Marseille City Tours
Of all the sites you can see in Marseille, this 4 hour historic tour begins with the most popular of all, the “Notre Dame de la Garde” Basilica. From here, you'll have incredibly beautiful vistas of the city. The seaside drive along Kennedy Corniche Road to Marseille is also scenic, and you'll also see the waterfalls and gardens of Longchamp Palace. In Marsellie, the tour will bring you to Vieux Port, where you'll likely have some time to shop as well as see St. John Fort and St. Nicholas Fort.
Price: Adults expect to pay $69 through the cruise lines.
Booking Advice: This excursion is considered to be moderate in terms of physical exercise due to the walking involved. It is very much worth your while to do some price comparisons of city tours with third party vendors before booking.
Aix en Provence
Dating back to 123 BC, and the seat of Intendance of Provence in the 1600's and 1700's, Aix de Provence is also where Cezanne was born and (later) resided. You'll travel into this lovely bastion of history after seeing Cours Mirabeau and Quartier Mazarin. Look forward to viewing beautiful fountains and mansion. This tour usually allows time for strolling and shopping.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $59.
Booking Advice: This excursion is rated as moderate in terms if physical difficulty. Cruise line prices are quite competitive with third party vendors for this 4 hour tour.
Cassis
With a history extending back to the eras of the Greeks and Romans, Cassis is known for its fishing industry, arts & crafts, boutiques, and lovely houses dating to the 1600's and 1700's. This 4 hour excursion involves a lovely scenic drive to and from Cassis, and a tour by train while you're there. Time for shopping and exploring is included.
Price: Adults expect to pay from $62 to $69.
Booking Advice: Excursions to Cassis are rated as moderate with regard to physical exertion, because of the walking involved. These tours through the cruise lines appear to be competitively priced.
Arles
Arles is recognized as the one time Roman capital of the Provence, and was home to Van Gogh for a year. Thus, on this tour, you'll see some paintings by this master, as well as structures from Roman times that include Forum Square, Republic Square, the outside of the theater, and the amphitheater. These tours typically include time enough for a stroll.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $79.
Booking Advice: Because of the walking involved, these tours are rated as moderate with regard to physical exertion. Cruise line prices are competitive for these 5 hour tours, but you may want to explore full day combination excursions that include Arles via third party vendors.
Avignon
Avignon, first inhabited in 4000 BC, certainly has a fascinating history that includes its status a trade center during Greek and Roman eras. During medieval times, the Pope's Palace, the largest gothic palace in the world, was built. Most tours are 7 to 8 hours long.
Price: Adults expect to pay from $85 to $219, depending on the type of tour.
Booking Advice: Tours to Avignon typically involve walking on uneven surfaces and climbing stairs in this town of antiquity, so the range of physical difficulty you can expect is from moderate to difficult. It takes an hour and a half one way to reach Avignon, which perhaps helps account for the fact that these are full day tours.