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A golden quenelle baked in orange Nantua crayfish sauce on a checked tablecloth in Lyon

FF07 · Lyon and Provence · 8 days · easy pace

France food tour: Lyon bouchons, Provence markets and Rhône wine

Eight days of Lyon bouchons, Provençal markets and Rhône wine, ending in Marseille

See dates and pricesDay by day

From $4,490 per person, shared double room

  • Hold your seat with a $300 deposit, by card or bank transfer
  • Balance due 60 days before departure
  • One free change of date or tour up to 45 days before
  • Next date May 11, 2027: few seats

Questions? [email protected], Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:30 Eastern. Booking terms

Quenelle in Nantua sauce, Lyon

Key facts

Length
8 days, 7 nights
Starts in
Lyon
Ends in
Marseille
Group size
12 guests at most
Minimum age
18; drinks 18 and over
Pace
Easy, 2 of 5
Tastings
28 tastings, plus 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
Tour code
FF07

Overview

What to expect on this France food tour

Quenelles and saucisson brioché in the bouchons of Lyon and a morning at Les Halles Paul Bocuse, then the fast train south to Avignon for Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Luberon market towns and an olive oil mill, with a last night in Marseille for bouillabaisse by the Vieux-Port.

Lyon and Provence sit at either end of the Rhône and could hardly cook more differently. Lyon is butter, cream, pork and long lunches in bouchons, the small restaurants with checked tablecloths that once fed the city’s silk workers. Provence is olive oil, garlic, herbs, vegetables from the market and fish from the sea. The tour starts in one, ends in the other, and pours Rhône wine all the way down.

Three nights in Lyon cover the covered market, the Croix-Rousse, the traboules of the old town and a hands-on class where you make quenelles and a pink praline tart. A one-hour high-speed train takes you to Avignon for three nights: its covered market, a vineyard walk among the stones of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a market day in the Luberon with candied fruit in Apt, and an olive oil mill. The last night is in Marseille, with the fish market at the Vieux-Port, panisse and a proper bouillabaisse.

Camille Rey, a cook from Lyon whose family comes from near Apt, hosts every departure. Dates run in spring and early fall, when the markets are full and the Provençal heat is mild.

More on the destination: Lyon and Provence food tours. Tour categories: Wine Regions, Street Food & Markets, Cooking Classes.

A waiter bringing whole rockfish and John Dory to a bouillabaisse table in Marseille
Bouillabaisse, Marseille

What you will taste

28 tastings on this France food tour

Tasting portions at the markets, producers, cellars and kitchens on the route, on top of the meals listed. Dishes follow the season, so one or two can change from date to date.

Drinks
Beaujolais crus, Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape red and white, Luberon rosé and a pastis in Marseille. Alcohol is poured only for guests 18 and over, the legal drinking age in France, with ID; every pour has a non-alcoholic option.
Diets
Lyon’s bouchons lean on pork and offal, so vegetarians get cervelle de canut, gratin and cheese there and eat much better in Provence. Quenelles, brioche and the praline tart contain gluten, and guests who avoid fish get a meat or vegetable dish instead of bouillabaisse. Severe allergies: ask Lena before you book.
  1. 01Saucisson briochéLyon
  2. 02Saint-Marcellin cheeseLes Halles de Lyon
  3. 03Cervelle de canutLyon
  4. 04Pike quenelles in sauce NantuaLyon
  5. 05Pink praline tartLyon
  6. 06Tapenade and fougasse at Les HallesAvignon
  7. 07Candied fruitApt
  8. 08PanisseL’Estaque
  9. 09Bouillabaisse with rouilleMarseille

Itinerary

France food tour itinerary: 8 days, day by day

Day 1 is the arrival day: meet your host at the hotel in the late afternoon. The order of the days can shift with the weather, the harvest or a kitchen that closes early; the places stay the same.

  1. Day1

    Arrive in Lyon

    Blue, hard and goat cheeses behind glass at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse

    Transfer from Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport to the hotel on the Presqu’île, about forty minutes. Welcome dinner in a bouchon: Côtes du Rhône or Beaujolais in a pot lyonnais, the thick-bottomed 46 cl bottle, salade lyonnaise with lardons and a poached egg, saucisson brioché and a slice of praline tart.

  2. Day2

    Les Halles and the Croix-Rousse

    Morning at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the covered market, tasting Saint-Marcellin cheese, oysters, rosette sausage and pralines. Lunch in a bouchon: cervelle de canut, the herbed fromage blanc of the silk workers, then andouillette or tablier de sapeur for the brave. In the afternoon a walk through the traboules, the covered passageways of the Croix-Rousse and Vieux Lyon.

