Three days is enough to get the best of Provence without rushing, as long as you accept that you cannot see everything. The region is a base-and-spokes destination: sleep in one town, usually Avignon, and spend each day on a different spoke. This plan puts the headline sights in the order that works best on foot and by road, and it leaves room for long lunches, which are half the point.
Day one: Avignon on foot
Start early at the Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic palace in Europe, and give it two to three hours. Buy the combined ticket with the Pont d'Avignon if you want the bridge too, and take the audio guide, because the halls are mostly bare. Walk down to the Pont Saint-Bénézet for the view of the palace from the river, then head into the old town for lunch. If the day is a market day, make Les Halles your lunch stop, with a plate at a counter among the locals. In the afternoon, climb through the Rocher des Doms park behind the cathedral for the best free view of the Rhône, then wander the lanes around the Place de l'Horloge and the rue des Teinturiers, where old mill wheels still stand beside a stream. Keep the evening for a slow dinner. Save Villeneuve-lès-Avignon across the river for a spare morning, so that the first day is not overloaded.
Day two: the hills or the vineyards
You have two good choices, and your season may decide. If the weather is clear, spend the day in the Luberon: Gordes for the view, the Abbaye de Sénanque in its quiet valley, and Roussillon with its ochre cliffs and its trail through the old quarries. A small-group tour from Avignon makes this simple, and a rental car gives more freedom to stop in the valleys. If the weather is grey or wet, choose Châteauneuf-du-Pape instead, where cellars are open for tastings and the ruined papal castle gives a view over the vines. A half-day wine tour fits well, and you can add the Roman theatre in Orange on the way back. In summer, the lavender around Sénanque and Sault is the reason to choose the Luberon.
Day three: Arles, Les Baux and the Alpilles
Arles is twenty minutes from Avignon by train, so you can go without a car and be there by mid-morning. Spend the morning on the Roman amphitheatre and the ancient theatre, then follow the Van Gogh trail through the old town, including the courtyard of the former hospital and the Fondation Vincent van Gogh. If you have a car, drive on in the afternoon to Les Baux-de-Provence for the château and the village, and finish at the Carrières des Lumières, the immersive projection show in the old quarries, which is a good choice at dusk or when the weather has turned. Without a car, a small-group excursion from Avignon that includes Saint-Rémy and Les Baux is the practical alternative, and you can see Glanum on the way.
Swaps and extras
If you love Roman ruins, replace one of the days with a trip to the Pont du Gard and Orange. If you prefer markets and food, add the Sunday antiques market at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and the spring at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. If you want a city day, take the train or a short drive to Aix-en-Provence for the Cours Mirabeau, the fountains and the cafes. For a fourth day, the best addition is usually whichever of these sights you were most tempted by on the first three.
Practical tips
Book timed tickets for the palace and any tour when your dates are fixed, and keep one day flexible for the weather, because the mistral can blow cold on bridges and hilltops. Shops and restaurants in the villages often close one or two days a week, and some close for the winter, so check before you plan a lunch in a small village. Sunday and Monday are the days when the most things are shut, so plan the market and the big monuments around them. Carry cash for small purchases and parking, wear comfortable shoes for cobbles, and leave the car at your hotel on the days you stay in Avignon or Arles, since both old towns are better on foot.
Where to stay
Avignon is the best base for this plan because of its trains and its position. Choose the Hôtel d'Europe or La Mirande for atmosphere in the old town, the Cloître Saint Louis if you are driving, or the Boquier for value. If you would rather be in Arles for the Roman and Van Gogh sights, the Nord-Pinus on the Place du Forum has more character than any other hotel in town.
