Flavors of Provence
and the French Riviera

Marseille, Biot, Cote d'Azur, Nice
September 20 – September 26, 2026

Premium packages from $7,795

Join Sur La Table for an unforgettable culinary journey celebrating the finest flavors of Provence and the French Riviera. This immersive journey offers exclusive food tours, hands-on cooking classes, insider access to artisan workshops, and much more. This trip is designed to bring you deep into the heart of French culinary tradition. Throughout the experience, you will savor exquisite regional dishes while uncovering the rich culture and history that shapes the vibrant food scene of Southern France. Bon appétit! 

Join Us for a Cultural Deep Dive Inside Southern France

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Learn to make classic bouillabaisse using the morning's catch.

Trip Itinerary

Trip Highlights:

  • Explore the vibrant influence of immigrant food cultures in Marseille with a guided food tour in Aix-en-Provence that invites you to compare culinary traditions across Southern France 

  • Savor the freshest offering of the sea in an exclusive, hands-on cooking class celebrating the French classic bouillabaisse, followed by a fascinating visit to Salins de Giraud to discover the world of sea salt production  

  • Experience the beauty of Château Saint Rosaline’s vineyards while enjoying a guided wine tasting of their finest rosés and reds and learn about the vineyard’s commitment to sustainable farming

  • Put your culinary skills to the test in a final cooking class at Le Potager de Saquier, a local vegetable farm and greenhouse practicing biodynamic agriculture. The renowned, local food writer, Rosa Jackson, will lead a hands-on cooking class featuring the flavors of the season 

WHAT YOU’LL SEE, DO, AND DISCOVER

  • • Arrive in Marseille and transfer independently to the hotel. Take some time to settle in or explore the lively charm of the Old Port at your leisure. Later, meet your fellow travelers and tour staff for a walking tour through Le Panier, Marseille’s oldest neighborhood where vibrant colors and local life burst from every corner and doorway. End the day with a welcome dinner at a celebrated local gastronomic restaurant showcasing the rich flavors of Provence. 

    Included Meals: Dinner
    Accommodations: Hôtel La Residence du Vieux Port

  • • Begin your day with a guided food tour through Marseille, discovering the city’s rich tapestry of immigrant food cultures. For lunch, savor a specially curated menu by Franco-Congolese chef Hugues Mbenda at Libala/Kin, where the vibrant flavors of his homeland beautifully merge with those of Provence. In the evening, unwind with an apéro at the jazz club and bar, La Caravalle followed by leisure time to explore Marseille’s culinary scene at your own pace. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
    Accommodations: Hôtel La Residence du Vieux Port

  • •  Begin your morning strolling through the stalls of a local market in Aix-en-Provence, sourcing fresh ingredients for a private cooking class where you will learn to prepare the region’s iconic fish soup, bouillabaisse. Afterwards, return to Marseille for a visit to a historic soap manufacturer famous for crafting high-quality, traditional olive oil-based soaps. This time-honored Provençal essential has a rich legacy dating back to the 19th century and is the favorite of Sur La Table’s Culinary Director Meredith Abbott, who never leaves Provence without a supply in her suitcase. The evening is yours to enjoy at leisure, including dinner on your own. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
    Accommodations: Hôtel La Residence du Vieux Port

  • • Travel to Arles and the Salins de Giraud, where you will discover the traditional methods of sea-salt production in the French Mediterranean. Following the tour, savor a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant featuring the unique flavors of Camargue, including Camarguaise salad, the short-grain, un-milled Camargue red rice, and fragrant herbs de Provence.  

    • Conclude your time in Arles with a visit to one of the town’s beloved bakeries to taste regional favorites, such as Navettes, delicate boat-shaped cookies scented with orange blossom water and Fougasse, a rustic flatbread. You will also enjoy classic French pastries like pain au chocolat, éclairs, and croissants alongside seasonal pastries that showcase the country’s mastery of laminated dough and bread-making. These may include selections like Tarte Tropézienne, a brioche bun filled with cream, Chausson aux pommes, a golden apple turnover, and Millefeuille, a layered puff pastry with cream and seasonal fruits.

    • Return to Marseille in the evening, with time to unwind and enjoy dinner at your leisure. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
    Accommodations: Hôtel La Residence du Vieux Port

  • • Journey toward the stunning Côte d’Azur. En route, stop at Château Saint Rosaline, a historic wine estate nestled in the heart of Provence, lush vineyards unfold across sun-drenched hillsides. Enjoy a guided tasting of the estate’s most notable wines, from crisp Grenache rosés to full bodied Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignons, each offering a distinct expression of the region’s unique terroir. As you savor the wines, learn about the vineyard's commitment to sustainable farming practices and the meticulous care taken in crafting wines that perfectly capture the essence of Provence.  

    • Afterward, enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant showcasing the flavors of the area. Continue to Nice where the remainder of the evening is yours to relax and discover the city’s dining scene.  

