• France
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      • Côte d’Azur, Sept 19 – 26, 2026
      • Côte d’Azur, Sept 26 – Oct 3, 2026
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      • San Miguel de Allende, Oct 31 – Nov 7, 2026
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Epicurean Exchange Culinary TravelEpicurean Exchange Culinary Travel
Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel
  • France
    • Burgundy
    • Loire Valley
    • Côte d’Azur
      • Côte d’Azur, Sept 19 – 26, 2026
      • Côte d’Azur, Sept 26 – Oct 3, 2026
  • Italy
    • Piemonte
    • Puglia
    • Tuscany
  • Mexico
    • Oaxaca
    • San Miguel de Allende
      • San Miguel de Allende, Oct 31 – Nov 7, 2026
  • Portugal
  • UK
    • London
  • USA
    • Charleston
    • New Orleans
  • Gay-Friendly
    • Charleston
    • New Orleans
    • San Miguel de Allende
  • Gallery
  • Blog
  • Contact

Nice Provence travel stamp

PROVENCE, CÔTE D’AZUR, FRANCE

Valbonne / Monte Carlo / St. Paul / Cannes / Nice / Mougins

September 19 - 26, 2026

Join Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel for this extraordinary food, wine, and cultural experience! Our first, and most popular tour, celebrates the best of Southeast Provence – the French Riviera, and the former home of culinary legend, Julia Child. This inaugural tour was developed and initially presented in 2015. We have traveled to this popular destination on 6 separate occasions, and it has only improved over the years!

During this unforgettable week, we follow in Julia Child’s footsteps as described in the book Provençe, 1970. We spend the week visiting local markets and farms, attending hands-on cooking classes, touring points of interest, and preparing some of Julia’s favorite meals. All while dining in charming bistros, enjoying some of the best French cuisine, and living the Provençal-lifestyle in the place Julia called “home.”

ACCOMMODATIONS: LA CAMPANETTE & LA PITCHOLINE
CHÂTEAUNEUF DE GRASSE

Our accommodations in Châteauneuf de Grasse, just 35 minutes from the Nice-Côte D’Azur airport, are a pair of quaint Provençale cottages, “La Campanette” and “La Pitcholine.” Still owned by the family of Simone “Simca” Beck, Julia’s collaborator on Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the two cottages, each with 3 bedrooms with private baths, separate kitchens and living spaces, share a common social patio space and swimming pool. These cottages were built in the early 1960’s, around the same time that Julia and Paul Child built their home, “La Pitcholine,” which is next door. The cottages are, by design, informal, and sit lightly on the landscape, tucked into a hillside with views across a shallow valley to the hill town of Plascassier.

La Campanette and La Pitcholine sign
La Campanette front
La Campanette rear
La Campanette balcony
La Campanette garden
pool at La Campanette

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Daily Excursions: Cheese Shops, Provence, France
Daily Excursions: Cheese Shops

Daily excursions with local guides and chefs. Explore local markets, farms, vineyards, cheese shops, and dining at incredible restaurants in surrounding villages.

Monte Carlo, Provence, France
Monte Carlo

A morning visit to Monte Carlo, Monaco, including brunch on the cliffs overlooking Mediterranean Sea, and a special side trip across the border to the Italian village of Ventimiglia for gelato (3 countries in one day)!

Hands-On Cooking Classes, Provence, France
Hands-On Cooking Classes

Hands-on cooking classes in our villa, in Vieux Nice, and St. Jeanette, including a pastry class to make classic French macarons.

Iles St. Honorat, Provence, France
Iles St. Honorat

A day-trip to Cannes and ferry ride to the island of St. Honorat. Private island and Cistercian monastery tours, wine tasting in the island vineyards, and lunch at the famed Restaurant La Tonelle overlooking Cannes Bay.

Childhood Home Auguste Escoffier, Provence, France
Childhood Home Auguste Escoffier

A visit to the childhood home of the father of modern French cuisine, Auguste Escoffier, and the Musée de l’Art Culinaire in Villeneuve-Loubat.

Julia's Kitchen, Provence, France
Julia's Kitchen

JULIA’S KITCHEN! A special visit to our neighbors at “La Pitchoune,” the former cottage and kitchen of Julia and Paul Child, which is just steps away from our villa.

JULIA'S LA PITCHOUNE

Chef Charlie in Julia's La Pitchoune, Provence, France
Living Room, La Pitchoune, Provence, France
La Pitchoune, Provence, France
Yellow Bedroom, La Pitchoune, Provence, France
Julia's Kitchen, La Pitchoune, Provence, France

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

  • DAY 1 - Saturday, September 19: NICE / CHATEAUNEUF / VALBONNE

    Arrivals. Group transfer by coach from Nice airport to the residence in Chateauneuf. The balance of the day to settle in; dinner together at local Valbonne village restaurant.

  • DAY 2 - Sunday, September 20: CHATEAUNEUF / MONTE CARLO

    Continental breakfast at home. Morning departure for Monte Carlo. Visit to the heart of the Principality; it’s historic city-center and witness the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace. Brunch lunch to the nearby village of Grasse, considered the perfume capital of the world. Day to relax and recover. Explore the grounds and nearby region. Cook lunch together; dinner out at a local restaurant. Movie night feature: Julie and Julia.

