South of France 11-Day Lavender Group Tour Guide

1. Route Overview: What Problem Does This 11-Day Tour Solve, and Who Is It For?

If you want to cover Paris's two major museums, the old town of Lyon, the lavender fields of Provence, and the lakeside scenery of Annecy all in one 11-day trip—without having to monitor the ticket release pages for the Louvre and Versailles yourself—this 11-Day Deep Southern France · Lavender Limited Edition is packaged precisely for that need.

The parameters in the product name are stated plainly: 11 days and 10 nights, arriving and departing via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, with unified free airport pickup from 8:00–22:00 on Day 1 and airport drop-off at 8:00 AM on Day 11; all 10 nights are in double rooms at 3–4 star European hotels, with 10 Western-style breakfasts at the hotel included from Day 2–11, while all three meals on Day 1 (arrival day) are self-arranged. The product's country is France, and the tour price is €2,530 / US$2,843 / 19,020 CNY (as of November 2026; source: Usitrip product page).

The route connects the following in itinerary order: Paris, Lyon, Avignon, Arles, Valensole, Lac de Sainte-Croix, Grasse, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, Gourdon, Annecy, Beaune, Reims, Versailles, and finally back to Paris for airport drop-off. Not every day of the 11 days is spent in southern France—Paris and Lyon take up the first four days, and the lavender fields are concentrated in the Valensole section on Day 5.

There is only one criterion for deciding who this suits: if your core desire is to "complete Paris + Lyon + southern France lavender + Annecy in one trip, and you don't want to compete for Louvre and Versailles tickets yourself," choose this tour; if you only want to immerse yourself in central Paris, or require a private vehicle throughout with no sharing with strangers, you should instead inquire about a private custom tour or switch to a shorter single-city itinerary. The package already includes 7 admission tickets and audio guides (see the cost table in Chapter 5 for details), which is the most tangible difference between this tour and an ordinary coach tour.

2. Day-by-Day Itinerary Details: Where Do You Go Each Day Over 11 Days, and in What Order?

11 days and 10 nights in total, arriving in and departing from Paris: the first 3 days are spread between Paris and Lyon, days 4–5 go from Lyon via Avignon and Arles to Valensole and Lac de Sainte-Croix, days 6–7 cover the Côte d'Azur's Grasse, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, and Gourdon, days 8–9 are Annecy and Beaune, day 10 passes through Reims to see the Palace of Versailles, and day 11 is the airport transfer in Paris.

The Louvre on Day 2 has closing days; it is closed on Tuesdays and extended until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays (as of November 2026, source: Louvre official website). The product page notes that the itinerary order may be adjusted according to the departure date with attractions unchanged, and the guide will also adjust停留 time based on weather and traffic. After receiving the tour departure notice on Day 1, checking the city order against the notice is the most reliable approach.

The Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées on the same day are visited back-to-back. Eiffel Tower admission tickets are not included: elevator to the 2nd floor, adult €23.50 / US$26 / 177 CNY; elevator direct to the summit, adult €36.70 / US$41 / 276 CNY (as of November 2026; source: Eiffel Tower official website). If you want to go up, you have to pay this out of your own pocket, and you need to allow time for queuing.

3. The Lyon stop: how to choose between Place Bellecour, the Old Town, and Fourvière Hill?

In this itinerary, Lyon only covers the period from the afternoon of Day 3 to the morning of Day 4. The only stop explicitly listed in the itinerary is the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière; Place Bellecour and Lyon Old Town must be arranged on your own during the free time in this segment. The order of priority should be: the hilltop first, the Old Town second, and the square last.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is located on Fourvière Hill. Tickets: admission to the basilica and the crypt is free, and individual visits do not require reservations; only French-language guided tours are charged: adult 8 EUR, reduced ticket 4 EUR (jobseekers, RSA recipients, CMI card holders, student card holders), children aged 5–17 4 EUR, under 5 free (source: Lyon Tourism official website visiterlyon.com). Opening hours: the basilica is open Monday to Saturday 07:00–20:00 and Sunday 07:00–21:00; the crypt is open daily 08:30–18:30; the Chapel of the Virgin is open daily 07:00–19:00 (source: Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière official website; the above information was verified in November 2026).

