Your first experience will be a guided visit of the famous Roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard Bridge. The result of outstanding architectural design, the Pont du Gard is one of the world’s best-preserved examples of Roman ingenuity. Its chequered history has also inspired numerous artists. Your tour guide will take you on a rare visit: a walk along the aqueduct canal of the top (3rd) floor.

Lunch at the restaurant "Les Terrasses" facing the monument.

Depart early afternoon for a short drive to a small Gard town called Uzès. Quite simply one of the most beautiful villages in France, Uzès sits on the edge of Provence and Languedoc. Succumb to the charm, authenticity of its narrow winding medieval streets and unsuspected hidden gardens. Discover the rich history of its ducal château. Your local tour guide will stroll you through the old town and discover Saint-Théodorit cathedral and its Fenestrelle Tower, the Bermonde Tower (part of the Château du Duché). The visit ends with a tasty sampling of olive oil at the mill. NB: market days in Uzès are Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Settle into your hotel before dinner in Nîmes. 

 

Visit Les Arènes de Nîmes (Roman Arena). Inspired by the Coliseum in Rome with two stories of vaulted arches, this is one of the most intact amphitheatres to be found anywhere in the world today. It has seating capacity for an amazing 20,000 people over 34 tiers and is used for bull fights, pop concerts and sporting fixtures. Enjoy a showing of the 3D film "Heroes of Nîmes" and visit of the main temple of the Gallo Roman City, La Maison Carrée. Visit of the Jardin de la Fontaine, created in 1745.

Lunch at a Ganaderia in St Gilles.

Spend an afternoon discovering the tradition and understanding of the famous bulls of the Camargue which is the home to herds of the wild Camargue horses and farms where Europe's only cowboys, the Gardiens raise fighting black bulls for the bullrings of Languedoc and Spain. Visit the local farm "Tienta". An afternoon visit to the medieval fortress town Aigues Mortes. Behind its four imposing medieval walls discover this lively town of shops, bars and restaurants. Enjoy the time to saunter down the main shopping avenue, and settle in your hotel in Aigues Mortes before dinner.

 

 

A guided visit of Aigues Mortes, towers and ramparts, find the rich history of this fortified town built by the King of France Louis IX in 1240. Your next stop is a visit to the Salin du Midi by small train. In the Camargue, high concentrations of rose coloured salt has resulted in a thriving production of fleur du sel. You'll notice mountains of salt which has been produced here for hundreds of years. You will have time to stroll the salt marshes of Aigue Mortes before lunch at a traditional Camargue farmhouse located nearby.

A further afternoon train ride to discover the beauties of the Grau du Roi; a sea inlet dating back to the 13th century that has become a thriving luxury vessel port. We continue onto Montpellier which has a buzz and vibrant energy that is a reflection of its young population. It’s a pedestrian city and is perfect to walk its beautiful alleyways and promenades.

Check in to your hotel and dine at one of Montpelliers’ many restaurants.

 

 

Morning tour: a guided visit of the historical centre. Montpellier boasts historical monuments, galleries, quiet alleyways, great shopping, restaurants, champagne and wine bars…the list goes on. 'A true experience of living and breathing the French way of life'... A destination for all ages – close to the Mediterranean coast and ideal no matter what time of the year.

Lunch will be served at a local charming restaurant followed by a walk to the Botanical Gardens, known as the 'island of green' and the oldest Botanical Garden in France. It was for a long time the reserve of the botanists, at the Faculty of Medicine who researched the plant life.

Dinner and your nights' accommodation in Montpellier.

 

 

St Guilhem le Désert is an atmospheric Romanesque village of cobbled streets and ancient alleyways overlooking the meandering Verdus stream. Surrounded by cliffs, verdant with thyme, oak and pine trees. The village has kept its impressive medieval imprint with old houses in amber stone, an ancient tower, a shady square with a fountain and traditional plain trees. It is home to numerous artists, many of whom may be found in their studios around the square. Your tour today will visit the village with its famous Abbey of Gellone, followed by a visit to the Pont du Diable (the Devil's Bridge) located over a steep-sided gorge with magnificent panorama views of the Herault River. It is now recognised as an historic monument and since 1935 has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

After lunch, enjoy a guided visit to the Priory Saint Michel de Grandmont and park. Saint-Michel de Grandmont Priory is a former monastery of the Herault region. The priory is located in a wild area in the heart of an oak forest, about 10 km from Lodève. This 12th-century priory is one of the best-preserved of the 160 Grandmontine monasteries, a religious order, founded by Étienne of Thiers, son of Viscount of Thiers from the Auvergne.

In the late afternoon we will depart the Herault department and head towards Carcassonne where your overnight accommodation awaits you. Dinner will be held at a local restaurant.

 

Start the day by discovering Carcassonne, situated on the Canal du Midi, famous for Europe’s largest walled fortress - known as La Cité (UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997.)

For lunch, you will savour a delicious cassoulet served with traditional regional specialties.

Our onward journey will take you to discover roman Narbonne. Lovers of old buildings will be charmed by Narbonne’s thousand year-old history, from Roman times to the construction of the Midi canal, via treasures of the Middle Ages. We will explore an excavated portion of the original Roman road (the Via Domitia), in the heart of the town hall square, browse through the well-compiled Roman Museum with many vestiges still remaining: underground galleries of the Horreum, mosaics, a fresco discovered at the Clos de la Lombarde, sarcophagus and statues kept in the archaeological museum.

Your tour will take you to your next destination, Perpignan where you will be accommodated overnight. Dinner in Perpignan.

 

 

Let yourself be guided around the Catalan streets and discover the medieval heart of Perpignan, an essential introduction to the diversity and richness of the local heritage.

Leave for lunch in Collioure. The medieval architecture and Renaissance buildings are the richness of Collioure's architectural heritage. A guided walk in the heart of typical streets of colourful houses will take you into an authentic and picturesque ambiance. The small Catalan port situated in the very south of France, nestles between a rocky Mediterranean coastline and the unspoilt Pyrenees Mountains. Collioure has always been a source of inspiration for artists: Picasso, Derain, Dufy, Chagall, Matisse and Marquet. Inspired by the special light, these artists have gathered here to capture the subtle blend of colours to immortalize this Catalan harbor.

This takes us to the end of this history tour of the Languedoc region.