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Aix History Tour: Discover the "Paris of the South"
5.0
228 Ratings
Aix-en-Provence
Embark on an Aix-citing walking tour of Aix-en-Provence and discover the city’s rich history, stunning architecture, vibrant markets, and mythical stories. Join us for a 2.5-hour adventure!
Embark on an Aix-citing walking tour of Aix-en-Provence and discover the city’s rich history, stunning architecture, vibrant markets, and mythical stories. Join us for a 2.5-hour adventure!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Office de Tourisme d’Aix-en-Provence - Begin the tour by getting acquainted and receiving some informative briefings - safety is a priority! Public restrooms are located outside the building, and nearby cafés offer last-minute refreshments.
- Fontaine de La Rotonde - Start with a geographic and historical overview of the area.
- **Cours…
- Office de Tourisme d’Aix-en-Provence - Begin the tour by getting acquainted and receiving some informative briefings - safety is a priority! Public restrooms are located outside the building, and nearby cafés offer last-minute refreshments.
- Fontaine de La Rotonde - Start with a geographic and historical overview of the area.
- Cours Mirabeau - Enjoy a leisurely walk down the city’s main avenue, appreciating its beauty and history.
- Hotel de Caumont - Art Centre - Uncover the secrets of this 18th Century Mansion while gaining insight into the city’s architecture and layout.
- Middle School Mignet - Discover the stories of 19th Century geniuses - Paul Cezanne and Emile Zola.
- Fontaine des Quatre-Dauphins - Admire this Baroque Italian-Inspired Fountain and capture a photo souvenir with it.
- Eglise Saint-Jean-de-Malte - Explore the Church/Fort of the Knights Templars.
- Rue d’Italie - Savor the local delicacy - the Calisson - at the best spot in town.
- Passage Agard - Travel through space and time in this hidden private passage that was once a convent.
- Place des Prêcheurs - Visit the courthouse, search for statues, and enjoy the open space in the plaza.
- Rue du Puits Juif - Be amazed by the medieval quarter of Provencal Jews and learn about their influence on the region.
- Place Richelme - Experience the sights and scents of the daily farmers market in the morning, or enjoy people-watching in the afternoons.
- Town Hall of Aix-en-Provence - Reach the heart of the city where the mayor oversees the city’s affairs.
- Place des Martyrs de la Resistance - Listen to the stories of World War II survivors and how the US army liberated the city from Nazi control.
- Cathedrale St. Sauveur - Conclude the tour by admiring the open-air concert hall for the Opera festival, a hidden statue of the Black Madonna, and the center of Christianity in the region for 1500 years - the city’s cathedral.
What's Included
- Entrance to Cathedral
- Entrance to Church
- Local Delicacy Taster
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- Souvenir Photo
- Entrance to Cathedral
- Entrance to Church
- Local Delicacy Taster
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- Souvenir Photo
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Are you interested in…
exploring Aix’s rich history, vibrant culture, and delicious cuisine?
wandering through streets you may have overlooked?
connecting with a local for valuable tips and insights?
If so, an incredible Aix-perience awaits you!
Discover the city’s fascinating history:
- Learn about the Roman founding of the city.
- Understand how…
Are you interested in…
exploring Aix’s rich history, vibrant culture, and delicious cuisine?
wandering through streets you may have overlooked?
connecting with a local for valuable tips and insights?
If so, an incredible Aix-perience awaits you!
Discover the city’s fascinating history:
- Learn about the Roman founding of the city.
- Understand how religion influenced its medieval past.
- Discover why it was dubbed the “Paris of the South” during the Renaissance.
- Find out why it was called a sleeping beauty in the 19th century.
- Explore how the US Army liberated the city and the French Connection.
- See how the city leads in human science and technology today.
Additionally!
- Capture memorable photos at the beautiful ‘Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins’.
- Dive into the vibrant sights, sounds, and scents of Provence’s morning markets and its grand mansions.
- Receive a city map for an enhanced experience.
- Enjoy the intimacy of a small group tour (average group size: 2-4 in low season, 6-8 in high season).
- Have a delightful time with a local guide!
Location
Tourist Information Center
Avenue Giuseppe Verdi
Your guide will be standing outside of the Tourism Office, with a view of the "rotonde' fountain, holding a folder. This area is very bright in the summer, so we suggest you bring your sunglasses. The tour will leave maximum 10 minutes after the allocated meet time! We will contact you via SMS.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(228 Ratings)
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1 star
Catherine_s
Mar 27, 2026
This was a great tour.... - This was a great tour. Ben was our guide. He’s knowledgeable, fun, friendly. The sites he took us to were already interesting, and then they became additionally interesting with the information/stories Ben shared with us.
