Local Living Tours & Trips in Southern France

Stay at the 18th-century Hôtel Charembeau farmhouse for four nights and check out Forcalquier's 200-stall market with your tour leader. Sample local Banon cheese with a producer and try olive oil tastings at the Jaubert family's Les Grandes Marges farm in Valensole. Walk through medieval Lourmarin's narrow streets and see the fountains of Bonnieux's High Church.

Walk medieval Viviers' streets and see the 11th-century Cathedral of St. Vincent, then head to Les Andelys beneath Château Gaillard's limestone cliffs. At a local organic farm in Provence, you'll learn how lavender oil is made and create your own cream to take home.

Try farm-to-table cuisine in Occitanie with a traditional lunch near Pont du Gard, then check out Nîmes' Roman amphitheater and UNESCO-listed Maison Carrée. In Lyon, wander the cobblestone Traboules passages and visit Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière for great views.

The trip takes you along the Douro River aboard Scenic Azure, which has 48 spacious cabins with butler service for all guests. You'll walk through Porto's UNESCO-listed historic center and see the traditional tile-covered streets that make this city famous. The itinerary includes a stop at Entre-os-Rios where you can try wines at Quinta da Aveleda estate. In Pinhão, you'll walk through the terraced vineyards at Quinta da Roêda and see how the landscape shapes the region's wine production. Then head to Provesende village to watch local artisans creating traditional handicrafts using methods passed down through generations.