Lunch in Provence: Aix-en-Provence food tour with tastings

Taste Provence without leaving the city streets

A two-hour guided walk through Aix-en-Provence that pairs the city's architecture and history with tastings of regional specialties: calissons, tapenades, cheeses and other Provençal products at local artisans. Your guide speaks English or French and leads a small group through the Cours Mirabeau, Place de l'Hôtel de Ville and Place d'Albertas, sharing stories of the city's past between each stop. Bottled water is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Château de La Gaude1h 40m
2. Cours Mirabeau10m

Explore Aix-en-Provence and local flavors

• Stroll through Cours Mirabeau
• Learn about Aix’s culinary traditions
• Taste artisanal tapenades and cheeses
• Visit Place de l’Hôtel de Ville market
• Discover Place d’Albertas and its fountain
• Hear stories of the Albertas family
• Enjoy tasting Calissons d’Aix sweets

The experience

Two hours is enough to move through Aix-en-Provence's most recognizable streets and taste what makes the region's food distinct. You walk the Cours Mirabeau, the avenue lined with plane trees where the city's nobility once strolled, and your guide explains how it has become the lively hub it is today. Along the way you stop at local artisans to taste calissons, the iconic almond candy, alongside aged cheeses, tapenades and other regional delicacies. Each tasting is a moment to understand how Provençal flavors are made and why they matter to the place.

The route also takes you through the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, where a colorful market often fills the square, and the Place d'Albertas with its historic fountain. Your guide connects the architecture and the food: you hear how the Albertas family shaped this square, what the royal inspiration behind it was, and how the city's culinary traditions have evolved alongside its buildings. The walk is designed for those who want to know Provence through its gastronomy and stories, not through a longer journey into the countryside.

The group stays small, and the pace is built around tasting and listening rather than covering distance. Bottled water is provided throughout. The tour is wheelchair accessible, and all surfaces and areas are flat and navigable.

What’s included

• Bottled water throughout the walk.
• tastings of calissons, tapenades, aged cheeses and other Provençal specialties at local artisans.
• a live guide in English or French.
• access to the Cours Mirabeau, Place de l'Hôtel de Ville and Place d'Albertas with stories of the city's architecture and history.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:30 and 11:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (under 13)

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Travel Food

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to taste your way through Aix-en-Provence's markets and artisan shops rather than sit down at a restaurant, and you prefer a guide's stories about the city's history woven between stops.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (under 13).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I taste during the two hours?

Calissons d'Aix, the region's signature almond confection, are the centerpiece. You also taste artisanal tapenades, aged cheeses and other regional specialties at stops along the route. Each tasting happens at a local artisan's shop or stall.

Does the Cours Mirabeau have a particular history I should know before I go?

The Cours Mirabeau was once the promenade of Aix's nobility and is now lined with plane trees and lively terraces. Your guide explains how it transformed into the hub it is today and shares the stories of the people and periods that shaped it.

Is this tour suitable if I have mobility issues or use a wheelchair?

Yes. The tour is wheelchair accessible, all areas and surfaces are flat and navigable, and transportation options nearby are wheelchair accessible. Infants can ride in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed.

Is lunch included, or just tastings?

The tour includes tastings of regional specialties at artisans' shops along the route, not a sit-down meal. Bottled water is provided. You are responsible for any other food or drinks you wish to purchase.