Bonjour! Welcome to the French Riviera, an enchanting region in the South of France loved by many. Mesmerizing azure waters, medieval villages, colorful towns, sun-kissed beaches, scenic landscapes… It’s all there, attracting travelers like a strong magnet! There’s definitely something for every traveler to enjoy! So if you’re planning your trip and looking for a ready-to-go French Riviera itinerary you’re in good hands, especially since we’ve lived for over 1 year on the French Riviera and we know a thing or two about it!
Note. This itinerary focuses on day trips from one home base in/near Nice using public transport or car, includes 7 full days reserved for exploration, and is doable in any season.
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How to move around the French Riviera?
The fastest way of getting to all mentioned places is by car, either yours or rented. If you don’t travel with your own car, you can easily rent one through the Rental Cars website. Assuming you’ll arrive by plane – you can easily do that in Nice airport.
All of the places from this post are also accessible by public transport, by trains or buses. You can search for the connections that might interest you on the rome2rio.com or sncf-connect.com website. For great train ticket deals visit Trainline.
If you don’t want to put too much effort into planning or want to find some unique activity that is hard to organize on your own, you can also take advantage of the guided tours and let someone else take care of all the details. For a wide selection of tour options visit GetYourGuide or Viator.
Where to stay on the French Riviera?
For this French Riviera itinerary, we recommend choosing one place for your whole stay and slowly discovering the area during day trips.
Our top choices would be Nice, Antibes, or Villefranche-sur-Mer. All of them are in a great localization and are nicely connected with other towns and villages in the area. To find great accommodation visit Booking or Hostelworld.
If you need more inspiration for places to stay, check out our Places To Stay In French Riviera post. Whether you’re looking for vibrant towns, medieval villages, or amazing holiday spots you’ll find it all there.
Best time to visit the French Riviera
French Riviera is an all-year-round destination with a pleasant Mediterranean climate – hot summers and mild winters. If you prefer smaller crowds and lower temperatures (15-20°C), choose any month in the lower season. If high temperatures, around 30°C don’t bother you – visit during the high season from June to August. In our opinion, spring and autumn are the best.
7 Days French Riviera itinerary
Day 1 – Nice
Nice is a captivating town on the French Riviera that probably needs no introduction. Relaxed vibe, compelling azure waters, colorful old town, splendid architecture, striking views, delicious food… Nice has all of that and more. This town is full of interesting places to discover and various activities – it will keep you entertained for hours! Without a doubt, it should be your number one destination in your French Riviera itinerary.
One full day in Nice will be enough to see most of the main landmarks and get a good feel of what this city is all about. Must-haves for one day? Nice old town, Promenade des Anglais with #ILoveNice Sign, Castle Hill, and Place Massena square.
Whatever place you’ll choose as your base, you can be sure that you’ll easily get to Nice from almost every place on Cote d’Azur.
Learn more: One Day In Nice, France – What To See?
Day 2 – Eze + Villefranche-sur-Mer
During your second day of the French Riviera itinerary, you’ll visit two popular places located just a few steps from Nice – the medieval village of Eze and the colorful Villefranche-sur-Mer town. Both of them are easily accessible by public transport from many nearby places.
The order of sightseeing doesn’t really matter, you can choose whichever you prefer first. Although we’d recommend seeing Eze early in the morning – it just has a better vibe without hordes of tourists.
Villefranche-sur-Mer is one of the most colorful towns on Cote d’Azur that will fill you with positive vibes and energy. It’s pretty, colorful, captivating, and it’s a real delight to explore. There you’ll find points of interest like charming old town full of historic sites like Rue Obscure or Saint-Michel Church, as well as stunning beaches in a picturesque setting perfect for a quick relaxing break from the sightseeing.
Learn more: 8 Things To Do In Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France
Eze is one of the most best-preserved villages on the French Riviera, a place that offers a fascinating insight into how life might have looked hundreds of years ago. It’s an enchanting place where you’ll find narrow winding streets filled with typical medieval architecture, tall stone houses, and great views over the coast from its Exotic Garden. It’s not without reason that Eze became one of the most popular places to visit on the French Riviera.
