The French Riviera hiking tours: backcountry & coastal paths
from the perched villages to the seaside
Half-Day Hikes Full Day Hikes
Half-day
The cork oak
From the heights of Bormes les Mimosas
Half-day
When you look out for a half-day hiking tour in the French Riviera, Massif des Maures offers one of the greenest settings a guide can lead you through. And on this trail, you have the chance to enjoy a wide panorama: over the Îles d’Or (Golden Islands) and over the coastline, the peninsula of Giens, particularly. Besides, thanks to the interpretations by your private guide, you learn about the Mediterranean flora. Indeed you walk successively through the dark forest of cork oak, this unique tree species; then, through the maquis, which is made up of a thick growth of various plants, small trees and evergreen bushes. The upland area starts above the pretty little sea town of Bormes les Mimosas. It is located at the west end of the French Riviera, halfway between Nice and Marseille.
Walking time : 2 hours
Rating : leisurely
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 8am – 11am only, not allowed on fire risk days)
On your way to Saint-Paul de Vence
Half-day
For long has Saint-Paul de Vence been attracting artists from all over the world. The Provençal village is exquisitely perched on a hill overlooking the sea and the outdoors around.
Today, you first leave the charming town of Vence, after a glance at Chapelle Matisse. Vence is located within a half hour drive from Nice, major city of the French Riviera. Your hiking guide then leads you through the countryside and rolling hills. Land is carpeted by the lovely pink flowers of rock rose, in the spring. Outside the medieval village of St-Paul, you can visit the Fondation Maeght, an outstanding art place: it has gathered one of the most important collections of works by artists fascinated by the light of the Riviera. Bonnard, Braque, Chagall, Léger and Miró among others, show us this attraction on their paintings of nature.
Walking time : 2 hours
Rating : leisurely
Season calendar : year-round (summer : morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Visit of the Maeght Foundation not included.
The charming Cap de Saint Tropez
Half-day
Saint Tropez is located on the French Riviera coast, halfway between Nice and Marseille. The fishing village and its bay were already attracting the Parisian intelligentsia and renowned artists in the 1920s; but, they were brought to international fame in 1956 by the success of the movie And God Created Woman with Brigitte Bardot.
Your local guide leads you along the coast pathway in the pretty bay, 2 km east of the famous harbour. And you walk, by turns, across beautiful beaches, rocky areas and along seaside grounds surrounding large mansions. From time to time, the trail offers also outstanding views of the Maures mountains and the Esterel red peaks.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : easy
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 8am – 11am only, not allowed on fire risk days)
A balcony trail above Monaco
Half-day
Starting from the center of Monaco, this half-day hike leads you to the little hilltop town above the principality: La Turbie. You first walk uphill, following cobblestone streets and stairs, to get out of the city. Later, the scenic trail that climbs through scrubland offers panoramic views of Monaco. Then, as you reach the top of the high rock promontory, the visit of the old narrow streets in La Turbie is worthwile. On your way down to Monaco, you enjoy great views of the city and the scenery around, too.
A variant of this hike with no elevation gain starts above La Turbie.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : moderate or challenging (1,500 feet elevation gain and loss)
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
A pleasant trip from Nice: St Jean Cap Ferrat
Half-day or Full Day
This coastal hiking path around the Cap Ferrat peninsula is very quickly accessible from the city of Nice. Starting from the town of Beaulieu sur Mer, it therefore offers a short and pleasant getaway from the bustle of the French Riviera resorts.
Walking all the way as closely as possible to the sea, you marvel at the beauties that nature has so simply created for us; especially the sublime contrasts between the colours: the bright blues of the sea and sky, the whites of the rocks and the greens of the pines and garrigue shrubs.
If you choose to start from the St Jean Cap Ferrat marina, your local guide will take you on an one-hour shorter walk.
