Private Customisable French Riviera Tour (5 or 8 Hours)

Designing Your Private Riviera Tour

The Côte d'Azur stretches about 120 kilometres from the Gulf of Saint-Tropez to the Italian border, and no two travellers want to see the same things. This private tour starts from a blank page: tell us your interests, such as sea views, old villages, gardens, shopping or a relaxed lunch, and our team suggests a route that fits the time you have booked, avoiding wasted hours on the road.

On the day, your guide travels with you in the minibus, adapts the plan to the weather and traffic, and handles parking and timings. Want to stay longer in a village you love or add a viewpoint you spotted on the way? That is the advantage of a private tour. The default option gives you a full 8-hour day; a 5-hour option is also available for a shorter outing.

Monaco and Monte-Carlo

A Monaco day trip from Cannes is the most popular choice for the 8-hour tour, as the principality is only about an hour away along the motorway. The old town of Monaco-Ville sits on a rocky headland 60 metres above the sea, with narrow lanes, the white stone cathedral and the square in front of the Prince's Palace, where the changing of the guard takes place each day just before noon.

Close by, the Oceanographic Museum clings to the cliff edge, a grand building opened in 1910 with an aquarium of Mediterranean and tropical species. Across the harbour, Monte-Carlo offers elegant gardens, luxury shopping streets and the famous stretch of road used by the Grand Prix circuit, while the port itself is lined with some of the largest yachts in the world. Your guide helps you combine the highlights in two to three hours.

Èze, the Eagle's Nest above the Sea

Between Nice and Monaco, the village of Èze is perched on a rocky peak about 430 metres above the Mediterranean, one of the most spectacular viewpoints on the whole Riviera. Its medieval lanes, stone archways and tiny squares wind up to the ruins of an old castle, now home to an exotic garden of cacti and succulents with a breathtaking panorama over the coast and, on clear days, as far as Corsica.

Èze is a natural stop on the way to or from Monaco, and the drive there along the Moyenne Corniche, carved into the mountainside high above the sea, is part of the pleasure. Allow about an hour to explore the village. The lanes are steep with many steps, so comfortable shoes are essential; the best time to visit Èze is the morning or late afternoon, outside the busiest hours.

Saint-Tropez and the Esterel Coast

If you prefer the western Riviera, the 8-hour option allows a Saint-Tropez day trip from Cannes, around 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 each way. The former fishing village charms with its pastel harbour, the narrow lanes of La Ponche, the plane-shaded Place des Lices and the hilltop citadel overlooking the gulf. Nearby, the canal village of Port Grimaud makes an easy add-on.

On the way, your guide can take the Corniche de l'Esterel, the coast road where cliffs of red volcanic rock drop into turquoise coves, with viewpoints such as Cap Dramont and the bay of Agay. It is one of the most beautiful drives in France, and with a private minibus you can stop as often as you wish for photos.

Cannes, Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence

For the 5-hour option, or as a relaxed full day close to Cannes, many guests choose the classic trio. In Cannes, stroll La Croisette, see the red-carpet steps of the Festival Palace and climb the old quarter of Le Suquet for the view over the bay and the Lérins Islands. In Antibes, explore the old town behind its sea walls, the covered Provençal market and the yacht harbour guarded by the star-shaped Fort Carré.

Then head inland to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the fortified hilltop village enclosed by 16th-century ramparts, with cobbled lanes, art galleries and views to the sea. Grasse, the historic capital of perfume making, and Gourdon, perched on a cliff above the Loup gorge, can also be added. Nice, with its Old Town, flower market and Promenade des Anglais, is another easy choice.