Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
French Riviera: Nice, Monaco, Èze, Antibes and Menton
7 days based in one Nice hotel: old Nice and the Cours Saleya, Èze and Monaco by train and bus, Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Menton on the Italian border, and a boat along the coast to Villefranche.
7 days · Round trip from Nice · up to 12 guests
The Riviera from the air: Cap Martin, Monaco, Cap Ferrat, Nice and Cap d'Antibes Photo: Olivier Cleynen, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Backlit_view_of_the_complete_French_Riviera.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Nice
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Easy to moderate: 2 to 4 hours on foot most days, on cobbles, stepped lanes and some steep climbs. Èze, Castle Hill in Nice, the Rock of Monaco, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and old Menton all climb. Castle Hill has a lift, and buses or the minibus cover the steepest stretches. The active option on day 3 is about an hour steeply downhill on a rocky path. Any walk can be sat out in a café.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 950 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Cours Saleya flower and produce market at 8:30, then socca hot from the oven in old Nice
- The view over the Baie des Anges from Castle Hill, and Matisse's late cut-outs at the Musée Matisse in Cimiez
- Èze village before the coaches arrive, with the Jardin Exotique hanging over the sea
- The changing of the guard on the Rock of Monaco at 11:55
- Picasso's Antibes paintings in the Château Grimaldi, then Saint-Paul-de-Vence in the late afternoon
- Old Menton's lemon-coloured lanes and a look across the border into Italy
- A morning boat along the coast past Villefranche bay and Cap Ferrat, and Cocteau's chapel on the harbour
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 950 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Nice
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport to your hotel in central Nice
- Dinner
- Stay in Nice
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE), which sits on the shore about 7 km west of the city centre, and a driver meets you in arrivals for the short ride along the Promenade des Anglais to the hotel. Pick-ups run at set group times through the day; Nice-Ville station is just as easy if you come by train. Check in, unpack once for the whole week and rest.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the lobby for a short briefing: how the trains and buses work along the coast, which days are on foot and which use our minibus, and what to wear for churches and the boat. Then we walk down to the sea for the last light on the Baie des Anges, the long curve of pebble beach and pale blue chairs that gave Nice its winter-resort fame, and sit down together to a welcome dinner of Niçois dishes in the old town.
Included
- Pick-up at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) or Nice-Ville station at set group times
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Sunset walk on the Promenade des Anglais
- Welcome dinner in old Nice
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 4 pm to join the briefing; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
Old Nice, the Cours Saleya and Castle Hill
Old Nice on foot, Castle Hill, then Cimiez
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nice
We are at the Cours Saleya by about 8:30, when the flower and produce stalls are full and before the cruise-ship groups come up from the port. A licensed local guide takes us through Vieux Nice: the baroque Cathedral of Sainte-Réparate, the Palais Lascaris, the narrow lanes where washing still hangs between the shutters, and a stop for socca, the chickpea pancake baked in a wood oven and eaten hot with pepper. Then up to Castle Hill, by the lift or the steps, for the view over the red roofs, the port and the whole Baie des Anges.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the old town, and you cross Place Masséna on the way back. The afternoon is free: a swim, a nap, or the shops of the Jean-Médecin area. At about 3:30 the guide takes anyone who wants to go up to Cimiez for a timed entry to the Musée Matisse, with the painter's late cut-outs, and the Roman ruins beside it.
Included
- The Cours Saleya market at about 8:30
- Walking tour of old Nice with a licensed local guide: Sainte-Réparate, the Palais Lascaris and the old lanes
- Socca tasting in old Nice
- Castle Hill (Colline du Château), by lift or steps
- Sit-down lunch in old Nice
- The Musée Matisse in Cimiez, timed group entry at about 3:30 (optional to join)
Easier option: Take the Castle Hill lift both ways, and skip Cimiez for a free afternoon by the sea.
More active option: Walk up Castle Hill by the steps from the seafront, and walk on from the Musée Matisse to the Musée Chagall (on your own, about 20 minutes downhill).
Free time: Afternoon free; the 3:30 Musée Matisse visit is optional to join; evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot in the morning on cobbles and steps; Castle Hill is about 90 m above the sea.
