A week in French Riviera: Best Things to do in 7-8 days + Where to Stay

You’re planning a one week trip on the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur) and you’re looking for the best itinerary?

You’re at the right place!

In order to help you plan your stay, I have prepared for you this 1 week French Riviera itinerary. During your 6, 7 or 8 days trip in the South of France, you will discover the beautiful cities of Nice, Monaco and Cannes as well as many other emblematic places of the French Riviera.

In this guide, in addition to the best things to do and must-see attractions, I will also give you all my best tips as well as my list of the best accommodations depending on your budget.

So, how to spend a week in French Riviera?

Let’s find out!

Day 1: Nice

To visit the French Riviera in one week, you must stay in Nice and travel around during these 7 days.

This is really the most practical way to get around easily and quickly (whether you have a car or not) and discover many of the essential parts during a week’s stay on the French Riviera.

Moreover, it is the only city in the area that has an international airport, so you will have to go there if you take a flight.

The first day will therefore be devoted to visiting Nice, one of the prettiest cities of the French Riviera (and I’m not saying that because I was born there!).

You must start with Old Nice. With its warm-coloured houses and louvred shutters, its small shops and its traditional restaurants, it is the most typical part of the city.

Things you musn’t miss:

• The Cours Saleya market, part of which is dedicated to fruits, vegetables, local products and the other to flowers
• The Palais de Justice and the clock tower
• The Rossetti square, where the Sainte-Reparate cathedral is located, which you can explore from the inside
• Place Saint-François, home to the fish market.

Continue on foot to the seafront and the famous Promenade des Anglais, where you can walk down to the Negresco hotel and the Villa Massena. If you are interested in the history of the city, you can visit the Massena Museum in the villa.

Then return to the city centre via the Albert 1 garden to directly reach the Massena square. With its fountain, archways and buildings with red façades and green shutters, it is one of the most emblematic places in Nice.

Continue this walking tour of Nice, passing by the Coulée Verte (also called the Promenade du Paillon).

There you will find the large water mirror, which is a must if you have chosen to travel for a week on the French Riviera with children, as they will inevitably want to go and cool-off under the jets of water.  There are also several playgrounds for them to let off some steam.

This large, long green space connects Place Massena to the other famous square: Garibaldi Square. Surrounded by many cafés and restaurants on the terrace, it is the oldest place in Nice.

Just next to it is the city‘s port, where you’ll find the traditional wooden boats, the Pointus, and the huge luxury yachts of the wealthy.

You can also strike a pose in front of the I LOVE NICE sign, which has quickly established itself as an Instagram classic.

At the end of the afternoon, you must climb the castle hill (by stairs or elevator) to enjoy unobstructed views of the whole city.

Finish the first day of your week-long trip to the French Riviera with dinner in one of the restaurants in the old town.

Spend the night in Nice.

Accommodation in Nice

For these 7 days on the French Riviera, you can absolutely stay at the same hotel for the duration of your vacation. Nice is really the most central city to visit the whole area of the French Riviera from Menton to Cannes.

I have prepared a small selection of the best hotels in Nice according to your budget:

• Hôtel Ozz by Happyculture: Located about 15 minutes from the beach on foot. Nice place, very friendly staff, great location and comfortable beds. Only 20€ per night in dormitory. Double room at 55€. This is the best hostel for a budget stay in Nice!
• Hôtel Brice Garden: Located in the hear of Nice, 5 minutes walk from the beach and Promenade des Anglais. Very well furnished and clean room from 80€ per night. Excellent value for money. Friendly and welcoming staff. The best value hotel if you want to stay in the city center! Needs to be booked as soon as possible, lots of demand.
• Hôtel le Saint Paul: Located 50 meters from the Nice harbor, in a quiet area, with an amazing sea view. Large bright room from 95€ per night, buffet breakfast for 12€. Plus: free private parking. My favorite in Nice!
• Hôtel Le Royal Promenade des Anglais: Located right on the Promenade des Anglais in a historic building. Prestigious room decorated in a classic style, very bright, from 135€ per night, breakfast at 15€.
• Hôtel Negresco: Located on the Promenade des Anglais, this exceptional hotel is simply the best in Nice. The rooms are magnificent, the view is stunning, the staff is amazing and the restaurant is one of the best in town. It’s the best choice for a luxury stay in Nice!

