Whether you are in Cannes or Nice, a shore excursion to Monaco is not to be missed. With the principality’s many iconic sights and sounds, you will want to make sure this bucket-list special definitely gets ticked off.
Check out the selection below of five of the best tours from each starting point. There are options for private tours, for a memorable day out for a family, or for a large friendship group. If your group is smaller, or you are a couple on a special getaway, there are tours to suit you too.
Nice or Cannes are splendid spots on the Riviera, but the pinnacle of glitz and glam has to be a shore excursion to Monaco and Eze, where you will be able to see the sights that have made Monte-Carlo the legendary destination it rightly is.
5 Best Monte Carlo Shore Excursions From Nice
- Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo
- Eze Monaco and Monte Carlo with Night Tour
- French Riviera Full-Day Tour
- Full Day Best of the Riviera
- Monaco Night Tour with Dinner
Nice is a terrific base to explore the embarrassment of riches throughout the French Riviera and Monagasque Coast. Treat yourself to a day, half-day, or night tour led by an experienced guide who will help you uncover the region’s secrets.
Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo
This five-hour, half-day tour covers all the best spots for those timeline pics on your Instagram account, highlighting the glamour of Monte-Carlo and the fabulousness of the Fragonard Perfumery in the mountain village of Eze.
- Get picked up from your accommodation directly after your chocolate croissant and coffee, or wait until after lunch for the air-conditioned tour bus to arrive and whisk you into the Riviera mountains to the eagles’ nest village of Eze, with its spectacular views of the coastline, including Cap Ferrat.
- Spend time seeing the medieval village, and spend money in the exclusive art galleries, workshops, and boutiques that line its ancient streets.
- At the Fragonard Perfume Factory learn about the region’s amazing industry creating scents for discerning noses around the world. Take some home for yourself, or a special someone.
- Roll down the corniche into Monaco proper, and take a tour of the world-famous Grand Prix Circuit. Keep a look out for the many supercars that roar through the streets of the principality.
- You will get an hour to explore the city of Monte-Carlo before heading back to Nice, giving you a taste of what there is to see here.
- The morning tour schedule starts at 8:30 am and your visit to Monte-Carlo will usually time in nicely with the changing of the guard at the Prince’s Palace.
Eze Monaco and Monte Carlo with Night Tour
Some argue that the very best time to see Monaco is as the sun goes down over the Mediterranean Sea and all the lights come on along the promenades and in the streets and squares, parks and gardens, hotels, and other attractions.
A night tour can be just the ticket, especially if you book up a meal out or want to attempt breaking the bank at the Casino.
- Get picked up from your accommodation, and your professional driver and guide will take you on a tour of the Fragonard Factory in Eze and the spectacular views it affords.
- Take in the aromas, and buy some to take home with you before seeing the sunset casting its magic across the Riviera from the best ringside seat in the region.
- In the city of Monte-Carlo, you absolutely should visit Casino Square for the atmosphere, the lights, the glamour, the supercars, and the James Bond impersonators. You will think you’re in a movie!
- After your evening of sightseeing after dark, perhaps with a meal at one of the dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants, your driver will return you to your hotel.
French Riviera Full-Day Tour
If an evening or a half-day doesn’t seem like enough time to see everything you’d like to see, then you’re probably right. To be fair, extending your tour to take in an entire day will give you time to take in more of what this unique destination can offer.
Many of these tours take in the hilltop medieval village of Eze, and there’s an excellent reason for that: it is truly spectacular. It is one of those not-to-be-missed experiences, part of which, the Fragonard Perfumery, is the literal cherry on the top.
- Your tour guide will pick you up from your accommodation and the morning will be spent touring the corniche and winding up the mountainside to Eze, before descending to Monaco and the old town.
- Visit the Palace and the Cathedral, both scenes redolent with the historical romances of the Grimaldi family, and the resting place of Hollywood star and Princess, Grace of Monaco, spouse of Prince Rainier.
- Ride the Grand Prix Circuit before heading off along the coast road to Cannes, then to the ancient city of Antibes, before stopping off in the picturesque St Paul de Vence, possibly one of the prettiest villages on this part of the French Mediterranean coast.
Full Day Best of the Riviera
They say that Nice is nice, but have you seen Cannes? Not the tinned food, but the literal, utter Beverly Hills of France, where the movie stars hang out every year at the International Film Festival?
