Secret Provence: Tour of Baronnies

Walking holiday in the beautiful quiet Baronnies region of France with villages perched on rocky slopes such as Montbrun les Bains, surrounded by lavender, forest and picturesque mountains

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking tour of the Baronnies is available from April to June inclusive and in September and October. We do not run this holiday in the height of the summer due to the high temperatures and the difficulty in securing our top choice accommodation.

The Baronnies is influenced by Mediterranean and Alpine climates. Winters can be cold due to altitude, with snow on the summits. Whilst the height of summer can be very hot and dry. Your walking holiday takes place at an average altitude of 800m and so in Spring and autumn any hot weather is reduced by the coolness of altitude.

The following average temperatures are for the town of Sault, which is the largest village you’ll walk through on this French walking holiday. Sault lies at 760m and provides a good average for conditions during the walking tour. April daytime averages are 17°C during the day and 5°C at night. From May onwards you can expect 21°C during the day and 8°C at night on average, whilst in June averages are 25°C by day and 13°C at night. September is slightly cooler than June during the day, but warmer at night, whilst October temperatures are similar to early May. These temperatures decline slowly with altitude.

In terms of rainfall, June is the driest month when we run our independent France walking holiday in Provence with less than 30mm. April, May, September and October have slightly more rainfall, between 40 and 50mm on average, although this is low compared to many other areas in France and Europe. In addition most of this rainfall falls in a few heavy showers equating to few days with rainfall. On average the walking holiday months have 2 days with rain per week with this reducing as the month of June progresses. Sunshine levels are relatively high and are comparable to those across the Provence or Mediterranean with 8 hours per day on average in April and September, rising to 10 hours in June. October is the least sunny of our self guided walking holiday months, partly due to the reduced day length. More details of the climate can be found on on Baronnies weather.

The area is blessed with a delightful clear light, thanks to a relatively dry and clean atmosphere. Visibility is often superb in this part of the French Provence allowing for great panoramic views. Foggy days are rare, except on the mountains during poor conditions.

Early summer (June) is perhaps the best time to visit the Baronnies if you are looking for warm conditions as you are more or less guaranteed good weather (although it’s not as hot as in July and August) and the Lavender is starting to flower. In May you are likely to have a greater variety of wild flowers and orchids. October can be fresher and unsettled at times but the colours

Extra Nights

Extra nights are possible at any of the stopovers. However we would recommend the following locations for extra nights:

Montbrun les Bains – This is the first and last night. You stay in a lovely guest house a couple of kilometres outside of the village. There is a pool and garden to relax in and you can also walk to the village or along the valley.

La Honas: You are already spending two nights in La Honas but it is a great place to relax and soak up the views, which you’ll never tire of.

City Breaks

Avignon: On your way to or from the Baronnies you may travel via Avignon, which is well-worth a visit and one of the prettiest cities in Provence. Avignon is famous as the city to which the Popes fled when leaving the corruption of Rome in the 14th century. The palace they built, ‘Le Palais des Papes,’ or the palace of popes, is the world’s largest Gothic edifice. The Ramparts themselves were erected to keep the plague and invaders out during the middle ages, when Avignon belonged to the papacy and not the French crown. Avignon is also famous for the Saint Benezet bridge which spans part of the Rhone River and is known the world over due to a nursery rhyme. We can book one or more nights in the city and provide you with information for your visit. We use 3 or 4 star hotels.

Combing this trip with other walking holidays

Our walking holidays in the Luberon and the Alpilles are also accessed via Avignon or Arles and can be combined easily with our Tour of the Baronnies walking holiday.

Please consult us for a price on any of the above options.

Tailor-made trips

If you want to learn more about the region’s culture through tailor-made activities and visits, check out those trips that include a few days in Provence. Contact us to add them to your hike.

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