Alps and French Riviera Walking Tour
The famous Southern Alpine scenery and the coastal beauty... You will travel through time along paths between beautiful villages that are hundreds of years old, where the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea and the Alps meet on the horizon. You will discover the town of Menton, one of the prettiest coastline villages in Côte d'Azur, where you can take a walk along the beach and experience the French Riviera athmosphere.
Region : French Riviera
Duration : 7 Days / 6 Nights
Level :
Type : On the way
Category : Hiking
Trip : Self-guided
Activity : Walking
Dates : This tour is available from March to November
Click below to see hotels versions.
Day 1 : Arrive in Nice and Transfer to Sospel
Arrival at Nice TGV Train Station where you will be transferred to Sospel by taxi. Arrival at your charming hotel, where you will have an orientation meeting.
Accommodation : Chapelle St Gervais - "Sospel"
Day 2 : Sospel Loop through Italy
Distance 1 : 9 Miles - 15 Km
Elevation gain 1 : 600 Meters
After breakfast at your hotel, you will leave for your first day of walking. After a transfer to Breil-sur-Roya, you will start your itinerary. Following the paths of the stone terraces, you will overhang the valley, offering you a sumptuous view. You will pass by an abandoned town, Piène Haute, on the Italian border. Then you will enter the Italian territory by the city of Olivetta, before returning to the French territory by reaching Sospel.
Accommodation : Chapelle St Gervais - "Sospel"
Day 3 : From Sospel to Sainte Agnes
Distance 1 : 6 Miles - 10 Km
Elevation gain 1 : 500 Meters
Today, you leave Castillon by taxi transfer. You will enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Mediterranean Sea. Through the mountain paths, you will reach the watchtower of Mont Ours, where the splendid view of the Riviera and Corsica thanks to the clear sky will be offered to you. You will then reach Sainte Agnes, which will mark the end of your day.
Accommodation : Hotel Le Saint Yves - "Ste Agnès"
Day 4 : Sainte Agnes loop
Option 1 : 6 Miles - 10 Km
Option 2 : 9 Miles - 14 Km
Elevation gain 1 : 450 Meters
Elevation gain 2 : 600 Meters
Today, two choices are possible: A loop around Sainte Agnès is offered, and you will leave in the direction of Gorbio, a small village nested in the mountain. You can stop by to visit its castle, transformed into a museum today. You will then return to Sainte Agnes at the end of the day. Or from Sainte Agnès, you will reach the top of Baudon by the pass of Bausson. You will take a path that offers a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean. When you arrive in Cime de Baudon, you will have a 360° panoramic view of the whole region. You will then return to Saint Agnes.
Accommodation : Hotel Le Saint Yves - "Ste Agnès"
Day 5 : From Sainte Agnes to Menton
Distance 1 : 4 Miles - 7 Km
Elevation gain 1 : 250 Meters
From your hotel, you will start your walk towards the village of Castellar. A typical village in the heart of the mountains, you can stop by for a drink in one of its cafés. From there, you will take a path down to Menton and its old town. You will then reach the city for an afternoon visit before getting back to your hotel.
Accommodation : Princess Richmond - "Menton"
Day 6 : End of your trip
After breakfast at the hotel, your trip ends. You will have the opportunity to take some time in the streets of Menton.
Click below to see hotels versions.
Day : 1, 2
La Chapelle St Gervais is an ancient farmhouse, renovated in a charming and peaceful charming Bed & Breakfast, in the heart of the mountains, with a beautiful garden. Located outside the village of Sospel. they propose a delicious home-made "table d'hote" dinner !
Day : 3, 4
Perched high above the Mediterranean - though there are no bells and whistles - the modest rooms have been modernized, and the fellow walkers' ambiance here is made extremely warm and friendly by Georges & Marie-Rose. At the restaurant, you'll find the same atmosphere, and be careful what you order: the portions are set for even the most famished walker!
Day : 5
Modern and sleek, the Princess Richmond is a boutique hotel of 44 rooms, set within an arm's reach of the Mediterranean. It is ideally located facing the Mediterranean sea, in the centre of the Baie du Soleil. The rooms are all air-conditioned and comfortable. On the 7th floor, you will enjoy the large panoramic terrace, with a view stretching from Italy to Cap-Martin, equipped with a sun lounges, and a jacuzzi. It's the perfect base from which to explore the French Riviera, and from its prettiest town: Menton!
