Quick answer
Apt is about 91 km from Uzès, 1h24 by car according to a route planner. There is no direct bus: the cheapest public-transport option takes about 3h18. The Saturday market runs from 8:00 to 12:00 according to the Luberon tourist office. We found no drive time to Saignon, Buoux or Rustrel, which lie around Apt.
Good for: walkers who like a market in the morning and a path in the afternoon, from spring to autumn.
Not for: a short outing or a day without a car: the villages are spread out and no direct bus runs.
This is the Luberon of paths rather than of postcards: a rock you climb for the view, cliffs that follow a stream, and ochre ravines you walk through. For the classic perched villages see Gordes and Roussillon and Lourmarin, Bonnieux and the other villages, and for the mountain to the north, Mont Ventoux.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | Apt is about 91 km and 1h24 by car (a route planner, Rome2Rio; another page gives 1h26). There is no direct bus: the cheapest public-transport option is a multi-leg trip of about 3h18. We found no drive time to Saignon, Buoux or Rustrel. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day. |
| Apt | A market town where the big weekly market takes over the centre on Saturday morning; the Luberon tourist office gives 8:00 to 12:00. A farmers' market on Tuesday morning is listed all year by one guide. The cathedral Sainte-Anne, one of the oldest of Provence, is built from the 11th century according to one guide. Apt calls itself the capital of candied fruit, and a candied-fruit house offers guided visits all year. | The market's exact place differs between guides, so ask the tourist office; confirm the hours of the guided visits. |
| Saignon and the Rocher de Bellevue | A village near Apt below a rock with a panoramic view. A staircase leads to the top in about 15 minutes of climbing, and the Luberon tourism page puts a visit of the rock and the village at about two hours. A walk reaches the perched village by the old mule paths through woods and fields, and another walk runs from Saignon to Le Castellet. | Whether Saignon holds the Plus Beaux Villages label is not confirmed by our sources: we do not say so. |
| Buoux | A tour of the cliffs starts from the village, follows the Aiguebrun stream and passes at the foot of the Fort de Buoux before reaching the cliffs, which are known for climbing. | We found no opening hours for the fort and no length for the tour: check with the tourist office. |
| The Colorado provençal at Rustrel | A trail among ochre cliffs and ravines, reached on foot from the car park called Mille Couleurs, with the entry included in the paid parking. One guide says the site is open from February to mid-November, with online booking in the mornings in high season. A loop from Caseneuve gives views over the Luberon and the ochre area. | The hours for 2027 are not published and our sources disagree on details: confirm with the Apt Luberon tourist office before you plan around it. |
In season
Spring to autumn, with a booking in mind
The ochre trail at Rustrel is described as open from February to mid-November, with online booking in the mornings in high season, so plan that stop early in the day and early in the year if you can. Walking is more comfortable in spring and autumn than in the heat of summer.
A day
Market first, then one path
On a Saturday, arrive in Apt before 12:00, walk the market and the cathedral, and spend the afternoon on one path only: the rock of Saignon, the cliffs of Buoux or the ochre trail. Three paths in one day is too many for a 1h24 drive each way. We give no drive times between the villages because we did not find any.
Combine
Add a second Luberon day
Gordes and Roussillon and Lourmarin, Bonnieux and the other villages cover the classic perched villages, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is a spring and a ridge walk, and Mont Ventoux stands to the north.
Frequently asked
A day around Apt
About 91 km and 1h24 by car according to a route planner (Rome2Rio; another page gives 1h26). There is no direct bus; the cheapest public-transport option takes about 3h18.
The big weekly market is on Saturday morning, from 8:00 to 12:00 according to the Luberon tourist office. One guide also lists a farmers' market on Tuesday morning all year. The exact place differs between guides, so ask the tourist office.
One guide says the site is open from February to mid-November, so it is closed for roughly mid-November to the end of January. The hours for 2027 are not published, so confirm with the Apt Luberon tourist office.
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