Private Perpignan & Collioure Tour from Carcassonne

Discover French Catalonia

Just beyond the Corbières lies a region unlike any other in France.

Here, Catalan traditions, Mediterranean landscapes and a unique history have created a cultural identity that remains proudly distinct today.

This private tour takes you to the historic city of Perpignan, once the continental capital of the Kingdom of Majorca, before continuing to the beautiful fishing port of Collioure, whose extraordinary light inspired generations of artists.

It is the perfect day for travellers wishing to discover a different side of Southern France.

Perpignan – Capital of the Kingdom of Majorca

Your guided visit begins in the historic heart of Perpignan, where French and Catalan influences blend at every corner.

Explore the city's elegant streets and historic squares before visiting the magnificent Palace of the Kings of Majorca, one of the finest royal residences in southern Europe.

Built in the thirteenth century, the palace served as the continental residence of the Kings of Majorca and remains one of the finest examples of medieval royal architecture in the region.

Your walking tour also includes many of Perpignan's most remarkable landmarks, including the Castillet, the Loge de Mer, the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and the beautiful Campo Santo, the oldest surviving cloister cemetery in France.

Throughout the morning, your guide will explain how Perpignan became one of the great cities of the Crown of Aragon before eventually becoming part of France.

Lunch in Perpignan

Enjoy lunch in one of our favourite restaurants in the historic centre.

Lunch is included and served from the restaurant's set menu, accompanied by local wines.

For those wishing to make the day even more special, our Gourmet Experience replaces the restaurant's set menu with the freedom to order from the à la carte menu, together with an aperitif and a wider selection of regional wines.

Collioure – Art, Exile and the Mediterranean

In the afternoon, travel along the Mediterranean coast to the enchanting harbour of Collioure, where history, art and memory meet beneath the Pyrenees.

For centuries, this strategic port has welcomed merchants, fishermen and travellers. At the beginning of the twentieth century, its extraordinary light captivated Henri Matisse and André Derain, whose revolutionary paintings created the Fauvist movement, marking one of the first great avant-garde movements of modern art.

As you stroll through the colourful streets and picturesque harbour, your guide will explain why Collioure became such an important source of inspiration for artists and how its unique Mediterranean light transformed the history of painting.

The town also bears witness to one of the twentieth century's most moving chapters. Following the Spanish Civil War, thousands of refugees crossed the nearby Pyrenees during La Retirada, seeking safety in France. Among them was the poet Antonio Machado, who spent his final days in Collioure and whose grave remains an important place of remembrance today.

Your visit combines the town's military, artistic and human history, revealing why this small Mediterranean harbour has become one of the most symbolic places in French Catalonia.

More Than a Day Trip

This experience is far more than a visit to two beautiful towns.

It is a journey through Catalan history.

• Royal palaces.
• Revolutionary art.
• The birth of Fauvism.
• The memory of the Spanish Civil War.
• Mediterranean landscapes.

Together, Perpignan and Collioure reveal one of the richest cultural landscapes in Southern France, where medieval history, artistic innovation and human stories continue to shape the region's identity