The hilltop terrace offers a panoramic view of the whole city of Lyon and the confluence of the Saône and Rhône rivers. On the same Fourvière Hill there are also the ruins of the ancient Roman theater; take the funicular up the hill from the Old Town, and the ticket price and operating hours are subject to the announcements on the operator TCL Lyon public transport official website (as of November 2026). The ancient Roman theater ruins are not included in this product's itinerary and can only be visited on your own during free time.

Place Bellecour is about 312 meters long and 200 meters wide, making it one of the largest pedestrian squares in Europe. At its center stands the bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV, completed in 1825, and in the southwest corner are statues of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince, and the Little Prince. Admission: free; hours: open all day year-round (information verified in November 2026; source: Trip.com). Suggested stay: 1 hour. Crossing the Saône River from the west side of the square brings you to the Old Town and the funicular station; it is a convenient stop along the route, but it is not included in this product's itinerary and can only be visited during free time.

Vieux Lyon is located on the west bank of the Saône River at the foot of Fourvière Hill. In 1998 it was inscribed as the core area of Lyon's World Heritage site. Hundreds of traboules connect the streets and alleys with the riverbank; most doors are normally closed and can be opened with a gentle push, and keeping quiet when entering courtyards is basic etiquette. Vieux Lyon is not included in this product's itinerary and can only be visited during free time.

Place des Terreaux is a public square open all day, reached directly from Hôtel de Ville metro station. Admission: free; hours: open all day (information verified in November 2026; source: Trip.com). Place des Terreaux is not included in this product's itinerary and can only be visited during free time.

On the south side of the square, the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon is open Wednesday to Monday 10:00–18:00, opens at 10:30 on Fridays, and is closed on Tuesdays; the permanent collection costs adults €8 / US$9 / 60 CNY, and full-price special exhibition tickets are €14 / US$16 / 105 CNY (as of November 2026; source: Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon official website; ticket prices and opening hours are subject to the official website's announcements on the day). The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon is not included in this product's itinerary and can only be visited during free time.

The judgment here is clear: with only half a day to a day in Lyon, it is recommended to prioritize in the following order:

• Fourvière Hill (Notre-Dame de Fourvière + hilltop panoramic view): The itinerary includes Notre-Dame de Fourvière; the hilltop and the ancient Roman theater ruins are to be arranged independently during free time.
• Lyon Old Town traboules (covered passageways): Go independently during free time.
• Place Bellecour: Go independently during free time.

All three are within walking distance on both banks of the Saône River. The permanent collection at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon takes about 2 hours to walk through, and 3 hours with a special exhibition; squeezing it into the Lyon segment would mean compressing the hilltop and Old Town, so it is only suitable when there is extra time. Parc de la Tête d'Or is likewise only suitable when there is extra time — Admission: free; Opening hours: peak season (April 15–October 14) 06:30–22:30, off-season (October 15–April 14) 06:30–20:30, last entry 15 minutes before closing (information verified in November 2026; source: official website of the Lyon municipal government). Neither the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon nor Parc de la Tête d'Or is included in this product's itinerary; they can only be visited independently during free time. Conversely, if the core purpose of this trip is to see exhibitions, then this 11-day route is not suitable, and a free independent trip based in Lyon should be arranged instead. Place Bellecour is a square stop within the Lyon segment, not the departure city of this route; the Day 1 arrival point of the itinerary is Paris.

4. Lavender-season departure dates: which days must you depart to see the flower fields?

During the lavender season, the group tour has only two departure dates: June 28, 2027 and July 3, 2027. Orders on other dates cannot include the flower-field experience in the product of the same name (as of November 2026; source: Zousifang product page; subject to the latest departure schedule announcement on the product page).

On Day 5, the itinerary reaches Valensole and Lac de Sainte-Croix; Valensole is the core lavender segment of this route. Calculating according to the order of Day 5, the flower-field days corresponding to the two departure dates are July 2, 2027 and July 7, 2027 respectively (calculated based on that year's departure schedule; actual arrangements are subject to the departure notice). The flowering period is affected by that year's climate; the product locks in the departure date rather than the flower conditions, and before departure the announcement on the product page shall prevail. Understanding "lavender-limited" as daily departures throughout the entire season is the most common misunderstanding.

The flower fields in the Provence area are distributed across the plateau. Valensole sits at an altitude of about 590 meters and is one of the most classic Provence towns at the junction of the Luberon and the Alps. The fields have no shade, and the UV intensity is strong at noon, so bring a hat and water.

