You want to retrain, change direction or environment original holidays in Occitania ? As I am from Toulouse, I will share with you a road trip around my beautiful region of Occitanie with its google map! And, for more originality and fun, at each stage of my itinerary, I have selected a unusual accommodation well placed to visit the tourist attractions from Occitanie.
So, following my road-trip in Occitanie, you can discover new tourist sites every day, totally different landscapes, enjoy seaside pleasures but also visit some of the most beautiful villages in France.
Original holidays - What to see in Occitania?
From Tarn to Aveyron, from Hérault to Aude and from Carcassonne to Ariège, the tourist circuit that I offer you here is a real exotic, cultural and gastronomic journey in the heart of the region Occitania !
It will allow you to spend original vacation by discovering a region of South of France rich in heritage, in natural sites and which has some of the most beautiful landscapes in France.
Along my road trip I was able to rediscover the whole beauty of my region Occitanie (and yes, as I told you, I am Toulouse and proud of it even with my singing accent !!!).
However, as it was impossible, given the extent of my region, to program all the tourist sites in Occitania on my itinerary, I selected stages combining cultural visits, natural sites, small typical villages while keeping the holiday spirit (unusual accommodation, swimming pools, beaches and swimming).
Original holidays - Duration of the circuit
My road trip is designed to be done in 1 week. However, it is quite possible to personalize it by removing the 1st or the last steps. Thus, you can adapt it to a 4 or 5 day road trip in Occitania. In this case, a visit to Albi fits perfectly into my tourist circuit!
Conversely, if you are lucky enough to be able to leave for longer, you can use this route and enjoy the stages with more time.
Original holidays - My stages in Occitanie
For an original holiday, different from classic tourist circuits, here are the main stages of my itinerary in Occitania :
- Toulouse
- Saint Antonin Noble Val (most beautiful village in France)
- Najac (most beautiful village in France)
- Cordes sur Ciel (most beautiful village in France)
- Angles (Haut Languedoc Natural Park)
- Saint Guilhem le Désert (most beautiful village in France)
- Gruissan Beach
- Carcassonne (Large site of Occitanie)
- Canal du Midi
- Back to Toulouse
Original holidays - Itinerary map
Click on "More options" in the map to view it or put it in GPS mode.
Oh Toulouse!
My tour starts from my hometown. Above all reserve a day for visit the pink city and a little evening in the best wine bar in the world in the heart of the old town of Toulouse!
Unusual accommodation in Toulouse
To stay in the center of Toulouse (10 km from the city center and 13 km from the airport), I recommend L'Insolite Spa Privatif (Jacuzzi Apartment).
Circuit in unusual accommodation - Day 2
The program of this 2nd day includes stages in Tarn et Garonne and in Aveyron with the visit of 3 of the most beautiful villages in France.
Saint Antonin Noble Val
From Toulouse, you will arrive in 1 hour at Saint Antonin Noble Val which is one of the Bastides of Occitanie around the Tarn. Take a look at the video from the Tourist Office:
Road trip in Occitanie - Najac
Then my circuit continues with the gorges of the Aveyron to arrive in 30 minutes by car at Najac which has been classified Most Beautiful Villages of France. It offers a splendid panorama with its royal fortress high perched and its old village in old stones
Road trip in Occitanie - Cordes
We leave Aveyron to arrive in Cordes sur Ciel in the Tarn in 30 minutes. To appreciate this country house, you have to climb and stroll through its steep alleys to soak up its medieval atmosphere and appreciate its beautiful Gothic facades.
Perched on the rocky ridge of Puech de Mordagne, Cordes sur Ciel offers from the top of its ramparts a breathtaking view of the Cérou valley.
Accommodation in Cordes
Here's a very unusual logements perfect for my tourist circuit because in the heart of the village of Cordes sur Ciel.
It is a magical place that takes you back to the Middle Ages! In a 13th century building, the Bakéa House has retained its medieval architecture.
Circuit in unusual accommodation - Day 3
This morning, we will have to drive 2 hours. You will leave Cordes sur Ciel to spend the day in nature between Montagne Noire and Cévennes at the Salvetat-sur-Agout. It is a village which attracts nature lovers but which is also renowned for its natural springs of sparkling water.