Day 2: The surroundings of Nice

For the second day of your week-long tour on the French Riviera, you have 2 options:

• Visit to Villefranche-sur-Mer + Mont Boron
• Visit some of the most beautiful villages of the French Riviera.

Option 1 – Villefranche-sur-Mer

For those who like to walk, you must go from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer via the coastal path.

From Coco Beach, and along the seafront, it will take between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours of walking and this is really one of the most beautiful walks around Nice.

Once in Villefranche-sur-Mer, you can visit the Old Town of Villefranche, which is the area around the port. Here you will find a small beach, traditional houses and charming cobbled streets.

You can also visit the Saint-Elme Citadel, a site listed as a historical monument. In addition to the town hall, there are several small museums with paintings and sculptures inside. There’s no harm in taking a look, the entry is free.

Not to mention that the place has a nice view of the harbour and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

In the afternoon, to return to Nice, you must take a different path and go via Mont Boron.

This hill overlooks Villefranche / Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on one side and Nice on the other. There are several paths to walk around and enjoy beautiful panoramas, especially at the Mont Alban Fort.

To get back to Nice on foot from the Mont Boron, its takes only 30 to 45 minutes on foot.

Option 2 – Grasse and the villages of the French Riviera

Another option for this second day of your 7-day French Riviera itinerary: visit some of the most famous villages around Nice.

As they are not necessarily accessible by public transport, you can reach them provided you have a car or opt for a day trip from Nice.

1) By car.

If you have your own vehicle, no problem, otherwise you can rent a car in Nice for 1 day or even for the rest of your stay. You must go through Rentalcars.com.

You can compare the prices of all the available rental companies in one click and consult the reviews of previous customers by clicking on the button below:

As for the road to take, you must make a circuit, which will take you to the 4 famous villages of the French Riviera:

• Saint-Paul-de-Vence, only 30 minutes from Nice: this small picturesque village is well known for being dedicated to art. Many designers and artists have a boutiques there and you can also visit the Maeght Foundation, a museum of modern and contemporary art.
• Tourrettes-sur-Loup is renowned for its violet cultivation and houses built on cliff sides
• Gourdon, a hilltop village at an altitude of 700 metres, classified among the most beautiful villages in France for its castle, medieval houses and views
• Grasse: the perfume capital of the world, home to the international perfumery museum and 3 historical perfumeries that organise free guided tours of their factory.

In Grasse, you must book a workshop session where you can create and take a small vial of your own perfume with you:

2) An organised trip from Nice.

This full-day tour includes the visit to Gourdon, Grasse (+ free guided tour of the perfume factory) and Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

This is the only way to visit all these villages if you don’t have a car, as the transport and pick-up service to and from your hotel in Nice are included in the price.

Guests also receive the services of a driver-guide.

As a bonus, you will even be able to enjoy a stop at the Saut du Loup waterfalls and a tasting of local products (olives, olive oil and tapenade) in a mill.

To book this trip during your 1 week trip on the French Riviera, please use the button below:

And if spots aren’t available, you can also book the same trip by clicking here (only the provider is different).

Day 3: Eze – Menton – Monaco

The third day of your stay on the French Riviera for a week will be devoted to exploring the coast between Nice and Menton.

All journeys can be made by car, public transport (bus/train) or through an organised trip.

First stop on the agenda: the charming hilltop village of Eze. It is easily accessible in 25 minutes by car or in 30 minutes by taking bus number 82 which stops right in the centre of the village.

In addition to its location, which makes it one of the most beautiful places in the region to enjoy an exceptional panorama of the sea, you can visit the exotic garden with its dozens of cacti, as well as the Fragornard perfume factory.

