Arrive in Toulouse on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), a private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Lucienne Joy and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel followed by dinner.

(D)

After a talk by Lucienne, enjoy a walking tour of Toulouse, the cultural heart of the Languedoc and a city shaped by the Cathar era. Explore Saint-Sernin, the largest surviving Romanesque basilica in Europe and a major stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Then, visit the Convent of the Jacobins, a Dominican monastery built in 1230, featuring a soaring Gothic interior with impressive vaults, a majestic refectory and tranquil cloister.

After lunch, continue to the Hotel d’Assézat, a 16th-century brick-and-stone Renaissance mansion built for a former capitoul – a member of the ruling elite. Inside, the Bemberg Foundation houses a fine collection of paintings by old masters and modern artists, including Tintoretto, Canaletto, Monet, Pissarro, Gauguin and Bonnard.

(BL)

Embark on a full-day excursion to Albi, dramatically poised above the River Tarn and distinguished by its red-brick medieval centre. Explore the 13th-century Palais de la Berbie, now home to the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, which holds one of the world’s most important collections of works by the Albi-born painter. Afterwards, stroll through the gardens for panoramic views over the city and the river.

In the afternoon, discover Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, a masterpiece of Southern Gothic architecture with a strikingly austere exterior and richly decorated interior. Return to Toulouse in the late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

(B)

This morning, travel to Montauban, gracefully situated on the banks of the River Tarn. Enjoy a guided tour of the Ingres Bourdelle Museum, housed in the former episcopal palace and dedicated to the town’s two celebrated sons – painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) and sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929), a pupil of Rodin.

Return to Toulouse after lunch. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or further explore ‘la ville rose’ (the pink city) at your own pace.

(BL)

Depart Toulouse and travel to the magnificent city of Carcassonne, a medieval stronghold whose dramatic history has inspired many writers, including British novelist Kate Mosse. Perched on a cliff promontory, Carcassonne’s mighty ramparts, towers, castle and fine Gothic cathedral create one of the most striking fortified ensembles in France.

Continue along the Canal du Midi, a remarkable piece of 17th-century engineering begun during the reign of Louis XIV to link the Mediterranean with the Atlantic, and later painted by Matisse during his stay in Toulouse.

Arrive in the charming city of Narbonne in the late afternoon.

(BD)

After a talk by Lucienne, explore Narbonne, once one of the most important Roman cities in Gaul and, later, a powerful ecclesiastical centre. The enormous Gothic cathedral of Saints Justus and Pastor dominates the Old Town and its treasury contains a remarkable Flemish tapestry of the Creation. Visit the Palace of the Archbishops and admire its rich art collections.

Lunch is at leisure in the Halles de Narbonne, the city’s lively covered market. The afternoon is free to relax or further explore the historic centre before dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

Today, journey south to the picturesque Mediterranean port of Collioure, whose distinctive light and vivid colours have long attracted artists. In the summer of 1905, Henri Matisse and André Derain painted here, using bold, non-naturalistic colours that broke sharply with artistic conventions of the time and helped give rise to the movement later nicknamed Fauvism.

After lunch, enjoy a private, guided tour of the Hotel des Templiers, long associated with Collioure’s artistic life. Since the 1920s, this family-run hotel has been a favourite gathering place for painters, writers and musicians including Matisse, Derain, Picasso, Dalí and Edith Piaf, while its walls have evolved into an impressive gallery of more than 2,000 artworks.

Return to Narbonne in the late afternoon.

(BL)

In the morning, depart Narbonne for the quintessential Provençal city of Arles, celebrated by writers such as Flaubert and Daudet, and later immortalised by Vincent van Gogh. On a walking tour of the historic centre of Arles, see the remains of the massive Roman amphitheatre and the ruins of the ancient theatre. Then, discover the Espace Van Gogh, the former hospital where the artist was admitted in 1888 during his famously troubled period and painted the renowned Garden of the Hospital in Arles.

This afternoon, visit the Fondation Vincent van Gogh, which honours the artist’s legacy while exploring his impact on art today.

Continue to Aix-en-Provence, the city of Cézanne and the childhood home of Émile Zola, who later drew on Aix as the model for Plassans in his novels.

(BL)

After a talk by Lucienne, enjoy the panoramic views of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, one of Cézanne’s favourite subjects, from the so-called Painters’ Field.

Then, visit the Atelier des Lauves, Cézanne’s last studio, where he worked from 1902 until his death four years later. Bathed in natural light, this intimate workspace holds the artist’s original furniture, painting materials and objects featured in his iconic still lifes.

After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of the prestigious Musée Granet, home to masterpieces by the likes of Matisse, Picasso, Klee, van Dyck, Ingres, Monet and Cézanne himself.

(BL)

This morning, travel to the charming village of Lourmarin in the Luberon, closely linked with writers Albert Camus and Henri Bosco.

Continue to Château La Coste, an extraordinary estate combining contemporary art and architecture, verdant gardens and fine wine. Savour Provençal cuisine while overlooking the vines before enjoying a guided tour of the Tadao Ando Art Centre, an architectural masterpiece where minimalist lines and natural light meet the timeless beauty of the landscape, and admire site-specific installations by the likes of Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder and Ai Weiwei.

(BL)

In the morning, explore the striking Carrières de Bibémus, a rugged plateau of ochre quarries once frequented by Cézanne. Wander shaded trails among towering red rocks and pine groves, comparing the dramatic scenery to the bold compositions that Cézanne painted here.

The afternoon is at leisure to relax or to further explore Aix-en-Provence at your own pace.

Tonight, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Lucienne and fellow travellers.

(BD)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Marseille Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)