Private French Riviera and Medieval Villages Day Tour

Grasse and Its Perfume Heritage

Set on terraced hills about 17 kilometres from Cannes, Grasse has shaped the world of perfume for more than four centuries. The trade began with glove makers who scented their leather, and the mild climate let growers cultivate jasmine, tuberose and the May rose in the fields around the town. The skills of the perfume trade in the Pays de Grasse are now listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Your private tour includes a guided visit of a traditional perfume house, where you see the old copper stills, learn how flower essences are extracted and discover how fragrances are composed. Afterwards your guide takes you into the old town, with its steep stepped lanes, arcaded Place aux Aires and terraces looking down to the sea. A Grasse day trip from Cannes is easy by private vehicle, and the morning is the quietest time.

Gourdon, the Village on the Cliff

Gourdon is one of the most dramatic sights on the Riviera: a cluster of stone houses perched on the edge of a sheer cliff, some 760 metres above sea level, overlooking the Loup valley. It is classed among the most beautiful villages of France, and from the panoramic terrace at the top of the village the view stretches over the hills to the coast, from the Esterel to Cap d'Antibes.

The village is small enough to explore in 30 to 45 minutes. Its lanes are lined with craft shops selling lavender, honey, soaps, spices and glassware, and a 12th-century castle with terraced gardens crowns the rock. The road up through olive groves and pines, then down along the Gorges du Loup with its waterfalls and rock walls, is a highlight in itself, best enjoyed with the private photo stops this tour allows.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Village of Violets

A few kilometres away, Tourrettes-sur-Loup stands on a rocky spur, its outer houses joined together to form a natural rampart. Known as the city of violets, it has grown the small purple flower on its terraces for over a century, and each March it celebrates the harvest with a village festival and decorated floats.

Today the medieval village is a haven for craftspeople, with potters, weavers, jewellers and painters working in vaulted studios along its arched lanes. Your guide shows you the old fountain square and the views over the valley, and you can buy local specialities made with violets, such as candied flowers and syrups. The village is calm and authentic, a perfect contrast to the busy coast.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is the most celebrated hilltop village of the Riviera. Encircled by intact 16th-century ramparts built to defend the old border with Savoy, it stands on a narrow ridge with views across the hills to the Mediterranean. Inside, one cobbled main street runs the length of the village past the arched Grande Fontaine, flower-draped stone houses and dozens of art galleries and craft shops.

Walk the ramparts for the best panoramas, then take a moment on the shaded square at the entrance, where locals play pétanque under the plane trees. Is Saint-Paul-de-Vence worth visiting? For most of our guests it is one of the high points of the day. On this private tour you can choose to come early or late to avoid the midday crowds.

Antibes Old Town

Back on the coast, Antibes blends history with sea views. Founded by Greek traders as Antipolis, it still has its old town behind sturdy sea walls, where narrow lanes lead to the covered Provençal market, open most mornings with fruit, olives, spices and flowers, and to the ochre-fronted cathedral by the sea.

From the ramparts you look across the Baie des Anges to Nice and, on clear days, to the snowy Alps. Below lies one of the largest yacht harbours in the Mediterranean, watched over by the star-shaped Fort Carré, a 16th-century coastal fortress. Your guide shares the town's story as a frontier stronghold, then leaves you time for a coffee or a stroll along the walls.

La Croisette and the Cannes Seafront

The day includes the most famous seafront on the Riviera. La Croisette curves for about two kilometres around the bay of Cannes, lined with palm trees, sandy beaches and grand hotels. At its western end, the Festival Palace hosts the international film festival every May, and you can take photos on the red-carpet steps, although the building itself is closed to visitors.

Behind the Old Port, the hill of Le Suquet, the original fishing village, offers a short climb to a medieval watchtower and the best view over the bay, the yachts and the Lérins Islands. In a private Cannes tour, your guide adapts this stop to your interests, whether shopping on the Rue d'Antibes, a seaside walk or a quiet view from the old town.