Those who don't want to be tied down by two fixed dates can choose a private package tour: the departure dates for the lavender-season private package tour are from June 25 to July 15, 2027 (the applicable travel year is subject to the product page), and within this range you can choose your own departure date; the price is calculated separately and is subject to the final quote from customer service (as of November 2026, source: Zousifang product page; subject to the latest departure schedule announcement on the product page). The conclusion of the trade-off is this — if you only accept the group-tour price, your departure date can only be chosen from June 28 and July 3, 2027, and is subject to the latest departure schedule announcement on the product page; if your travel window cannot be locked to these two days, then either switch to a private package tour or simply give up the selling point of "lavender-limited" — do not expect to see the same field of flowers on other dates.

5. Tour fee breakdown: besides €2,530 / US$2,843, how much more will you need to spend?

In addition to the tour fee, a fixed expense that an adult participant usually needs to prepare is gratuities, €10 per person per day, the same price for adults and children, about €110 / US$124 / 827 CNY based on 11 days; main meals and optional experiences are paid separately as needed, and cost nothing if not chosen.

What €2,530 / US$2,843 / 19,020 CNY buys is listed in detail on the product page: luxury private vehicle throughout the trip, professional Chinese-English-speaking guide (groups of 7 or fewer are led by a driver-guide), one airport pickup and one airport drop-off in Paris, 10 nights in twin rooms at 3- to 4-star hotels, 10 in-hotel breakfasts, tickets and audio guides for the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles, admission to Palais Idéal, admission to the Fragonard Museum, admission to the Hospices de Beaune, wine tasting at a Beaune winery (ages five and above), the Lavender Museum (the page notes visits in the shoulder season), city entry fees and parking fees, fuel fees, and highway fees, million-level commercial vehicle insurance, and taxes (as of November 2026, source: Zousifang product page). There are 7 ticket-type items in total, all of which are admission and guided commentary for items already listed as included in the itinerary; attractions not listed still require self-payment.

4–6 people €180 per session (US$202 / 1,353 CNY) |

The budget outside the tour fee is clearer when viewed in three tiers. The mandatory tier is only gratuities at €110 / US$124 / 827 CNY; the second tier is common optional items, with specialty meals and Chinese-style group meals booked as needed, prices as shown in the table above; the third tier is experience items, paid only if you choose the Seine River cruise and cruise dinner. If you select all the dining and cruise items in the table above, the total is about €383 / US$430 / 2,879 CNY—this is only a ceiling, not a fixed expense for every traveler.

When comparing prices, pay attention to what is included: €2,530 is the cost of the ground-arrangement portion and does not include international airfare, visa, or insurance, so it cannot be directly compared side by side with all-in package prices that include the international segment; the product page does not specify how or how much the single-room supplement is charged, so solo travelers should first confirm with customer service before deciding whether to accept room sharing, and should not make budget decisions based on the total before confirming.

6. Accommodation and pace: where are the two consecutive days of intercity travel, and can parents handle it?

All 10 nights are in twin rooms at three- to four-star hotels in Europe. The two most physically demanding segments are Day 3 (Paris–Lyon) and Day 4 (Lyon–Avignon–Arles), two consecutive intercity travel days.

The product page only discloses the name of the first-night hotel (Occidental Paris Levallois or equivalent); the specific hotels for the remaining nights and the daily driving hours are not disclosed and must be confirmed by requesting the itinerary from customer service. In other words, promises such as "daily driving time kept within a certain duration" cannot be verified from the page text.

If traveling with elders or people prone to motion sickness, schedule rest on the stopover days in Lyon and Arles, and do not add optional paid activities on Days 3 and 4; if companions have weaker stamina, Day 7's Nice–Monaco–Gordes sequence will also be fairly full. The product is positioned as a small group, with departure possible for just 2 people, but a small group does not mean short drives—if you require controllable driving time, you must obtain the daily driving schedule before booking; if you cannot get it, do not assume.

7. How are meals handled: how to plan 11 days with breakfast included and main meals on your own?

Breakfast is fully provided by the hotels, with 10 breakfasts from Days 2–11 already included in the tour fee; lunch and dinner are not included in the tour fee, and main meals along the route are either on your own or booked with the guide as optional group meals (prices are in the cost table in Chapter 5 and are not repeated here).

