Provence 4X4 Adventure

The shortest trip on the calendar and the easiest way into this kind of driving. Five days of gravel tracks through Provence in your own 4×4, in the pine forest, lavender and limestone country around the Gorge du Verdon.

The Lac de Sainte-Croix is the centrepiece, a turquoise reservoir at the mouth of the gorge, and the driving loops through the hills and forest tracks above it. The Verdon itself is the deepest canyon in Europe, and the country around it has the kind of scenery that makes a slow pace feel like the right decision rather than a compromise.

The last day comes off the tracks and onto the water, kayaking the lake and the mouth of the gorge, which is a reasonable way to finish and the only time the vehicle gets a rest.

Active 4×4 Adventures include all three meals a day throughout, every campsite fee, the kayaking, a welcome barbecue the evening before the first day and breakfast the morning after the last. You bring the vehicle and its fuel and get yourself to the start. The price is per person based on two adults sharing a vehicle, with a supplement for a single traveller or a third adult. One thing to know before planning around it: the operator currently lists this as coming soon for spring 2028 with no dates published, so it is worth enquiring rather than assuming availability. At five days it is the obvious trial run for anyone unsure whether a longer expedition would suit them.