The Undiscovered French Riviera Experience

New in 2026!

2026 Trip: June 5 – 12

2027 Trip: June 4 – 11

If you don’t recognize this new trip… it’s because we’ve re-named the trip previously called Return to Mediterranean Provence. We decided this new name better describes the location and focus of this trip.

Designed and led by Jennifer Dugdale, this week is focused on a different area of the Mediterranean than enjoyed on our Mediterranean Provence Experience or the Riviera Hillsides Experience. With over 1250 miles along the French Mediterranean coastline, there is so much to experience!!

On this week we’ll focus on the area between Toulon and Nice, including the island of Pouquerolles. Our itinerary won’t duplicate anything from our other trips on the Mediterranean coast of France.

This area of the Southern French coast is famous for Saint Tropez, but there is so much more to discover.  The region is nestled amongst a series of tiny bays with crystal blue water, far from the mega-yachts of glitzy Cannes and Nice, and far from any metropolis. Here, we’ll enjoy colorful seaside villages, pretty Provence style markets, family owned restaurants cooking fish and Mediterranean cuisine (of course!), and a sunny micro-climate. Palm trees, flowering bougainvillea and fragrant jasmine abound in this “undiscovered French Riviera” and the hills are covered with vineyards dropping down to the sea, where the finest rosé wine in France is produced.

Our group will base in the attractive Provençal port village of Le Lavandou, right on the sea and across from the “Golden Isles.” Our hotel is a charming family-owned property, recently renovated, and located in the center of Le Lavandou, with a choice of cafes, restaurants and shops right on our doorstep.

Experiences on this trip

We’ll finalize our itinerary over the coming months… there are so many possibilities to consider! This trip will follow the same approach as our other Experience trips, including a variety of special activities and experiences unique to this area, including connections with local people and less-touristed sites. Our experiences will include:

• A visit to Villa Noailles, the 1950’s home of an eccentric couple involved in the arts and film. This is a “Jardin remarquable,” offering views over the town of Hyères to the sea, including the Porquerolles.
• Visits around Hyères, including Le Salin des Pesquiers (former salt marshes) and the Giens Peninsula. We may even do some birdwatching!
• A day trip from the port of Hyères to the island of Porquerolles. The largest of the three Îles d’Hyères islands in the Parc National de Port-Cros, Porquerolles offers a magical Provençal landscape of white beaches and limestone cliffs, oak and pine trees, chirping cicadas, wild herbs, sprawling eucalyptus, and fig trees. We’ll enjoy lunch in a seafront restaurant in the small village and also visit the Fondation Carmignac, a contemporary art collection and garden. This day will definitely be a highlight!
• Explorations of the Var winery coast, home of rosé wine! There are numerous possibilities for winery visits, some with beachfront property.
• A boat trip from Sainte Maxime to St. Tropez, potentially on market day. We’ll admire the luxury yachts, explore the many boutiques, and climb up to the old citadel to enjoy the views. And of course we’ll sample the famous “tarte tropezienne.”
• A visit to Domaine du Rayol, an outstanding botanical garden on the coast.
• Visits to local producers and attractive villages on the coast or inland in the hills.
• Memorable meals in a variety of settings, from gastronomic restaurants to simple seafront cafes, offering fresh, local produce. We plan to include at least one picnic.

Arrivals and Departures

Our meeting/drop-off point is the train station in the town of Hyères, between Marseille and Nice. This regional train station is served by TGV from Paris, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille and by regional trains from Nice (with a change in Toulon). Hyères is a 30-minute drive from Le Lavandou.

There are two major airports in the south of France: Nice and Marseille Provence. Nice now has daily flights between several airports on the east coast of the USA. To fly into Marseille, you will need to change planes at another major European gateway airport (Paris, Amsterdam, London etc.).

We always recommend arriving in Europe at least one day before our week begins. This allows you to adjust to the time difference and also provides a buffer in case of any travel delays. We will visit Hyères during our week, and we don’t recommend staying the night before meeting us there; we’d encourage you to stay in Aix, Marseille or Nice instead.

Leader:  Jennifer Dugdale

Prices: $5,550 per person; double occupancy; $6,100 single occupancy of a double room