Walking the French Riviera
- Explore the iconic Riviera cities of Menton, Monaco and Nice
- Panoramic views over the mountains and the azure Mediterranean sea
- Enjoy dinners by the sea accompanied by excellent local wine
- Discover quaint medieval perched villages
- A perfect blend of relaxed hill and coastal walking
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in MentonYour trip starts in the vibrant town of Menton. With its charming pastel-hued houses and beautiful beaches, Menton is a picture-perfect location to explore the French Riviera. As you walk through the meandering streets of the old town, Italian conversations might greet your ears, owing to the town's proximity to the border. This fusion of French and Italian influences gives Menton its distinct character and ambience.
Located in the heart of vibrant Menton and only 25 metres from the beach, Hôtel de Londres is the perfect place to relax in the evening time. All rooms are modern with stylish decor to match the external surroundings.
Ideally located in the heart of Menton, just a few steps from the beaches and the Casino Barriere and opposite the Jardins Biovès public park. All rooms are equipped with Tv, Air conditioning, hair-dryer, toiletries, and free Wi-Fi access.
Today starts with a bus journey to Sainte Agnès, a perched village above Menton. Before starting your walk, you can wander through the medieval streets of this lovely village and up to the viewpoint to admire panoramas of the Mediterranean Sea, the hills and Menton.
From Sainte Agnès, walk to Castellar, another medieval perched village, and on to Menton.
Ascent/Descent: 193m / 837m
Located in the heart of vibrant Menton and only 25 metres from the beach, Hôtel de Londres is the perfect place to relax in the evening time. All rooms are modern with stylish decor to match the external surroundings.
Ideally located in the heart of Menton, just a few steps from the beaches and the Casino Barriere and opposite the Jardins Biovès public park. All rooms are equipped with Tv, Air conditioning, hair-dryer, toiletries, and free Wi-Fi access.
Spend the day relaxing on the beach, exploring the town of Menton, walking around the Cap Martin or even catching the train to Ventimiglia on the Italian side.
Walk around the Cap Martin: From the centre of Menton, walk along the beach towards Roquebrune and the Cap Martin. As you follow the path around the peninsula, you can admire views over Monaco and catch glimpses of some of the historic villas of the Cote d'Azur and their gardens. Take the train back from Roquebrune back to Menton.
Ascent/descent: 27m/0m
Located in the heart of vibrant Menton and only 25 metres from the beach, Hôtel de Londres is the perfect place to relax in the evening time. All rooms are modern with stylish decor to match the external surroundings.
Ideally located in the heart of Menton, just a few steps from the beaches and the Casino Barriere and opposite the Jardins Biovès public park. All rooms are equipped with Tv, Air conditioning, hair-dryer, toiletries, and free Wi-Fi access.
This morning, take a local bus to Gorbio, another beautiful medieval village. From here, follow the Cabanelles trail, taking you over the Cime de Gariglian (1108m) for a scenic walk with views of the mountains of the Mercantour and the Mediterranean coast towards Nice. The descent takes you to the train station in Roquebrune where you catch a train to Monaco.
Ascent/descent: 757m / 1085
Located a 30 second walk to Monte Carlo's pristine avenue Saint-Charles with Renaissance-style church, upmarket boutiques, cafés and restaurants. Rooms are immaculate and feature all the amenities you may require during your stay.
AZUR HOTEL offers express check-in and check-out, allergy-free rooms, a shared lounge, free WiFi throughout the property and a bar.
At the hotel, rooms are equipped with a desk. Complete with a private bathroom equipped with a bidet and free toiletries, the units at AZUR HOTEL have a flat-screen TV and air conditioning, and certain rooms here will provide you with a terrace. At the accommodation every room has bed linen and towels.
Enjoy a free day to relax and explore this unique Principality. From the iconic Monte Carlo Casino to the picturesque harbour adorned with lavish yachts, Monaco paints a picture of sophistication and glamour. Explore the quaint streets and discover a world of culture, museums and galleries.
Located a 30 second walk to Monte Carlo's pristine avenue Saint-Charles with Renaissance-style church, upmarket boutiques, cafés and restaurants. Rooms are immaculate and feature all the amenities you may require during your stay.
AZUR HOTEL offers express check-in and check-out, allergy-free rooms, a shared lounge, free WiFi throughout the property and a bar.
