A one-week loop from Aix-en-Provence: the lavandin fields of the Valensole plateau, Moustiers, the Route des Crêtes, Castellane, the Corniche Sublime and the shores of Lake Sainte-Croix. Not many kilometres, but narrow roads clinging to the cliffs above a canyon 25 km long and 700 m deep, which you see first from above and then from the water.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Aix-en-Provence | Start |
| Day 2 | Valensole | 67 km · 1h |
| Day 3 | Moustiers-Sainte-Marie | 29 km · 35 min |
| Day 4 | La Palud-sur-Verdon | 20 km · 25 min |
| Day 5 | Castellane | 25 km · 30 min |
| Day 6 | Bauduen (Lake Sainte-Croix) | 76 km · 1h30 |
| Day 7 | Back to Aix-en-Provence | 109 km · 1h40 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May to June and September to October; lavandin is in flower from mid-June to July on the Valensole plateau. The Route des Crêtes closes from the last Friday of November to the last Friday of March, and winter tyres or chains are required from 1 November to 31 March in designated mountain municipalities.
🚗 67 km · 1h of driving from Aix-en-Provence
A51 toll motorway (Meyrargues toll barrier) to exit 17, then Gréoux-les-Bains and the D8 across the plateau.
🚗 29 km · 35 min of driving from Valensole
Plateau roads to Riez, then the D952. Park below the village: paid car parks via the Flowbird app.
🚗 20 km · 25 min of driving from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
D952 along the right bank of the gorge, narrow and winding, with viewpoints along the way.
🚗 25 km · 30 min of driving from La Palud-sur-Verdon
D952 via Point Sublime and Rougon, then along the Verdon valley to Castellane.
🚗 76 km · 1h30 of driving from Castellane
Corniche Sublime: D955, D90 via Trigance, then the D71 via the Pont de l'Artuby and Aiguines. Narrow and slow.
🚗 109 km · 1h40 of driving from Bauduen
Cross the Valensole plateau without staying there and drive back from Castellane to Aix via the Corniche Sublime and the lake. Nights: Aix 1, Moustiers 1, La Palud 1, Castellane 1.
| All categories, July | ≈ €41 a day at Marseille Provence airport |
|---|---|
| All categories, January | ≈ €23 a day |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €38 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Your own car | The simplest option: no low-emission zone (ZFE) on the route and only one toll motorway, the A51. |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | A city car or compact: the D952 and D71 are narrow, and the Route des Crêtes is limited to vehicles 12 m long. |
| Where to pick it up | At Marseille Provence airport or Aix TGV station, 18 km from the centre. It is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Age | At Europcar, from 18 with 1 year's driving experience; under 26, €40 a day extra. |
⚠️ July costs ≈ €41 a day in Marseille against €23 in January: lavender week comes at nearly double the price.
90 on a small part of the network in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (4%) and the Var (6%); 130 on the A51.
One-way from the Pas de la Baou to the Chalet de la Maline: drive the loop clockwise.
Maximum on the Route des Crêtes: large motorhomes stay on the D952.
0.2 g/l on a probationary licence. Up to 0.8 g/l: €135 and 6 penalty points; above that, a criminal offence.
Meyrargues toll barrier between Aix and Manosque; all the gorge roads are free.
Moustiers: paid car parks via the Flowbird app. Point Sublime paid in July and August. Blue zone in Castellane.
Camera cars driven by private operators everywhere except the Île-de-France. Radar detectors are banned: up to €1,500 and 6 penalty points.
Central Marseille is closed to Crit'Air 3, 4 and 5 vehicles; neither Aix nor the airport is affected.
From 1 November to 31 March in designated mountain municipalities. Tyres with the alpine symbol, otherwise chains on board.
≈ €2.15 per litre of unleaded SP95-E10, €2.39 for diesel (24 Sept. 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: prix-carburants.gouv.fr →
⛽ 326 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €50 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National averages for the day. Prices vary widely between stations: compare on prix-carburants.gouv.fr before heading up to the gorge.
| A51 Aix-Manosque (Meyrargues toll barrier) | Toll road; the price for this section is not published, the full Aix-Gap run is €14.90 in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Gorge roads (D952, D23, D71) | Free |
| Point Sublime car park | Paid in July and August |
| Moustiers car parks | Free or paid depending on the car park, payment via the Flowbird app |
| Place Marcel Sauvaire, Castellane | Blue zone |
| Sentier Blanc-Martel shuttle bus | €8.50 return, €5.50 under 12, €4.50 one way; online booking required |
| Route des Crêtes (D23) | Closed from the last Friday of November to the last Friday of March |
|---|---|
| Trescaïre, Carelle and Dent d'Aïre viewpoints | Open all year |
| Sentier Blanc-Martel shuttle bus | From late April to early November in 2026 |
| Boats in the gorge, from the lake | The 2 km entrance is off limits in strong winds |
| Rafting from Castellane | April to October, only on water-release days |
| Mountain municipalities | Winter tyres or chains from 1 November to 31 March |
Allow 6 to 7 days for this loop of 6 stages and 6 nights from Aix-en-Provence: the Valensole plateau, Moustiers, the Route des Crêtes, Castellane, the Corniche Sublime and Lake Sainte-Croix. In 5 days, you only stay in Moustiers, La Palud and Castellane. Distances are short, but the gorge roads are slow.
With your own car, about 350 km plus the Route des Crêtes: around fifty euros of petrol at September 2026 prices (6 litres per 100 km), plus the A51 toll and parking. Hiring at Marseille airport, allow about €290 for the week in July (€41 a day), €160 in January.
Clockwise: from the Pas de la Baou to the Chalet de la Maline, the road is one-way. Start from the D952 east of La Palud and finish in the village: 24 km, 15 viewpoints. Maximum 12 m long and 3.6 m high; closed from late November to late March.
Flowering starts around mid-June on the Valensole plateau and continues into July; higher up in the Verdon, it runs from early July to mid-August. On the plateau, only lavandin grows, a hybrid. In March, it is the almond trees that blossom.
No: swimming is banned in the gorge, and so is paddling down the Verdon in your own kayak. You swim in Lake Sainte-Croix, and paddle up into the mouth of the gorge in a pedalo or kayak hired at the Pont du Galetas, except in strong winds. Rafting trips leave from Castellane from April to October, on water-release days.
Yes, online booking is compulsory. The Parc du Verdon shuttle runs from late April to early November: departs at 08:30 from La Palud to the Chalet de la Maline, returns at 16:00 from Point Sublime. €8.50 return, €5.50 under 12. The trail is 16 km, 6 to 7 hours.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/verdon-gorge · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
