(This tour is available in two options – coach and private. The private option offers you greater flexibility to do the tour at your own pace.)
Your driver/guide will pick you up in an air-conditioned vehicle from your hotel in Marseille or from the dockside of your cruise ship in Marseille Port for this Aix Sightseeing tour. Your guide speaks French and English.
Drive along the Mirabeau Court, a road built in the 17th century on the grounds of the city’s former ramparts, admiring the elegant homes, jubilant fountains, and abundant greenery that signal your arrival in Aix en Provence.
You will drive by the following sites in the city:
Four Dolphins Fountain: Built in 1667, this shining example of Baroque art so cherished by the Aixoise nobility of the time features four stone dolphins with flippers upturned in deference to the obelisk in the middle of the fountain.
Albertas Square: Dating from 1745, this charming, cobbled square was modeled after Parisian squares of the day.
City Hall Square: The center point of Aix’s Old Town, this square features a stately fountain in the middle and is the site of a bustling flower market held each day.
Cardeurs Square: Pastel facades highlight a pleasant stretch of outdoor restaurants, which are usually brimming with area college students.
Saint Sauveur Cathedral: Erected on the site of the 1st century Roman forum of Aix, this cathedral was built and rebuilt continuously from the 12th to the 19th century, resulting in a fascinating blend of architectural influences.
Finally, go on a tour of Paul Cezanne’s workshop (payable direct), where the celebrated impressionist created some of his most immortal works. See the private creative universe of the man Matisse and Picasso declared “the father of us all.”
Wind down the afternoon by relaxing in one of the city’s squares before you are dropped back at your hotel/port in Marseille.