Seven days in the Luberon is the luxury we recommend to our guests: time enough to savour everything — hilltop villages, ochre, lavender, wine — without turning the holiday into a race against the clock. From Le Clos de Manon, a ten-minute walk from Gordes, you're right at the centre of the region. No day calls for more than an hour's drive, and some are spent quite deliberately by the pool. Here's the itinerary we hand out, week after week, to those who want to enjoy rather than tick boxes.
Day 1: Gordes and its immediate surroundings
On the first day, leave the car behind. You arrive, settle in, breathe. In the morning, walk down to the village: the Place du Château, the 16th-century Renaissance castle, the cobbled lanes that tumble towards the valley. If you arrive on a Tuesday, the Provençal market fills the Place du Château with fruit, olives and soaps.
Afternoon · Bories and Sénanque
Three kilometres away, the Village des Bories gathers some twenty dry-stone huts, relics of rural architecture. Then, just four kilometres on (an eight-minute drive), comes the Sénanque abbey, Cistercian and still home to a community of monks. At the end of the day, the low light grazing its walls is unforgettable.
Day 2: the ochre route
Head east to the most spectacular colours in Provence. Twenty minutes away lie Roussillon and its Ochre Trail, a red-and-orange canyon you can walk in thirty to fifty minutes. Further north, the Colorado Provençal in Rustrel and the old quarries of Gargas round out the picture for lovers of mineral landscapes. Bring shoes you don't mind getting dusty — the ochre clings. We've detailed every stop in The ochre route: Roussillon, Rustrel, Gargas, well worth keeping to hand for this day.
Day 3: lavender and the Valensole plateau
If you visit between mid-June and mid-July, devote a whole day to the Valensole plateau, about 1 hour 15 minutes away. Fields of lavender unfurl as far as the eye can see, dotted with almond trees and lone farmhouses. Set off early: the morning light is the softest, and the most photographed spots are still peaceful.
- Outside the flowering season, turn instead to the distilleries around Sault and the Sénanque abbey, which tell the story of lavender all year round.
- Bring home the essentials: a bouquet, a bottle of essential oil, a bar of soap — these are the souvenirs that still smell of Provence in the depths of winter.
Day 4: a day to unwind
Midway through the week, ease off. That's the secret of a successful stay: one true day without the car. A lie-in, a few lengths in the heated pool, lunch on the terrace under the pergola, a nap in the shade. In the late afternoon, a short walk up to Gordes for an aperitif facing the Calavon valley. Our guests often tell us that this day, the simplest of all, remains their favourite.
Day 5: the wine route
The Luberon and the foothills of the Ventoux form a land of AOC vineyards that's all too often overlooked. Half a day is enough to visit one or two estates, chat with the winemakers and leave with a few bottles. Pair it with lunch in a village such as Ménerbes or Bonnieux, both perched and listed among the most beautiful in France. To plan your stops and avoid driving at random, follow The Luberon and Ventoux wine route: we point out the estates worth the detour.
A tip from your hosts
Appoint a designated driver, or ask us: we know local drivers who turn a day among the vineyards into pure pleasure, with no worries about getting home.
Day 6: the grand day trip
A whole week finally allows for one day further afield. Two options, depending on your mood.
- The Verdon gorges, a little under two hours' drive away, for Europe's largest canyon, its turquoise waters and its cliff-hugging roads. It's demanding in driving time, but the scenery is without equal. It's all explained in The Verdon gorges as a day trip from Gordes.
- Avignon, about 45 minutes away, for a day of culture: the Palais des Papes, the Saint-Bénezet bridge and the lanes within the city walls. More relaxing, and ideal when the weather is uncertain.
To compare all these outings and build your own programme, keep our itineraries from Gordes close at hand — they round up the best day loops.
Day 7: market, sweet moments and farewell
The last day is one to savour slowly. If it's a Sunday, make for L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, twenty-five minutes away: the antiques market along the canals, cafés on the banks, an almost Italian atmosphere. Otherwise, return to the market in Gordes or a neighbouring village to put together one last basket — goat's cheeses, tapenade, Cavaillon melon in season. A final swim, a final terrace, and you set off with the boot full of Provence.
Why a week, and not three days
Three days are enough for a taste, but the magic of the Luberon lies in its rhythm. A week lets you alternate full days with empty ones, return twice to a village you loved, and let an afternoon's rain shift the plan without derailing everything. It's also at this length that the villa becomes a real home: you come to know the song of the cicadas at noon, the best sun lounger, the hour when the light gilds the façade.
Your base camp for the week
At Le Clos de Manon, you have a Provençal villa with a private heated pool, a ten-minute walk from Gordes — the ideal starting point for ranging out across seven days without ever having to drive home in the evening. It's precisely for these longer stays that the house gives the best of itself. If this itinerary tempts you, check our availability for a full week: the peak lavender weeks, in particular, go very early in the year.