Èze in the morning, Monaco at midday
Nice to Èze village by bus, then by train to Monaco and back to Nice
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nice
- By train
We leave the hotel at about 8 am, the earliest start of the week, for the bus up the Moyenne Corniche and reach Èze, a village of stone lanes wrapped round a rock about 430 m above the sea, at about 9 am, before the coaches and cruise excursions. Walk up through the old gate and the vaulted passages to the Jardin Exotique, the cactus and succulent garden built in the ruins of the castle, for the view down the coast to Cap Ferrat. From Èze we go on to Monaco by bus, or by train from Èze-sur-Mer for those who walk down. On the Rock of Monaco a local guide takes us to the Prince's Palace square for the changing of the guard at 11:55, then through the old town to the cathedral, where Grace Kelly is buried.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the Rock. The afternoon starts at the Oceanographic Museum on its cliff, then is free in Monte-Carlo, round the Casino square and the harbour.
Evening
The train back to Nice takes about 20 minutes, and the evening is yours.
Included
- Èze village and the Jardin Exotique d'Èze
- The Rock of Monaco with a local guide: the changing of the guard at the Prince's Palace and the cathedral
- Sit-down lunch in Monaco
- The Oceanographic Museum
- All bus and train tickets for the day
Optional experiences
- The State Apartments of the Prince's Palace (open from about April to October)
Easier option: Take the bus both ways between Èze and Monaco, and use the public lifts in Monaco to avoid the steepest climbs.
More active option: Walk down the Nietzsche path from Èze village to Èze-sur-Mer, about an hour and roughly 400 m steeply downhill on a rocky path, and take the train to Monaco.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Monte-Carlo; evening free in Nice
Activity: About 3 to 4 hours on foot, with steep stepped lanes in Èze and on the Rock of Monaco. Bring your passport.
Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Nice to Antibes, then Saint-Paul-de-Vence and back to Nice
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nice
- Drive about 2 h
Our own minibus takes us 35 minutes west to Antibes, a walled port town that has looked across the bay to the Alps since the Greeks founded it.
Morning
The morning starts at the covered Provençal market, then a walk along the sea ramparts to the Château Grimaldi, where Picasso worked in the autumn of 1946; the Musée Picasso inside holds the paintings and ceramics he made there.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the old town, and there is time to see Port Vauban and its yachts. In the afternoon we drive half an hour inland to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a small walled village on a ridge that Matisse, Chagall and many other artists knew. We go first to the Fondation Maeght in the pines just above the village, a museum of 20th-century art with its sculpture garden, then walk into the village in the late afternoon, when the day-trippers are leaving, along the ramparts to Chagall's grave in the little cemetery.
Evening
Back in Nice by early evening.
Included
- The Marché Provençal and the ramparts in Antibes
- The Musée Picasso in the Château Grimaldi
- Sit-down lunch in Antibes
- The Fondation Maeght
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence village and its ramparts
Easier option: The minibus drops you at the village gate of Saint-Paul instead of walking up from the Fondation Maeght, about 15 minutes uphill.
More active option: In Antibes, walk out along the sea path towards Cap d'Antibes for 45 minutes while the group sees Port Vauban.
Free time: Evening free in Nice
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on cobbles and gentle slopes; the walk from the Fondation Maeght to the village is uphill.
Menton and the Italian border
Nice to Menton by train, with the option to go on to Ventimiglia in Italy
- Breakfast
- Stay in Nice
- By train
A slower start, then the coast train east: about 35 to 40 minutes past Villefranche, Monaco and Cap Martin to Menton, the last French town before Italy. Menton has the mildest winters on this coast, which is why it is known for its lemons and its gardens. We walk up from the covered market through the old town's stairways, the houses painted ochre, yellow and pink, to the Basilica of Saint-Michel-Archange on its square above the sea, then back down to the Musée Jean Cocteau, where the drawings of the poet and film-maker who loved this town hang near the harbour.
