The chirping of cicadas in your ears, the scent of sage, thyme and rosemary in your nose, purple lavender and bright yellow sunflower fields before your eyes, the taste of full-bodied red wine and spicy olives on your tongue, enveloped in soft golden light that inspired Vincent van Gogh and Cezanne and led them to paint countless pictures; you can experience all this in Provence!

Our horse riding tours in this dreamlike holiday region are a feast for the senses. At the foot of the Luberon, our partner awaits you to explore the most diverse areas of Provence on horseback: from the rolling hills of the Luberon to the rugged high mountains of Haute Provence, to the wide sandy beaches of the Mediterranean and the famous Camargue with its white horses, black bulls and pink flamingos. There are various horse riding tours to choose from, ranging from five to twelve days!

Itinerary

Horse riding tour in the Camargue (7 days)

A combination of 3 days in Provence and 2 days in the Camargue. Ride through the picturesque mountains of the Luberon and meet the white horses and black bulls of the Camargue. Pure variety!
Total riding distance approx. 130 km.

Day 1: Arrival. Dinner and overnight stay at your accommodation in Lauris, at the foot of the Luberon.

Day 2: You start your ride on the south side of the Luberon. After a leisurely ride through pine forests, orchards, olive groves, vineyards and past rocks, you will reach the Durance river. You will follow its banks along pleasant paths and cross the river once or twice. On the other side of the Durance, your picnic from the support vehicle will be waiting for you in a pleasant, shady spot. In the afternoon, you will ride along the Alpilles Canal to the farm where the horses will spend the night. Transfer by minibus to your accommodation in Lauris, dinner at your host's table, overnight stay in Les Gargoulettes in Lauris.

Day 3: You will ride through a beautiful valley characterised by magnificent orchards. You will have lunch in Lamanon. In the afternoon, you will ride through the Alpilles Nature Park, where Van Gogh lived and worked. Overnight stay near Eygalières. You will visit the small Roman village with its idyllic old centre. Dinner and overnight stay in a guest house near Eygalieres.

Day 4: Today, you will ride from Eygalieres to Les Baux de Provence, continuing through the countryside that Van Gogh loved to paint. You will stop near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh lived and created his most famous paintings. Before lunch, you will admire the beautiful Roman monuments. The afternoon tour takes you to the ridges of the Alpilles Nature Park with its fantastic panoramic views. Later, the horses are loaded and taken to the Camargue. Visit the medieval village of Baux de Provence. After a break, transfer by minibus to Sylvereal, the ‘gateway to the Camargue’. Overnight stay in a hotel, a former abbey.

Day 5: After about an hour on horseback in the heart of the Camargue, you will reach a ‘manade’, a bull and horse ranch. Mathieu, a passionate Camargue cowherd, will welcome you at the entrance to his bull pastures. You will accompany him on horseback to drive the bulls through the marsh to a sorting pen. He will then tell you about the Camargue bull and horse races, the breeding methods and the traditions associated with Camargue bulls, before sorting some bulls for you and ending his presentation by offering you an aperitif, ‘the glass of friendship’. Afterwards, a picnic awaits you. Then you continue on horseback to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. After checking into the hotel, you can stroll through the streets of the village and do some shopping, take a walk to the beach or enjoy the hotel's swimming pool. Meet for dinner in a lively bodega in the village.

Day 6: In the morning, enjoy the beautiful sandy beaches of the Camargue with a few lovely gallops. You will have a picnic lunch under a laupio (traditional umbrella in the Camargue). In the afternoon, you will go on another ride and ride through the typical lagoon and marsh landscapes to Lake Vacares. You are sure to spot numerous bird species, including flamingos – the Camargue is a bird paradise!
You will leave the Camargue by minibus in the late afternoon. Farewell dinner and overnight stay at the riding stable.

Day 7: Breakfast, departure.

Horse riding tour in Haute Provence (6 days)
Discover the villages and mountains of the Luberon and Haute Provence! Riding time: 5-6 hours per day.

Day 1: Meet in Lauris in the morning. Welcome drink, presentation of the ride and lunch. You will set off on horseback from the southern slopes, crossing the ridges of the Petit Luberon before riding down the northern slopes to Bonnieux, a beautiful village with stone houses. You will then head towards the Claparedes plateau and the first lavender fields. The route continues down to the Aiguebrun gorge, which marks the border between the Petit and Grand Luberon. You will pass the Priory of St. Symphorien, then follow the Aiguebrun River and reach the first accommodation at the foot of the towering cliffs of Buoux. Before dinner, you can take a dip in the pool. On certain days, if you have chosen a room, you will be taken to the Gîte de Lauris, where the horses will stay at the inn. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2: Through the prehistoric sites of the Gorges de l'Aigebrun: you will pass through a pretty provincial village and offer the horses refreshment at the fountain. Picnic under the oak trees, then ride through the fragrant garrigue to Cereste. Overnight stay in a guesthouse in the heart of the village.

