Private Tour: Marseille City Sightseeing and Aix-en-Provence Day Trip from Marseille

Start your day with a pickup from your centrally located Marseille hotel by luxury minivan, and then travel inland with your private guide to Aix-en-Provence. A well-heeled Provencal town, Aix is known for its handsome streets lined with grand 17th- and 18-century houses. See the best examples of its opulent architecture on a stroll along the Cours Mirabeau -- a boulevard where private mansions sit in the shade of leafy trees and tinkling fountains pepper the pavements. Continue walking to Aix’s little Old Town, and admire its boutiques, craft shops and squares, all dotted about the myriad of tiny streets.

Famous as the birthplace of French painter Paul Cézanne, Aix is firmly on the map for art lovers from around the world. See how Cézanne stamped his mark on the city by visiting his studios where he once worked, creating masterpieces such as Les Grandes Baigneuses. Entrance to the Cézanne Studio is at your own expense, but once inside you can walk in the artist’s footsteps and see numerous artifacts in the room that once inspired him. Alternatively, opt to continue exploring Aix independently.

Return to Marseille and finish your day with a panoramic sightseeing tour from the comfort of your air-conditioned minivan. Stop for photos outside Notre-Dame de la Garde – the city’s eye-catching Neo-Byzantine church – and enjoy breathtaking sea views toward Château d’If – the famous fortress featured in Alexander Dumas’ novel The Count of Monte Cristo. If time permits, head inside Notre-Dame de la Garde for a look around, and then finish your tour with a stop outside the 11th-century Abbey of St Victor, known for its spooky crypts and catacombs. Your tour ends back at your Marseille hotel in the evening.