Walking time : 4.5 hours (2.5 hr from St Jean Cap Ferrat)
Rating : leisurely
Season calendar : year-round (summer : morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
The Estérel red pinnacles above the sea
Half-day and Full Day
During this lovely hike, your professional guide leads you to the Pic du Cap Roux (1,486 feet). This peak, made of numerous red boulders towering above the Mediterranean Sea, is located between St-Raphaël and Théoule sur Mer. You walk here in the heart of the Estérel mountains, a natural island of green in the French Riviera; yet, Cannes and its famous Croisette are only 10 km away.
The trail, a real balcony over the Corniche de l’Estérel, offers magnificent viewpoints over the capes below and all the crags and peaks around. Red landscapes are some of the most colourful ones in Provence!
In addition to beautiful colours, the outdoors in this corner of French Riviera brings you the strong fragrances of plants: local aromatics like rosemary, myrtle, thyme, and others such as cistus and asphodel. Your guide will be delighted to name them for you.
Walking time : from 3.5 to 5 hours
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
Peille and Peillon : two pretty hilltop villages
Half-day and Full Day
Within a half hour’s drive from Monaco and from Menton, Peille and Peillon are to be found. They are some of the most typical medieval fortified villages of the French Riviera hinterland. Perched on top of craggy outcrops overlooking a deep valley, both of them have changed little since the Middle Ages: they come in a mass of narrow little paved streets and steps, winding up and down through arches and vaulted passageways.
Along walking paths used by cattle herds for three millenia, rosemary, thyme and other herb scents remind you that you are under a Mediterranean climate. The 2-hr nature walk from one village to the other is moderate; the alternate route that you follow when you take the full day hike is a bit more challenging.
Walking time : from 3 hours, including visiting the villages to 5 hours (full day tour)
Rating : moderate (half-day trip) to challenging (full day trip)
Season calendar : half-day hike: year-round (summer: 8am – 11am only, not allowed on fire risk days) / full day hike: 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
Hike the coastal trails of gorgeous Porquerolles
Half-day and Full Day
To get an idea of the true riches of the three islands off the coast of Hyères, near Toulon, just remember that they are called Les Iles d’Or (the Golden Islands): the unspoiled splendor of their seascapes is unique. Porquerolles, the closest to the continent, only a 10-minute boat ride away, nestles a charming tiny village. But, its treasure is the beauty of a craggy coast made of steep cliffs and secluded creeks, bathed in turquoise waters. And you reach those idyllic spots by hiking with your local guide through the typical Mediterranean vegetation, whose blooming starts during the late winter on Porquerolles island. Walking paths where you encounter nobody!
Heaven on earth !
Walking time : from 3 to 5 hours
Rating : moderate (stony sections)
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 8am – 11am only, not allowed on fire risk days)
The 3 capes hike near St Tropez
Half-day and Full Day
This trail is the wild part of Saint Tropez coastal path. It starts 3 miles away from Ramatuelle, beautiful hillside town located in the heart of the Saint Tropez peninsula, and follows the coastline over its full length. The three capes that you will see are Cap Camarat, Cap Taillat and Cap Lardier. The last two are the most impressive. They are located in an area protected from the real estate pressure. That is probably one of the reasons why the hike offers such diversified scenery and so stunning views. In a twinkling, this wild landscape of the French Riviera coast makes you believe that you reach a far-flung place from the glamourous Saint Tropez.
Walking time : 4 hours (6 hours with the return)
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : short hike : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days) / long hike : year-round, except summer)
Full Day
The Estérel red rocks near Cannes
Full Day
Only 10km away from La Croisette in Cannes, under the supervision of your local guide, you can start delightful nature walks. Along this one-day hike, you take on the Pic de l’Ours (1,627ft), one of the peaks of the coastal Massif de l’Estérel. This volcanic mountain range has weathered into red crags, ravines and sharp, spiky angles. These gorgeous slopes are covered by oaks and pines whose dark colors sharply contrast with. Come and hike in spring when trails are lined with a great variety of multicolored and scentful flowers: rockrose, lavender, myrtle, asphodel and wild orchids, among others.
