Quick Guide to the Lavender Fields, Provence [2024]

Article written by Elisa - Travel Writer & Local in France
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Get Ready for the Best Lavender Fields in France!

Do you want to see the most beautiful lavender fields France has to offer? Then head to Provence this summer. Nicknamed ‘the blue gold,’ a tour around the lavender fields of Provence is one of the best things to do in France!

The lavender blooming period is, for us, the best time to visit Provence, but this is a trip that cannot be improvised because the flowering season only lasts a few weeks, and it is different depending on the area.

If you want to visit the Provence lavender fields, you must plan the trip carefully. It is essential to figure out when is the lavender season in Provence, the best places to see lavender in Provence, and the flowering period for each area. Because the tour around these lavender fields in France is a very seasonal activity, you also need to book accommodation, car hire, or guided tours well in advance.

There are many ways to enjoy the lavender fields in Provence, and this quick guide will give you information and the best tips to plan a memorable trip around them. From the must-see Plateau of Valensole to Vaucluse and the Drôme Provençale, follow our guide!

Different Types of Lavender in Provence

There are three lavender types worldwide: fine lavender, spike lavender, and lavandine. However, there are only two different types of lavender in Provence: fine lavender and lavandine.

FINE LAVENDER (lavandula angustifolia) is the typical lavender of Provence; you won’t find fine lavender anywhere else in the world! The fine lavender grows above an altitude of 800 m, and it is a small plant with a single flower per stem.

Traditionally used for medicinal properties, fine lavender became the region’s ‘blue gold’ when the great perfume makers in Provence started using it for their best perfumes.

You need 130 kg of fine lavender to obtain 1 liter of essential oil by distilling process. A 1 Ha plantation of fine lavender can produce up to 25 liters of essential oil in a good year, that’s why fine lavender is so special!

LAVANDINE (lavandula hybrida) is found all over the world, at altitudes of 0 to 800 m. It is a tall plant with two ramifications, and it grows in large round clumps. As its Latin name suggests, it is a hybrid plant, a crossing between the lavender of Provence (fine lavender) and spike lavender which is little used in France.

The lavandine is less subtle, has a stronger smell than fine lavender, and cannot be used for medicinal properties. The lavandine fields are very photogenic, but lavandine is less precious and definitely less interesting for lavender producers.

You need 40 kg of lavandine to obtain 1 liter of essential lavandine oil. The lavandine is used for cleaning products and souvenirs for tourists.

Map of the Best Lavender Fields, Provence

Where to see lavender fields in Provence? We have grouped the best places to see lavender in Provence into four areas. For each area, we will tell you the types of lavender, the lavender season, things to see and do, and our best travel tips.

1. Plateau de Valensole Lavender Fields (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
2. Pays de Sault (Vaucluse)
3. Luberon Lavender Fields (Vaucluse)
4. Drôme Provençale (Drôme)

Best Lavender Fields in Provence

Where to see lavender in Provence? Here’s the list of the best lavender fields Provence has to offer. For a total Provençal experience, we also recommend you the most charming places to stay and other interesting things to see and do nearby.

1. Plateau de Valensole Lavender Fields (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)

The Plateau de Valensole, in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is where you will find the most photogenic Provence lavender fields. For many tourists, this is the best place to see lavender fields in Provence, which means that you won’t be alone.

A few years ago, nobody knew about the Valensole lavender fields or the town of Valensole. Thanks to a Chinese TV show and a couple of Instagrammers hanging around, now tourists from all over the world flock to Valensole during the lavender season in Provence.

The Valensole Plateau is located at a low altitude (<600 m), so you will only find lavandine, and it is more impressive. To see these lavender fields, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille are two good places from where you can start a road trip or take a lavender tour.

We love Valensole’s beautiful landscapes and the feeling of swimming in a violet sea. Next to the Valensole lavender fields, the sunflower and wheat fields are perfect for making beautiful photo compositions. The combination of lavender fields in bloom with harvested lavender fields is beautiful too.

GOOD TO KNOW: In the Valensole lavender fields, mass tourism and disrespectful people are an issue to the point that some lavender farmers have fenced their fields, and they are ready to call the police. Drones, jumping people, big guided tours, and people picking up lavender everywhere can spoil your lavender experience.

2. Pays de Sault (Vaucluse)

The Pays de Sault is the capital of fine lavender. Less touristy than other Provence lavender fields, Pays de Sault is a good place to see the real Provençal lavender without the crowds.

For us, this is the best place to see lavender fields in Provence. Here, you will find some bories (traditional stone huts which served as a barn, stable, or a seasonal dwelling in the XIXth century), and they look great in the middle of the lavender fields. The combination of lavender fields and hilltop villages is very photogenic too.

The Pays de Sault is near the Mont Ventoux (1,909m), and it is surrounded by picturesque villages (Sault, Aurel, Ferrasières). Don’t miss all these beautiful places when visiting the Pays de Sault!

To see these lavender fields, Avignon is a good place from where you can start a road trip or take a lavender tour. Located at a higher altitude (800-900 m), summers are not as hot as in other places in Provence, like Valensole.

GOOD TO KNOW: when looking for accommodation in Provence, you will find many bastides. In Occitanie, a bastide is the name of a type of medieval village designed with a regular plan (e.g., the village of Mirepoix, in the Cathar Country). A bastide in Provence, instead, is a stone construction, usually magnificent private houses surrounded by beautiful grounds. In Provence, there are many bastides proposing bed & breakfast accommodation. Other types of housing in Provence are mas, clos, and domaine.

3. Luberon Lavender Fields (Vaucluse)

The Massif du Luberon, near Avignon, boasts some of the best lavender fields in Provence. Located in the department of Vaucluse, the also known as “Avignon lavender fields” are beautiful to see, with the oh-so-pretty hilltop villages and the famous Sénanque Abbey.

The lavender fields near Avignon are at an altitude of 350-700 m, mainly with lavandine.

From the top of the road from Gordes (D177), the view of the lavender fields surrounding Sénanque Abbey is spectacular. However, this is a popular place, so be sure to visit early in the morning (ideally before 8 am).

If you want to explore these lavender fields, Avignon is a good starting point. This Luberon road trip starts and ends in Avignon and explores some of the best lavender fields near Avignon.

4. Drôme Provençale (Drôme)

Drôme is a department that belongs to the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. However, this area is known as Drôme Provençale because of its geographical, cultural, historical, and climatic proximity to Provence. You are technically out of Provence, but with all those lavender fields and hilltop villages, you won’t realize it 😉

The best lavender fields in the Drôme Provençale are around the villages of Grignan, Nyons to Vinsobres, Mévouillon (capital of fine lavender), and from Drôme Valley to Diois (lavender fields at higher altitude, far from the main roads).

And there you have it, the guide to the best lavender fields Provence has to offer and how to get the most out of this beautiful area of Provence. Enjoy!

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