Please see below for a description of our exclusive Car & Driver private sightseeing. Please note that the final itinerary may vary slightly due to unforeseen weather conditions, closures or other reasons beyond control. Due to a limited number of vehicles in some ports, car and driver sightseeing tours are subject to availability.

The Jewels of Aix en Provence

This excursion will give you the opportunity to visit one of the most charming cities of Provence, Aix en Provence, which will enchant you with its fountains and streets full of history. The perfect way to discover Provence!

Today you will meet your guide/driver at the foot of your cruise ship in Marseilles.

Enjoy visiting Aix en Provence. Do not miss out on one of the most famous "Cours" in France, the Cours Mirabeau, once a street for horse-drawn coaches and the link between the Mazarin quarter and the old commercial town.

Cours Mirabeau is located in the center of the city, and the heart of Aix. The Cours Mirabeau is a beautiful tree-lined avenue, with one side lined with wonderful terrace cafes and bookshops.

Aix en Provence is full of fountains. Everywhere, throughout the town, fountains big and small bubble. Aix en Provence is a city of art, light and activity. It is also home to several art schools and universities, including some American, attracting a youthful population that sparks the atmosphere.

The center of Aix en Provence is the old town, surrounded by a circular boulevard and squares. It is a small enough area to explore on foot. Medieval Aix was protected by a wall with 39 towers, but today only the 14th century "Tourreluquo" tower remains, at the northwest corner of the town.

Be delighted by Aix's bustling daily open-air market on the Place Richelme. The market offers Provencal products such as fruit, vegetables, olives and oysters. And not only food: wicker baskets, brightly patterned tablecloths made from Provencal cloth, olive wood bowls, platters and rolling pins. Enjoy a visit to a Calissons boutique and taste the local specialty.

This main market takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This market is located by the Palais de Justice, is a big affair of fresh produce and food, bric-a-brac and a flea market. On market days, a colorful flower market is held at the Place de l'Hotel de Ville (Town Hall).

Enjoy lunch in a typical restaurant in Aix en Provence.

You may wish to visit the Pavillon Vendome, a fine example of an elegant "bastide" built in the 17th century. Preceded by a beautiful French garden, the Pavillon Vendome was built in 1665 and commissioned by Louis de Mercour, Duke of Vendome. It is said that it was built for his lover Lucretia de Forbin Sollies, better known as Beauty of Le Canet. Today it is a small museum housing a collection of furniture, paintings and 18th century fabrics.

Admire the mansions in the Mazarin district with the Hotel de Caumont, the 4 Dolphins Square with the graceful 4 Dolphins Fountain and the Saint Jean de Malta church, a fortified gothic church built at the end of the 12th century. Visit the old town with the Palais des Justice (Law Courts) built on the former site of the Palace of the sovereign counts, the 17th century Madeleine church and St Sauveur cathedral.

Duration: 6 hours

*Shoreside Experience by Private Car operated by Decouvertes