Provence is a beautiful corner of southern France, filled with charming hilltop villages, winding streets, colourful markets, spectacular landscapes, and incredible food. We road-tripped from the Mediterranean coast through the heart of Provence, stopping in Menton, Eze, Riez, Gordes, Roussillon, and the surrounding villages. Here’s our 5 day itinerary and travel diary.

Explore Menton
Hilltop village of Eze
Discover Riez and the Verdon Gorge
Wander the villages of Gordes and Roussillon
Visit local food producers
Explore L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue’s antique festival
Eat our way through Provence

Menton

After a long drive from Germany, we arrived in Menton and checked into Hotel Gabriel. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side. It was Easter, and April in the South of France can be unpredictable. Rain was falling, but we weren’t going to let that stop us from exploring.

We started by walking along Menton’s main shopping street towards the famous Escaliers, a striking set of yellow-painted stairs. At the bottom, colourful paintings decorate the archways, making the entrance feel almost like a stage set. We climbed the zigzagging stairs towards the cathedral before wandering deeper into the old town.

the view looking up the escaliers in Menton

Menton’s old town is a maze of narrow, winding alleyways. Many of the streets are steep and connected by steps, so we simply kept heading uphill, eventually reaching the cemetery and one of the best viewpoints over the town and coast.

By then we were ready for lunch and stopped at Mitron. They were still baking pastries when we arrived, and everything looked so tempting that choosing was difficult. We settled on a sandwich, a lemon tart and an apple crumble — all of which were delicious. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we returned the following morning for breakfast. Next time we tried a sweet croissant and a blue cheese and walnut focaccia. I could have happily tried everything in the bakery.

Another bakery we stumbled across was Atelier Boulangerie, which has been recognised for its chocolate croissant. And, of course, no visit to Menton would be complete without sampling some of the local lemon products.

Menton is famous for its lemons, so we visited Maison Gannac, where there is an impressive selection of lemon-based products. We tasted their lemon spread, lemonade and award-winning limoncello. The lemon spread came home with us and has been particularly good with pancakes. After tasting the lemonade, we were so impressed that we bought a six-pack for €20.

We continued our walk along the elevated footpath beside the beach. Below, there is also a wooden promenade along Plage des Sablettes. The beach here is more sheltered from the wind, with the port providing protection on one side.

For dinner, we went to L’Orangerie, where a three-course meal cost €39. For the quality and setting, we thought this was exceptionally good value for a fine-dining experience.

Eze: A Fairytale Hilltop Village

The next day we began our journey inland towards Provence, stopping at Eze, one of the region’s most famous hilltop villages.

We parked in the garage in the centre of the village, below the old town, and began the climb. Walking uphill through Eze felt like stepping into a fairytale. Narrow lanes wound between beautiful old stone buildings covered in green vines, with little surprises around every corner.

From some of the viewpoints, we could look down into the gardens of the famous Hotel Château de La Chèvre d’Or, complete with sculptures and lush greenery. Another renowned hotel and restaurant is Château Eza, which has spectacular views along the coastline.

Above the village is Le Jardin Exotique, and the garden is well worth the €8 entrance fee. The winding path takes you past an impressive collection of cacti and other Mediterranean plants before reaching a terrace with incredible views over the coast.

view of the coastline from le garden exotique in eye

Eze is also famous for perfume. At the entrance to the old town there is a perfume factory and shop from Fragonard, making it an easy stop as you begin or finish your visit.

Riez: Our First Taste of Provence

We continued inland to Riez, a small town in the high country of Provence. The landscape was already changing, and we even caught a glimpse of snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Riez felt authentic, peaceful and wonderfully unhurried. We immediately wished we had booked a longer stay.

Our accommodation at Casa Augusta was incredible. There are only three rooms, and during our visit we were the only guests, which meant we could park our car directly outside. The house sits slightly elevated above the valley, with views towards the village, Roman ruins and surrounding countryside.

There was also a pool and outdoor seating area, although the higher altitude meant it was simply too cold for us to take advantage of the pool.

Our large room was thoughtfully decorated with antiques and had huge sliding windows opening onto a spacious balcony with a lounge area. There was a small fridge at the entrance for keeping food and drinks cool, while a tea station was set up just outside our room.

For such a small town, Riez has a surprising number of restaurants, although opening hours can be inconsistent. We booked a table at La Table Toscane, a small pizza and burger restaurant decorated with vintage American memorabilia. It was a fun and casual choice after a day of driving.

There is also a pleasant walk up towards the cathedral, where you can look out over the town and valley.

Verdon Gorge & The Road to Gordes

We started the next morning with a walk to Boulangerie Pain Prenelle before checking out and setting off towards the Verdon Gorge.

The drive was spectacular. The road winds along the cliffs, with sections seemingly carved directly into the rock face. It’s a popular route with cyclists and motorcyclists, so we took our time and enjoyed the scenery. We stopped at a viewpoint in the Gorge and had a spectacular view down to the river. On the other side we had a view of Lake Sainte-Croix with its stunning turquoise colour.

viewpoint of lake Sainte-croix from Vernon gorge

Down at the lake, boats can be rented to explore the gorge from the water. It would be a completely different way to experience the dramatic landscape.