Haut-Languedoc regional natural park
Located in the heart of the Haut-Languedoc regional natural park, La Salvetat-sur-Agoût is an ideal village from which to explore the lakes plateau and Caroux-Espinouse massif.
I advise you to spend the day there to discover and simply appreciate nature and landscapes.
If you like hiking, here are some ideas for tours: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-la-salvetat-sur-agout.html
Unusual accommodation in Prémian
Have you never slept in a farmhouse within the walls of an old mill? So, this is where you will have to do this experience!
In the middle of nowhere, lost in wild nature in the heart of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park, this Bed & Breakfast awaits you in Prémian (little extra: on-site restaurant and free Wi-Fi).
Circuit in unusual accommodation - Day 4
The program of 4nd day of my tour in Occitania takes us 2 hours by road to Saint Guilhem the Desert, one of the most beautiful villages in France (and my favorite !!!).
Saint Guilhem the Desert
I advise you to visit not only the magnificent village but also all the natural sites around, including the Gorges de l'Hérault.
For that, I made a small itinerary which allows to discover in 2 or 3 days this magnificent region:
Unusual accommodation in Saint Guilhem le Désert
Ideally located between Saint Guilhem the Desert and the superb Salagou lake, Château de Jonquières is an ideal site to visit the surroundings but especially to take advantage of original vacation !
What could be more original and more fun than staying in a wine estate, participating in wine tasting sessions, lounging in the park's swimming pool and spending the night in its majestic castle?
Original holidays in Occitania - Day 5
For this day, it is you who can decide to visit according to your tastes and desires the sites around Saint Guilhem le Désert.
The Gorges of the Hérault
For more information and to organize your day, here is my article: Saint Guilhem le Désert and the Gorges de l'Hérault.
Original holidays in Occitania - Day 6
For this 6th day of my road trip in Occitanie, direction the Mediterranean! In just an hour's drive from the Château de Jonquières, you will reach the legendary seaside resort of Gruissan.
Gruissan
Gruissan, which the film 37 ° 2 le matin by Jean-Jacques Beinex made known to the general public, is a pretty seaside resort where it is good to spend a few lazy days.
The beach of the chalets, which served as the backdrop for the film, stretches over 2 kilometers of fine sand bordered by beautifully colored wooden chalets on stilts.
But, Gruissan is also an old village which, with its Barbarossa tower which sits in the middle of the ponds, is worth a visit!
Unusual accommodation in Gruissan
Here is an unusual accommodation very well placed on a private pontoon in the center of the Gruissan resort while being away from traffic and noise: On a boat moored at the quayside.
This accommodation is perfect for relaxation, the exotic side, for comfort but also for the practical side especially since there is a very close and free parking nearby.
Original holidays in Occitania - Day 7
My tourist circuit takes us this morning to visit a grandiose and unmissable site in Occitania: the medieval city of Carcassonne! In an hour's drive you will find yourself in the middle of the Middle Ages ...
Cité de Carcassonne
To visit the largest fortress in Europe (Comtal Castle, Saint-Louis bastide, Saint-Nazaire basilica, Théâtre de la Cité, ramparts and Porte Narbonnaise), I advise you to go there early in the morning because you will have fewer tourists that in the middle of the afternoon.
Then you can continue your day visiting another site around Carcassonne or simply to lounge on a barge of the famous Canal du Midi (see the accommodation offered below).
Unusual accommodation in Carcassonne
For this evening, I recommend the Péniche d'hôtes "Mirage" which is located on the Canal du Midi, right next to the city of Carcassonne. It offers a terrace on the bridge, air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms and a nice view of the banks of the canal.
Back to Toulouse
It takes 1h20 to return from Carcassonne to Toulouse. Then direction the Airport or the Matabiau station depending on where you come from.
Fancy other cool routes in the South of France?
3 days on the most beautiful beaches in France
3 days to discover the great sites in the Pyrenees
a little weekend in Montpellier
un road trip in the Gorges du Tarn
a little tourist circuit in Ardèche
un road trip from Montpellier to Perpignan
or go from the Ocean side with a tourist circuit in the Landes