# GorgesDuVerdon.org - Gorges du Verdon day trips and tours, compared

> Independent guide to the Gorges du Verdon in Provence, France: day trips from Nice, Cannes, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille,
> what tours see from the rim and from the water, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Lac de Sainte-Croix, lavender dates, prices and booking.
> Not affiliated with any tour operator, the Parc naturel regional du Verdon, a tourist office or Viator.

Site: https://gorgesduverdon.org
Language: en. Currency: USD for online tours, EUR for local prices. Country: France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Var).

## Verified facts

- The gorge is about 25 km long (Castellane to Pont du Galetas on Lac de Sainte-Croix) and up to 700 m deep (Wikipedia).
- Drive times to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie: about 2 h 15 from Nice, 2 h from Marseille, 1 h 45 from Aix-en-Provence (Moustiers tourist office).
- Route des Cretes (D23, La Palud-sur-Verdon): loop of about 23-24 km with 14 viewpoints; the one-way middle section closes from the 4th Friday of November to the 4th Friday of March.
- Lavender on the Valensole plateau usually blooms about 15 June to 15 July; harvest starts in late June (regional tourism board).
- Pedal boats rent at Pont du Galetas from early April to late October (about EUR 25 per hour at Pedalos chez Nounet); boats may go about 2 km into the canyon, up to a line of yellow buoys protecting the apron fish.
- EDF dam releases can raise the river within minutes; swimming is banned along the Blanc-Martel trail. Swim at the lake beaches.
- Blanc-Martel trail: about 15-16 km one-way, 5.5-7 hours, torch needed for tunnels; a 2026 rockfall diversion is in place near Point Sublime.
- Lac de Sainte-Croix: reservoir of about 22 km2 behind a dam completed in 1974. Parc naturel regional du Verdon created 3 March 1997.
- Point Sublime car park is paid in season (2026: 30 April to 27 September, EUR 2.50 per hour).

## Tours listed on this site

Booking links are Viator affiliate links (pid P00318890). The site earns a commission at no extra cost to the reader
and says so at https://gorgesduverdon.org/affiliate-disclosure/.
Prices are 'from' prices in USD at the last build and move.

- Gorges du Verdon & Lake Sainte-Croix from Nice (Castellane, the gorge, Moustiers, the lake) - from $143 per person, 9 hours, at the gorge: Viewpoints from the road, free time at the lake; rated 4.6 from 402 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/verdon-gorge-lake-day-trip-from-nice/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Nice/Gorges-du-Verdon-Shared-Tour-from-Nice/d478-85693P18
- Valensole, Moustiers & the Verdon from Aix (Valensole, Moustiers, Pont du Galetas) - from $182 per person, 9.5 hours, at the gorge: View from Pont du Galetas, lake swim; rated 4.6 from 85 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/verdon-moustiers-valensole-from-aix/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Aix-en-Provence/Verdon-Gorge-and-Moustiers-Sainte-Marie-Day-Trip-from-Aix-en-Provence/d5228-5849VERDON
- Verdon Gorge & Moustiers Day Trip from Nice (Castellane, the gorge, Moustiers) - from $126 per person, 10 hours, at the gorge: Viewpoints from the road; rated 3.9 from 403 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/verdon-gorge-moustiers-day-trip-from-nice/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Nice/Excursion-dune-journee-dans-les-gorges-du-verdon-castellane-et-moustiers-Ste-marie-depart-de-Nice/d478-86512P16
- Verdon, Lavender & Moustiers from Nice (Castellane, the gorge, Valensole, the lake, Moustiers) - from $159 per person, 10 hours, at the gorge: A viewpoint over the gorge, lake free time; rated 4.5 from 104 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/verdon-lavender-moustiers-from-nice-max-8/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Nice/Small-group-full-day-excursion-to-The-Grand-Canyon-of-Europe/d478-88256P15
- Verdon Canyon & Lake Day Trip from Cannes (Castellane, Moustiers, Lac de Sainte-Croix) - from $147 per person, 9 hours, at the gorge: Views on the way, free time at the lake; rated 5.0 from 4 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/verdon-canyon-lake-day-trip-from-cannes/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Cannes/Gorges-du-Verdon-Largest-Canyon-of-Europe-and-its-Lake-from-Cannes/d786-85693P49
- Lavender, Canyon Boat Picnic & Villages from Aix (Valensole, the canyon by boat, Moustiers) - from $1,430 per group, 7 hours, at the gorge: 2 h on your own electric boat; rated 4.9 from 35 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/verdon-boat-picnic-lavender-from-aix/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Aix-en-Provence/Boat-ride-picnic-on-the-lake-and-villages-in-Gorges-du-Verdon/d5228-476917P3
- Verdon Aqua Trekking near Castellane (Castellane, meet on site) - from $74 per person, 3.5 hours, at the gorge: In the river, 1.5 h or more; rated 4.9 from 108 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/verdon-aqua-trekking-castellane/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Castellane/Rando-Aqua-Le-Pont-de-Tusset-Discovery-Course/d25737-144067P2
- Valensole Sunset Lavender Tour from Marseille (Valensole plateau, no Verdon stop) - from $131 per person, 5 to 6 hours, at the gorge: No Verdon stop; rated 4.8 from 49 Viator reviews. Page: https://gorgesduverdon.org/tours/valensole-sunset-lavender-from-marseille/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Marseille/Sunset-in-the-Lavender-Fields/d485-144351P17

