Cycling in Provence, France is a feast for the senses. Following the region’s quiet roads, you’ll cycle through quaint French villages, passing vineyards, olive groves and cherry orchards along the way.

Famed by the Tour de France and with beautiful scenery, it’s no wonder that there are loads of bike tours in Provence to pick from. In this guide we’ll share some of our top picks.

This article is based on the information on each operator’s website. We’ve done our best to ensure our summary is accurate, but please double-check everything with the operator since the information on their website could be out of date or could have changed since we wrote the article. It’s even conceivable (heaven forbid!) that we may have made a mistake.

The prices usually assume two people occupying a room. If you want single occupancy, expect to pay more. Also carefully check the trip inclusions – we’ve just summarised the situation below and the inclusions may well vary for each trip.

In the interests of transparency, just to let you know that we’ve worked with Vélorizons (also known as France Bike Trips) on creating other articles for this site. Want to know which other cycling tour operators we worked with in 2022? Read this.

The advantages of guided Provence bike tours

Whilst those experienced in road cycling in Europe might opt for DIY, self-guided cycling holidays in Provence, choosing a guided bike tour in Provence has its advantages.

As well as the social element to group bike tours, choosing an organised cycling tour gives you the reassurance that you’ll always have support should anything go wrong along the way.

If you decide to go down the guided bike tour route, it’s important to choose the best bike tour company for your needs.

Of course, cycling Provence self guided will be cheaper, so you need to weigh up costs when planning your Provence bike trip.

This article lists some of our top picks for the best cycling tour options in Provence.

If you’re still debating the guided v self-guided question, this article may be useful for you. 

Which area of Provence is best for you?

You’ll also want to consider what is the best base for cycling in Provence France.

Do you want a short trip focusing on climbing the mighty Mont Ventoux (relevant tours here), or perhaps you want to explore the Luberon region (relevant tours here) or head to the Cote D’Azur (relevant tours here)?

Alternatively, for Provence cycling holidays of a week or more, a point-to-point tour, staying at a different hotel each night, could be the best option (relevant tours here).

Not sure about the differences between the regions, check out our Luberon/Ventoux guide, Ventoux accommodation guide and our Nice/Côte d’Azure guide!

Below we’ve got our pick of some of the most interesting tours out there, based on these regions. Enjoy!

Mont Ventoux bike tours

Mont Ventoux is one of the most famous mountains in Europe and a mecca for road cycling enthusiasts. Also known as the ‘Giant of Provence’, the 1912-metre limestone peak can be seen from most places in the region. Famed by the Tour de France, Mont Ventoux has featured in the event 14 times since 1951 (more on the Tour history here).

The summit is a vertical mile high, with an average gradient of 7.5%, so it’s not for beginners – yet, if you’re fit enough, it offers one of the most satisfying climbs in France, if not the world – which is why a lot of Provence cycling tours are based around this climb.

You can find out more background information about cycling Ventoux in this guide.

cycling up mount ventoux provence

View looking down to the final switchbacks before the summit of Mount Ventoux

 

1. Veloventoux

Veloventoux are a small family company, comprising husband and wife Craig and Vicky and their daughter. They run a guest house in Provence and offer seven-night guided cycling holidays.

One such bike tour begins with a climb of Mont Ventoux before heading on to Alpe d’Huez, the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer. It’s one of the more challenging bike tour Provence options but it’s well worth it.

  • Tour: Mont Ventoux to Alpe D’Huez
  • Tour type: Guided
  • Starts: Puymeras
  • Cost: TBC. 2022 price was £1,295
  • Includes: 7 nights’ half-board accommodation, transfers, expert guide and vehicle support
  • Departure dates: TBC for 2023

2. Intura

Intura are a small French company who were founded in 2004 and offer guided and self-guided walking and cycling holidays in France and Portugal.

They offer a short break cycling holiday in Provence which includes a leisurely ride along the wine roads of the Mont Ventoux before the challenging Mont Ventoux climb the following day. There’s also the option to add on an extra day touring the lavender fields of Sault.

  • Tour: Mont Ventoux cycling Shortbreak
  • Tour type: Self-guided
  • Starts: Avignon
  • Cost: from €450
  • Includes: 2 nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation, transfers, hybrid bike rental, maps and itineraries, 24/7 phone assistance
  • Departure dates: April to November
  • Group size: self-guided (2-10 people)
  • Notes: Option to choose road bike, hybrid bike or e-bike

Luberon bike tours

The Luberon region of Provence has some great cycling circuits featuring quiet roads with little traffic. The region is made up of three mountain ranges – the Lesser Luberon, the Greater Luberon and the Eastern Luberon, each dotted with hilltop villages and offering stunning views of vineyards and orchards. To the north is Ventoux.

