Full-Day 3 Village Tour of Provence: Splendid & Secret
Description
An incredible tour which starts at a near by, little known medieval village full of history, Napoleon and charm. We follow an ancient road through the mighty Gorges of Olllioules to our next destination, Le Castellet. Immediately we are surrounded by the famous vineyards of Bandol wine appellation, and, as if we are in a road trip movie, we zig zag through typical bright Provencal country side. We do an obligatory stop to sample some of these great wines, while learning and understanding what makes the grape varieties here so special. We carry on to Le Castellet and its famous castle where we will visit esoteric shops, winding streets, and have a 360 degree view of vineyards, mountains, and the sea. An incredible location at the heart of the Var district of Provence. After we had lunch we will carry on to probably the most beautiful and authentic ports in all of Provence, the celebrated Sanary-sur-mer. For groups of 4+, you can double book and I will arrange for a 1-2 VIP vans.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The medieval village is listed as one of "The Most Beautiful Bypasses of France". Ollioules welcomes us at the foot of its feudal castle and invites us to discover, over streams and fountains, more than thirty arts and craft shops, and a colorful and thriving farmer's market on Thursdays and Saturdays. We will roam the alleyways in the medieval district, look at the ancient houses and tell stories. Climb to the castle at the foot of the "Big Brain" ridge, tell what happened here, and look out over the village and mesmerizing Mediterranean sea.
Wine tastings of the famous Bandol appellation. What makes this wine so special? And why can its grape variety can only be grown here?
The beautiful feudal village has been widely publicized for being host to the famous Paul Ricard International car race. From the parking lot, nested between vineyards, we will climb to the picturesque village located at the top of a hill. We will look at the charming houses and the small plazas surrounded by carefully restored old stone houses. We will take pleasure in its small windy streets and visit interesting shops and craft booths. In the afternoon we will have free time to surrender to the inviting terraces of a host of restaurants. From the 15th-century promenade of the castle, we will discover an extraordinary panoramic view of the St. Baum Ridge, and the famous vineyards of Bandol will seduce us.
We will reach the colorful dock of the small fishing port and immediately fall in love with it! In this Provencal village, with its Mediterranean atmosphere, its colorful facades, its lively streets, we will recount the history of the port and its relationship with neighboring Ollioules. Sanary was awarded heroic decorations in World War II - who did it shelter from the Nazis? And why did a small fishing village stand up against the Third Reich?
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Possible pick ups also from Sanary-sur-mer, Six-Fours, train stations as well.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(25)
This was one of the highlights of our entire trip. Sarit is an incredible guide who knew so much about Toulon, Le Castellet and Evenos (our favorite town of all the ones we visited). Would highly, highly recommend her.
Tour was changed a little to accommodate one member of our group in a wheelchair. Dan was WONDERFUL!!!
We scheduled this tour with Sarit based on reviews and the areas she covered. We made some modifications to the original booking, but everything worked out great and we enjoyed our tour with her. I recommend Sarit if you visit Toulon.
Excellent guide.. Communicated clearly. Very sensitive to individual needs. Showed us areas we never wld have known about.
We were in Toulon on a cruise ship and had the most delightful tour with our guide, Sarit. It was private, just my husband and I, so we could take our time to enjoy each location. First we visited Sanary Sur Mer, and it was so charming. Sarit took us there first so we could enjoy the local "farmers" market. I could have spent all day there, she showed us many great local shops and helped us find local treats. Next we went to Castellet for some great shopping and Crepes at a cute cafe. Sarit was wonderful sharing history and information as we went along. We ended the tour with Evenos (hilltop, think "heaven") with amazing views. I loved our day with Sarit, and I highly recommend this tour, you will have so many wonderful memories and colorful photos.
Our guide, Sarit, was friendly and knowledgeable! We say many out of the way sites and went wine tasting. We highly recommend!
Guide was on time and gave us at home pickup which was most appreciated The tour was exactly as advertised but the delivery was so much more! There was lots of content that made it most interesting and the tour was adapted to take into account our past experience Definitely a added value plus experience
Savit was excellent in explaining the history of Toulon and the villages we visited. She was very caring and checked on my husband several times. The restaurant we had lunch in was great and authentic French.
Excellent walking tour of three very unique and different towns in Provence. Sarit is very knowledgeable about all aspects of the area, the history, relevance, architecture, land and culture. She is extremely flexible and wants to make sure you see what you are most interested in. Not only did we spend time in each village, we did a wine tasting and had a unique lunch. Can't say enough about her expertise and graciousness. Take the time to do this tour! It is well worth it!!
Sarit was an excellent guide. The villages in Provence were charming and only disappointed that we didn’t have more time to investigate. Sarit was very flexible and exhibited compassion and tolerance for our small group of varying interests
