2024 Tour Dates
Spring | May 5 – 14 and Fall | Sept 8-17 – SOLD OUT
Late Fall | Oct 13-22 – Limited space available!
2025 Tour Dates
Spring | May 11th – 21st
Fall | September 7th – 17th
Late Fall | October 12th – 22nd
Holdiay Tour | December 7th – 12th (6 days)
Looking for a custom tour?
Contact us at hello@jackdawjourneys.com to put together a tour for your group
*tours must be a minimum of 6 guests
Jackdaw Journeys – Spring & Fall Itinerary
Our tour itinerary is ever evolving as we discover new places to explore and provide you with the best Provençal experience! Below is the itinerary for our 2025 Spring and Fall Tours. If you wish for more details please reach out to us hello@jacakdawjourneys.com
*Itinerary is subject to change
Day 1- Sunday
Your tour starts with being greeted by your tour guide, Dee Poquette at our first hotel, the Hôtel Apollinaire Nice. Today will be a local walking tour followed by a welcome dinner.
Day 2 – Monday
In the morning, we will be whisked off by our private driver for a scenic drive through Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, with a stopover and look around in the medieval city of Èze. After we return back to Nice, the afternoon is yours to explore.
Day 3 – Tuesday
After breakfast we are picked up and head off to Saint-Paul-de-Vence for our tour of the famous Maison Godet, a perfumery that has been making beautiful scents since the 1900’s. You will be greeted by Sonia, the great-granddaughter of Maison Godet’s founder. After enjoying a welcome cognac with biscuits, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of the perfumery, and sample the many scents and pick out your personal signature scent. You’ll then be able to explore the village where you’ll enjoy lunch before heading to Cassis. On our way we will make a stop at The Escoffier Museum of Culinary Art.
When we arrive in Cassis, we will check into Hôtel Liautaud and enjoy dinner in one of the local restaurants.
Day 4 – Wednesday
The morning will be spent at a beautiful market town by the sea, Sanary-sur-Mer, voted favorite market of the French. This port city provides us with our first experience of what French market shopping is all about. You’ll find everything from olives, antiques, fresh fish of the day, local cheese and honey, straw market bags, shoes, French linens, French scarves – great souvenirs and gifts. We will enjoy lunch at Chez Tania in La Ciotat.
In the afternoon we will return to Cassis where you will board a boat for a cruise on the Mediterranean to the famous Calanques, one of the most beautiful natural wonders of France.
Dinner tonight will be on your own in the port.
Day 5 – Thursday
After bidding “au revoir” to the seaside, we next visit wonderful Aix-en-Provence, a gorgeous mini-Paris filled with all the charm you’d expect in a quaint city that has been around for centuries. After checking into Hôtel Cezanne, you’ll take a wander through the historical old town Aix, with a highlight of a private tour at Hôtel de Caumont or the atelier de Cezanne depending on exhibit availability.
Dinner tonight—restaurant to be announced.
Day 6 – Friday
New to our itinerary, a day trip to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence with a visit to the Vincent van Gogh museum, and the architectural site of Les Antiques, followed by a visit to the preserved ruins of the Roman city of Glanum followed by a quick lunch. After lunch we visit Les Baux-de-Provence to visit a medieval fortress and the Carrières de Lumiéres, a former quarry with art-based multimedia shows. Then, we return back to Aix after a full day of adventure.
Dinner tonight—restaurant to be announced.
Day 7 – Saturday
This morning is Aix’s Saturday morning markets, starting with the Marché aux Fleurs (flower market) and the food market located at Place Richelme, a stone’s throw from the town hall. Followed by time to browse through the many stalls of antiques and clothing on the Cour Mirabeau. The afternoon is yours.
Dinner tonight will be on your own—perhaps in one of Aix’s many brasseries.
Day 8 – Sunday
Today (always on Sundays) we will take an early morning drive to the charming village of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Le Sorgue is known worldwide for its authentic brocante (antique) markets. We advise you to pack an extra (empty) bag – you’ll need it to carry all your treasures home. If you are a Francophile for all things French (linens, silverware, china, furniture, glassware, artwork, baskets, etc.) you have found your utopia!
Day 9 – Monday
We bid farewell to Aix and take a trip to a local winery, then make our way back to Nice, the capital of the French Riviera and check into Apollinaire Nice Hotel. You will have time to discover some more of Nice.
Day 10 – Tuesday
The day begins with an introduction to Rosa Jackson, a cookbook author and fabulous chef. She will be your guide in the market and build our meal around the season’s best produce, fruits, fish, poultry, or meats and of course cheese and wine. The cooking course is suitable for beginners and everyone takes part in preparing a perfect authentic Nicois lunch.
The afternoon and evening are yours—take your last look around its historic old district, museums and galleries, Promenade des Anglais, Cours Saleya, Castle Hill, Place Massena, and the rocky beach.
Day 11 – Wednesday
After breakfast and a photo session, it’s sadly time to head home, or wherever the road might take you. But not without a luggage full of treasures and memories to last a lifetime!
10 NIGHTS/11 DAYS
$7500 USD/pp
Initial Deposit of $3,750 due at the time of booking.
Remaining deposit of $3,750 is due six months before scheduled departure date.
*rates are based on single occupancy
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Licensed, comfortable transportation (gas, tolls and parking included) for each destination and activity. This includes pickup from our first hotel upon your arrival to beautiful Southern France – all guests will be asked to arrive at the same time so we can coordinate the group pickup and kick off the tour together.
Accommodations (room + tax) for 10 nights through the duration of our tour. Incidentals are on own.
Breakfast each morning (11 days).
One Lunch included – most days we are out and about and grab lunch while exploring.
Welcome Dinner.
*Activities per Itinerary – Please refer to your tour itinerary
Priceless memories and new friends along the way.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Flight – your flight from your home to Nice is not included in our tour package. We recommend using sites such as kayak.com or hopper to set up a search for the best flight costs. We’ve also found that flight searches on Tuesday nights can sometimes land you a great deal!
Gratuity for your driver or service people.
Travel Insurance – we recommend travel insurance for all travelers. Make sure you research your insurance policy to cover any issues that might arise. See FAQ page for more information.
Any meals not specified under inclusions – we’ve created our itinerary so our guests can truly experience Provence – some meals are included but for those that aren’t, the beauty of our tour is the flexibility to eat with the group or do what suits you best. Our goal is for you to truly relax and rejuvenate, not feel tied to a rigid timeline.
Airport Transfers– some guests decide to tack on a few extra days, while others might decide to leave on our last “official” day. Depending on flight times and schedules, each guest arranges their own transport to/from the airport simply by asking the front desk to book a taxi for you. If you are leaving from our hotel in Nice, this cost is usually around $15-$20 per person as we are only about 25-30 minutes away from the airport.