Provence Food Tours: Aix Markets & Provencal Flavours
Provence food tours: Aix-en-Provence market walks tasting tapenade, goat cheese, olive oil, lavender honey and calissons, market days, and how to book.
The short version: a Provence food tour is a walk through the region’s famous open-air markets, usually in Aix-en-Provence, tasting olives and tapenade, goat cheese, olive oil, lavender honey, navette biscuits and calissons, the almond-and-melon sweet Aix is known for. A local guide takes you between the market squares and the best artisan shops. Here is what to taste and how to book.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What | A market and gourmet walking tour with tastings |
| Where | Aix-en-Provence (Place Richelme, Place des Precheurs) |
| Must-taste | Tapenade, olives, goat cheese, olive oil, calissons, navettes |
| Market days | Place Richelme daily; bigger markets Tue, Thu, Sat mornings |
| Time | From 75 minutes to about 3.5 hours |
What you taste
Provencal food is sun, herbs and olive oil. Expect olives and tapenade (olive and caper paste), fresh goat cheese, peppery local olive oil, lavender honey, herbes de Provence, the boat-shaped navette biscuit flavoured with orange blossom, and Aix’s own calisson, a diamond-shaped sweet of candied melon and almond. Some tours add truffles in season.
How a Provence food tour works
Most tours meet in central Aix in the morning, when the markets are at their best, and weave between the stalls of Place Richelme and Place des Precheurs and the artisan shops of the old town. Afternoon versions focus on shops and tastings. It pairs perfectly with a day in the vineyards on a Provence wine tour.
Ready to book? Compare Provence wine tours, with ratings and prices.
Our pick: the Aix-en-Provence Morning Market & Foodie Tour with a Local starts with coffee, then explores the market with tastings along the way.
Frequently asked questions
What food is Provence known for?
Olives and tapenade, olive oil, goat cheese, herbes de Provence, lavender honey, calissons and navettes, plus dishes like ratatouille and, on the coast, bouillabaisse.
When are the markets in Aix-en-Provence?
Place Richelme has a produce market every morning; the larger markets at Place des Precheurs run on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.
What is a calisson?
A traditional Aix-en-Provence sweet made of candied melon and ground almonds under a thin layer of royal icing, shaped like a diamond.
Book a Provence food tour
Compare Provence food tours, or head to the coast for Nice and Marseille food tours.
