Two countries in one day: the French and Italian Rivieras

Italy is only a 40-minute drive from Nice. Cross the border and you find rustic villages, hidden medieval valleys and Ligurian food. This private tour takes you through the Côte d’Azur and Liguria, to quiet places rather than crowded tourist spots.

1. Bordighera, Italy: the city of palms

An elegant seaside town that has kept its Belle Époque style. It was the first European city to grow palm trees.

• Villas: grand 19th-century houses that were once retreats for European royalty and the wealthy.
• The light: stand where famous painters were struck by the clarity of the Italian sun.
• Gardens: fragrant, flower-lined promenades.

2. Dolceacqua, a medieval village in the hills

Inland, in the green hills, Dolceacqua is so beautiful that Claude Monet painted it. Little seems to have changed in centuries.

• The Monet bridge: a 15th-century single-span bridge he called a « jewel of lightness ».
• The carrugi: cool, vaulted stone alleys with artisan shops and small galleries.
• Doria Castle: the ruins of the Doria family fortress, with 360° views over olive groves and vineyards.
• Tasting: a stop at a local cellar for Rossese di Dolceacqua wine and traditional Italian digestifs.

3. Menton, France: the lemon city

Back in France, we end the day in Menton, the warmest town on the French Riviera, right on the border and known for its lemons.

• The Old Town: terracotta, ochre and lemon-yellow houses stacked down to the sea.
• Saint-Michel Basilica: a Baroque church above a pebble-mosaic square, with one of the best views in the South of France.
• Lemons and sea: the microclimate that makes Menton the « Lemon Capital ».

Why book this private tour

• Both sides of the border with a guide who knows each of them.
• Off the beaten path: valleys and cellars that the big tour buses skip.
• Your pace: a private vehicle and a schedule built around you.

Want to walk where Monet painted and taste Liguria? Contact us to plan your private French and Italian Riviera day.

Guy Alfonsi. Born in Nice, 20+ years of guiding. TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence since 2014.