From the heights, you enjoy a beautiful panorama over the colorful hills all around. You can see, in the distance, the La Napoule bay and the city of Cannes, on one side, and the Fréjus bay, on the other. And in winter, you can marvel at the snowy peaks of the Alps.
Walking time : 4.5 hours
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
The balcony of the Côte d’Azur
Full Day
This is one of the most exceptional hiking tours in the French Riviera. This trail joins La Turbie, Gorgio and Saint Agnès, the very ancient hilltop Provence towns that overlook the cities of Monaco, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Menton, respectively. Throughout the day, with ascents and descents, fabulous views of the Riviera in the foreground, and of the Alps in the distance will accompany you.
All in all, this beautiful day hike is a must do for anyone interested in walking around the Côte d’Azur!
Point-to-point hike.
Walking time : 5 hours
Rating : challenging (elevation gain : 3,200 feet)
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
Monaco and surrounding villages & towns:
Èze, La Turbie, Cap d’Ail
Full Day
From the seaside in Eze Bord de Mer, towered over by the Revère Plateau, you first follow the Nietzsche Trail on this guided hike in the heart of the French Riviera. It takes you to the hilltop medieval village of Eze, one of the prettiest in the area. After strolling through its narrow streets and small squares, under the leadership of your local guide, you climb up to the plateau from which you can enjoy one of the most outstanding panorama of the coast: the Cap Ferrat peninsula, for instance, juts out into the Mediterranean. Later, from the Roman town of La Turbie, you quickly discover another breathless view, totally different : the Principalty of Monaco, with its high rises and its famous rock, le Rocher, where stands the Prince’s Palace. Finally, a climb down to Cap d’Ail then allows you to end this scenic day walking along the beaches to the center of Monaco.
Walking time : 6 hours
Rating : challenging (2,500 feet elevation gain)
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
The Pic de Courmette and the Puy de Tourettes, high above the Riviera
Full Day
The Pic de Courmette is a peak just above the small town of Tourettes-sur-Loup. The climb to the top is a little challenging but not very long: the steep section lasts half an hour, at an average pace. But up there, you enjoy beautiful scenery and absolute quietness.
The second summit, the Puy de Tourettes, not very far, is conversely not difficult to reach after your first ascent. From the top, you can admire the views in all directions. While descending the other side, looking north, you can watch a wide-open land at the foot of the mountain: an ancient farmland that was used for cultivation a long time ago. Farther ahead, you delight in a nice descent back to Tourettes-sur-Loup, on another path.
Walking time : 6 hours
Rating : challenging (3,450 feet elevation gain)
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/30 & 9/1 – 12/31
The Baous towering over Vence and St Jeannet
Full Day
This day hike starts from the charming Provence town of Vence, less than a half-hour drive from the western districts of Nice. From the rocky Baou des Blancs, high above Vence, you enjoy a first stunning view over the Baie des Anges: you can see Nice to the left, Cap d’Antibes and the Iles de Lérins, shimmering in the sea, to the right.
Then, you forget for a few hours the glamourous French Riviera, walking across a wild land once used for cultivation and only devoted to winter pasture, today: the Plan des Noves. Later, your local guide leads you down into the Gorge de la Cagne, before you cross the river and proceed above the valley floor.
Finally, your last climb is up to the plateau towards the top of the most imposing crag of the area: Baou de St Jeannet. From up there, you can enjoy a breathtaking scenery: the village of Saint Jeannet below and in front the gulf from Antibes to Nice.
Walking time : 7 hours
Rating : challenging (2,800 feet elevation gain)
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
Have you heard of these so spectacular steep-walled coves and inlets on the Provençal coastline known as calanques? You can find them to the south-east of Marseille, less than a 2.5-hour drive from Nice. Their high, white cliffs beautifully overlook the contrasted turquoise and dark blue colours of the sea, creating incredible panoramas, unrivaled anywhere in the world.
If you have never seen a calanque in real life, come and spend one day in Calanques National Park, one of the greatest natural wonders in France.
Calanque d’En-Vau