South of France Itinerary | 7 Days in Provence and French Riviera – Southern Curls & Pearls
My husband and I just returned from one of the most magical trips we’ve ever been on… to Provence and the French Riviera! Here’s my 7-day itinerary through Provence, Nice, and the French Riviera – complete with outfit ideas, the best towns to visit, where we stayed, and what to eat.
If you’re currently planning a trip to the South of France, consider stopping in both Provence and the French Riviera. It’s truly not a bad drive (just three hours!), and allows you to see two vastly different parts of France – both breathtaking, of course! Provence has rolling hills, lavender fields, stucco houses with blue shutters, and beautiful vineyards with some of the most amazing wine you’ve ever tasted. Meanwhile, the French Riviera has colorful and interesting architecture, designer shopping, luxurious hotels and stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. The best towns to see in the South of France (in my opinion!), are the following: Crillon-le-Brave, Gordes, Avignon, Nice and Cannes.
How many days do you need for the South of France? We thought that seven was the perfect amount! We stayed two nights each at three different hotels, and then our last night we stayed at an airport hotel (so we could catch our 4 a.m. flight!). If you have any more questions, I’ll be happy to answer them in the comment section!
Day One
After landing at the Marseille airport, we picked up our rental car and started our drive to our first hotel, the charming Hôtel Crillon-le-Brave. I was worried about how the driving would be in Provence, but it was very easy! They drive on the right side of the road, and much if it is driving through the countryside and not too crowded at all. We checked into our hotel around 4 pm (to the Deluxe Ventoux Suite), so we had a few hours to relax before dinner. We donned our swimsuits and headed to the pool first thing – the pool is really at the heart of this hotel, with comfortable lounge chairs and a breathtaking view of the mountains. I enjoyed a Hugo Spritz by the pool, and then we cleaned up to enjoy dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, La Table Du Ventoux. The menu is seasonal and changes often, but was really delicious. If they have any fresh pasta on the menu, I highly recommend it! I also recommend making a reservation, because they don’t take walk-ins. We caught the sunset on our way back to our room – a truly incredible first day in France!
Pool look: SAME one piece swimsuit // Miu Miu sunglasses (look-alikes here!) // Miu Miu handbag
Dinner look: Meshki linen bandeau top // Meshki linen skirt // Miu Miu handbag
The view from La Table Du Ventoux
Meshki linen bandeau top // Meshki linen skirt // Miu Miu handbag // kitten heels
Day Two
We started our first full day in France with breakfast at the hotel (you’ll notice this quickly became our go-to, since there were not many other restaurant options nearby). The breakfast buffet was pretty incredible, though, with fresh fruit, cheeses, meats, yogurt, and every topping imaginable. We headed to the pool right after breakfast and enjoyed a very slow and peaceful morning in the sun. We had our hotel arrange a wine tasting for us in the afternoon, so we were ready to go by 2 pm. Our driver picked us up and drove us to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a region in southeastern France that is renowned for its amazing wines. Our first stop was to a small, family-owned vineyard and winery, where we learned all about the process of growing and picking the grapes and aging wines. We then moved on to our second (and favorite) stop, Les Caves St. Charles, where we tasted wines from all around the region in the pope’s cellar. We loved the wine SO MUCH, that we ended up ordering several bottles back to the United States! We wrapped up the day with another beautiful dinner at La Table Du Ventoux, but this time we requested to sit on the other, more private, terrace for a different atmosphere and view.
