The Lavender Fields of Valensole
The biggest lavender fields in Provence, on a high plateau above the Verdon, in bloom for about four weeks from mid-June.
The short version
- The Valensole plateau covers about 800 square kilometers of fields at 500 to 600 meters, inside the Verdon regional park in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Most of what grows there is lavandin, the high-yield hybrid, with true lavender higher up around Sault.
- Our Provence Lavender Tour leaves the Avignon tourist office at 8:00 for a Provençal market, Sault, Gordes and the lavender at Sénanque Abbey, and returns about 5:30 p.m. in time for the evening train to Paris. It runs every day from July 6 to 25, costs $160 per person with eight guests at most, and sells out.
- The plateau blooms from mid-June to mid-July, and the cut usually starts around mid-July. In 2026 the plateau ran about two weeks early, with the bloom from June 10 and the cut from June 29. Sault, higher up, blooms and is cut later, which is why our July tour goes there.
- The fields are working farms. Stay out of the rows, don’t pick without permission, and park only where parking is marked. Lavandes Angelvin, outside Valensole, lets visitors walk its fields for free from early June to late July.
- Valensole holds its lavender festival on the third Sunday of July. Sault holds its festival every August 15, with the French lavender-cutting championship, and Digne-les-Bains holds its lavender parade in early August.
What to see
The plateau is crossed by long straight roads lined with fields, chiefly the D6 and D8 between Valensole, Puimoisson and Riez. Most of it is lavandin, the hybrid of lavender and spike lavender, which yields about 40 kilos of flowers per liter of oil against about 100 for true lavender.
Lavandes Angelvin, on the road from Valensole to Manosque, opens its fields to walkers free of charge in the bloom and runs a shop through the summer. Terraroma, a family producer, has its main shop in Valensole. Near Apt, the organic distillery of Les Agnels, run by the same family since 1895, is free to enter, with a guided visit for €8 in July and August.
Sault is the other lavender country, on a plateau at 650 to 1,400 meters below Mont Ventoux. Fine lavender is native there, Haute-Provence lavender oil has had its own protected name since 1981, and in 2021 the Sault plateau made more than 95 percent of it. The Aroma’Plantes distillery in Sault is free to visit, with a short guided tour for €5 from June to August.
At Sénanque, the rows of lavandin bloom in front of the 12th-century abbey, and the fields are off-limits so the monks can harvest them. The abbey costs €8, with no visits on Sunday morning.
The Musée de la Lavande at Coustellet, near Gordes, tells the story of the plant and its stills, €8. It is run by the family that farms the Château du Bois, about 400 hectares of fine lavender at 1,100 meters. Our Five Days in Provence and our Provence Biking Trip both stop there.
Getting there and around
By car, Valensole is about an hour from Aix-en-Provence on the A51, 1 hour 20 from Marseille and 1 hour 45 from Avignon. The fields start just outside the village in every direction.
Public transport does not reach the fields. A local bus links Valensole and Manosque about twice a day on weekdays, with no service on Sunday.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is about 35 minutes beyond Valensole, and the beaches of the Lac de Sainte-Croix about 20 kilometers. Our Verdon Gorge page covers the lake and the canyon.
Sault and Sénanque are closer to Avignon than Valensole. Our Lavender Tour drives you there from the Avignon tourist office with an English-speaking driver-guide, and our Best of Provence in Three Days builds lavender into its big day when the fields are in bloom.
When to go
Low valleys bloom first, then the Valensole plateau from mid-June, then Sault from early July. The cut on the plateau usually starts around mid-July, while Sault is cut later, with the last fields harvested around mid-August.
Go at sunrise or in the evening for the light and the empty roads. Bees work the fields in the heat of the day, so wear closed shoes.
After the cut the rows turn to stubble, and the distilleries work through July on the plateau and into August at Sault. If your dates fall late, head for Sault rather than the plateau.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to see lavender in Provence?
The last week of June and the first two weeks of July cover the Valensole plateau, Sénanque and the start of the bloom at Sault in most years. In a hot year, like 2026, everything moves about two weeks earlier.
Can I walk in the lavender fields?
Not into the rows. The fields are private farms, picking without permission is forbidden, and the fields at Sénanque are off-limits. Farms such as Lavandes Angelvin open their fields to visitors in the bloom.
Can I see the lavender without a car?
Hardly. One local bus links Valensole and Manosque about twice a day, and none reaches the fields. Our Provence Lavender Tour leaves Avignon at 8:00 with transport included, for Sault, Gordes and Sénanque, back about 5:30 p.m.
Valensole or Sault?
Valensole for the biggest fields, an hour from Aix. Sault for fine lavender, the later bloom and the August 15 festival, and it is closer to Avignon, Gordes and Sénanque, which is why our tour goes there.
Is there a lavender tour from Paris?
Yes. Our Provence Lavender Tour runs July 6 to 25 from the Avignon tourist office, $160 per person, eight guests at most. Arrive in Avignon the day before; we can book your train and a hotel. In June and July our Best of Provence in Three Days adds lavender viewing, and the Five Days in Provence visits the Lavender Museum.
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Ride between Avignon and the Provence villages with two hotel nights along the way.
