ITINERARY USING PAU AS A BASE

DAY 1 – PAU, THE ROYAL CAPITAL OF BÉARN

Morning – Art and history
Guided tour of the old town: Boulevard des Pyrénées, views of the mountain range, cable car and Le Hédas neighbourhood.
Feast your eyes on Renaissance furniture and learn about King Henri IV at the Château de Pau.

Afternoon – A walk in the park
Take time out for a stroll and chill in the city centre’s leafy haven: Jardins Beaumont. Enjoy a guided tasting session at the Pavillon du Vin de Jurançon or a well-earned break at one of the chic cafés in the city centre.

Overnight stay in Pau.

DAY 2 – THE JURANÇON AND MADIRAN VINEYARDS: FROM GRAPE TO GLASS
(Jurançon: 20 min/Madiran: 1 hr drive from Pau)

Morning – Jurançon, Béarn’s nectar
Head to the Jurançon hillsides among the vines and Pyrenees.
Winery tour and tasting: winemaking, native grape varieties (Cave de Gan or Domaine Capdevielle).

Afternoon – Madiran, depth and tradition
Head to the Madiran vineyard famous for the Tannat grape.
Explore a historical winery (Château de Crouseilles)

Back to Pau for the evening.

DAY 3 – ASPE AND OSSAU VALLEYS: MOUTAINS AND TRADITIONS
(1 hr 15-1 hr 45 drive subject to valley)

Morning – Ossau Valley and Artouste tourist train
Head out to Laruns and Lac de Fabrèges.
Take the cable car up then hop on board the Artouste tourist train, the highest in Europe (altitude of 2000m). Feast your eyes on the border peaks and Pyrenean wildlife.

Afternoon – Nature, pastoralism and craftsmanship
Drop into the valley: tour an artisan Ossau-Iraty cheese factory in Bielle or Arudy.
Leisurely hike or trip to the Pyrenees National Park (visitor centre in Etsaut). Stop in one of the Aspe valley’s lovely little villages, Accous or Bedous, to soak up Pyrenean heritage and mountain life.
Back to Pau for the evening.

Overnight stay in Pau.

DAY 4 – ADVENTURES IN THE LANDES

Option A – The Gascony lifestyle in the Landes d’Armagnac (1.5 hr drive)
Drive to the stunning 13th century bastide town of Labastided’Armagnac. Armagnac tour and tasting (Château Garreau, Domaine d’Ognoas or Darroze) introducing visitors to distillation and ageing.
Leisurely afternoon in Saint-Justin or Roquefort-des-Landes exploring the woodland and vineyard scenery.
Back to Pau for the evening.

Option B – Dax and Mont-de-Marsan: wellness and Landes traditions (1 hr 45 drive)
Morning – visit Dax, France’s biggest spa town; walk around the centre and along the Adour River before visiting the Musée de Borda.
Afternoon – drive to Mont-de-Marsan for its Landes arenas and Despiau-Wlérick sculptures; wander around the old town and meet the local craftspeople.
Back to Pau for the evening.