Of all the day trips we suggest to our guests, there is one that stays with them more than any other. The one where you leave the golden stone of the Luberon at first light and find yourself, two hours later, standing before the dizzying drop of the Verdon Gorges. Europe's largest canyon carves a furrow more than 700 metres deep here, and the river below glows an almost unreal emerald green. From Gordes, the round trip fits into a single day, as long as you pace it well. Here is how we organise it for our guests, so you don't miss a thing.

Counting the drive: Gordes to the Verdon

Let's be honest from the start: the Verdon is not exactly next door. From Le Clos de Manon, allow roughly an hour and a half to two hours' drive to reach the first viewpoints, depending on your route and traffic. The distance isn't vast, but the last few dozen kilometres wind along mountain roads where you won't drive fast — and so much the better, because the scenery deserves to be savoured.

This is exactly why we always give our guests the same piece of advice: set off early. Leaving around 8 a.m. gives you a clear road, viewpoints still deserted, and a morning light that brings out the best in the limestone. Arrive at the lake around midday in peak season, on the other hand, and you resign yourself to full car parks and crowded jetties. The Verdon is earned through timing as much as through distance.

The Route des Crêtes, the great thrill

If there's just one thing to remember about the Verdon, it's this. The Route des Crêtes, starting from La Palud-sur-Verdon, is a loop of around twenty kilometres that runs along the northern rim of the canyon. It strings together a succession of laid-out viewpoints, each opening onto a different perspective of the chasm. The Belvédère de l'Escalès, vertiginous, is often our guests' favourite; you'll regularly spot griffon vultures gliding over the void, reintroduced to the region a few decades ago.

Part of the loop is one-way, which makes driving easier but means you must follow the indicated direction. Plan to stop often: every viewpoint is earned with a few steps, and the best views are won by getting out of the car. Allow a good hour and a half to drive it without rushing, photos included.

Lake Sainte-Croix, the turquoise reward

After the altitude and the vertigo, it's time for water. At the downstream end of the gorges lies Lake Sainte-Croix, a vast reservoir of luminous blue-green that looks straight off a postcard. This is where the day shifts from contemplative to playful, and it's the part our guests with children love most.

At the foot of the famous Galetas bridge, you can easily hire a pedal boat or a canoe to head upstream and slip into the entrance of the lower gorges, where the walls close in above the water. The feeling is unique: paddling between two cliffs, in translucent water, with silence for company. Swimming is allowed on the lake's designated beaches, and the water, fed by snowmelt, stays cool even at the height of summer — a joy after the heat of the drive. Bring water shoes, as the shoreline is pebbly.

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, the village stop

No day at the Verdon would be complete without a stop in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Clinging to the foot of two cliffs, the village is famous for its faience pottery, a tradition dating back to the 17th century, and for the golden star suspended by a chain between the two rock faces — a stubborn legend has it that a knight hung it there on his return from the Crusades. The narrow streets climb towards the Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir chapel, perched above the rooftops, at the end of a stations-of-the-cross path that rewards the effort with a magnificent view.

It's the ideal spot for lunch or for a quiet late afternoon, wandering among the faience workshops. If you enjoy this kind of day trip that blends nature and heritage, you'll find the same spirit in our itineraries from Gordes, where the Verdon ranks among our favourite big days out.

Our insider tip for the day

The Verdon is a long day, and that's its only constraint. To keep it flowing, we suggest a simple order: the Route des Crêtes in the morning, when the air is cool and the viewpoints quiet; the lake and lunch around midday; and Moustiers in the late afternoon, when the light turns the cliffs golden. Fill up with fuel before you leave, take water and a picnic if you'd rather have lunch facing the lake, and keep a light layer to hand: along the ridges, the wind can surprise you even in summer.

Save this day trip for a spell of settled, fine weather, too. The canyon holds no interest under low clouds, and the mountain road is best enjoyed dry. That's why we always advise placing it in the middle of your stay, when the forecast is clear — and keeping another day for the hilltop villages of the Luberon, more forgiving of changeable weather.

Home in the evening at Le Clos de Manon

The great luxury of a Verdon day trip from Gordes is being able to live this intense day without moving on. No suitcase to repack, no unfamiliar hotel: after a two-hour drive back, you return to the gate of Le Clos de Manon, the heated pool and the pergola, to unwind your legs after a long day. That's the whole point of a well-placed base, a ten-minute walk from Gordes and at the heart of Provence. If the Verdon tempts you but you're unsure of the ideal length for your stay, take a look at our availability calendar: we recommend five to seven nights to mix big excursions with lazy days.

And if you'd like to balance this day of altitude with other moods, we also recommend Avignon in a day from Gordes for culture, Gordes and its surroundings in a day for a car-free stage, or a 2-day weekend in the Luberon to taste the hilltop villages. The Verdon is a high point of Provence; everything else is enjoyed at your own pace, around the villa.