Roman & medieval heritage tour: Arles, Uzès & Pont du Gard

It's unsurprising that giants of the artistic world were attracted to this corner of Provence with its Roman remains, medieval villages and bucolic countryside. This full-day tour takes in a wide variety of terrain, offering a broad overview of the region and its many charms.

With your private driver-guide you visit a town Vincent van Gogh repeatedly committed to canvas, hear about historic unrest in a hilltop village with a grand ducal palace, and learn about remarkable feats of Roman engineering at a well-preserved ancient aqueduct and an amphitheatre.

The tour begins when your driver-guide picks you up at your hotel and takes you to Arles, once the Roman capital of Gaul, Britain and Spain. The town is littered with Roman remains and your guide will take you to both the ancient amphitheatre, which is still in use today, and the Roman arena with its impressive mosaics.

Then take a walking tour of the city, visiting the medieval squares and streets that so inspired Vincent van Gogh. He painted more than 200 works here and you have a chance to see the café that he depicted in his painting Café Terrace at Night.

From Arles, drive along the narrow and winding country roads to the small town of Uzès, the oldest and last Duchy of France. Perched on top of a hill and boasting panoramic views of the Provençal landscape, Uzès boasts cobbled medieval streets that are lined with independent boutiques, cafés and restaurants.

Your guide will show you around a little and then you have free time to explore the meandering streets, the fortified ducal castle or the medieval gardens. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings you can also browse in the village market. The shady main square, La Place aux Herbes, is a good spot to find a restaurant for lunch on any day of the week.

The last stop on your journey is the towering Pont du Gard. Lording over a river valley and still largely intact more than 2,000 years since its construction, the Pont du Gard is an impressive example of Roman engineering.

Designed to be both an aqueduct and a bridge connecting the natural spring at Uzès to the Roman stronghold of Nîmes, it played a vital part in the local economy, transporting water for domestic, agricultural and domestic purposes.

Your driver-guide will escort you down to the bridge where you’re able to walk across to the other side and take in this colossal structure from different angles. There is also a small museum here explaining how the bridge was constructed, which you can visit.

At the end of the day your guide will return with you to your hotel. Please note that the order of this tour may vary depending on the location of your hotel.