Accessories
INCLUDED
Roadbook for Discovery allows you to travel freely with all the information you need for your trip: Stages, points of interest, itineraries with interactive guidance, travel documents.
All in offline mode, you download your file before leaving, then you have all the information necessary for your trip. (Phone not provided).
INCLUDED
Our roadbooks are complete packages of information that will help you to guide yourself through the itinerary that we have planned and laid out. We have invested significant time and incorporated the feedback of our customers over many years (since 1997!) to make our roadbooks even better. Our roadbooks include: color maps, highlighted routes, touristic information, orientation points to reach hotels, and easy to follow step by step directions (cue-sheets). Please note that for custom itineraries you will not have cue sheets. Only maps and GPS routes.
INCLUDED
Our Travelbooks are complete packages of information that will help you to guide yourself through the itinerary that we have planned and laid out. You will find information about the hotels, itinerary, regional informations...
Included
- 5 nights double occupancy with private facilities
- 5 breakfasts
- 4 dinners
- 2 picnics
- Day 1 : only for the BB Chapelle st Gervais => transfer from Sospel train station to the guest house
- Day 2 : transfer from Sospel > Breil, start of the walk
- Day 3 : transfer from Sospel > Castillon pass, start of the walk
- Day 5 : transfer from St Agnes > Castellar, start of the walk
- Detailed ROAD BOOK, including details maps, touristic information, step by step itinerary and cue sheets
- Guidance Application (phone not provided)
- All luggage transfers
- Comprehensive trip literature
- Technical and emergency support available at all times
What's not included
- Day 1 : Train to the start of the tour in Sospel
- Day 6 : Train tickets to the start of the extra walks
- All lunches not noted-included in your itinerary
- Entrance fees into museums, insurance, drinks
- Items of personal nature
- SINGLE supplement
Informations & Recommendations
Arrival city is Avignon by train, from there we transfer you to Baux de Provence by taxi. Paris CDG airport to Avignon: 3 hours. Return transfer from Gordes to Avignon rail station included - allow 1 hour.
Tour rates
Contact our tour consultants for more information and an exact rate based upon your travel dates.
| Price from* & per person | Double occupancy | Single supplement (traveling with a group) | Solo traveler (traveling alone) |
| Standard | 1010 € | 220 € | 1645 € |
This tour is not available in December, January and February
Accessories
| Accessories | |
| Guidance Application | Included |
| Hiking Roadbooks | Included |
| Travelbook | Included |
Services available
| Services available | |
| Cancelation insurance | 6% |
Casual : Beginners and occasional cyclists. Easiest tours we provide. Typically flatter terrain, no notable hills or anything of a steep gradient.
Hobby : Weekend riders. People with some cycling experience, rolling countryside, possible short climbs.
Active : Cyclists with experience on longer rides. Hilly terrain with reasonable amount of climbs and difficulty
Pro : Avid cyclists, ride every week and love long and challenging rides. Dream on riding the Tour de France cols.
Comparison chart : (15km/hrs)
| Average dist (miles) | Average dist (km) | Elevation max/day (m) | Average hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual |
< 28 | < 45 | < 300m | 3-4 |
| Hobby |
18 - 35 | 30 - 55 | 300-550m | 3-5 |
| Active |
30 - 60 | 50 - 100 | 550-1000m | 4-6 |
| Pro |
> 60 | > 100 | > 1000m | > 5 |
Some of our tours can be in 2 different level, we have itinerary for both versions
Casual : Beginners and occasional hikers. Typically flatter terrain with just rolling hills.
Hobby : Weekend hikers. People with some experience hiking around trails.
Active : Hikers with experience on longer hikes. Hilly terrain with some steep gradients.
Pro : Randonneurs avides, randonnée chaque semaine et adore les longues et difficiles randonnées.
Comparison chart : (4km/hrs)
| Average dist (miles) | Average dist (km) | Elevation max/day (m) | Average hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual |
< 6 | < 10 | < 150m | 2.5 |
| Hobby |
6 - 9 | 10 - 15 | 150-300m | 25-375 |
| Active |
9 - 11 | 11 - 18 | 300-450m | 3.75 - 4.5 |
| Pro |
> 11 | > 18 | > 450m | 4.5-6 |
Some of our tours can be in 2 different level, we have itinerary for both versions