10 DAYS IN
France
From Paris to Aix-en-Provence, here’s how to spend 10 glorious days in France.
10 DAYS IN
France
From Paris to Aix-en-Provence, here’s how to spend 10 glorious days in France.
World Nomads was founded by travelers, for travelers.
So, we made sure to fill this itinerary with memorable experiences and expert guidance. We asked France resident and travel writer Tamara Thiessen to share her tips for exploring the heart of France in 10 days. Our goal is to help you get the most from your adventure through our travel and safety tips and simple, flexible travel insurance.
Enjoy your visit to the scenic and historic country of France!
HIGHLIGHTS
This itinerary will be suitable for any time of year. Starting your trip in Paris, the journey takes you south through the Burgundy wine region and the Luberon, ending in Aix-en-Provence after 10 days.
Everything on this itinerary is easily booked independently. Most hotels/hostels can arrange transportation and recommend operators for the suggested experiences.
HIGHLIGHTS
This itinerary will be suitable for any time of year. Starting your trip in Paris, the journey takes you south through the Burgundy wine region and the Luberon, ending in Aix-en-Provence after 10 days.
Everything on this itinerary is easily booked independently. Most hotels/hostels can arrange transportation and recommend operators for the suggested experiences.
View of the Pantheon in the Latin Quarter, Paris. Credit: Alexander Spatari, Getty Images.
Arrive in Paris
The City of Light could be explored for weeks. Start off with a handful of iconic sights, neighborhoods, and museums to get a sense of its magic.
Place des Vosges, Paris. Credit: Massimo Borchi/Atlantide Phototravel, Getty Images.
Paris
DAY 1
If you fancy a stroll, start in the historic Marais district for its gems – the Musée Picasso Paris, the Maison Victor Hugo on the pretty Place des Vosges where the famed Les Misérables author lived, and the Musée Carnavalet, a treasure chest of Paris history.
Then, head through Hôtel de Ville to the Île de la Cité, the island that’s home to Notre Dame.
A street in the Latin Quarter. Credit: Gary Yeowell, Getty Images.
DAY 2
Your Paris escape continues as the Quais de la Seine riverbanks unfurl before you to the Jardin des Plantes, surrounding the Natural History Museum.
Pass by the Panthéon in the Latin Quarter where the likes of Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, and Résistance hero, Jean Moulin, lie in its crypt, or immerse yourself in culture at the Musée d'Orsay, with its star-studded collection of Impressionist works.
Or, after a picnic in the Jardin des Tuileries, head to the Louvre for the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
Paris to Burgundy
Burgundy, one of France’s most renowned wine regions, is also one of its loveliest – and it’s absolutely steeped in history.
Autumn at Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. Credit: EschCollection, Getty Images.
Vézelay
DAY 3
Drive about 2.5 hours south to Burgundy and the World Heritage village of Vézelay. Its 12th-century basilica underpins its history as the holy colline éternelle (eternal hill) for religious pilgrims.
Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. Credit: Hiroshi Higuchi, Getty Images.
The village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain from the fields opposite. Credit: Tamara Thiessen.
Flavigny-sur-Ozerain
DAY 4
Flavigny-sur-Ozerain’s enchanting houses were the set for the film Chocolat. However, its most famous sweets are the Anis de Flavigny, first made by Benedictine monks in 873. Traditionally aniseed, they now come in many flavors from violet to mint, which you can try at the old factory boutique.
Then, visit the nearby MuésoParc Alésia to relive the famous Siege of Alesia between Gallic and Roman forces in 52 BC.
Anis de Flavigny store. Credit: Tamara Thiessen.
Charming street in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. Credit: Tamara Thiessen.
Hiking in the Vaucluse. Credit: Jon Lovette, Getty Images.
Abbey of Fontenay Côte d'Or. Credit: CAHKT Getty Images.
Old town of Dijon. Credit: Xantana Getty Images.
Dijon
DAY 5
Drive down through the Côte d’Or to Dijon, capital of Burgundy.
En route, take a one-hour guided tour of Abbaye de Fontenay, one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries in Europe, founded by St Bernard in 1118. The World Heritage site was a backdrop for film scenes in Cyrano de Bergerac.
In Dijon, follow the 1-hour ‘Owl Trail’. A booklet from the tourist officemarked by golden owls (Dijon’s lucky charm) will take you to 22 places including the 14th-century Palais des ducs (Palace of the Dukes), the wine presses which the all-powerful Dukes owned, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, and the central marketplace, Les Halles.
Beaune
DAY 6
Head along the Route des Grands Crus through vines and villages, such as Aloxe-Corton, to Beaune. You’ll recognize the walled town by the polychrome-glazed tile roofs of the l'Hôtel-Dieu, an historic hospice for the poor turned museum.
Explore Beaune’s hive of historic streets, squares, and ramparts along a marked trail, taking in the former duke’s residence, Hôtel des Ducs, and its Musée du Vin, the medieval marketplace and the Square des Lions, a beautiful garden located within the ruins of a 17th-century fortress.
L’Hotel-Dieu, Beaune. Credit: Hiroshi Higuchi, Getty Images.
Burgundy to The Luberon
In the heart of the sun-drenched South of France, the Luberon’s hilltop villages and ochre-colored canyons offer a perfect blend of nature and culture.