  3. Day3

    A Lyonnaise cooking class

    Hands-on class in a cooking school near the Saône: pike quenelles baked in sauce Nantua, a gratin dauphinois and a tart filled with the pink sugared almonds Lyon loves. Lunch is what you cook, with a Beaujolais cru. Free afternoon and evening.

  4. Day4

    High-speed train to Avignon

    Old grenache vines heavy with grapes on a bed of round galet stones in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    The TGV from Lyon Part-Dieu to Avignon takes about an hour. Lunch at Les Halles d’Avignon, the covered market behind its wall of living plants, on tapenade, fougasse, fresh goat cheese and stuffed vegetables. Afternoon walk through the old town and past the Palais des Papes, then dinner in a square inside the walls.

  5. Day5

    Vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Twenty-five minutes north to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the vines grow among smooth river stones, the galets roulés, that hold the day’s heat into the night. A grower walks the group through the vineyard and pours whites and reds built on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Lunch in the village below the ruined papal castle. Dinner in Avignon.

  6. Day6

    Luberon market day

    Into the Luberon for the river market of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, held on Thursdays and Sundays, which our dates are built around. Then Apt, a candied fruit town for centuries, and lunch in a village near Gordes. In the afternoon a family olive oil mill, with the press explained and a tasting of Provence oils. Last evening in Avignon.

  7. Day7

    South to Marseille

    A blue tray of freshly landed fish on the quay of the Vieux-Port in Marseille

    An early start for the hour and a quarter to Marseille, in time for the fish market on the Quai des Belges, where the boats sell their catch at the Vieux-Port. Panisse, chickpea fries, in L’Estaque, and navettes, orange-blossom biscuits shaped like boats, near the Abbaye Saint-Victor. Farewell dinner of bouillabaisse, served first as broth with rouille and croutons, then the fish.

  8. Day8

    Depart from Marseille

    Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Marseille Provence airport, about thirty minutes, arriving around 10 am. Guests flying home from Paris can take the TGV from Marseille Saint-Charles instead, a little over three hours.

Route map of the Lyon and Provence food tour: Lyon, Avignon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Luberon and Marseille
The route in order; lines are not exact roads. Base map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, © OpenStreetMap contributors

The route

Route and hotels: Lyon to Provence

  1. 1Lyon
  2. 2Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  3. 3Avignon
  4. 4Gordes
  5. 5Marseille

Hotels on the route

Lyon3 nights
Hotel on the Presqu’île between the Rhône and the Saône, or similar
Avignon3 nights
Hotel inside the city walls, or similar
Marseille1 night
Hotel by the Vieux-Port, or similar

Hotels are listed by class and area; the names come with your confirmation and may be replaced by a hotel of the same standard.

What the price covers

What the France food tour price includes

One price covers 7 hotel nights, 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners and the tastings listed, the tastings and classes in the itinerary, transport on the route and your host.

  • 28 tastings
  • 7 hotel nights
  • 11 items included
  • 5 not included

01

Included in the price

  • 7 nights in hotels with breakfast daily
  • Welcome and farewell dinners and two more dinners with wine
  • Five lunches, including the cooking class lunch
  • Hands-on Lyonnaise cooking class with recipes to take home
  • Market tastings at Les Halles in Lyon and Avignon
  • High-speed train from Lyon to Avignon
  • Vineyard walk and tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  • Olive oil mill visit and tasting in the Luberon
  • Wine with meals and tastings for guests 18 and over, with a non-alcoholic option
  • Van with driver in Provence and airport transfers at group times
  • Camille Rey or another of our hosts throughout

02

Not included in the price

  • Flights to Lyon and home from Marseille
  • Travel insurance
  • The meals not listed and drinks outside the program
  • Entry to the Palais des Papes
  • Tips for your host and driver

Tell Lena about allergies, diets or mobility needs before you book, and we will say honestly whether this tour suits you.

03

Getting there and rooms

Flights are not included, so you can use miles or fly from any airport. Arrive at Lyon (LYS) by mid-afternoon on day 1 for the group transfer, and fly home from Marseille (MRS) after midday on the last day.

Single room
+$1,090
Deposit
$300 per person
Balance
60 days before departure

Dates and prices

France food tour dates and prices, 2027

5 group departures, 12 seats each. Prices per person in a shared double room; the single room supplement is per person.