You can find out more background information about cycling the Luberon in our in-depth guide.

Lavender fields near the famous monastery near Gordes, Luberon, Provence

The famous sight of lavender at Senanque Abbey near Gordes, Provence

 

3. France Bike Trips

France Bike Trips is a small company offering guided and self-guided cycling tours in France. Most tours offer two versions, depending on your level of fitness and ability.

The self-guided bike tour of the Luberon takes cyclists on a circuit of the most beautiful villages in the area – Sénanque, Gordes, Bonnieux, Buoux and Lourmarin. Here you can get a taste of the relaxed lifestyle of Provence and admire the peaceful countryside.

  • Tour: The Wonders of the Luberon
  • Tour type: Self-guided
  • Starts: Cavaillon
  • Cost: from €555 (if booking for 4-6 people)
  • Includes: 5 nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation, 1 dinner, baggage transfers, maps and itineraries
  • Departure dates: February to November
  • Group size: self-guided (2+ people)

4. Provence Cycling Holidays

Provence Cycling Holidays is a small family-run company offering self-guided single-base cycling holidays. They have a B&B in Coustellet which provides the base for six-night cycling holidays in the Luberon region of Provence.

With carefully-planned self-guided rides, you can visit all the best Luberon sights including the Ocre mine of Roussillon, the rich history of Gourdes and the charming village of Goult which was half-destroyed by an earthquake. Should you wish, you can visit attractions such as lavender fields, vineyard tours, markets and ancient buildings.

  • Tour: The Wonders of the Luberon
  • Tour type: Self-guided
  • Starts: Coustellet
  • Cost: from €1,084 bed and breakfast
  • Includes: 6 nights’ accommodation, all breakfasts, 2 three-course home-cooked dinners with wine, bike hire, GPS, bike equipment, laundry service, assistance
  • Departure dates: April to October
  • Group size: self-guided (2+ people)
  • Notes: The company also has a self-catering option based in a villa in Taillades. We worked with France Bike Trips (also known as Vélorizons) on an article about their Route des Grandes Alpes trip.

Côte d’Azure bike tours

The Cote d’Azur is where the Alps meet the sea and is where you’ll find Nice, the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region after Marseille.

Cycling Nice France col de brausThe famous switchbacks of the Col de Braus

5. Azur Cycling Tours

Azur Cycle Tours offer cycling holidays in the South of France with a choice of guided day rides and fully-supported cycling tours.

One such tour is the ‘Aches in Provence’ tour, a clever pun based on the French city of Aix-en-Provence. The tour doesn’t actually cycle in Aix itself, but with an itinerary promising the best and most challenging cycling that the south-east of France has to offer, ‘aches’ are par for the course. This tour includes a journey over the highest road pass in France, the Col de la Bonette as well as the deepest canyon in Europe, the Gorges du Verdon. You’ll also cycle the Formula 1 circuit in Monaco, home to super cars, super yachts and super models as well as super cyclists such as Geraint Thomas, Richie Porte and Chris Froome.

  • Tour: Aches in Provence
  • Tour type: Guided
  • Starts: Nice
  • Cost: from £1,470
  • Includes: 7 nights’ half-board accommodation, expert guide, support vehicle
  • Departure dates: April to October

Point to point cycling tours in Provence

Provencal village

Typical perched village of Provence

 

6. Cyclomundo

Cyclomundo is a French cycling holiday company offering guided and self-guided bike tours in Europe.

The company offers a self-guided tour from Avignon to Nice, covering low-lying vineyards and the heights of the Alps as you head towards the Mediterranean Sea. This is undoubtedly a challenging tour, with up to 73 miles covered each day, but it does give the flexibility to explore the natural and man-made wonders of Provence as you please. As the name suggests, it’s one of the most scenic self guided bike tours Provence France has to offer.

  • Tour: Visually Stunning: From Avignon to Nice
  • Tour type: Self-guided
  • Starts: Avignon
  • Cost: from €1,395
  • Includes: 7 nights’ accommodation, daily breakfast, 3 dinners, luggage transfers, maps and GPS, assistance
  • Departure dates: April to October
  • Group size: 6 or more

What next?!

We hope our pick of Provence tours has been useful and helped you pick the best tour for you! Let us know in the comments below – and if we’ve missed any operators you’ve had a great experience with, please also leave us a comment!

We hope our guides to the Luberon region of Provence, to Ventoux and the Côte d’Azur will provide you with lots of information on what to expect from these stunning parts of the world. Any questions, drop us a comment below!

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Clare Dewey

Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels – and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they’re there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.

Last Reviewed: 04 February 2023

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