2024 Tour Dates

Spring | May 5 – 14 – SOLD OUT
Fall | Sept 8-17 – Limited spaces available!
Late Fall | Oct 13-22

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 Journey Itinerary

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 with your guide Dee followed by a welcome dinner.

Day 2 – Monday

The day begins with an introduction to Rosa Jackson, a cookbook author and fabulous chef. She will be our guide through a french cooking course that is suitable for beginners with everyone taking part in the process of creating a traditional macaron. After our cooking class we will have a quick lunch. In the afternoon, 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.

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 one of the local wineries. Then in Cassis, we will be checking into Hôtel La Rade 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. 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.

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 guided historical tour of old town Aix, with a highlight of L’atelier de Cézanne. We all usually agree that dinner tonight can be a light affair.

Day 6 – Friday

New to our itinerary, a day trip to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to visit her Provençal weekly market, visit Vincent van Gogh museum and 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.

Day 7 – Saturday

This morning is spent at Aix’s Saturday morning markets. We browse through the many stalls of antiques and clothing on the Cour Mirabeau and then venture to the Marché aux Fleurs (flower market) and the food market located at Place Richelme, a stone’s throw from the town hall. After the market we visit Hôtel Le Pigonnet to explore their gardens and enjoy a lunch. Dinner tonight will be 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 make our way back to Nice, the capital of the French Riviera and check into Apollinaire Nice Hotel. You will have time to discover the highlights of Nice, it’s historic old district, museums and galleries, Promenade des Anglais, Cours Saleya, Castle Hill, Place Massena, and the rocky beach. Dinner tonight will be in old town Nice at a traditional restaurant.

Day 10 – Tuesday

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!

9 NIGHTS/10 DAYS

$6999 USD/pp 

Initial Deposit of $3,500 due at the time of booking.
Remaining deposit of $3,499 is due six months before scheduled departure date.

*rates are based on single occupancy

provence-alpes-cote-dazur

…..WHAT’S INCLUDED

Licensed, comfortable Mercedes transportation (gas, tolls and parking included) for each destination and activity. This includes transfer from Nice airport to 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).

1 Lunch included – most days we are out and about and grab lunch while exploring.

Welcome Dinner.

Group tour of La Maison Godet perfumery in Saint Paul de Vence.

1 Cookery class.

1 Pétanque lesson.

Three hour walking food tour in the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence.

Wine tasting in the sun kissed hills of Bandol.

Boat ride along the French Riviera.

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.

Your return transfer to the airport – 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 back to 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.

Jackdaw Journeys truly is an experience for the senses, set in magical Provence. We hope you’ll join us, soon!

Jackdaw Journeys truly is an experience for the senses, set in magical Provence.

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