After the tour of the village, go down Nietzsche’s path to enjoy the view a bit more. It takes about 30 minutes to climb down to the village of Eze-sur-Mer (be careful not to confuse the 2!).

From there, you must either take the bus no. 100 or the train to reach Menton. It’s only a 20 to 30 minute drive between Eze and Menton. If you have a car, you can obviously go directly to Menton from Eze-Village without walking down.

You’ll now have understood that the second stop of the day will therefore the pretty town of Menton, which marks the end of the French Riviera since it is on the border with Italy.

In Menton, walking in the old town is a very pleasant experience. You must visit the Basilica of Saint Michel and the place aux Herbes, which has several restaurants where you can have lunch on the terrace.

If you want to experience a bit more of culture during your 7-day tour of the French Riviera and your visit to Menton, you can visit the Jean Cocteau museum, where nearly 2,000 works of the French poet, cartoonist, playwright and filmmaker are exhibited.

Then take the train (only 10 minutes) or your car to Monaco, the third and last stop of the day.

For a half day in Monaco, you must focus on the 2 main districts:

• Le Rocher, the historic heart of Monaco where you will find the Palace of the Prince, the Saint-Nicolas Cathedral, the Saint-Martin Gardens and the Oceanographic Museum (tickets available here!)
• Monte-Carlo, which notably has the casino, the emblematic Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo , the Café de Paris and the luxury boutiques and jewellery shops.

Please read my article dedicated to the city to make sure you don’t miss out on anything: The 25  best things to do in Monaco.

Return to Nice by train, bus or car.

Day 4: Day in Nice or visit l’Esterel

On the 4th day of your 1-week itinerary on the French Riviera, you still have several options:

• A quiet day in Nice
• One-day road trip to l’Esterel 

Option 1 – Relaxing in Nice

To relax a little during your vacation, you can choose to spend a quiet day in Nice.

For example, you can stroll around the Cimiez locality to discover the arenas and the monastery garden and its panoramic view of Nice. There are also 3 museums you can visit in the area:

• The archaeological museum of Cimiez and its Roman ruins
• The musée Henri Matisse, located in the parc des arènes
• The musée national Marc Chagall, dedicated to the painter.

Since Cimiez is a bit far from the centre, you must take bus no. 5, 33 or 70 to get there.

Then head down to Old Nice to take a little stroll, have a drink on the Cours Saleya and choose a good restaurant for lunch.

For the afternoon, you can go shopping in the many shops on Avenue Jean  Médecin or just go to the beach.

You can also indulge in many excellent water activities. Click on the orange links for details:

• Parasailing just in front of Old Nice
• Diving experience with 2 20-minute dives or  freediving 
• 3-hour snorkelling experience to observe the fish
• Stand up Paddle
• Jet ski
• Flyboard
• A buoy ride

Option 2 – L’Esterel

For those who prefer to continue to explore the surroundings of Nice and discover other places to see in a week on the French Riviera, you must spend the day in l’Esterel.

However, you will need to have a car to go there.

First of all, you must take one of the most beautiful roads on the French Riviera: the road to the Corniche d’Or or Corniche de l’Esterel. It begins at the exit of the city of Cannes and ends at Saint-Raphaël.

This magnificent road with panoramic vistas takes you along the seafront and shows you the special attraction in l’Esterel: its red volcanic rocks contrasting sharply with the pretty little creeks with turquoise waters below.

You can stop at the car park areas provided for this purpose to click beautiful pictures. You can, of course, go to some of the coves to swim.

The l’Esterel massif is also known for its many hiking trails. There are trails for all levels and durations.

Among the best known, there are:

• Hiking to the Pic de l’Ours: a beautiful 1 hour and 30 minute walk to enjoy splendid views
• The balcons du Cap Roux, a rather difficult hike lasting about four and a half hours but worth the effort for its magnificent landscapes
• The rocher de Saint-Barthélémy, a 1h walk with a beautiful view of the sea.

You will find all other trails on the official website.

