★★★★★
Picked up at the accommodation, good company in a small group, the right route and a driver-guide who looked after everyone.
Wendy C. · Couples · September 2026
Best of the French Riviera Small-Group Tour from Nice
By road: 7 townsHotel pickup in NiceLive guideMax 8 people
You are collected at your address in Nice and driven along the whole coast in one day. The morning goes east to a hill village above the sea and to Monaco; the afternoon goes west to Cannes, Antibes and a walled art town inland. Ten hours, eight people at most, and a driver who is also your guide.
Seven towns in ten hours
Collected from your door
Pickup is from your hotel, flat or any address in Nice, and the day ends back there.
Eight seats, no more
A minivan-sized group, so the guide can keep everyone together at every stop.
About two and a half hours in Monaco
The old town on the Rock, the palace square, Monte-Carlo and the casino front.
A free perfume factory on the way
The Fragonard visit is in the fare, and you can swap it for a walk in the village.
West of Nice after lunch
Cannes and its seafront, Antibes and its covered market, then an hour in an art town.
4.8 from 1,413 reviews
Travellers single out the pickup, the pace and the care taken over the group.
How the ten hours divide
The timed stops add up to about seven hours on your feet; the other three are the road. You leave along the coast east of Nice with two five-minute photo stops, over the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer and at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, before the climb to Èze.
Èze gets 45 minutes for the lanes and 45 for the Fragonard factory at the foot of the village. The factory's own guided visit is free and lasts about half an hour, so a quick walker fits in both. Monaco follows, and it is the longest block of the day: an hour in the old town, 45 minutes on the palace square, then Monte-Carlo, ten minutes at the casino and ten on a stretch of the Grand Prix circuit.
After Monaco the van turns west past Nice. Cannes gets about 50 minutes, with the Croisette and the Palais des Festivals. You pass the beach at Juan-les-Pins on the way to Antibes, which gets an hour, 20 minutes of it at the Provençal market and ten on the cape. The last hour is Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the walled village inland where Chagall is buried, before the drive back to your door.
What one day by road buys that a train cannot
You could do parts of this alone. The coastal train reaches Monaco from Nice-Ville in about 22 minutes for €6.10, and Antibes in under a quarter of an hour. What no timetable does is join the hill villages to both ends of the coast in a single day. Saint-Paul-de-Vence alone takes a tram and two buses from Nice. The fare buys one vehicle, one guide and nobody watching the clock for the last bus.
It is also a day with very little Nice in it: the route leaves along the seafront and does not stop in the city. Keep a free morning for the old town, or see the coast from the water on the two-hour boat with a swim stop. Every road day that starts in Nice, from five hours to ten, is compared on our page of French Riviera tour from Nices.
Useful tip. The palace stop is the square outside, not
the State Apartments. Those open from 30 March to 15 October for €13, and a separate day in
Monaco by train is the way to see them.
The day, stop by stop
- Pickup. Pickups start about 30 minutes before departure, and the exact time reaches you the day before.
- East along the coast. Five-minute photo stops over the bay of Villefranche and at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
- The hill village. 45 minutes in the lanes and 45 at the perfume factory, which you can skip.
- Monaco. About 2.5 hours: the old town, the palace square, Monte-Carlo, the casino and part of the circuit.
- Cannes. About 50 minutes on the seafront and at the festival hall.
- Antibes. An hour, with 20 minutes at the Provençal market and ten on the cape.
- The art town inland. An hour inside the walls of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
- Home. Back to the address you were collected from. The order of the stops can change on the day.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book it if
- You have one day for the whole coast and want someone else to drive it.
- You want a small group: eight at most, with one guide for the day.
- You are staying in Nice and want to be collected at the door.
- You travel with a baby or a toddler: strollers are fine and infant seats are available.
Book something else if
- You arrive by cruise ship. This day does not take cruise passengers, while the nine-hour day with port pickup collects you at the port in Nice.
- Someone in your party uses a wheelchair. That same nine-hour day lists wheelchair and folding-wheelchair access; this one does not.
- You only have half a day. The five-hour Monaco half-day from the same operator covers the hill village and Monaco from $75 a person.
- Ten hours in a van sounds long. Take the two-hour boat along the capes instead, and see the eastern coast from the water.
What $110 covers, and what it leaves out
In the fare
- Driver-guide
- Pickup and drop-off at your Nice accommodation
- All fees and taxes
- Visit to the Fragonard perfume factory in Èze (optional)
Not in the fare
- Food and drinks
- Entry to the Prince's Palace State Apartments
- Entry to the Monte-Carlo casino's gaming rooms
A pickup at your door, inside Nice only
There is no meeting point. The driver-guide collects you from your hotel, flat or any other address in the city of Nice and brings you back to it at the end. Pickups start about 30 minutes before departure, and the operator sends the exact time the day before.
Pickup is only inside Nice. If you are staying in Villefranche, Antibes or Cannes, book a pickup address in the city or choose a day that collects you where you are. Our guide to where to stay on the coast shows which bases suit an early start, and the meeting-point map marks every other start.
Know before you go
- Food and drinks are not included. Bring water and buy lunch at a stop; Monaco is the longest.
- The palace stop is the square. You see the palace from outside, so no palace ticket is needed.
- The casino stop is ten minutes. The gaming rooms are 18+ with a passport or ID card; the atrium is enough for a look.
- The order of stops can change. Do not arrange to meet anyone at a set time.
- Strollers are fine; wheelchairs are not. Give your child's age when you book, for the right infant seat.
- It is ten hours. Wear shoes you can walk in all day, and bring a layer for the evening.
What travellers said after the day
★★★★★
Plenty of time to walk round each stop, with drop-offs close to the sights. Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Èze were the high points.
Stephen B. · Couples · August 2026
★★★★★
A full day but a varied one, with time for the shops and galleries in the villages and Monaco's casino at the end.
Helen D. · Solo · August 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is ten hours too long for us?
It is a long day, with about seven hours of it on foot. The five-hour Monaco half-day collects you in Nice too and keeps the hill village and Monaco.
Can we join from a cruise ship?
No. This day does not take cruise passengers, and pickup is only inside Nice. The private five-hour tour for up to four can collect you at the port instead.
Do we go inside the Prince's Palace?
No. You spend about 45 minutes on the palace square, and entry is not included. The State Apartments open from 30 March to 15 October for €13.
Is lunch included?
No. Food and drinks are not in the fare. You buy lunch at one of the stops, and Monaco has the most time for it.
Is there a way to eat our way round a town instead?
The four-course lunch walk in Cannes takes three and a half hours on foot. It starts at the Old Port and pours local wine with the food.
Can I cancel?
Yes. You get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. Inside 24 hours the fare is not refunded.
Other ways to see the coast
Ready for the whole coast in one day?
Check the dates still open for your party, with a full refund up to 24 hours ahead.
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