follow based on your efforts.
  • In the afternoon, journey to Suze-la-Rousse with its beautiful castle that was both a feudal fortress and stately Renaissance estate. The former chateau of the Dukes of Adhuerre, the castle now houses the French National Université du Vin, an institution dedicated to all things wine! After touring the building and its laboratory, stop for a tasting in its tasting room.
  • This evening, dinner will be in the charming medieval village of Entrechaux, known for its production of cherries, melons, asparagus, grapes, and apricots.
  • Overnight.

Provencal tart on a culinary vacation in FranceDay Seven

  • Breakfast.
  • Today you will create as a group your own Provencal adventure. You may choose to stay at your accomodation and relax in the gardens. Or, you may prefer to take one last chance to explore more of the Rhone River valley with its quaint towns and ancient landmarks. You may search out another market to shop for specialties to take home, or simply visit with the new friends you have made during your stay. Your host will help you in deciding how to make the most of your last day in Provence.
  • Transfer in the afternoon to the Avignon TGV train station. A bientôt!

Provence Cooking Vacations Trip Details

Included in the 6-Night Provence Culinary Tours

Accommodations

6 nights accommodation in double or double twin room

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • 5 lunches
  • 6 dinners
  • Wine with all meals

Classes & Instructors

Your week will feature 3 or more cooking classes with Mark Haskell and a fellow chef. Mark is founder of Friends & Food International in Washington, DC, a food consulting company specializing in restaurant and community nutrition programs, edible gardens, culinary education and travel tours. His culinary philosophy is to promote cultural heritage, food diversity, and sustainable practices. In addition to being a certified Master Gardener, he was knighted a Chevalier by the Confrerie de Saint Vincent, in Cotes du Rhone, France, for his work promoting organic and biodynamic food production. His glowing credentials are merely the tip of the iceberg, however, as his true talent lies in his passion for introducing travelers to all the wonders of French and Provencal cuisine. Because Provence cuisine is the epitome of seasonally inspired food, the excursions and cooking lessons will vary from month to month, always dependent on what is harvested in the fields, caught in the sea, or hunted in the forest. But each week, regardless of season, you will be introduced to a variety of regional dishes, including aperitifs, amuse bouches, planchas (a type of grilled dish), rice dishes, Provencal sauces, cheeses, and desserts. You education in Provencal cuisine will include both the techniques as well as the finesse of choosing the right ingredients. Starting in 2022 the cooking classes will be held at Mark’s teaching kitchen located near your accommodation.

Excursions

  • Visit to Vaison-la-Romaine
  • Excursion to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on market day
  • Visit of the Luberon Valley
  • Excursion to the Vaucluse and Cote du Rhone wine region
  • Visit of Avignon and Ville Nueve les Avignon
  • Excursion to Nyons, including olive mill, lavender distillery, and market
  • Visit of Suz-la-Rousse

Transfer Details

  • Arrival and departure transfers from/to Avignon TGV station

Miscellaneous

  • Food and wine tastings

Accommodation Information

Accommodations will be at a beautiful French guest house, B&B, or chateau, depending on the week. Please inquire!

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Provence Cooking Vacations Pricing & Tour Dates

See pricing and dates for our authentic Provence culinary vacations below, and contact us for availability or to customize your food and wine tour.



Provence Cooking Vacations Pricing:
for a minimum of 4 people

6-Night Provence Culinary Vacation Pricing

US$3550 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$500 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)

Supplement to confirm for 2 people: please inquire.

30% deposit due to confirm booking.

Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!

4-night itinerary also possible, please inquire.


Provence Cooking Vacations Tour Dates

Our Provence cooking vacations are available select weeks March through October/November for a minimum of 4 people. Please inquire with specific dates to confirm availability for our Provence tours, or to customize your trip.

2024
Please inquire for available weeks.

Reviews

We gave this trip 5 stars
Karen & Chris
MI
My husband and I just spent five wonderful days with Chef Mark Haskell on a culinary tour of Provence. Our home base was in a lovely Inn in Vaison-la-Romaine. From here Mark took us a daily trips to wonderful markets, beautiful picnic spots, great restaurants, local wineries. His knowledge of this area was amazing. I think we were on every back road in the region. We cooked some great meals in his personal kitchen and shared wine with the local residents. What fun!! By the end of the trip I felt like a local. Thank you Mark for making our visit so memorable. And thank you International Kitchen for this wonderful opportunity.

We can help plan the best Provence cooking vacations!

Enjoying tarte tatin on a cooking vacation in Provence.
Whether you need help with additional nights or tours in France, or to completely customize your trip, we are always here to help you plan the ultimate Provence cooking vacation. We might not be able to pack for you, but there are many things we can help with to make your culinary vacation in Provence that much better. Contact us for more information, or you can indicate your interest during check out and we will follow up with you directly! Contact Us
 

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