EN
EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañolItaliano
Home / Tours / Nice day trip for eight

Local operator · Nice

Verdon and lavender, eight seats from Nice

Eight guests at most leave Nice at 8 a.m. for Castellane, a viewpoint over the gorge, the Valensole lavender, free time by Lac de Sainte-Croix and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Pick it for late June or early July, when one day gives you the canyon, the lake and the purple fields together.

Verdon, Lavender & Moustiers from Nice

About this experience

Five stops in ten hours. Pickup is at your Nice hotel around 8 a.m., and the first two hours are on the road to Castellane, where you stop briefly below the Roc. Next comes a viewpoint over the gorge, a canyon up to 700 m deep, then the lavender of the Valensole plateau, free time at Lac de Sainte-Croix and, to finish, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.

The name is muddled. The listing now reads "Private Trip", yet it's priced per person (from $159) and still caps the group at eight, as its older "Small group" title said. Treat it as a small-group day unless the booking page offers a private option for your date, and check before you pay.

Guests rate it 4.5 from 104 reviews, and the guides Catherine and Laurent get named praise. The criticism is useful too. One guest found the lavender already harvested with no warning. Another counted about six hours in the van and three or four short stops. One said the guide spoke French most of the day. Book for late June or early July, and ask for English commentary in writing.

  • Eight guests at most
  • Hotel pickup in Nice
  • Valensole lavender from mid-June to mid-July
  • A viewpoint over the gorge
  • Free time at Lac de Sainte-Croix
  • Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to finish

How the day runs

  1. 8:00Hotel pickup

    An air-conditioned minivan collects you from your Nice hotel.

  2. About 2 hCastellane

    A short stop below the Roc and its chapel.

  3. Late morningGorge viewpoint

    A stop on the rim, looking down into the canyon.

  4. MiddayValensole plateau

    Lavender rows from roughly mid-June to mid-July. Outside that, open farmland.

  5. AfternoonLake and Moustiers

    Free time at Lac de Sainte-Croix, then the faience village under its star.

  6. EveningBack in Nice

    Drop-off at your hotel about ten hours after pickup.

Lavender rows in bloom beside a field of ripe wheat on the Valensole plateauA stone-walled road on the rim of the Verdon gorge, with a car at a lay-by above the riverPedal boats on Lac de Sainte-Croix at the entrance to the canyon

What's included

Included

  • Professional driver-guide for the whole day
  • Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation
  • Recent, comfortable air-conditioned vehicle

Not included

  • Lunch (it's not on the inclusions list, so bring money for it)
  • Boat or kayak rental at the lake

Who it suits

Book it if

  • You want lavender and the Verdon in one day, in late June or early July
  • You want eight seats, not sixteen
  • You like a day with a bit of everything: a town, a viewpoint, fields, a lake, a village

Skip it if

  • Your dates fall after mid-July: the lavender is likely cut
  • You want long stops: guests count about six hours in the van
  • You need English commentary and the operator won't confirm it

Tips before you book

  • Message the operator after booking with two questions: English commentary, and whether the lavender is still standing for your date.
  • From mid-July many Valensole fields are harvested. The regional tourist board puts the bloom at about 15 June to 15 July.
  • Don't walk into the rows for photos. The fields are private farmland and the official advice is to stay out of them.
  • Pack a swimsuit for the lake stop, and something for car sickness.

Read next:

Frequently asked questions

Is the Nice Verdon trip for eight private or small-group?

The current title says Private Trip, but the price is per person and the cap is eight, which is how a small-group tour is sold. Check the format on the booking page for your date before paying.

Will the lavender be in bloom on the Nice day trip?

From roughly mid-June to mid-July, as the listing says. One guest found the field already harvested. Late June to early July is the safe window; August means cut stalks.

How much of the day is spent driving?

A lot. Guests report about six hours in the van across a ten-hour day, with three or four stops. Moustiers alone is about 2 h 15 from Nice.

How is it different from the Nice lake tour?

The lake tour has no Valensole stop and gives more time at the water. This one adds lavender in season, for $159 against $143.

Ready to book

Book Nice day trip for eight

Eight guests at most, hotel pickup in Nice, the gorge, the lake and a lavender stop from mid-June to mid-July.

Check availability on Viator Compare all tours

Compare with

Gorges du Verdon & Lake Sainte-Croix from NiceThe most-reviewed Nice day: Castellane, the canyon road, Moustiers and free time at Lac de Sainte-Croix, eight seats at most.★ 4.6 · 9 hours · from $143Verdon Gorge & Moustiers Day Trip from NiceThe cheapest seat from Nice: Castellane, gorge views, an hour in Moustiers and lavender in season. Mixed reviews on short stops.★ 3.9 · 10 hours · from $126Valensole, Moustiers & the Verdon from AixThe shortest drive to the Verdon: Valensole, Moustiers and a lake swim by Pont du Galetas, from Aix with eight guests at most.★ 4.6 · 9.5 hours · from $182

Plan your date before you go

Eight guests at most, hotel pickup in Nice, the gorge, the lake and a lavender stop from mid-June to mid-July.

Check dates for the Nice day trip for eight