Aix-en-Provence Tours from Marseille
A guided walk through the old town, the villages around it and the vineyards — with pickup in Marseille, at the cruise terminal, or in Aix itself.
Aix is a walking city surrounded by driving country
That is the whole logic of a day here. The old town is compact and best seen on foot, with a guide who can tell you what you are looking at. Everything worth reaching after that — the Luberon villages, the Alpilles, the lavender plateau, the wine estates — needs a vehicle. Most of our guests come from Marseille or off a cruise ship: Aix is about 30 kilometers away, roughly 30 to 45 minutes, so it fits comfortably into a day ashore. If you are already staying in Aix, we collect you there instead.
What to see in Aix-en-Provence
Aix is small enough that half a day covers the essentials on foot. Here is what is actually worth your time, and what our guided walk covers.
Cours Mirabeau
On the guided walkThe plane-tree avenue that splits the city, lined with cafés and fountains. The natural starting point.
Saint-Sauveur Cathedral and its cloister
On the guided walkRomanesque, Gothic and Baroque in one building, with a quiet Romanesque cloister beside it.
The markets
On the guided walkProduce, flowers and antiques across several squares. Best in the morning, and the reason to come early.
Calissons
On the guided walkThe almond and melon sweet Aix is known for. Tastings are part of our walk, and yes, you can buy a box.
Place d'Albertas
If you have longerA small cobbled square with a single fountain, tucked behind the main streets. The most photographed corner of Aix.
Hôtel de Caumont and the Musée Granet
If you have longerAn 18th-century mansion turned art centre, and the museum holding several Cézannes. Both need a ticket and time we do not always have.
Cézanne's Aix
If you have longerAix is his birthplace. His studio and the quarry he painted are outside the centre, so they need the car.
Montagne Sainte-Victoire and the red earth
If you have longerThe mountain Cézanne painted more than thirty times, east of the city. Not walkable — this one is a drive, and a good one.
The guided walk through the old town
The guided portion covers the historic center on foot: the Cours Mirabeau and its plane trees, Saint-Sauveur Cathedral, the street markets, and the fountains that earned Aix the name City of a Thousand Fountains. On the Aix, Marseille and Cassis day this walking tour lasts around an hour and a half, tastings included. It is a real guided walk, not a drive-past.
Tours from Marseille that include Aix
Both start with the guided walk through the old town, then take a different direction. Both can be picked up in Marseille, at the cruise terminal, or in Aix.
Aix – Cassis – Marseille
Discover the cultural richness of Aix-en-Provence, vibrant Marseille and the beautiful city of Cassis
Aix-en-Provence Wine Experience
Build your perfect wine day in Provence — we adapt to your time, pace, and desires
Which villages are worth seeing around Aix-en-Provence?
The three that people actually mean when they ask. Each is a full day from Aix, because the interest is in the drive between them as much as in the villages themselves.
The Luberon villages
Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux and Lourmarin — perched stone villages and the ochre cliffs, about an hour from Aix.
View DetailsThe Alpilles
Les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy, with a stop at an olive oil mill. The most dramatic landscape of the three.
View DetailsValensole and the lavender
The lavender plateau, in bloom in late June and July only. Outside those weeks we will tell you so rather than take you there.
View DetailsLavender is seasonal. The Valensole plateau flowers from late June to mid-July, and the Aix wine day includes a lavender field visit in the same window. Ask us before booking for it outside those weeks.
How the day works
Pickup in Marseille or at the cruise terminal
Aix is about 30 kilometers from Marseille and the cruise terminal, roughly 30 to 45 minutes by road. Door-to-door, with no meeting point to reach first.
A guided walk, not a drop-off
You are not left in a square for two hours. The Aix portion is an hour and a half on foot with your driver-guide, tastings included.
A private vehicle, not a coach
An air-conditioned Tesla for up to four, or a premium minivan for up to eight. The group is yours alone and the itinerary can change during the day.
Or start from Aix, if that is where you are staying
Starting from Aix is an advantage for the Luberon, the Alpilles and Valensole, because you are already on the inland side.
What Our Guests Say
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"Gilles is a very friendly guy, his van is very clean, he was waiting for us on time. Before the arrival date he was always available by messages. He prepare an excellent tour to us, And we saw the most importants places of the area"
Aix-en-Provence tours: common questions
Yes, as part of a private day rather than as a standalone product. On the Aix, Marseille and Cassis tour, the Aix portion is a guided walk of about an hour and a half through the old town — the market, Saint-Sauveur Cathedral, the shopping streets, with tastings along the way. The Aix wine day also begins on foot in the historic center before heading out to the estates.
The Luberon villages — Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lourmarin — are the classic answer, roughly an hour away and best done as a full day. The Alpilles, with Les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy, are the alternative and the more dramatic landscape. If you only have one day and want variety rather than depth, the Aix, Marseille and Cassis combination gives you a city, a coast and a harbor instead.
Yes, in season. The Valensole plateau flowers from late June to mid-July and is a full day from Aix. The Aix wine experience also includes a visit to a lavender field and the Maison de la Lavande during the same window. Outside those weeks the fields are cut and we will tell you rather than sell you the drive.
Half a day covers the old town properly on foot. A full day lets you add either the countryside or the coast. What does not work well is trying to combine the Luberon and the coast in the same day from Aix — the driving swallows the day and you see both badly.
Either. We collect you at the address of your choice, in Aix, in Marseille or at the Marseille cruise terminal, and bring you back to the same place. Tell us your pickup point when you book. Starting from Aix is an advantage for the Luberon, the Alpilles and Valensole, because you are already on the inland side.
For Aix itself, no — the old town is walkable and you do not need us to cross it. It becomes worth it the moment villages, vineyards or the lavender plateau enter the plan: narrow roads, parking that does not exist in high season, and tastings you cannot enjoy if you are driving. That is the honest line between the two.
Looking for a fully private day built around your group — not only a cruise schedule or a wine route? See how our private Provence tours work.
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Tell us what you want to see around Aix
We will tell you what fits in your day and what does not, then build the itinerary around it.