## Guide pages

- https://gorgesduverdon.org/guides/gorges-du-verdon-day-trip-from-nice/ - A Gorges du Verdon day trip from Nice: the 2 h 15 drive each way, what you see from the rim, Moustiers, the lake, and which of the Nice tours to book.
- https://gorgesduverdon.org/guides/gorges-du-verdon-tour-prices/ - Gorges du Verdon tour prices for 2026: day trips from $126 to $182, a private boat day at $1,430 per group, and the extras no tour includes.
- https://gorgesduverdon.org/guides/verdon-lavender-season/ - When the Valensole lavender blooms near the Gorges du Verdon: mid-June to mid-July, harvest from late June, what August looks like, and which tours stop.
- https://gorgesduverdon.org/guides/gorges-du-verdon-pedal-boat-and-swimming/ - Pedal boats at Pont du Galetas in 2026: €25 an hour, how far into the gorge you can go, booking, wind closures, and where swimming is safe in the Verdon.
- https://gorgesduverdon.org/guides/moustiers-sainte-marie/ - Moustiers-Sainte-Marie on a Verdon day: the star on its chain, 262 steps to the chapel, the faience museum (€5), parking, and how much time to allow.
- https://gorgesduverdon.org/guides/gorges-du-verdon-without-a-car/ - The Gorges du Verdon without a car: what Zou! buses 51 and 450 reach, what they miss, the hikers' shuttle, and day tours with pickup in Nice, Cannes and Aix.

## Blog posts (dated)

- 2026-10-15: https://gorgesduverdon.org/blog/route-des-cretes-winter-closure-2026-27/ - The middle of the Route des Crêtes closes from 27 November 2026 to 26 March 2027. What stays open, winter roadworks and what Verdon day tours do instead.
- 2026-10-15: https://gorgesduverdon.org/blog/blanc-martel-trail-diversion-2026/ - A rockfall closed the Blanc-Martel trail between the Couloir Samson and Point Sublime. The detour, 2026 shuttle dates and prices, and other ways to the water.
- 2026-10-15: https://gorgesduverdon.org/blog/verdon-lavender-2027-dates/ - When the Valensole lavender should bloom in 2027, what the 2026 season showed, when the harvest and lavender festival fall, and how to time a Verdon tour.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- Day tours see the Gorges du Verdon from roadside viewpoints; none walks the canyon floor.
- The Verdon is not comparable in size to the Grand Canyon (about 25 km long and 700 m deep versus 446 km and about 1,860 m).
- Lavender near the Verdon is not in bloom all summer: by August most Valensole fields are harvested.
- No public bus runs the Route des Cretes loop, the Corniche Sublime or down to Pont du Galetas; seasonal Zou! line 450 links Moustiers, La Palud, Point Sublime and Castellane.
- Pedal boats cannot go through the whole gorge: about 2 km upstream from Pont du Galetas at most.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage or the relevant tour page. Prices, itineraries and seasons change; verify close to your travel date.