All deals
Departure dates, prices and seats for the Lyon and Provence tour
DatesLengthPriceSingle roomStatusBook
to 8 days$4,490$1,090Sold outJoin the waitlist
to 8 days$4,540 $4,340Early booking: save $200$1,090Few seatsAsk about this date
to 8 days$4,540$1,090AvailableAsk about this date
to 8 days$4,540 $4,340Early booking: save $200$1,090AvailableAsk about this date
to 8 days$4,490 $4,290Early booking: save $200$1,090AvailableAsk about this date
Private date, 6 or more guests8 daysPriced per groupAs bookedYour datesPlan with Grant

Guaranteed means the date runs: at least five guests have booked. Few seats means three or fewer seats are left. A deal price is shown next to the regular price.

Prices per person in US dollars: multi-day tours in a shared double room, flights not included; day tours paid when booked. Deposit $300 per person, balance 60 days before departure, one free change of date or tour up to 45 days before. Booking terms

Before you book

Before you book this France food tour: honest notes

Pace and walking
Easy: two to three hours on foot in Lyon, with a climb up to the Croix-Rousse; the Provence days are by van with market walks.
Your host
Camille Rey. Camille trained as a cook in Lyon and worked in bouchon and market kitchens for twelve years before she started guiding. Her family is from near Apt, so she knows the Luberon markets well; she joined us in 2026. All our hosts
What can change
The order of the days can shift with the weather, a harvest or a kitchen that closes early. A stop of the same kind and value replaces anything that falls through.
Weather
Tours run in all weather. If a storm closes a boat trip or a farm visit, we move it or replace it, and if a serious weather warning stops the tour before it starts, you choose a new date or a full refund.
Arrival and departure
Arrive at Lyon (LYS), leave from Marseille (MRS). Transfers are included at the group times on the first and last day.
Drinks and age
Adults only, 18 and over. Alcohol is poured only for guests 18 and over, the legal drinking age in France, with ID; every pour has a non-alcoholic option.
Diets and allergies
Vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free versions with notice when you book. Tell us about severe allergies first; we will say honestly what we can and cannot promise.
Luggage
One suitcase and a day bag. Leave space for olive oil, coffee or a bottle of wine, and check your home customs rules before you pack cured meat or fresh cheese.

Questions about this tour

France food tour FAQ

General questions on booking, flights, insurance and luggage are on the main FAQ page.

Ask Lena directly

Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day, Monday to Friday.

Is Lyonnaise food heavy?

It can be. Bouchon cooking uses a lot of pork, offal, cream and butter, and lunches are long. Plates on our tour are shared, Camille orders lighter dishes alongside the classics, and the Provence days are built on vegetables, olive oil and fish.

Why no July or August?

Provence in high summer is hot, crowded and booked out, and growers are busy in the vines. April to June and September to October bring full markets, mild weather and room to walk. In a warm year the June departure catches the first Luberon lavender.

What exactly is a bouchon?

A small Lyon restaurant serving the city’s traditional food: checked tablecloths, wine in a pot lyonnais, and dishes like quenelles, andouillette and saucisson brioché. Many places use the name; Camille takes you to the ones locals eat in.

Can I combine this with Italy?

Yes. Emilia-Romagna: Parmigiano, Prosciutto and Balsamic runs in the same months, and Bologna is a connecting flight of a few hours from Marseille.

Can I join on my own?

Yes. About a third of our guests travel solo. A single room on this tour costs $1,090 extra, and some dates have no single supplement; we can also try to match you with a roommate.

What if I have a food allergy or a special diet?

Tell Lena when you book. Vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free versions are arranged with every kitchen before you arrive; for severe allergies we tell you honestly which stops we can and cannot make safe.

What if I need to cancel or change?

Your $300 deposit holds the seat, the balance is due 60 days before departure, and you can move once to another date or tour free up to 45 days before. The full scale is on the booking terms page.

Should we tip the host?

Tips are welcome but never expected. Guests who want a guideline usually give 10 to 15 US dollars, or the same in local money, per person for a day walk, or per person per day on a multi-day tour; restaurant tips on included meals are already paid.

Dates and seats

Ask about France food tour dates

Tell us the tour, the date and how many of you are coming. Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day with seats, room options, the total price and any questions about dietary needs.

Lena, Grant and Priya, Charleston

To[email protected]

SubjectLyon and Provence: Bouchons, Markets and Rhône Wine: dates and seats

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  • Date
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  • Room type (double, twin or single)
  • Dietary needs or allergies
  • Message
  • Your name, email and a phone number
Write to Lena

Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day. No payment now. A $300 deposit per person holds seats on a multi-day tour; day tours are paid when you book.

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