Private Provence Tour: In the Footsteps of Van Gogh

You’ll be picked up from your Avignon hotel in the morning or afternoon by your private guide. Traveling by air-conditioned minivan, head 45 minutes north to the city of Arles, where you’ll spend a few hours discovering the landscapes that inspired the works of famous post-Impressionist Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh.

Van Gogh lived in Arles from 1888 to 1889, and produced more than 300 paintings and drawings during his time there. Your expert art historian guide will take you to the sites that appear in some of Van Gogh’s most treasured paintings including Le Café La Nuit and Le Jardin de l’Hotel Dieu. You'll see the location of La Maison Jaune but as the building was bombed during World War II, there are no visible remains.

But there’s more to Arles than Van Gogh; the city is home to many impressive Roman monuments, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Travel back in time with a visit to the famous Arles Amphitheatre, one of Arles' most prominent attractions.

Back aboard the minivan, continue your drive to nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and visit Saint-Paul-de-Mausole. This monastery includes the adjoining Maison de Santé Saint-Paul psychiatric institution, where Van Gogh was treated for a year during his psychological downturn.

Your guide will explain Van Gogh's struggle with mental illness, including the famous story about how he cut off his own ear. View the wheat field that he contemplated and painted during his time here, and see a reproduction of the room where he was confined (entrance fee at own expense).

On the way back, make a photo stop at another Roman ruin, Les Antiques of Glanum. Admire the Triumphal Arch and Mausoleum situated among a field of olive trees — a landscape painted several times by Van Gogh. Your tour concludes in Avignon with drop-off at your hotel.