Overview
Explore Calanques National Park where gleaming white limestone cliffs form a stark contrast with the deep blue sky and the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. The Calanques coastline offers a unique landscape of beautiful fjords and dramatic cliffs, small ports and wonderful panoramic viewpoints. The 16km stretch of coast between Cassis and the city of Marseille features France’s highest sea cliffs and a series of calanques: fjord-like inlets carved into the white limestone, accessible only by boat or on foot. You finish in style in Aix-en-Provence, atop the narrow spine of the Sainte-Victoire mountain, immortalised in the paintings of Cézanne, from where an incomparable panorama is unveiled.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Marseille / Optional Trip to Frioul Islands
Arrive in Marseille. The ferry takes you to Chateau d’If island from the picturesque port, famous for the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (30mins crossing – ticket not included). Another 15 mn ferry crossing takes you to the Frioul Islands, a wilderness oasis just 4 km off Marseille’s coast. Rare plants are sprinkled around the sun-bleached walking paths with Marseille’s great viewpoints and swimming opportunities along the way. Return by ferry to the Old Port. Dinner on your own and overnight in Marseille.
- Accommodation: Hotel Carre Vieux or similar (upgraded hotel: Hotel Oceania or similar)
- Optional walking: 3h, 9km, ↑10m ↓10m
Day 2: Calanques of Cassis | 12km
A 30mins private taxi transfer (included) takes you to the Route de la Gineste, from where you will start your walk to the Col de la Gardiole pass, high above the Calanques of Cassis. You’re now among garrigue vegetation of shrubs and aromatic herbs, their perfume concentrated by the penetrating Mediterranean sun. Soon you find a shaded and deeply encased valley that descends in tight serpentine trails towards the sea, and here you reach the Calanque of En Vau. A short but steep climb follows this through the jagged limestone to reach the Calanque of Port Pin, a narrow finger-of-an-inlet complete with a sandy beach, the perfect stop for your secluded picnic. The third Calanque is Port Miou, over a kilometre long but ultra-thin, lined on both sides by picturesque sailboats sheltered in this quiet cove. You walk straight into the centre of Cassis, a small village set on the Mediterranean, just a handful of narrow streets, and restaurants huddled tightly around its port. Overnight in Cassis.
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 12km, ↑200m ↓460m
- Accommodation: Hotel by Reboul or similar (upgraded hotel: Hotel La Rade or similar)
Day 3: High Cliffs of Cap Canaille | 12km
You begin your walk in Cassis, on a small country lane surrounded by vines. Then via a wide track, you climb towards Cap Canaille. At just under 400m Cap Canaille is the highest sea cliff in France and one of the highest in Europe. Facing the vast expanse of the Bay of Cassis and the Mediterranean Sea is a memory you will never forget. From here, the walking path follows the cliff edge (without getting too close!) as you make your way along the impressive coastline. Your walk leads into the adjacent town of La Ciotat, with its stunning port, naval construction site, and sandy beaches (and you’ve earned a swim!). At the end of the walk, a private transfer takes you back to Cassis.
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 12km, ↑500m ↓500m
- Accommodation: Hotel by Reboul or similar (upgraded hotel: Hotel La Rade or similar)
Day 4: Aix-en-Provence (rest day)
Market every morning at the Town Hall square, and big market on Saturday morning in Aix-en-Provence. It’s a free day of leisure with a morning stroll around Cassis. In the early afternoon, you are transferred to the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence. Aix is a lively university town and unapologetically bourgeois: regal stone fountains line the Cours Mirabeau, behind which 17th and 18th-century mansions now house chic shops and banks. A labyrinth of winding streets in the centre of town unveils a wealth of historic buildings and squares.