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
    Accommodations: Hôtel Le Grimaldi 

  • • In the morning, venture into the hills above Nice for a visit to Le Potager de Saquier, an organic farm where you will tour the grounds and handpick fresh vegetables and herbs. Join local food writer Rosa Jackson for an engaging, hands-on cooking class and lunch, prepare classic Niçoise dishes such as purée of courgette de Nice, herb-crusted rack of lamb, and Swiss chard and leek gratin, perfectly paired with regional wines.  

    • Afterwards, return to Nice for free time to explore Trésors Publics, a charming boutique offering a curated selection of French-made artisanal goods —from mustard crafted in Beaune to glassware blown in nearby Biot, as well as vintage treasures. 

    • Cap off your culinary adventure with a farewell cocktail at your hotel, toasting the flavors, friendships, and memories of this unforgettable experience. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
    Accommodations: Hotel Le Grimaldi

  • • Savor one last breakfast at the hotel before checking out. Then make your way independently to the Nice airport for your flights home or onward for your next adventure.  

    Included Meals: Breakfast

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Flavors of Provence and the French Riviera

7-Day Premium Travel Package from $7,795 pp

(based on double occupancy; excluding flights)

September 20 – September 26, 2026

Questions? Contact our travel provider at 877-298-9677

FAQs

  • A deposit of $1,000 (unless otherwise specified) is due to secure your space on the tour. Deposits are refundable up to 50% until 120 days prior to departure. Your deposit is due upon reservation. Your final balance is due upon receipt of your invoice, 90 days prior to departure. If you are making a reservation within 90 days of the trip’s departure, full payment will be required upon confirmation.

    Once you reserve your trip and pay your deposit, you will be sent a confirmation email with our Terms and Conditions, insurance information, and a Participant Information Form. Your Guest Services Advisor will reach out when it’s time to book airfare after a minimum of 10 travelers have enrolled on your departure. Final trip details will be sent roughly 2–3 weeks before departure.

  • To get in touch with your travel provider
    Email: reservations@academic-travel.com
    Phone: 1-877-298-9677 (M-F, 9am-5pm ET)

  • Airfare to and from the starting and ending point of the program is not included in the price to give you maximum flexibility in choosing your preferences for air travel. This way you can use frequent flier upgrades, depart from your airport of choice, or add pre- and post- trip extensions with no constraints. Please refrain from booking your airfare until your Guest Services Advisor reaches out to confirm your departure.

    All drinks (wine and soft drinks) are included in the trip price for all group meals. Any additional alcoholic beverages are not included in the program price.

    Tips to local guides, restaurant staff, bell staff, and drivers are all included in the trip price. Your Trip Leader and Travel Director are taken care of and will not accept tips. The only time tips are not included is during free time and meals on your own.

  • Chef Meredith Abbott is the Culinary Director and Travel Ambassador of Sur La Table. A Seattle-based, classically trained executive chef and chef educator, she fuels her passion for inspiring confidence in the kitchen with an endless curiosity and extensive knowledge across many culinary disciplines. True to the Sur La Table mission, Meredith encourages building cooking skills that translate to a lifetime of celebration at the table.

  • Our trips have a maximum group size of 25 people. They are large enough to meet new people with diverse backgrounds, but small enough to be on a first-name basis with everyone.

  • Solo travelers are welcomed with open arms and there are usually a good number of them on our trips. Group meals generally take place at medium to large tables, and our Travel Directors ensure that everyone is included in conversation. Because our trips are priced for doubles sharing a room, there is a supplemental cost for those who choose to have the privacy of their own room.

  • Our trips are designed to give our travelers special insight and understanding of the places we visit. The talks and commentary by our hosts and local guides are what make our itineraries special, and this kind of curated experience cannot be obtained on one’s own. For this reason, our trips generally do not incorporate long periods of free time during the day, although night times and some meals will be at leisure.

  • Travelers should be in good health and able to walk up to 2 miles (with stops) over uneven terrain and be able to navigate stairs unassisted. In city centers, we try to walk from place to place due to traffic restrictions and in keeping with our commitment to environmental sustainability.

  • Every effort will be made to try to accommodate any special dietary requests you may have. Please discuss your requests with us when signing up for a trip.

  • We’ll send you a detailed clothing and equipment list well before departure so you know what you’ll need. We provide the rest: comfortable accommodations, an engaging daily itinerary, expert trip management and access to people and places that will thrill and delight you.

  • Deposits will be 50% refundable 120 days prior to departure. Cancellation between 119-91 days before departure: 100% of deposit is forfeited. Cancellation between 90-61 days, 50% of the trip price is forfeited. Cancellation within 60 days of departure: no refund. You always have the option to transfer your deposit to a future Sur La Table Culinary Journey departure up until 90 days prior to departure with no penalty.

  • We strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance to help protect your investment and provide you with financial recourse should you face trip cancellation or interruption due to sickness or quarantine. When purchasing a policy, please consult with a trip insurance agent to review what COVID-19- related contingencies are covered. While we will do our best to recover any unused portion of your trip due to sickness, it is often the case that payments cannot be refunded. We recommend using our partner insurance provider, Travel Insurance Services, which offers three different policies for you to choose from.

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