Lavender fields in front of Saignon. Credit: Selitbul, Getty Images.
The village of Gordes at dusk. Credit: Mlenny, Getty Images.
Gordes
DAY 7
Drive 4 hours to the Luberon, a rocky massif in the heart of Provence. (The Luberon can also be reached from the French Riviera or the Rhone Valley in 3 hours.)
En route, stop by the glorious 1148 Cistercian Abbaye de Sénanque, its arched cloister wedged between lavender fields and forest.
Overnight in Gordes, one of five Luberon hamlets classed among “the most beautiful villages in France”. Visit the Château de Gordes, built on the same site as the Iron Age hill fort Gordenses in 1031.
Roussillon
DAY 8
Explore the village of Roussillon, which is like a splash of ochre in the sky, its houses blending with the blazing orange cliffs.
Hike the Sentier des Ocres, leading down through oak trees and juniper shrubs into the valley. Here the earth has been sculpted into remarkable forms – spindles, furnaces and winged beasts.
Exploring the ocher quarry cliffs of Roussillon. Credit: Atlantide Phototravel, Getty Images.
Fantastical formations along the Sentier des Ocres. Credit: Nicola Micheletti, Getty Images.
A fountain in a square in Saignon. Credit: jenifoto, Getty Images.
Saignon
DAY 9
Explore Colorado Provençal, a former quarry in Rustrel, where two trails lead through multicolored, crinkled canyons, forested gorges and up the sides of 492ft (150m) banks.
Continue south past stony hamlets to the picturesque village of Saignon, with its ramparts and Romanesque churches, nymph-adorned fountains, clock towers and crumbling olive oil mills. This is the place to enjoy some Provençal cuisine and Côtes du Lubéron rosé.
Aix-en-Provence
DAY 10
Continue through the cedar forests of the Parc naturel régional du Luberon to Lourmarin, perched under its old shingle-roofed watchtower.
Follow the Albert Camus promenade littéraire which traces the life of the Nobel-prize-winning writer in the 1950s, where he spent his last years.
Finish the drive 25 miles south to the perfumed marketplaces of Aix-en-Provence, the birthplace of Paul Cézanne, where you can visit his atelier museum.
Saturday market, Place Richelme, Aix-en-Provence. Credit: Franz Marc Frei, Getty Images.
Tips for travel safety in France
Learn how to stay healthy and avoid crime and scams in France with our travel safety tips.
Be safe when visiting France. Credit: Michal Krakowiak, Getty Images.
Travel insurance doesn't cover everything. All of the information we provide is a brief summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions of the plans described. Coverage may not be the same or available for residents of all countries, states or provinces. Please carefully read your policy wording for a full description of coverage.
WorldNomads.com Pty Limited (ABN 62 127 485 198 AR 343027, NZBN 9429050505364) at Governor Macquarie Tower, Level 18, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia is an Authorised Representative of nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (ABN 81 115 932 173 AFSL 308461, NZBN 9429050505340), and is underwritten in Australia and New Zealand by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 83 169 311 193, NZBN 9429041356500. nib Travel Services Europe Limited trading as nib Travel Services and World Nomads is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. nib Travel Services Europe Limited (Company Registration Number 601851), at City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork, T12 Y3ET, Ireland. In Europe the policy is manufactured by Collinson Insurance Europe Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (Registration no. C89977). nib Travel Services Europe (UK Branch) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 988371. Registered Office: Birchin Court, 20 Birchin Lane, London, EC3V 9DU. Co/Est. No. FC039523/BR024629. In the UK the policy is underwritten by Collinson Insurance which is a trading name of Astrenska Insurance Limited which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN 202846). WorldNomads.com Pty Limited markets and promotes travel insurance products of nib Travel Services Limited (License No.1446874), at PO Box 1051, Grand Cayman KY1-1102, Cayman Islands. World Nomads Inc. (1585422), at 2201 Broadway, Suite 400, Oakland, CA 94612, USA, plans are serviced by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, which include travel insurance coverages underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, Principal Office located in Morristown, New Jersey, under form series T7000 et al, T210 et al and TP-401 et al and non-insurance Travel Assistance Services provided by Generali Global Assistance, FootprintlD®, Blue Ribbon Bags, and Runway Health. World Nomads (Canada) Ltd (BC: 0700178; Business No: 001 85379 7942 RC0001) is a licensed agent sponsored by AIG Insurance Company of Canada at 120 Bremner Boulevard, Suite 2200, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 0A8, Canada. World Experiences Seguros De Viagem Brasil Ltda (CNPJ: 21.346.969/0001-99) at Rua Padre João Manuel, 755, 16º andar, São Paulo – SP, Brazil is an Authorized Partner (Representante) of Chubb Seguros Brasil S.A. (CNPJ: 03.502.099/0001-18) at Av. Nações Unidas, nº 8.501, 27º andar -, Edifício Eldorado Business Tower, Pinheiros through the SUSEP Process 15414.900439/2015-34. All World Nomads entities listed above, including nib Travel Services Europe Limited, nib Travel Services Limited and nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd, are subsidiaries of nib holdings limited (ABN 51 125 633 856).