France - Walking tour in the French Riviera

Description	Dates and prices

Self-guided walking tour- French Riviera around Nice - the Villas and gardens

The sea and the sun of Provence plus sumptuous gardens of the Mediterranean and splendid Belle Epoque Villas. Visit one garden or more each day. Each Villa has its own History, often created by plants lovers!

A beautiful destination in low or mid season with an amazing sunlight all year long ! From January to November this cultural hiking tour can also be done in Winter ! Less crowded and pleasant in Fall, Winter and Spring.

Villefranche sur Mer, Eze, La Turbie, Esterel, Antibes Cape and Menton : all the mythical places of the Cote d Azur, on your own with a road book and a program you just have to follow easily everyday.

Day 1

ARRIVAL IN NICE

Day 2

CAP FERRAT AND VILLEFRANCHE SUR MER HARBOUR
HIKE: Tour of Cap Ferrat on the coastal path. Approximately 3-4 hours
VISIT: Kerylos villa in Beaulieu sur Mer : this 1908 villa is a copy of the villas of Ancient Greece. - Rothschild’s villa Ephrussi : a 1912 Villa inspired by Italian classicism with themed gardens. Return to Nice by bus (25 mn).

Day 3

EZE – LA TURBIE - MONACO
Transfer to the village of Eze by tram and bus (30-mn)
VISIT: the exotic gardens of Eze Perched 429 metres above sea level, the exotic gardens of Eze form a beautiful backdrop for Jean-Philippe Richard’s sculptures. The works and exotic plants blend harmoniously framed by the commanding views of the Mediterranean.
Transfer by bus to the Revère plateau (696 metres above sea level): one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the Riviera.
HIKE: from the plateau to the village of La Turbie (150 metres ascent/descent, 2-hour hike)
HIKE: walk down to Monaco via the Tête de Chien (500-metre descent, 2-hour hike)
VISIT: the exotic gardens of Monaco. This amazing garden is home to several thousands plant species.
Return to Nice by train (20-mn)

Day 4

CAP D’ANTIBES
Transfer to Antibes by train (25-mn) then bus to Cap d’Antibes (7-mn) HIKE: Tour of Cap d’Antibes via the Garoupe lighthouse, the gardens of Thuret, Villa Eilenroc and Cap Gros. (ascent/descent 80 metres, 3-hour hike)
VISIT: Thuret gardens The Jardin Thuret is a botanical garden and arboretum managed by INRA, the French institute of argronomic research.
• Villa Eilenroc In 1860, a rich Dutchman, Hugh-Hope Loudon purchased the cape and built a residence named Eilenroc.
Return to Antibes by bus, then train to Nice.

Day 5

LE BALCON DE L’ESTEREL
Transfer by train to Théoule sur Mer (45-mn) HIKE: Climb to Col de Théoule then along the ridge via Notre Dame d’Afrique. Descent via the Pointe de l’Aiguille. (200-metre ascent, 220-metre descent, 3-hour hike).
Lunch in Théoule sur Mer
Transfer by bus from Théoule to Napoule (7-mn)
VISIT: The chateau of Napoule and its gardens. They are classified as “remarkable”.
Return to Nice by train (40-mn)

Day 6

MENTON
Transfer by train to Menton (35-mn), then bus to the hill-top village of Castellar (30 minutes).
HIKE: From Castellar to Garavan via St Paul (120-metre ascent, 460-metre descent, 3-hour hike : a dip in the bay of Garavan and an outstanding view.
Lunch in Garavan or Menton.
Visit: Villa Serena. Built in 1886 for Ferdinand de Lesseps and his family, this Belle Epoque construction overlooks the sea. The neighbourhood known as “little Africa”, has a vast collection of palm trees and exotic plants.
Return from Garavan to Nice by train (40-mn)

Day 7

End of the trip after breakfast. Transfer by bus to the airport.
Or you can decide to add one more day with a walk to Roquebrune Cap Martin and an extra night in Nice.