- Accommodation: Hotel Paul or similar (upgraded hotel: Hôtel des Augustins or similar)
Day 5: In Cézanne’s Footsteps: Sainte Victoire Mountain | 10km
A short private taxi transfer (25mins, included) takes you to the start of your walk at the imposing foot of the Sainte Victoire mountain. It’s here that the impressionist painter Cézanne tirelessly painted landscapes, immortalising the mountain ahead. A jagged spine soars to the 1,000m summit, and that is your day’s goal. Though it may look imposing, the climb is steep, but there is no scrambling involved. On a clear day from the summit, the snow-peaked Alps are visible to the north and the Mediterranean to the south. Once at the top, you descend south to the village of Vauvenargues, where Pablo Picasso found his eternal rest. A local bus will take you back to Aix-en-Provence for the last overnight (not included, 20mins, tickets €2-3 pp).
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 10km, ↑650m ↓650m
- Accommodation: Hotel Paul or similar (upgraded hotel: Hôtel des Augustins or similar)
Day 6: Departure
The tour ends after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
You will be staying in welcoming 2 and 3-star hotels in Marseille, Cassis and Aix-en-Provence. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour. Hotel upgrade is also possible with a supplement.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Carre Vieux (Marseille)
- Hotel by Reboul (Cassis)
- Hotel Paul (Aix-en-Provence)
Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation. Supplements are possible during the Grand Prix of Castelet (end of June) and the Cassis marathon mid October.
Click to view upgraded hotels
- Hotel Oceania (Marseille)
- Hotel La Rade (Cassis)
- Hôtel des Augustins (Aix-en-Provence)
Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation. Supplements are possible during the Grand Prix of Castelet (end of June) and the Cassis marathon mid October.
Meals
Breakfasts are included. You can pre-order packed lunch at your hotel or stop to buy groceries in the villages along the route. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in your accommodation or restaurants in the village/town near your hotel.
Difficulty and terrain
The walks are not long (up to 4-5h per day). The tour is suitable for people in good physical shape, used to regular exercise, and who can handle slowly walking uphill for about 2h at a time (read more about difficulty grades). This itinerary is not recommended for people who are afraid of heights. There are some steep ascents and descents on the island paths and the coast. From Cassis to La Ciotat, though, there is always at least a meter between you and the cliff edge, and you should be careful along the path. The wind gusts can be very strong. Finally, on the Ste Victoire walk, from the starting point, the walk looks daunting, straight up the spine of the Sainte Victoire, with no respite until the top. You will climb for 2-3h, but it’s all relatively steady, with no cliff edges and only a very short section of scrambling to reach the cross at the pseudo-summit. You may choose to avoid that section if the winds are too strong. We recommend using walking poles for this holiday. Poles are helpful to increase power going uphill, but especially to relieve your knees going down hills. Walking poles takes some time to get used to: we recommend that you walk with them before coming to Provence. The trails are easy to follow. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of March until the end of June and from the beginning of September until the end of November. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date within the season. The tour is not arranged in July and August as the trails are closest due to fire risk. In September, access may be restricted in the Calanques mountains if the risk of forest fire is high. There is a risk that the paths may be forbidden as of noon on any given day, or in exceptional circumstances, the paths may be forbidden altogether. Information is available at 6:00 pm for the following day from the local prefecture.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
The best place to fly in and out is Marseille Airport; you can also fly to Nice, Toulon and Paris.
By train or bus
You can also visit SNCF for up to date train schedules.
Inclusions
Included
- Digital info pack and detailed road notes and maps
- 5 nights accommodation in private en-suite rooms
- 5 breakfasts
- Day 2: transfer from Marseille to the beginning of the walk in the Calanques
- Day 3: transfer from La Ciotat to Cassis
- Day 4: transfer from Cassis to Aix-en-Provence
- Day 5: transfer from Aix to the start of your walk
- Luggage transfers when changing hotels (1 piece up to 20kg per person)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Boat and bus tickets; other transport on the spot
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Entrance fees for attractions and museums
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Hotel supplements are possible during the Grand Prix of Castelet (end of June) and the Cassis marathon mid-October.
- Extra nights can be booked on request
- Dinners can be booked on request
- Hotel upgrade is available for booking