Day 5: Antibes

You are already on the fifth day of your 7-8 day stay on the French Riviera.

On the agenda for today, Antibes!

To go from Nice to Antibes, the 2 most convenient options are by car (40 minutes) or by train (30 minutes – Tickets available here!).

Here is the itinerary of visits that you must do in 1 day in Antibes:

• Visit to Fort Carré, a military fort built in the 16th century and listed as a historical monument. The guided tour helps you discover its history and enjoy a panoramic view of the whole city.
• A stroll along Vauban port, where magnificent boats are moored and which can accommodate the biggest yachts in the world at its “billionaires quay”.
• Explore the old town of Antibes and its small alleys and shops located within the ramparts of the ancient fortified town.
• Visit the Notre-Dame-de-la-Platéa cathedral, worth seeing just for its colourful façade.
• Optional: a visit to the Picasso museum, which has about twenty paintings and drawings
• Walk along the promenade de l’amiral de Grasse.

In the afternoon, you can relax at one of the beaches in Antibes:

• Gravette beach, accessible from the port, below the ramparts. A small sandy beach, well protected from the wind and with supervision. Ideal for visiting with children.
• Ponteil beach: a long, sandy beach with shallow waters. Supervised beach with toilets and showers.
• Salis beach: another long, sandy beach, also with a lifeguard station, toilets and showers.
• Several pebble beaches East of Antibes, beyond Fort Carré. Be careful, because the water becomes very deep very quickly at these beaches. Supervised beaches.

And if you don’t mind walking a little further away from the city, you really must head to the Cap d’Antibes.

By taking the Tirepoil path (departure after Garoupe beach), you can walk around the cape (5 km – 2 hours walk) and stop to swim in the beautiful creeks.

Also in Cap d’Antibes, there are also 2 really fabulous activities to do:

• Sea kayaking with an instructor.

You can book it by clicking the button below:

• Boat trip + snorkelling stop

Book this boat trip on the French Riviera by clicking on the button below:

This trip is also available for half a day. Information and reservations by clicking here!

Day 6: Cannes

Visiting the French Riviera in 7 days will also give you time to discover the last of the 3 emblematic cities of the French Riviera after Nice and Monaco: Cannes.

You can easily reach Cannes from Nice by car (45 min) or by train (35 min – Tickets available here!).

Here are the unmissable sights in Cannes:

• La Croisette, the city’s most famous location! Take a walk along the seafront and admire the luxury hotels: Hotel Majestic Barrière, Hotel Martinez and the Intercontinental Carlton Cannes.
• Click a photo on the famous steps of the Palais des Festivals, where the biggest international stars gather.
• Have fun searching for the handprints of your favourite celebrities on the “Chemin des Etoiles”
• Go to the Old Port and Forville market, a covered market offering local products
• Visit the Suquet district, the oldest in the city.

As the city is very small, if you leave early in the morning from Nice, you can also visit one of the 2 Lérins islands. They are located right opposite Cannes and can be reached in just 20 minutes by boat.

If you choose Sainte-Marguerite Island (which you should!), you can take a nice walk and swim in various places.

The other island, Saint-Honorat, has an abbey that is still occupied by monks, which you can explore.

As there are always a lot of people at the ticket office, you must purchase your tickets in advance here (it’s the same price as on site). At least you’ll be sure to have a seat at the time you want!

Day 7: Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat

For the last day, here’s another place you must visit during a week on the French Riviera: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

The peninsula is located just after Villefranche-sur-Mer, just a few minutes by bus from the centre of Nice.

Start the day with a visit to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a Renaissance-style villa with sumptuous gardens.

And the interior is also worth a visit because it is richly decorated. Here you can see:

• The reception areas with: the patio, the Grand Salon and its Louis XV style furniture, the Petit Salon decorated with tapestries woven by the Gobelins Manufactory of Paris.
• The apartments of Beatrice: her bedroom, boudoir, and bathroom.
• The dining room and the porcelain salon have one of the most magnificent porcelain collections in France
• The salons on the first floor, including the guest rooms, the tapestries room and the monkey room, where you will find this animal everywhere, on the woodwork and the porcelain objects.