Learn more: 10 Things To Do In Medieval Village Of Eze, France
Day 3 – Menton
For your next day on the French Riviera hop on a train, bus or car and direct your steps to the last French town on the eastern side of the coast. Menton is one of the most colorful towns in Cote d’Azur that will fill you with good energy, good food, and… lots of lemons! Whether you want to explore a picturesque old town, relax on a beach, admire striking views, eat tasty food, or take part in a unique Lemon Festival – you’ll find it in Menton.
Tip. If you’ll have more time and energy after exploring all the corners of Menton, you can also visit the neighboring town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin or Sainte-Agnes medieval village.
Learn more: What To Do In Menton, France?
Day 4 – Monaco
Time to add more fancy experiences to our French Riviera itinerary! During day 4 we invite you to explore Monaco, the world’s second-smallest country. It’s a world-renowned destination where the level of luxury and wealth is beyond comparison.
During your day you’ll indulge in a sophisticated lifestyle, explore the old town, visit the iconic Monte Carlo casino, and admire super yachts and fast cars… Maybe you’ll also have dinner in one of the Michelin restaurants and do some high-end shopping? There are many possibilities for every budget!
Monaco is easily accessible by all means of transport from most places on the French Riviera.
Learn more: Day Trip To Monaco – 10+ Things To Do
Day 5 – Antibes
Antibes is a picturesque town that perfectly blends old-world charm, luxury, wealth, and natural beauty. What’s waiting for you there? pleasant old town located within ramparts, interesting museums, luxurious villas, superyachts, magnificent beaches, and coastal trails with striking views… Whether you are an art enthusiast, a history geek, or a nature lover – there’s something for you in Antibes.
Doesn’t it sound like a perfect place to chill for a moment after visiting bustling Monaco just a day earlier? It sure does! To get to Antibes you’ll need to catch a train, bus, or just get in the car.
Tip. If you’ll have some free time on your hands you can also visit Mougins, the neighboring hilltop village full of picturesque alleys, numerous art galleries, and a giant Picasso head!
Learn more: 15+ Things To Do In Antibes, France
Explore local attractions
Day 6 – French Riviera hilltop villages
During day 6 of the French Riviera itinerary, we give you a few choices. We think you need to visit at least one more medieval village but we have no idea how you’ll be moving around. And unfortunately, some of them aren’t easily accessible by public transport. But you’ll reach each one of them by car, obviously.
So if public transport is your only option we recommend Saint Paul de Vence, a well-preserved medieval village full of picturesque streets, cozy squares, tall stone houses, small art galleries, craft shops, and great views. During the same day, you can also visit Haut-de-Cagnes, a historical part of Cagnes-sur-Mer located only 5km away.
If you’ll be traveling by car you can also consider visiting Mougins village combined with Grasse (known as the perfume capital of the world) or Valbonne (a village like no other on Cote d’Azur).
For the most authentic medieval experience choose Peillon, combined with nearby Peille.
Learn more: 15 Medieval Villages On Cote d’Azur, France
Day 7 – Cannes
To end your amazing trip on the French Riviera we invite you to Cannes, the world capital of cinema where glitz and glam reign. It’s a picturesque town that perfectly blends old-world charm, luxury, and natural beauty.
Posing on the red carpet, exploring historic old town, relaxing on magnificent sandy beaches, or shopping in fancy boutique shops…No matter how you wish to finish your trip, with a bang, or just enjoy Mediterranean life, you’ll find it in Cannes. There’s plenty to do for everyone!
Cannes is easily accessible by all means of transport from many places on Cote d’Azur.
Learn more: One Day In Cannes, France – 10+ Things To Do
7 Days French Riviera itinerary – Summing up
That’s it, ready to use the 7 days French Riviera itinerary. After all the time we’ve spent in the area, and with all we’ve learned and experienced, we know it’s a good one for the first visit. It’s the one that we’d personally follow if we knew what we know now.
And to think it’s only a drop in the ocean of all the amazing places on Cote d’Azur! We won’t be surprised that after your first visit, you’ll want more. Until today some magical force is constantly drawing us back to the French Riviera…
We wish you an amazing time in this beautiful corner of France!
Book now: The Best of the French Riviera Small group Guided Tour from Nice