From the Verdon Gorge we continued towards Gordes, and the drive through Provence was magical.

Gordes

Eventually we climbed a narrow road crowded with pedestrians into the hilltop town of Gordes. There is a large outdoor car park close to the centre. Parking is free for the first 30 minutes, with the minimum paid stay costing €8 for four hours.

Gordes is every bit as beautiful as you imagine. We wandered through the stone streets, stopping for a delicious pastry at Le Fournil de Mamie Jeanne and an ice cream at Le Petit Comptoir.

the centre of gordes with the castle and water feature

For lunch we booked a table at La Bastide de Pierres, where the Neapolitan pizza was excellent. Afterwards, we sat in the sunshine on the castle wall and people watched.

la bastide de pierres gordes pizza restaurant

Before leaving, we stopped at Ladurée for ice cream and macarons. The famous Parisian brand is particularly well known for its macarons, so naturally we had to try them.

laduree gordes for ice cream and macarons

From Gordes we followed the panoramic road, which offers beautiful views back towards the village, before continuing to our accommodation at Villa Vagabond.

I enjoyed running around the area each morning and discovered some fascinating buildings including Sénanque Abbey (epic lavender fields in season) and Village des Bories (open-air museum of ancient dry stone huts). On the run down to the abbey I came across a WW2 shelter called Refuge de Repli.

Staying at Villa Vagabond

On arrival, the hosts greeted us and offered us drinks and snacks. They sat down with us on the outdoor lounge area and told us about the hotel, village and area. They were very hospitable.

One of the highlights of our three-night stay was breakfast. Each morning we were served eggs, a selection of breads and pastries, fruit, nuts, dried fruit, marmalade, yoghurt, tea and coffee. We ate breakfast outside overlooking the countryside whenever the weather allowed. Only one morning was too windy to sit outside. Breakfast started at 9am, giving us plenty of time to relax and enjoy the morning before heading out to explore.

At the bottom of the property was a boules court surrounded by vegetation. We had one morning down here playing games. Each day we took the scenic walking route to Gordes which took 20-30 minutes. There is also a slightly more direct path through the town.

Fine Dining

We hadn’t booked restaurants and quickly discovered that finding a table at short notice could be difficult. Thankfully, our hosts had plenty of recommendations and helped us find a last-minute table at Le Carillon in nearby Goult. Goult is a beautiful little village, and the restaurant provided a wonderful introduction to the area. We ordered the three-course menu for €56 per person. It was fine dining, but unlike some fine-dining restaurants, the portions were generous. The service was also incredibly friendly.

Another recommendation was in Saignon, one of the prettiest little towns we visited in Provence. Vines covered many of the buildings, and the romantic market square had exactly the atmosphere we had hoped to find in Provence. At the very top of the village is Un Jardin Sur Le Toit, with an incredible terrace overlooking the surrounding countryside. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong for us to eat outside, so we dined indoors instead. The food was excellent, and we both chose the three-course menu at €56 per person.

Producers

One morning we drove to Apt intending to visit the food market. However, it was incredibly busy, so we decided to turn around and visit some local producers instead.

Our first stop was an olive oil producer called Domaine du Moulin Saint Augustin, where we tasted several different varieties and bought some products. We then visited an award winning marmalade producer called La Roumanière whose products were served at our hotel. Their marmalade was so good that we bought 4 jars.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

We continued to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, which hosts a huge antique festival every Easter and again at the beginning of November.

There were countless stalls and shops filled with antiques, making it fascinating just to wander around and browse. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any bargains to bring home, but the atmosphere was fantastic. There was even a marching band and food trucks selling treats including pancakes.

The town is surrounded by a fast-flowing river, which gives it a particularly picturesque atmosphere. After exploring the streets, we stopped at Freto for ice cream. Their cones are made from a dried pancake, which was an unexpected but delicious twist.

freto ice cream next to the river in l'isle-our-la-sorgue

Roussillon

Our next stop was Roussillon, famous for its ochre cliffs and the striking red-orange colour of the local earth. There is walk through the red and yellow cliffs called Sentier des Acres. Entrance is 3.50€ and you can choose a 35 or 50 minute circuit walk.

We parked at the bottom of the village and walked uphill into the centre. Parking costs a minimum of €4 for four hours.

Roussillon has plenty of charming little shops, and naturally we couldn’t leave empty-handed. We bought a few things, including a candle (Il état une flamme), balsamic vinegar (Bals’Art) and handmade soap (L’Ocrillon).

Eventually, it was time to leave Provence — and we definitely left wanting more.

What surprised us most was how many beautiful villages are packed into such a relatively small area. Each one had its own character, from the colourful streets of Menton and the fairytale atmosphere of Eze to the peaceful villages of the Provençal countryside and the dramatic landscapes around the Verdon Gorge.

There was always another bakery to discover, another viewpoint to stop at, another little village to wander through or another local product to taste.

Provence was unlike anywhere we had travelled before. We barely scratched the surface during our trip, and by the time we left, we were already thinking about coming back to explore more.

From Menton to Gordes: Our Provence Road Trip