If you want to save time, booking 2–3 group meals is the most practical: the guide arranges them uniformly, and transitions between attractions are not interrupted, especially suitable for groups traveling with elders who do not want to find a restaurant for every meal. If you want to eat according to local tastes, leave main meals for Old Lyon and Annecy's old town—Old Lyon's traditional bouchon restaurants and the painted wooden galleries go together as a set, while Annecy's old town has dense restaurants along both sides of the canal, making it very convenient to find a place on foot.

Note that French restaurants have fixed lunch and dinner hours, and most kitchens are closed in the afternoon. If your itinerary has you on the road during the day and arriving at the hotel late in the evening, it will be difficult to have a proper dinner that day. The existence of optional specialty meals and Chinese-style group meals is essentially meant to resolve this scheduling conflict.

8. Registration Guide: Join a Shared Group or Book a Private Tour? How Are Cancellations and Rescheduling Calculated?

To travel at the shared-group price of €2,530, your departure date can only fall on the 2027 lavender-season departures published for the product (June 28, 2027 and July 3, 2027, subject to the latest departure schedule announcement on the product page); if you want to set your own date or form an independent group, you must inquire about a private tour, with pricing quoted separately (as of November 2026, source: USITrip product page).

The product page also states both "departures available daily with a minimum of 2 people" and "lavender-season shared-group departures are June 28, 2027 and July 3, 2027 (subject to the latest departure schedule announcement on the product page)." Read together, "daily departures" refers to private tours, while shared groups are bound by fixed departure dates. When placing an order on the USITrip product page, you need to provide each traveler's passport number and date of birth; if you need to leave the group midway, you must notify them in the booking notes, and whether it can be arranged is subject to supplier confirmation.

Child rules according to the page: children aged two and above (inclusive) must occupy a seat; children under two may be held by an adult, and if they do not occupy a seat, no service fee is required; there is a maximum number of passengers on the vehicle, and infants also count as one person, so whether a free infant seat can be arranged must be communicated in advance before booking.

The cancellation and change terms are copied from the page: more than 38 days before departure (including day 38), 25% of the amount due is charged; 22–37 days before departure (including day 37), 70% is charged; within 21 days before departure (including day 21), since seats and hotels have already been confirmed, the tour fee is non-refundable. If you cancel after rescheduling, it is calculated based on the original itinerary departure date; if the second rescheduling is made more than 38 days before departure, a 25% service fee is charged (as of November 2026, source: USITrip product page). Specific departure dates, remaining seats, and the latest terms are subject to what is published on the product page.

The choice can be more straightforward: if 2 people are traveling together but do not want to share a vehicle with strangers, directly inquire about a private tour instead of first booking at the shared-group price and then requesting a change; if you can accept a shared group and your dates can only fall on the two lavender departures, align your itinerary and vacation with these two dates first, and rely on the latest departure schedule announcement on the product page.

9. Travel Preparation: What Should Be Arranged in Advance for Visas, Currency, and Airport Pickup?

Chinese citizens traveling to France need a Schengen short-stay visa; passport and visa fees are not included in the tour price and must be handled independently. Airport pickup upon arrival is a service already included in the product, with a time window of 8:00–22:00 (as of November 2026, source: Official French Visa Website).

For currency, use euros: 1 USD ≈ 0.89 EUR, 1 USD ≈ 6.69 CNY (November 2026, platform exchange rate data). Mainland France is in the UTC+1 time zone, with UTC+2 during daylight saving time; the language is French, and English is relatively widely understood at major city attractions and hotels.

Read the airport pickup rules carefully: free shared airport pickup is provided on the same day from 8:00–22:00; if you add a pre-tour Paris hotel for the night before, airport pickup service can be included as a gift, but you need to consult customer service; if a flight is rescheduled at short notice and you do not arrive at the originally scheduled time, free pickup is not guaranteed, and you will need to go to the hotel on your own or arrange temporary paid pickup, with the cost based on the quote at that time.

The judgment standard is simple — if your flight lands after 22:00, either change to a flight arriving during the day, or prepare for extra paid pickup (see the cost table in Chapter 5 for prices). This time window affects the Day 1 experience more than hotel location does, so do not get the order wrong.

