Grimaud is a medieval village overlooking the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, known for the ruins of its castle and stone streets. It retains a Provençal character and a clear layout of former districts, showing a calmer side of the area compared to the lively life of the port.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is known for its ceramics and the star suspended between the cliffs. It lies at the foot of bright limestone walls and retains its characteristic village layout. It is considered one of the most recognisable towns in Provence thanks to its unique setting.
Lake of Sainte-Croix is a turquoise lake at the entrance to the Verdon Gorge. It has gentle shores, a calm character, and small beaches. It is a good place to understand the transition between the open space of the lake and the more enclosed canyon landscape.
Gourdon is a stone village perched on a cliff with views over the Loup valley. It preserves a medieval layout and compact built form. It is considered one of the most interesting viewpoints in the region thanks to its location above a steep slope.
Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey lies on the Route Napoléon and keeps the calm character of a mountain village. It has a clear historic centre surrounded by low-rise buildings. It is a good point to understand the difference between the coast and the higher plateau of the region.
Antibes is known for its historic ramparts, the Picasso Museum, and views toward the Maritime Alps. It connects the old town, port, and fortified coastline, preserving a classic Mediterranean urban layout where history blends naturally with the bay and the sea.
Grasse is known as the capital of perfume, associated with flower fields and traditional manufactories. It preserves the structure of the old town, with narrow passages and tight streets. The city has played an important role in the history of fragrance production on the Riviera and remains strongly associated with it today.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence is known for its defensive walls, galleries, and stone streets. It preserves a medieval layout and the classic character of a hilltop village. Strong ties to 20th-century artists still shape its atmosphere and spatial structure.
San Remo is an Italian coastal city close to the French border, known for its promenade, casino, and long-standing tradition of flower cultivation. It has a calm Ligurian climate and a preserved old town layout, which clearly reflects the character of Mediterranean coastal towns.
Cannes is known for its film festival, port, and long seaside promenade. The city has a clear internal contrast between the historic Le Suquet district and the modern waterfront. It remains a structured Mediterranean resort rather than a single-purpose attraction.
Plateau de Valensole is known for its wide lavender fields that, in summer, create one of the most characteristic landscapes of Provence. Associated with scent, bees, and traditional farming, it remains one of the region’s most recognizable views.
Èze is a hilltop village built directly into a rocky slope above the sea. Known for its exotic garden and wide views over the French Riviera, it preserves a medieval street layout and stone architecture typical of historic defensive settlements.
Saint-Tropez is a former fishing port with bright architecture and a waterfront layout typical of the region’s maritime history. Outside the high season, it retains a calmer character. It is known for Place des Lices, which remains one of the town’s central meeting points.
Menton is known for lemons, bright architecture and a calm atmosphere near the Italian border. It has a clear old-town layout by the bay and is recognised for its mild microclimate, which sets it apart from other coastal towns in the region.
Dolceacqua is known for its stone bridge and castle, famously painted by Claude Monet. The town has a clearly medieval Ligurian layout, with narrow streets and compact buildings. It works well as a place to understand the history of the Nervia valley and local architecture.
The Gendarmerie and Cinema Museum in Saint-Tropez is a short, calm stop linked to the town’s film history. Located in the former gendarmerie building, it connects cinema heritage with a walk through the port and old town.
Aiguines is located above Lake Sainte-Croix and is known for its views over the turquoise water and its tradition of woodturning. The village retains a Provençal layout, with streets adapted to the slope, typical of settlements built around the lake.
Monaco combines a dramatic setting, dense urban structure and characteristic harbours. It is known for its luxury districts and the Formula 1 Grand Prix, which clearly underline its urban layout. The terrain is strongly layered, with a clear vertical division and an old town set on the rock.
Places I visit with guests
On this page, I’ve gathered places that appear most often on my routes. Sometimes these are larger cities like Nice or Cannes; other times, small mountain villages, harbours, viewpoints or quiet spots by the water. Each of them has a different character and offers a less obvious way of seeing the French Riviera.
On some tours, we also pass through places such as Saint-Tropez, Grimaud or Gourdon. Everything depends on the rhythm of the day and the group’s plan.
How to use this list
This is not a catalogue of attractions, but a simple collection of places that I pass through or visit during my tours starting from Nice. If you’re planning a private day, you can use it to see which directions suit you best.
Each slide leads to a page with a short description, photos and a map. I also add practical notes that help assess whether a given place fits your travel pace.
What else is worth knowing
If a place particularly interests you, I can combine it with other points of the day so that everything forms a calm, logical route. Some locations work best in the morning, others later in the afternoon.
That’s why this section should be treated more as inspiration than a ready-made plan. All real proposals can be found in the tours section.