Afternoon
Lunch today is your own choice: the guide suggests places in the old town and along the seafront. In the afternoon you can go back to Nice with the guide, stay by the sea in Menton, or take the ten-minute train across the border to Ventimiglia in Italy for an Italian coffee and a walk in its old town.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Train from Nice to Menton and back
- Walking tour of old Menton and the Basilica of Saint-Michel-Archange
- The Musée Jean Cocteau
Optional experiences
- Train to Ventimiglia, Italy, about 10 minutes each way (ticket on your own). Its big Friday market does not fall on this day with our departure pattern.
Easier option: Stay on the level along the seafront and the market while the group climbs to the basilica.
More active option: Walk the coastal path around Cap Martin to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin station, about 1 hour 30 minutes, and take the train back to Nice.
Free time: Lunch on your own; afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot, with long stairways in old Menton. Bring your passport if you go to Italy.
A boat along the coast and Villefranche
Nice port by boat along the coast, then Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrat by minibus
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Nice
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
In the calm of the morning we board a scheduled coastal boat at the port of Nice and head east past the Cap de Nice into Villefranche bay, one of the deepest natural harbours on the Mediterranean, and round Cap Ferrat, with the villas behind their pines. The scheduled cruise is a loop that returns to Nice port, so the minibus then takes us ten minutes over the hill to Villefranche-sur-Mer; if the operator can set us down in Villefranche, we land there instead. We walk the Rue Obscure, a vaulted street that has run under the houses since the Middle Ages, and step into the Chapelle Saint-Pierre on the quay, painted by Jean Cocteau for the town's fishermen in 1957.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the harbour. In the afternoon we cross to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a pink Belle Époque villa with nine themed gardens on the ridge between two bays.
Evening
Back in Nice by late afternoon, with time to rest before the farewell dinner. If the sea is too rough for the boat, we take the coast train to Villefranche instead.
Included
- Coastal boat trip from Nice port past Villefranche bay and Cap Ferrat
- Villefranche-sur-Mer: the Rue Obscure and the Chapelle Saint-Pierre
- Sit-down lunch on the harbour in Villefranche
- The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens
- Farewell dinner in Nice
Easier option: Stay on the minibus between the villa entrance and the gardens' lower terrace, or rest on the harbour in Villefranche while the group visits the villa.
More active option: Walk the coastal path around the tip of Cap Ferrat, about 1 hour 15 minutes, and meet the group at the villa.
Free time: Late afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: The boat trip takes about an hour; bring a light layer. About 2 hours on foot, mostly level.
Departure from Nice
Central Nice to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 18 min
Afternoon
A last breakfast, and if your flight is in the afternoon there is time for one more walk through the Cours Saleya market, a coffee on the square, or a swim from the beach below the Promenade des Anglais.
Evening
The guide is around in the morning to help with left luggage, late questions and ideas if you are staying on, perhaps a night in the Provence hill villages or a few days in Italy along the same coast railway. Drop-offs at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE), about 20 minutes from the hotel, leave at set group times through the day, the first at about 8 am; you can also take your bags to Nice-Ville station a few minutes away for a train to Marseille, Paris or Italy. Because the hotel is the same all week, nothing needs to be packed until this morning, and the airport is close enough that a flight from about 10 am works with the first drop-off.
Included
- Drop-off at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) or Nice-Ville station at set group times
Free time: Free until your transfer
Activity: The first drop-off leaves at about 8 am and suits flights from about 10 am; book a flight after about 1 pm if you want a last morning in the old town.