10. More Route Recommendations: 11 Days Is Too Long — Can We Add Switzerland and Italy Along the Way?

If you want to shorten the number of days while also covering Switzerland and Italy, you can look at the 7-Day Italy, Southern France and Four Countries Tour, 7 days and 6 nights, arriving and departing via Venice, covering four countries: France, Switzerland, Italy, and Monaco (as of November 2026, source: USITrip product page).

The tour fee for this route is US$908 / €808 / 6,075 CNY, including local four-star hotels throughout, a tour coach with a Chinese-speaking guide throughout, and visits to Venice's canals, the Colosseum in Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Milan Cathedral, the Cannes coast, and the Monaco Royal Palace. In addition to the quoted price, there are mandatory Italy and Southern France city entry fees and city taxes, listed on the page as €75 / person (US$84 / 564 CNY). US$908 is not an all-inclusive landed price.

The two routes are not simply a matter of adding or subtracting days. If you want in-depth Southern France, lavender fields, and official guided commentary at the Louvre and Versailles, still choose the 11-day main route; only choose the 7-day four-country route if budget comes first and you can accept the multi-country check-in pace of changing cities every day — its destinations overlap very little with the 11-day route, so comparing only by number of days can easily lead to the wrong purchase.

11. FAQ

Q1: Does this tour include international airfare?

A: No. This is a local join-in tour product. You need to book your own round-trip airfare to Paris and meet at Charles de Gaulle Airport on Day 1; free shared airport pickup is available from 8:00–22:00, and outside that time window you will need to add airport pickup or go to the hotel on your own.

Q2: If there are only 2 people, can we form our own private tour and set our own dates?

A: Yes, but it requires a private group inquiry. The shared-group format is subject to fixed departure dates; during lavender season there are only two departure dates, June 28 and July 3, 2027, and the latest schedule announcement on the product page shall prevail. Private groups can choose their own dates within the period from June 25 to July 15, 2027 (the corresponding travel year is subject to the product page), and the price is subject to the final quote from customer service.

Q3: Do I need to book tickets for the Louvre and Versailles myself?

A: No. Tickets and audio guides for these two palaces are already included in the tour price and are listed as included items in the itinerary, with visits on Day 2 and Day 10 respectively. Other items such as ascending the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River cruise are not included and must be arranged at your own expense or paid separately as optional activities.

Q4: Will the itinerary change depending on the departure date?

A: The attractions remain the same, but the order may be slightly adjusted. The product page states that the order of the itinerary may be adjusted according to the departure date while the attractions visited remain unchanged; the guide may also adjust停留 times based on weather and traffic, and the final arrangement is subject to the tour departure notice.

Q5: If traveling with children, how are seats and gratuities calculated?

A: Children aged two and above (inclusive) must occupy a seat; children under two may be held by an adult, and no service fee is required if they do not occupy a seat. However, there is a maximum limit on the number of passengers on the vehicle, and infants also count as one person. Before booking, you need to confirm whether a free infant seat can be arranged; gratuities are calculated per person, with the same price for adults and children.

12. Practical Resources

I. Reference Materials

• Louvre Official Website—collection information, opening hours, and closure days
• Eiffel Tower Official Website—tower admission prices and daily opening calendar
• Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière Official Website—information on the church, crypt, and guided tours
• Lyon Tourism Board Official Website visiterlyon.com—Fourvière Hill guided tour prices and opening information
• Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon Official Website—gallery opening hours and ticket prices
• Lyon City Government Official Website—Parc de la Tête d'Or opening hours and free admission information
• France Visa Official Website—rules for applying for a short-stay Schengen visa

The verification date for the following sources is November 2026; visa policies, opening hours, ticket prices, and tour schedules change frequently. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements on the official pages and product pages.

II. About USITrip

Founded in 2004, USITrip is a travel service platform for Chinese-speaking travelers. The brand's official main website is www.usitour.com, and its official booking store is www.usitrip.com, both under UnitedStars International Ltd.

The group is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA, and holds a California travel agency license (CST #2110393-40); its Greater China operations center is located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, providing 7×24-hour customer support in Chinese, English, and Cantonese. Follow USITrip for more travel information; USITrip, making every trip a wonderful story.

III. Contact Information

USITrip Contact Information:

• Store: https://www.usitrip.com/
• North America toll-free hotline: 888-887-2816
• USA: 1-626-898-7800
• Canada: 1-647-243-3769
• Custom group tours (USA): 1-626-389-0706