Pool look: SAME swim top // SAME swim bottoms // Meshki hat // JW PEI Bag
Wine tasting look: Strapless top // Skirt // JW PEI Bag // Miu Miu sunglasses (look-alikes here!) // Pearl hair tie
Dinner look: Off the shoulder dress // JW PEI Bag // Bracelet
Day Three
Day three started with another breakfast buffet at the hotel. (I never got tired of it; there were so many delicious options to choose from each day.) After checking out of Hôtel Crillon-le-Brave, we made the 40-minute drive to Gordes, one of the most charming little towns to wander and explore. Make sure to stop by this spot for the best view of Gordes – you can park your car along the side of the road and walk to the lookout spot. Definitely bring your camera, because it is stunning! We then drove into town, found a paid parking lot, and walked a few minutes to reach the center of town. We stopped by Ladurée for a cappuccino and a sweet treat, and then continued on foot to explore the rest of the village – there are all kinds of gift shops and restaurants in Gordes, but I was surprised to find that it was a bit touristy. For lunch, we had reservations at La Table de La Bastide, where the food was incredible and the view was just as unforgettable. This was actually a restaurant that was featured in Emily in Paris – if you like that show, then it is a must-see! After visiting the village of Gordes, we got back in our car and drove to Sauveterre to check into Château de Varenne, a stay I had been looking forward to for so long. The chateau is absolutely stunning and is decorated beautifully inside with lots of ornate gold furniture and pretty patterned fabrics. All of the rooms are decorated different, so you don’t know which one you are going to end up in! Once we unpacked and settled in, we decided to walk five minutes to the nearest village for a pizza dinner at Pendino. Even though it was a small restaurant and very casual, the pizza was delicious! (I had a pizza with ham and truffle.)
Breakfast look: Lace top // Ruffle shorts // Blue flats // JW PEI Bag
Gordes look: Meshki dress // Miu Miu handbag // Hat
Lunch at La Table de La Bastide in Gordes
Dinner look: Mini Dress // Blue flats // JW PEI Bag
Day Four
On day four we woke up at Château de Varenne, although the chateau does not have a restaurant, they do serve an exquisite breakfast buffet every morning! My favorite part of breakfast was the freshly baked croissants paired with lavender honey. The tables are all set up outside on the terrace, one of the most beautiful spots I’ve ever dined! After breakfast, we set off to explore the nearby village of Avignon – from 1309 to 1377, this city was the seat of the Catholic popes, and still houses a massive Palais des Papes (Popes’ Palace) in the city center. It is a truly incredible sight to behold, as the Popes’ Palace is one of the most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. If you’re interested, you can book a ticket and tour the palace. Chris and I simply enjoyed walking around Avignon, we picked up some souvenirs for our family back home, as this city felt more authentic, and less touristy, than Gordes. We ate lunch in the center square and then grabbed some pistachio ice cream from one of the street vendors before returning back to the chateau. In the afternoon, we relaxed by the pool, then got ready for our dinner reservation at Le Prieuré, a Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant. The setting was like something out of a movie, as the tables are all situated right next to a beautiful garden. The meal was absolutely INCREDIBLE – I am not a very adventurous eater, but we really put our trust in the chef and they served us five courses of his recommendations. Each dish was like a work of art – and tasted like it, too! (The only course I did not enjoy was the pigeon – which apparently is a delicacy in France!)
Morning look: PJ Set // Make up routine
Breakfast look: Blue top // Ruffle shorts // JW PEI Bag // kitten heels
The terrace at Château de Varenne
Avignon look: Capris // Blue lace top // JW PEI Bag // Sunglasses // Earrings // Kitten heels
Dinner look: Dress // JW PEI Bag
Day Five
On day five, we checked out of the beautiful Château de Varenne (after another incredible visit to the breakfast buffet, of course). From there, we made it down to Yes Provence to book a car for the morning. We had originally booked a vintage Volkswagon convertible, but upon arriving we learned that these cars all have manual transmissions (and we only know how to drive automatic cars, womp womp). They offered us a chance to drive a Moke instead, which was still a really cool experience! We drove it to the nearby town of Eygalières for some amazing mountain views (and to take pictures, of course!), then returned the car and headed on towards Château des Alpilles for lunch. The chateau itself was beautiful, but the lunch was just okay if I’m being honest. After lunch, we began the three hour drive to our final hotel, La Réserve de Beaulieu. The drive was a bit crazy, as there are lots of toll roads and there was a lot of traffic on the day we were driving. The hotel was completely worth it, though – La Réserve de Beaulieu is an ICONIC hotel on the French Riviera with a rich history, once attracting European royalty and Hollywood movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Cary Grant. The hotel is absolutely stunning inside and everything is polished to a high sheen, from the earth-toned marble floors in the reception areas to the brilliant blue tiles that line the seaside pool. All guest rooms enjoy views of the sea and of the manicured interior garden. Our room was small but impeccably pristine, with shining marble floors and luxurious bath products. We arrived right around dinner time, so we quickly changed and headed downstairs for our dinner reservation at Michelin-starred Le Restaurant des Rois. Another perfect meal where every dish was a work of art, this time accompanied by a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea! Our meal lasted several hours, so we witnessed a beautiful sunset and a perfect full moon before returning to our room to conk out. Haha.