Prices and timings are available on the official website.

After the visit, you must go to Cap-Ferrat on foot to enjoy one last swim in one of the ubiquitous creeks with crystal waters.

Unfortunately, this marks the end of your week long road trip on the French Riviera.

Ideas for activities for a week on the French Riviera

If you want to change this itinerary a little and add some super cool activities to do in 1 week on the French Riviera, here is my selection:

1) A boat trip – From Nice, there are several different boat trips to discover the harbour of Villefranche, Monaco, Saint-Tropez, and the Lérins islands. I have explained everything in my article: The 8 best boat trips in Nice.

2) A private boat ride with captain for a VIP day and with a personalised itinerary.

The great thing about Nice is that you can choose between several types of boats: sailboat, catamaran, motor boat or even a yacht!

You must rent your boat with captain as early as possible, as you can imagine that this type of VIP day at sea is very much in demand, and it would be a shame if none are available!

You’ll find all the offers for a sea-trip in Nice with a captain by clicking on the button below:

3) River descent – canyoning, rafting, river sledding:

• Cramassouri   Canyon – Beginner level
• Riolan Canyon, known as one of the most beautiful in the Alpes-Maritimes!
• Riou de la Bollène canyon, a superb course that passes through the conifer forest and has large slides and a 10 metre long rappel
• Gorges du Loup Canyon – Ideal for a first canyoning experience with rappelling and and easy descents
• Imberguet Canyon – a descent lasting 3 hours and 30 minutes, with waterfalls and jumps up to 7 metres
• A canoe-kayaking descent of the Var with a guide
• A canoe-raft or inflatable boat descent of the Gorges de la Roya, one of the best places to enjoy white-water sports
• A river-sledding descent, also in the vallée de la Roya
• A rafting descent of the Roya.

4) Other sports and outdoor activities:

•  Driving a Ferrari
• Paragliding
• A Ferrari tour
• A Lamborghini tour
• Via Ferrata

Other 1-week itineraries on the French Riviera

If my 7-day itinerary on the French Riviera isn’t quite right for you, you’ll find everything to see in the region in this article: The 25 Best Things to Do on the French Riviera.

It includes a good part of the places I mentioned in this itinerary, and also other things to do like the Hyères islands (Porquerolles), Saint-Tropez, the most beautiful beaches or other beautiful villages.

You can choose whatever you want to do and organise your days as you wish. It is very practical and also contains a map to help you assess distances.

Rent a boat on the French Riviera

If you want to rent a boat for a nice day at sea during your stay in French Riviera, you should book it with Samboat.

Motorboats, sailboats, yachts, small boats without a license, with or without a skipper: they simply have the most complete offer for boat rental!

So, what are you waiting for to book your boat trip in French Riviera? 😊

If you need help planning your one week stay on the French Riviera, don’t hesitate to ask me your questions in the comments section below.

France travel Guides

• Buy the Lonely Planet France guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk
• Buy the Rick Steves France guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk

You’re traveling in France? These articles will help you!

Discover all our articles about France: All Voyage Tips articles about France are listed here.

French Riviera

• French Riviera: Top 25 best places to visit and activities

• Itinerary: 1 Week in French Riviera – the definitive guide for your 7-8 days trip

• Antibes: Top 20 best places to visit
• Cannes: The 20 best things to do and activities
• Monaco: 25 Best places to visit
• Nice: 15 things you must do and see

Other French Cities

• Annecy: 12 things to do and see
• Honfleur: Top 15 things to discover
• La Rochelle: Top 15 things to do and must-see attractions
• Lyon: 21 Best things to do
• Marseille: Top 33 best things to do and see
• Nantes: The 15 best things to do
• Reims: Top 15 things to do and see
• Rennes: The 15 things you must do!
• Strasbourg: The 25 must-see attractions

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