  • DAY 3 - Monday, September 21: CHATEAUNEUF

    Continental breakfast at home. Take part in our first cooking class to prepare dinner at home. Spend the day planning our menu, exploring local markets, shopping and collecting ingredients. Our group then spends the balance of the day preparing an extraordinary meal and serving this popular, welcoming meal to our friends and neighbors. A wonderful tradition that is a highlight of the week!

  • DAY 4 - Tuesday, September 22: NICE

    Continental breakfast at home; travel to the foothills above Nice to visit Potager de Saquier, a popular, local organic farm. Meet local farmers; enjoy a walking tour, and tastes of local produce. Next, we visit the hilltop winery and vineyards of Domaine de la Source; wine tasting and a light lunch. We return to Nice in the afternoon for shopping and relaxing before we visit Les Petits Farcis for a pastry class to make French macarons! Light dinner in Old Town Nice before returning home.

  • DAY 5 - Wednesday, September 23: NICE / SAINT PAUL

    Continental breakfast at home; travel to Nice; tour food markets along the Cours Saleya with friend and local guide, Rosa Jackson of Les Petits Farcis. Enjoy street food tasting, sourcing and collecting ingredients and private, and seasonal hands-on cooking class in her spacious cooking studio. Travel back to Valbonne with a stop in the village of Saint Paul; aperitifs and light dinner at home. Movie night feature: The Hundred-Foot Journey.

  • DAY 6 - Thursday, September 24: CANNES / ISLAND OF ST. HONORAT

    Continental breakfast at home. Travel to Cannes to tour the popular Marches Forville food market; enjoy a private tour and food samplings. Next, we board a ferry to travel to and visit the Island of St. Honorat. Private wine tasting experience; guided tour of the island and its vineyards. Lunch on the island at Restaurant La Tonnelle with views of Cannes Bay and the Côte d’Azur. Return to Cannes, and on the way home, we stop in Villeneuve-Loubat to visit the Escoffier Museum, and then home to cook with Chef-friend Isabella Sallusti to create a wonderful French dinner.

  • DAY 7 - Friday, September 25: CHATEAUNEUF / VALBONNE / MOUGINS

    Visit to local, lively Friday market in our village of Valbonne, a highlight of our week; lunch on own. Farewell dinner at an exclusive restaurant in the nearby village of Mougins. Return to home; pack for departure.

  • DAY 8 - Saturday, September 26: DEPARTURE / TRAVEL DAY

    Continental breakfast at home. Transfers to Nice airport; connecting to departures for home destinations or wherever your travels may take you!

COSTS

Airfare

Guests to purchase own airfare using miles and preferred class and upgrades. Flight and arrival times will be coordinated. We will transfer together by coach from Nice airport to the residence in Plascassier. Guests are free to arrive earlier or stay longer than the published itinerary, but are responsible to meet the group at stated times.

Travel Insurance

TRAVEL INSURANCE IS MANDATORY.

Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel, in a effort to make travel with us thorough and stress-free, is partnering with Yonder Travel Insurance, a travel insurance comparison website where you can get quotes and compare travel insurance options from the nation’s top providers. Most travel insurance policies cover trip cancellation, emergency medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation and other travel loss/delay headaches.

Every travel insurance policy has a 24/7 emergency assistance number for medical and travel emergencies that may occur during the trip. Travel insurance brings extra peace of mind while you’re abroad!

Travel Insurance FAQs

Ground Costs Included

• Transfers from Nice airport to Plascassier at the beginning of the tour, and return to Nice airport (or the transportation mode of choice) at the conclusion of the tour
• Transportation available throughout the tour
• 7 nights lodgings in luxury accommodations
• Private dinners in specially-selected restaurants, beverages included (except where indicated)
• 3 private cooking classes with meals prepared
• 2 private wine tours and tastings in exclusive wineries
• Professional, local guides with knowledge of the secrets and stories of the region
• Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel custom apron for cooking classes

Ground Costs Not Included

• Round trip airfare
• Cancellation insurance
• Personal expenses and tips
• Everything not clearly included in the section “Ground Costs Included”

Inclusive Tour Ground Cost (per person, double occupancy):  $4,495; Single Supplement:  $695

Deposit Due (per person) to Secure Reservation: $2,250

Balance Due (per person) on or before July 19, 2026:  $2,245

Balance Due for Single Travelers (to include the supplement) on or before July 19, 2026:  $2940

Payments: Cash or checks, payable to Epicurean Exchange, accepted. Electronic invoices available for credit / debit card payments.
Cancellation Policy: We are willing to work with all our guests should situations arise that require guests to cancel plans with us. Please understand we have guidelines to ensure that both the operator and our guests are treated fairly. With that, travel insurance is MANDATORY, to reimburse you should cancellation be necessary. Epicurean Exchange reserves the right to cancel a tour due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the trip non-viable. Deposits and balances paid will be refunded if the trip is canceled by the operator. Travelers can cancel up to 60 days prior to departure and receive a full refund of their deposit. Understand that as a small, boutique operator, even one last-minute cancellation can be an issue for the operator and other travelers. Therefore, after deposits and tour balances are received (60 days or less prior to departure) they are non-refundable. Travelers have the option to recruit another traveler to take their place or file with their insurance carrier to recover costs of the trip.

BOOK THIS TOUR!

CONTACT CHEF CHARLIE
EPICUREAN EXCHANGE CULINARY TRAVEL

charlie@epicureanexchange.com

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