Day 3: After a break to visit the 11th-century priory of Carluc, you will ride towards Oppedette. You will pass through this beautiful village, typical of the Haute-Provence region, perched on a cliff. On the way to Simiane, you will have the opportunity to enjoy some beautiful gallops.

Day 4: After breakfast, you will ride back to the Monts de Vaucluse. The morning ride takes about 4.5 hours to reach your accommodation near Revest du Bion. Picnic at the accommodation. After your arrival, you have a choice: swim in the guest house's pool or stroll and shop in Sault, the lavender capital of Provence!

Day 5: You will ride through heathland and forests. Picnic near Sault. In the afternoon, you will ride back to Aurel, a charming medieval village at the foot of Mont Ventoux. It is surrounded by green hills and overlooks a beautiful plateau with fragrant lavender. The lavender is harvested at the end of July, but some fields remain in August and the scent continues to delight riders. Arrival in the late afternoon in Montbrun-les-Bains, which rises opposite Mont Ventoux and is one of the most beautiful villages in France. This is where the riding tour ends and you return by minibus and trailer to the riding centre, where you spend your last evening.

Day 6: After breakfast, transfer to Aix en Provence Centre railway station, Aix en Provence TGV or Marseille Provence airport.

Combined Haute Provence & Camargue Trail (13 days): Combine the two rides and enjoy the picturesque mountains and romantic mountain villages before conquering the beaches of the Camargue!

Horse riding tour to the lavender blossoms (6 days)

The ride takes you through the most beautiful lavender fields in the picturesque Luberon mountains, across the Claparèdes plateau and the Albion plateau to the foot of the mighty Mt. Ventoux. 5 days of riding, 5-6 hours per day, total distance approx. 130 km.

Day 1: Arrival at the riding stable in the late morning. After lunch and getting to know each other, the horses are saddled. You ride to the ridges of the Petit Luberon before descending the northern slope to Bonnieux, a beautiful village perched on a hill with old stone houses. Then it's on to the Claparedes plateau and the first lavender fields. Afterwards, descend to the Aiguebrun Gorge, which marks the border between the Petit and Grand Luberon. You will pass the Priory of St. Symphorien, then follow the Aiguebrun River and reach your first accommodation at the foot of the towering cliffs of Buoux. Before dinner, you can take a dip in the pool. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2: This morning, you will ride up to the Claparèdes plateau, past lavender fields, dry stone walls and ‘bories’ (small shepherds' huts). You will pass through the pretty village of Saignon, where the horses can drink at the fountain in the centre of the village. You will then ride down to the Apt valley on old cobbled paths. After lunch, you will ride through the valley and the ochre landscape to Rustrel. You will leave your horse in a meadow before heading to your accommodation in the centre of the village.

Day 3: In the morning, you will ride into an oak-shaded valley and onto the Albion Plateau, a high plateau full of lavender fields. Picnic near a chapel and ride through the lavender and sage fields. Arrival at the guest house, where you can relax and swim in the pool before visiting the village of Sault, the ‘lavender capital’, shopping or visiting a lavender distillery.

Day 4: This morning, you will ride towards Saint-Trinit. Lunch will be waiting for you in the shade near Sault. In the afternoon, you will continue towards Aurel, a charming medieval village at the foot of Mont Ventoux. The colours of the lavender, the cornfields and the shadows of Mont Ventoux may tempt you to imitate the many painters who have fallen in love with this region. You will arrive in the afternoon near Montbrun-les-Bains, surrounded by green hills and overlooking a plain of fragrant lavender: one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Day 5: You will ride along the highest mountain in Provence, the mighty Mont Ventoux. You will follow the Toulourenc, a pleasant, refreshing stream, pass through some typical villages and arrive in the Drôme Provençale, where a varied landscape of wooded hills and lavender fields awaits you. In the afternoon, you ride to Mévouillon, where the horse trailer and minibus take you back to the riding centre.

Day 6: Breakfast, departure.

Subject to change at any time!

Accomodation
You will spend the first and last night of the riding tours in a beautiful guest house in Lauris. On the way, you will spend the night in rural hotels and small guesthouses, some of which have a pool. Accommodation is in double and 3-bed rooms, single rooms at an extra charge. The Ranch is idyllically situated in the middle of nature, with a view of the Luberon mountains.

Meals consist of tasty, freshly prepared local cuisine -the specialties of Provence! Lunch mostly as a picnic (accompanying vehicle). Some individual tastings are planned en route, according to the program. Enjoy the famous French cuisine!

Saddle & Tack: Comfortable trail riding saddles, snaffle.

Experience: 2-3 years of trail experience, saddle fit in all gaits, 5 to 6 hours daily in partly very mountainous terrain. The horses are occasionally led downhill. On the star rides 2 days 3-4 hours and 3 days 5-6 hours each. All gaits are ridden, but of course mainly walk, depending on the terrain. Max. 85kg. Group size: 4-10.

Horses: Approx. 20 enduring trail horses of various breeds. The horses live freely on endless meadows from November to March. During the season they graze on the meadows at Riding centre. The free life in the herd makes them particularly balanced and strong-nerved. Also ideal for somewhat anxious riders.