- Nice6 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: April to June and September to October are warm, with sea breezes and fewer crowds than July and August. Spring evenings can be cool and a rainy day is possible; the boat trip depends on the sea and is replaced by the coast train if it cannot run.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the whole Riviera without changing hotels
- Art lovers: Matisse, Picasso, Chagall, Cocteau and the Fondation Maeght in one week
- A first trip to the south of France with free afternoons and evenings
- Travellers happy to use trains and buses with a guide sorting the tickets
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: the perched villages, Castle Hill and old Menton mean steep cobbles and stairways
- A beach holiday: there is time to swim, but most days are full
- Lavender fields and the Provence hill towns, which are on our Provence trip
- Travellers who want to drive the coast in a coach without walking
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Nice6 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights in Nice, all in one central hotel
- A hotel of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms and air conditioning, within walking distance of the old town; we name it when we confirm your dates
- Hotel city taxes
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) or Nice-Ville station at set group times
- Our own minibus and driver on days 1, 4, 6 and 7
- Regional train and bus tickets to Èze, Monaco and Menton
- A coastal boat trip from the port of Nice
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 7
- Licensed local guides in old Nice and in Monaco
Activities
- Nice: the Cours Saleya market, old Nice with socca, Castle Hill and the Musée Matisse
- Èze village and the Jardin Exotique d'Èze
- Monaco: the changing of the guard, the cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum
- Antibes: the Marché Provençal, the ramparts and the Musée Picasso
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Fondation Maeght
- Menton: the old town, the Basilica of Saint-Michel-Archange and the Musée Jean Cocteau
- Villefranche-sur-Mer: the Rue Obscure and the Chapelle Saint-Pierre
- The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens on Cap Ferrat
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 4 lunches: in old Nice, Monaco, Antibes and Villefranche-sur-Mer
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner in Nice
Not included
- International flights to and from Nice
- Visa or travel authorisation fees, if any
- Travel insurance
- Lunch in Menton and dinners on days 2 to 5
- Drinks other than water and coffee at included meals
- Tips for your See Sight Tours guide
- Optional activities: the Prince's Palace State Apartments and the train to Ventimiglia
- Beach chairs and personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 950 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in one central Nice hotel, 6 breakfasts, 4 sit-down lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers both ways, our minibus and driver, every train and bus ticket, the coastal boat trip, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides in Nice and Monaco, and every entry in the day plan, including the Musée Matisse, the Musée Picasso and the Fondation Maeght.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to fit on one bus to Èze, around one table at lunch and into Cocteau's little chapel in Villefranche together, and to keep up an easy pace on the stepped lanes.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group from the welcome briefing to the last morning, handles the tickets, trains and timings, and knows where to eat. Licensed local guides join us for old Nice and the Rock of Monaco, where they bring the detail.
Why stay in Nice all week instead of moving along the coast?
Because everything on the Riviera is close to Nice. Monaco is about 20 minutes by train, Menton about 40, Antibes about 35 minutes by road. Staying in one hotel means you unpack once, never lose a morning to luggage, and come back each evening to the old town's restaurants.
How fit do I need to be?
Reasonably fit for 2 to 4 hours a day on foot, often on cobbles and stairways: Èze, the Rock of Monaco, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and old Menton are all on hills. There is a lift up Castle Hill, buses cover the steepest climbs, and every day has an easier option or a café to wait in.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 950 more for the week, shown up front and the same for every solo traveller. Nice single rooms are expensive in spring and autumn, which is what the supplement covers. Ask us if you would like to be matched with another guest to share.
When is the best time to go?
April to June and September to October. The sea is warm enough to swim from late May, the coastal boats and the palace State Apartments are open, and crowds and hotel prices are lower than in July and August. Spring evenings can be cool; if the sea is too rough for the boat, we take the coast train to Villefranche instead.
Do I need a visa or my passport?
Canadian, US, UK and Australian travellers do not need a visa for a short stay in France and Monaco, though the EU's new entry registration and travel authorisation rules apply; we confirm what you need when you book. Carry your passport on the Monaco and Menton days, as French checks near the Italian border are sometimes in force.
How early are the starts, and what is the pace?
No day starts before about 8 am, and that is only on day 3, for the bus to Èze ahead of the coaches. Most mornings leave between 8:15 and 9:30, afternoons have free time, and you sleep in the same Nice hotel every night, so the pace is steady rather than rushed.
Can I combine this with the Provence trip?
Yes. Our Provence trip, through Avignon, the Luberon, Arles and Aix-en-Provence, ends in Nice, so the two run well back to back. Ask when you request to book and we will adjust the overlapping Riviera days and quote the combined trip.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private trip is the same route for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle, from CAD 10,070 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask from the dates section and we will quote the hotel, transfers and local guides.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure and request to book: no payment is taken at that point. We confirm availability, the hotel and the final price within 24 hours, and only then ask for a deposit. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 5,595 for the small group.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.