Breakfast look: Mini Dress // kitten heels
Rental car look: Dress // Sunglasses // I am wearing a Dior scarf but here is a great alternative
Lunch look: Dress // Sunglasses // JW PEI Bag // Earrings
Dinner look: Dress // Kitten heels // JW PEI Bag // Earrings
Dress // Kitten heels // JW PEI Bag // Earrings
Day Six
I woke up early on day six to take a shower and wash and style my hair. The hotel pool opens at 9 a.m., so Chris and I were the first ones there (we wanted some photos!). We were the only ones there for about an hour (we figured out that people are late risers on the French Riviera, haha). We ordered some coffees to our pool chairs and enjoyed the beautiful view before heading back up to room and ordering room service breakfast. For lunch, we grabbed an Uber to Le Plongeoir, one of the most iconic spots in Nice – the restaurant is situated on rocks above the sea! It definitely lived up to the hype, the food was delicious and we had a perfect view of people swimming nearby on Coco Beach. We were supposed to head to Ruhl Plage Beach Club after lunch, but made a last-minute decision to chill out by our hotel’s pool instead. It ended up being a great decision – I ordered an Aperol Spritz and read nearly 100 pages of my book! To keep with the very chill atmosphere of this day, we ended up walking around outside our hotel until we found this casual little spot for burgers and french fries. Then we walked home and went to bed early!
Breakfast look: striped sleep shirt
Lunch look: black and white gown, similar but less expensive here // JW PEI Bag
Lunch at Le Plongeoir
Dinner look: lace dress // JW PEI Bag // earrings
Day Seven
For our last morning, we decided to walk down to the breakfast buffet at La Réserve de Beaulieu rather than order room service. I’m so glad we did; this was perhaps THE BEST BREAKFAST BUFFET OF ALL! I can’t even begin to explain all the types of pastries, breads, cheeses, cereals and toppings that awaited us at this buffet. I also ordered some scrambled eggs and a cappuccino. Next, we packed up our bags for the last time and headed out for the day, this time to explore the city of Cannes. We decided on Cannes because it a beautiful city and was an easy stop-off on our way to the airport! We parked in this underground parking deck and headed towards the ocean on foot, where we found beautiful hotels, designer stores, and lots and lots of beach-goers! My favorite hotel was definitely the iconic Carlton Hotel with its yellow and white striped awnings. We dined at Le Pastis for lunch (we were able to walk in without a reservation), where we thoroughly enjoyed a pizza and Coke. We then walked along and shopped at some of the designer stores – they have everything from Hermes to Louis Vuitton to Van Cleef – before heading back to our car and heading to our hotel airport for the night.
Breakfast look: Polka dot dress // JW PEI Bag // kitten heels
The breakfast buffet at La Réserve de Beaulieu
Lunch look: Pink Stripe Dress // Earrings // JW PEI handbag // kitten heels
Overall, it was an INCREDIBLE trip to the South of France! Even though I missed our kids sooo much, it was really nice to get away just me and my husband. We have so many inside jokes from the trip that we are still laughing about – and 18 bottles of French wine on the way hehe. 😉
Let me know if you have any questions!
