Things to do on the Riviera and around
From boat trips to the Îles de Lérins and snorkeling off Villefranche to hikes toward the Mercantour and day trips to Saint-Tropez, the Riviera rewards visitors with excursions for every kind of trip.
Signature experiences
The excursions that define a first trip to the Riviera — a walk through Vieux-Nice, a swim off the Promenade des Anglais, and a first look at Monaco.
Boat trips and cruises
Catamaran outings, sunset sailing and ferries to the Îles de Lérins, Monaco and the Corniches.
9 guides
Day trips
Full-day and half-day excursions from Nice to Monaco, Saint-Tropez, the Verdon gorges and the Italian Riviera.
14 guides
Perfume workshops
Create your own fragrance at Fragonard, Molinard or Galimard, Grasse's historic perfume houses.
4 guides
Food and wine
Market tours, olive oil tastings, Provençal cooking classes and vineyard visits around Nice and Grasse.
9 guides
Scenic flights
Helicopter, seaplane and paragliding flights over the Baie des Anges, Monaco and the Esterel coastline.
2 guides
Walking and city tours
Guided walks through Vieux-Nice, Cours Saleya and the Colline du Château with a local guide.
5 guides
Bike, scooter and car tours
Electric bike rides on the Promenade des Anglais and vintage car or scooter tours of the Corniches.
4 guides
Water sports
Kayaking, scuba diving, jet-skiing and paddleboarding along Nice's pebble beaches and the Lérins Islands.
3 guides
Outdoor adventure
Hiking, canyoning and via ferrata in the Mercantour, the Vallée des Merveilles and the Verdon gorges.
3 guides
Museums and attractions
Skip-the-line tickets for the Musée Matisse, the Musée océanographique and the Jardin exotique d'Èze.
2 guides
Photo shoots
Professional photo sessions in Vieux-Nice, on the Promenade des Anglais or above Èze village.
2 guides
Classes and workshops
Painting sessions, pottery, jewellery making and pétanque lessons in Nice and the perched villages.
1 guide
Airport transfers
Private and shared rides between Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and Nice, Monaco, Cannes or Antibes hotels.
1 guideMore ways to experience the region
Specialist interests and practical planning - photo sessions, water sports, seasonal timing, and the comparisons every first-time visitor searches for.
Planning your trip
Itineraries, how-many-days guides and first-time advice for organising a stay on the Riviera.
12 guides
Comparisons
Side-by-side guides weighing Nice against Cannes, Monaco or nearby villages for your next stay.
7 guides
Best time to visit
Seasonal guides covering weather, crowds and events like the Carnaval de Nice and the Cannes festival.
8 guides
Getting around
Guides to Lignes d'Azur buses, TER trains and driving the Corniches between Nice, Monaco and Cannes.
9 guides
Nice with kids
Family-friendly guides to beaches, parks and activities suited to children along the Riviera.
2 guides
Accessible travel
Practical guides on step-free access, adapted transport and accessible beaches in Nice and Monaco.
1 guide
Budget travel
Money-saving guides on free sights, affordable eats and low-cost transport around the Riviera.
4 guidesBrowse by destination
Tours and activities organised by where you're headed — the best of each city and region.
Good to know about things to do in Nice and the French Riviera
The French Riviera's outdoor activities are spread across very different terrain, and this hub gathers the ones that can be booked in advance through Nice Spirit's two partners, GetYourGuide and Viator, rather than every possible way to spend a day here. Boat trips are the obvious starting point on a coast built around headlands and inlets: guided outings range from short hops to Villefranche-sur-Mer and Monaco to full-day excursions to the Îles de Lérins, which have no road access and can only be reached by boat from Cannes.
Snorkelling and kayaking are concentrated around the calmer bays near Villefranche-sur-Mer and the Cap d'Antibes, where the water is sheltered enough for a genuine outing. For a different kind of vantage point, a helicopter flight from Nice is the way most visitors see the full shape of the corniches and Monaco from above, especially useful when summer crowds or road traffic rule out a comfortable ground approach to Èze or La Turbie.
Wine tastings cover Bellet, the small AOC just above Nice, from cellar visits to guided pairings, though access depends on the individual estate's opening days, so this hub points you to the operator listing or the official source for up-to-date conditions rather than guessing at them. Because corniche roads and hinterland trails here can take far longer than map distance suggests, and because summer crowding at Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Monaco is genuinely time-of-day dependent, each activity listed here is described with the honest travel time and access caveats that make the difference between a trip that goes to plan and one that doesn't.
Prices, exact durations and availability change by operator and season, so check the current GetYourGuide or Viator listing before booking rather than relying on any figure quoted elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions about things to do in Nice and the French Riviera
What outdoor activities can I book in advance on the French Riviera?
The main bookable categories are hiking, canyoning, paragliding, helicopter and microlight flights, whale and dolphin boat trips, snorkelling and diving, and volcano tours. All are listed through GetYourGuide or Viator on this site.
Is canyoning suitable for beginners?
Boat trips to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco and the Îles de Lérins vary in length and season, and operator listings usually state the duration and departure point. Check the specific GetYourGuide or Viator listing before booking to make sure it matches your plans.
Can I see Monaco up close?
Access depends on trail conditions and any restrictions around the Vallée des Merveilles, especially in the Vésubie and Roya valleys still recovering from Storm Alex. Guided walks are the way to approach the rock engravings, but check current access before planning your route.
Is there a season for seeing whales?
Whale and dolphin boat trips run seasonally off the west coast. Check current GetYourGuide or Viator listings for which trips are running at the time of your visit.
Do I need to book activities through GetYourGuide or Viator?
These are the two booking partners used on this site, and booking through them secures your spot and gives access to current pricing and availability. Both operate widely across the island's hiking, canyoning, flight and water-based activities.
Boat cruises to Monaco, Cannes and the Îles de Lérins
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GetYourGuide does not provide a product photo for this activity — the image shows the meeting point, photographed by us.
