Near Avignon, hiking Mont Ventoux & Dentelles de Montmirail
 Check out the 10 walks below & build your multiday guided tour

 

 


 

 

 

 

 Vineyards at the foot of Mont Ventoux 

 

 Half-day tours near Avignon at Mont Ventoux & Dentelles de Montmirail

 

 

The western foothills of Mont Ventoux :
walking in landscapes for painters

 

This itinerary offers a lovely hike in the Mont Ventoux foothills. You will roam around the typical Provence landscapes: vineyards, olive groves and pine woods. And maybe on the way will you meet a painter at work on his easel! After reaching the top of the hill, when the view becomes wide, you will enjoy the beauty of the scenery all around: the mountain, on one side, the plain of Comtat Venaissin, on the other, with the rocky hills of Dentelles de Montmirail, not very far.

Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : leisureley (rugged terrain)

A nature walk to Pont du Gard

 

Just a 30-minute drive from Avignon and from Nîmes, Pont du Gard is one of the most attractive site in the South of France, just between the former papal city and the Roman one. This easy trail allows you to walk to the famous Roman aqueduct bridge offering several different beautiful views of it. Under the leading of your local guide, you get the first ones from a hill, at a height close to that of the top of the monument. After going down almost to the river level, you walk the first of the three tiers of arches to cross the river. From the opposite bank, you can get other great views of the aqueduct bridge.

Walking time : 2 hours
Rating : leisurely (rugged terrain)

Through the vineyards of Gigondas
around Dentelles de Montmirail

Dentelles de Montmirail are four jagged limestone ridges, each one between 3 and 4 kilometers long (about 2 miles), that owe their name to the unique outline of their crags: dentelle in French means lace. Just a 40-minute drive from Avignon, these needle-thin rocky crests, made of dramatically steep cliffs and spikes, tower up to 300 meters (1,000 feet) over vineyards that cover hillsides and small valleys all around, especially the ones of the famous Gigondas designation. During this walk you will enjoy roaming among the terraced vineyards and hiking up to the top of one of these Dentelles de Montmirail. And if you are a wine lover, you may be interested in making a stop in one of the Chateaux nearby so typical of the Provence wineries to taste the outcome of their last harvest.

Walking time : 3.5 hours
Rating : moderate (rugged terrain)

Gordes, its dry stone huts and the Abbaye de Sénanque 

During this walk with your local guide, you will see one of France’s most beautiful little towns, Gordes, and discover the terrific rural architecture of its surroundings : dozens of huts and other ancient farm buildings, such as cisterns, vats, ovens, and sheep shelters, all built in dry stone. Another major attraction is the 12th-century Sénanque abbey, hidden in the narrow Sénancole valley at the foot of the Mounts of Vaucluse, whose harmonious ensemble of buidings is considered as one of the purest examples of the cistercian architecture.

Walking time : 3.5 hours (not including the visit of « Village des Bories »)
Rating : moderate (rugged terrain)

 

The shortest trail to climb
Mont Ventoux, the “Giant of Provence”

 

This hike to the summit of Mont Ventoux (1,911m / 6,270ft) is one of the most beautiful walking route up to the “Giant of Provence”. It is only 3 miles long, but with an elevation gain of 1,730 feet. Starting from the Mont Serein ski resort, around 1,400 m high on the northern slopes, you walk constantly uphill, mainly through a mixed forest of pine, fir and beech trees: a real alpine atmosphere. But the last kilometer is very different : you move forward through an endless scree up to the top ridge : a lunar ambiance, this time !

Walking time : 2.5 hours
Rating : challenging (significant elevation gain and scree hiking)

 

Half-day trips from Avignon and around Mont Ventoux

 

                                                                                                                

                                                                                                       

                                                                                     

                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                 Dentelles de Montmirail

Full day tours near Avignon at Mont Ventoux & Dentelles de Montmirail

 

Hiking to Pont du Gard,
a highlight of any trip to Provence

 

This day hike allows you to discover Pont du Gard on foot, starting from a village located on the other side of the hills. The circular itinerary is less than 12 kilometers (8 miles) long, so you can walk at a leisurely pace, stay as long as you wish in the close vicinity of the aqueduct bridge and have then enough time to get back to the starting point.
A real cool day, active, and that enables you to make the most of this wonder of the Ancient world.

Walking time : 4 hours
Rating : moderate (rugged terrain)

Hiking an alternate trail up to the “Giant of Provence”

 

If you enjoy taking in a panoramic view and guessing what are the names of the mountains visible on the horizon, this day hike must be for you. But you’d better not choose one of these few days when clouds stay over the summit of Mont Ventoux (1,911m / 6,270ft) from morning till evening, nor one day when wind gusts reach 100 mph or more (the Provence record with 200 mph) ! Along this trail you will spend 2 hours following the ridge up to the top, coming upon a mere few trees during the first hour, and only some dwarf junipers during the last one.

Walking time : 4 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : year-round (on snow-covered land, choice of a shortened route and use of snowshoes) 

A nature getaway near the village of Le Barroux

During your stay in Orange or Avignon, if you need a pleasant getaway from the bustle of city life, head to Le Barroux ! Few places in Provence feel further removed from the tourist beaten track than this tiny medieval village towered by a 12th-century castle and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.
This nature trip takes you on countryside trails through craggy hills against the backdrop of Dentelles de Montmirail to the west and Mont Ventoux to the east. One of these trails leads you to Lac du Paty, a charming small lake treasured by anglers and picnic lovers.

Walking time : 4.5 hours
Rating : moderate (rugged terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 8am – 11am only, not allowed on fire risk days)

All the way around Dentelles de Montmirail

 

Starting in the village of Gigondas, famous for its wines, you will hike all around Dentelles de Montmirail, walking on the crest of two of these jagged ranges to whom its shaped crags gave the name (dentelles means lace).  All day long you will enjoy beautiful views over the vineyards all around and over Mont Ventoux and the Comtat Venaissin plains in the distance. This very pleasant hike, under the supervision of your local guide, is better to take in the spring or fall.

Walking time : 5.5 hours
Rating : challenging

 

The full ascent of Mont Ventoux

 

This hike is the great adventure to live in the area if you like long-term physical efforts. You climb the north-facing side of Mont Ventoux, where 90% of the ascent takes place in the middle of forests : first, among oaks and pines, then mostly under beech trees and firs, and finally through the highest forest zone, under mountains pines. It is only during the last half-hour of your climbing that trees disappear ; you then walk among stones, millions of stones all around and can watch an immense panorama in your back. After several hours of loneliness and silence, you finally reach the top and meet dozens of cyclists and other excursionists. At last, you have the right to contemplate the south-facing slopes and foothills of the mountain and to enjoy the view all around.

Walking time : 5 hours
Rating : difficult

CONTACT

 

Click map of Provence
to get an overall view of the region