At the hotel, rooms are equipped with a desk. Complete with a private bathroom equipped with a bidet and free toiletries, the units at AZUR HOTEL have a flat-screen TV and air conditioning, and certain rooms here will provide you with a terrace. At the accommodation every room has bed linen and towels.
Today's walk starts with a steady climb from Monaco, to the picturesque village of La Turbie, where charming narrow streets await. Joining on a trail just beyond the village, you then find yourself on a balcony walk that unveils breathtaking vistas of the Mediterranean. As you continue, the path leads down to Eze, famous perched village of the Cote d'Azur. Take the time to explore this highlight of the region. From here, you descend to Eze-plage (where the train station is) and travel to Beaulieu.
Ascent/descent: 653m / 708m
Ideally located in the centre of the charming town of Beaulieu sur Mer, between Nice and Monaco. Hotel Comté de Nice is the perfect place to enjoy a summer evening on the Côte d’Azur! Just a few minutes’ walk from the marina and plentiful dining options.
You can take some time today to explore Beaulieu and Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Here you will find famous villas such as the Villa Kerylos or the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. After some visits, you can catch a train from Beaulieu to Nice. Alternatively, you can complete the lovely coastal walk around Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and catch the train to Nice from Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Ascent/descent: 160m / 146m
Ideally located in the heart of the City of Nice, a step away from La Promenade des Anglais, the sea and close to the pedestrian area, Hotel les Cigales offers comfortable, recently refurbished rooms.
Your tour ends in the beautiful city of Nice. The city's heart beats in its charming Old Town (Vieux Nice), a labyrinth of narrow streets brimming with colourful buildings, bustling markets, and quaint squares. Don't miss the world-famous Promenade des Anglais before continuing your travels.
Other Information
Is it for me?This walking tour of the Riviera strikes a perfect balance between hill walking, leisurely town exploration, and relaxing seaside evenings with wine. Making use of the excellent local transportation, the tour spans from Menton to Nice, encompassing the coast and charming perched villages in between.
Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.
Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This tour is graded easy to moderate. It is part of our range of Slower Adventures as some walks can be shortened, some are optional and they do not present great difficulties in terrain or navigation. However, please note that 3 of the walks (if done without shortening them) include greater ascent and descent than our average Slower Adventures, and the terrain in this part of France is generally a little rocky and, at times, requires good balance and sure-footedness. We recommend reading the description of the walks carefully and considering the options to shorten some of them (using public transport) if needed.
You will stay in 3* hotels in Menton, Monaco, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Nice. In the itinerary, we have listed hotels we typically use. Hotels are subject to availability, so alternatives of an equal standard may be offered.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms we would be happy to book this for you (supplements apply). We also welcome solo walkers on this tour.
Meals
Breakfasts are included each day. Packed lunch items can be bought locally from supermarkets or the local boulangerie. In the evenings, dinner can be purchased in each town with several options available, you will be spoilt for choice!
The routes are generally way marked with painted signs or wooden posts. Some sections can be a little trickier to navigate. However, all routes are mapped in our app, which contains all the information you need to find your way each day.
- 7 nights accommodation in 3* hotels
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers as per your itinerary
- Detailed information pack, route notes and maps
- GPX tracks and access to our GPS navigation app
- 24/7 telephone support from our UK office
- Travel to Menton and from Nice
- Local trains and buses as part of the itinerary
- Lunches and dinners
- Travel insurance (required)
- Personal equipment
- Drinks and snacks
The tour is available from March to mid-June and from mid-September to the end of October. Spring and Autumn are the best times to explore the Cote d'Azur, as temperatures are usually ideal for walking and the region enjoys many sunny days.
Due to the heat and the risk of fires in the summer months, as well as the closure of some of the forests by local authorities at that time of year, we are not offering this tour from mid-June to mid-September.
The closest airport to Menton is Nice, connected to many international airports. You can also travel by train from various French cities (from Paris with the TGV for instance)
Menton can easily be reached by train from Nice airport (take the tram to Grand Arenas, a short walk to the St Augustin train station and a direct train to Menton). You can find more information at https://www.sncf-connect.com/
The tour ends in Nice, from where you can easily travel to numerous international airports or take the train to other French cities.
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