Review provided by Viator
Hillary_m
Mar 12, 2026
Loved this tour! - Don’t miss this experience! Our tour guide, Ben, was fantastic! He had tons of knowledge about Aix and the entire Provence Region! So many notable facts as we walked along the streets. He had a great sense of humor and despite the rainy day, made our tour thoroughly enjoyable!
Review provided by Viator
Markwz483be
Mar 6, 2026
Funny and Informative - Wonderful experience with Benjamin touring Aix en Provence. He has an incredible depth of knowledge into the history and culture of this city and the surrounding region. Never a dull moment on this tour with Benjamin's wit and humor. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Explore43063765725
Feb 21, 2026
Amazing tour of Aix - Very much enjoyed this tour! Our guide, Ivanna, was extremely knowledgeable about Aix en Provence and took us to many beautiful and interesting places. We had my two teenage daughters along, and Ivanna kept them engaged throughout the two hours (not easy to do with teens on a historical walking tour!). We especially enjoyed visiting the cathedral and learning about the art within. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chrisgn9342dy
Feb 4, 2026
Ivanna is a splendid guide, bursting with knowledge, fun and personality - I took the tour with the wonderful Ivanna, a fount of dazzling information, history and tidbits about modern Aix — a panoramic picture in a brisk, packed two hours. She knows her stuff and dispenses it with charm, wit and enthusiasm. She will tell you about the kings and cathedrals and where to get the best gelato. A totally Aix-cellent experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catherine_h
Nov 13, 2025
An Aix-cellent Tour: History, Culture, and Community - Benjamin’s tour is smart, thorough, funny and a delightful overview of Aix. We especially appreciated his attention to detail and the kindness he showed us and others. Stickers and Polaroid were unexpected great touches. Thanks for the keepsakes of our afternoon!
Review provided by Viator
Ronald_p
Nov 2, 2025
We had a very... - We had a very entertaining and informative tour of Aix. Lots of little stops with some small tasting of local sweets. Benjamin was a top notcbh guide.
Review provided by Viator
R6082kqhelens
Oct 26, 2025
A very comprehensive tour, delivered with a sense of humour. It showed me parts of Aix that i had not visited before - This was a very comprehensive tour, delivered with a sense of humour. It showed me parts of Aix that i had not visited before. There was lots of back up material. It was good to interact with other member of the tour, who were from all over the world. I learnt lot about Aix & his family's roots in Aix - they have lived there for a long time. I would highly recommend this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rojelio_s
Oct 24, 2025
Very informative,... - Very informative, interesting and fun. Benjamin was engaging, made the experience not just informative but very fun. Overall, excellent!
Review provided by Viator
Just-lovin-cruisin
Oct 21, 2025
Off the Beaten Path with Benjamin - Great walking tour with Benjamin of Aix. His intimate love and knowledge of Aix made this "off the beaten path" tour well worth the trip from the Marseille cruise terminal.
Ben is probably the most communicative tour guide I've ever encountered and his, (at this moment), 100% rating on Tripadvisor is likely a testament to that. He's very prompt at providing answers to any worries, concerns, questions about the tour.
In some ways, we were lucky to have Benjamin all to ourselves for our tour of Aix. He was informative of Aix's history and its artistic and intellectual impact throughout certain periods. Benjamin seemed very passionate about the effect of Cezanne, his dedication to his particular style of artistic expression, and the impact it has had on today's modern art.
Since we were putting this into a cruise stop and Aix being some distance from Marseille, it did take some time to get there. For the most time productive standpoint, Uber proved to be the quickest option at just under 40 minutes, (from the cruise port) and cost 42.49 Euros . We did take a bus back to Marseille which was far more economical at about 14 Euros. Benjamin can offer some recommendations for transportation but keep in mind, the responsibility of getting back to the cruise port is yours.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Benjamin for a tour of Aix and if you want a 2nd, 3rd or 4th opinion; just read he reviews here on Tripadvisor or Viator. Nothing sells a product better than word of mouth.
If staying in Marseille, I would highly recommend going to Aix just for the more welcoming venue of Aix. The bazaar was amazing and my only regret was it closed before we could explore all its offerings.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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