French Riviera Glamour: 7 Days Nice, Monaco, Cannes & Saint-Tropez

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Nice — Queen of the Riviera

Touch down at Nice Cote d’Azur Airport. The French Riviera has been a playground for royalty, artists, and the international jet set since the 19th century, when British aristocrats began wintering here. Transfer to your hotel on the Promenade des Anglais, the 7km seafront boulevard built by the English community in 1822. Afternoon: orientation walk through Vieux Nice (Old Town) — narrow lanes, baroque churches, the daily flower market on Cours Saleya, and the shade of pastel-colored Italianate buildings. Evening: welcome dinner at a restaurant specializing in cuisine nicoise — socca (chickpea pancake), pissaladiere, and pan bagnat. Overnight in Nice.

Day 2: Nice Art & Culture — Matisse, Chagall & Castle Hill

Morning at the Musee Matisse, housed in a 17th-century Genoese villa surrounded by olive groves — Henri Matisse lived in Nice for 37 years (1917-1954), and the museum holds the world’s most comprehensive collection of his works, from early Fauvist experiments to the revolutionary cut-outs of his final years. Continue to the Musee National Marc Chagall, displaying the Biblical Message cycle — 17 monumental paintings of Genesis and Exodus that glow with Chagall’s signature floating figures and vivid color. Afternoon: climb to Castle Hill (Colline du Chateau) for the classic panoramic view of Nice’s Baie des Anges, the red-tiled roofs of the old town, and the Alps rising in the distance. Evening: aperitif at Le Negresco, the legendary 1913 Belle Epoque hotel with its pink dome and extraordinary art collection. Overnight in Nice.

Day 3: Monaco & Eze — Billionaires, Princes & Medieval Splendor

Morning: drive east along the Corniche roads — three parallel routes of increasing drama. Stop at Eze, a medieval village perched 427m above the sea on a rocky pinnacle. The exotic garden at the summit, studded with cacti and sculptures, offers views spanning from Italy to Saint-Tropez. Visit the Fragonard perfume factory at the village entrance. Afternoon: cross into Monaco (3km away), the world’s second-smallest country and wealthiest per capita. Visit the Prince’s Palace on “Le Rocher” (the Rock), Monaco-Ville’s medieval old town, and the Oceanographic Museum (1910) founded by Prince Albert I, a pioneer of oceanography whose expeditions discovered 4,000 new marine species. Walk through Monte Carlo — the Casino (Belle Epoque masterpiece by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera), the Hotel de Paris, and the harbor filled with superyachts. Overnight in Nice.

Day 4: Antibes & Cannes — Billionaires’ Quays & Film Festival Glamour

Morning: Antibes, the ancient Greek Antipolis founded in the 4th century BC. The 16th-century Grimaldi Castle (now the Picasso Museum) stands on the ramparts overlooking the sea — Picasso worked here in 1946, leaving 23 paintings and 44 drawings to the city. Walk the Cap d’Antibes coastal path past the billionaires’ villas, including the Chateau de la Croe, where the Duke and Duchess of Windsor entertained after his abdication. Afternoon: Cannes. Walk the Croisette, the palm-lined boulevard where the world’s most glamorous film festival unfolds each May. Pose on the red-carpeted steps of the Palais des Festivals. Browse designer boutiques on Rue d’Antibes. Late afternoon: ferry from Cannes to Ile Sainte-Marguerite, the forested island where the “Man in the Iron Mask” was imprisoned for 11 years in Fort Royal. Swim in the turquoise coves before returning. Overnight in Nice.

Day 5: Saint-Tropez — Studio 54 by the Sea

Full day in Saint-Tropez. Drive 1.5 hours southwest through the Massif des Maures. This small fishing village was “discovered” by artists (Signac, Matisse, Cocteau) in the early 20th century before Brigitte Bardot’s 1956 “And God Created Woman” transformed it into a global icon of hedonism. Visit the Place des Lices, where locals play petanque under plane trees and the Tuesday/Saturday market sells everything from truffles to designer sandals. Afternoon: boat taxi to Pampelonne Beach — 5km of golden sand with legendary beach clubs (Club 55, Nikki Beach) where the champagne flows and the scene hasn’t changed since the 1960s. Late afternoon: the Musee de l’Annonciade, housed in a 16th-century chapel on the harbor, has an extraordinary collection of post-Impressionist and Pointillist works by Signac, Matisse, Derain, and Bonnard — arguably the best small modern art museum in France. Sunset harbor stroll past the yachts. Overnight in Nice.

Day 6: Menton & the Italian Border — The Lemon Coast

Morning: drive to Menton, the last town before Italy, blessed with 316 days of sunshine per year. Known as the “Pearl of France,” Menton has a microclimate so mild that citrus fruits thrive — the Lemon Festival (Fete du Citron) each February attracts 200,000 visitors. Visit the Jardin Serre de la Madone, one of Europe’s most beautiful subtropical gardens created by Lawrence Johnston (designer of Hidcote Manor). Afternoon: cross into Italy for lunch in Ventimiglia — the Friday market is a cross-border institution. Return via the medieval village of Sainte-Agnes, Europe’s highest coastal village (800m), for breathtaking views. Farewell dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Nice. Overnight in Nice.

Day 7: Nice Morning & Depart

Morning at leisure. Option: visit the Russian Orthodox Cathedral — the largest outside Russia, built in 1912 for the Russian aristocracy who wintered in Nice before the Revolution. Or simply enjoy one last cafe creme and croissant on Cours Saleya. Transfer to Nice Airport.

Inclusions

• 6 nights Nice seafront hotel with breakfast
• Matisse + Chagall + Picasso (Antibes) museums + all entry fees
• Eze village + exotic garden + Fragonard perfumery
• Monaco Palace + Oceanographic Museum + Monte Carlo
• Cap d’Antibes coastal walk + Cannes Croisette
• Saint-Tropez full day incl. Pampelonne Beach boat
• Menton subtropical gardens + Ventimiglia (Italy) excursion
• 6 dinners incl. 1 Michelin-starred farewell dinner
• Private vehicle + English-speaking guide throughout