This full-day tour will make sure you get to see all the best bits of the Riviera, from top to bottom, over a breathtaking minimum of nine hours, door to door. As with most tours, this one comes in a selection of languages and has a shared or private option.
- Take a ride along the Promenade des Anglais in Cannes, lined with palm trees and beautiful belle epoch frontages. See where the red carpet gets rolled out every year for the superstars, for the hopefuls, and for those in the know!
- In Antibes, take in the view of the Bay of Angels from the ancient fortified city walls before rising up from sea level to the fabled eagle’s nest of Eze.
- Later on, visit Monaco with its fantastic array of attractions, whether you want to window shop like a millionaire or explore the cultural centers the city has to offer, there is a wealth of choices that can be tailored to suit if you pick the private tour option.
Monaco Night Tour with Dinner
Ride the corniche into Monaco as the sun goes down over the Mediterranean Sea and witness the sparkle and glitz of Monte Carlo come to life as you follow the route of the Grand Prix Circuit.
- A three-course meal on the beach tops out this tour, which lets you soak up the Royal ambiance of this fabled principality. Relax under the crystal glow of the city lights as they compete with the stars.
- Take the private tour option to provide a treat for your family or friends, but remember that drinks are not included in the price, so you will have to provide your vintage champagne!
5 Best Monte Carlo Shore Excursions From Cannes
- Full Day Monaco, Eze, and Monte Carlo
- Monaco Small Group Night Tour
- Eze, Monaco, and Monte Carlo Private Tour
- Nice, Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo
- Private Day Trip to Monaco and Eze
Cannes is a legendary world-class destination with many attractions, but its location, close to Monaco, and its iconic palaces and plazas make it an ideal jumping-off point for a shore excursion to Monte Carlo. Check out these five top tour selections!
Full Day Monaco, Eze, and Monte Carlo
This tour, with a private option, takes you on a high corniche road up to the top of Mount Boron with its superb panoramas of Cannes below on the Riviera Coast. Take in Eze, Monaco, Villefranche, and Cannes in a memorable day of sightseeing
- Enjoy the luxury of an eight-seat air-conditioned minibus and the attention of a bilingual professional guide.
- Visit the Fragonard Perfumery in the mountaintop village of Eze, the ‘eagles-nest’ with its views of Monaco.
- Choose to spend time touring the Prince’s Palace in the old town or try your luck at the roulette tables in the fabulous Casino. Entry to the attractions is not included in the price, and there is a dress code in the Casino, check before you go!
- Book a table for lunch at the Cafe de Paris and watch the world go round in Casino Square.
Monaco Small Group Night Tour
From your hotel, get whisked along the corniche roads into Monaco as the sun descends below the waves of the Mediterranean and the lights of the city come on. Pre-book a dinner date at one of Monte Carlo’s top restaurants and let your guide give you a chapter and verse on the history of the area.
- The tour takes in the sights and sounds of Monaco after dark, including the Formula One Racetrack that hairpins and turns around the city streets.
- Check out the supercars parked in front of the Casino on any given evening and enjoy the harbor lights at Port Hercules, a favored mooring spot for million-dollar yachts!
- At the end of an unforgettable evening, your tour guide will return you along the coast road to your hotel, taking in the sights lit up along the way in Villefranche and Antibes.
Eze, Monaco, and Monte Carlo Private Tour
With a pick-up direct from the port at Cannes this private shore leave excursion is perfect for any size group of up to eight participants. The air-conditioned vehicle will keep you comfortable on the hottest days, and your professional guide will be happy to tailor your tour depending upon your interests.
- The must-see visit to the Fragonard Factory is the first point of call, with the medieval streets of the village of Eze, and the incredible panoramic views of Monaco below. It is an Insta-ready opportunity to show off your traveling chops on your timeline too!
- In Monaco, explore the old town, ride the Formula One Circuit, and try beating the house at the world-famous Casino
Nice, Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo
It is a perfect selection for cruise ship passengers who want to see the sights with the convenience of a pick-up from the quayside. This is a very popular tour that gets booked up quickly, and it’s easy to see why.
- It is a completely private tour that can go at the pace you decide to set. Spend as little time or as much as you want at any destination, or simply let your professional guide take the reins and build you a day to remember!
- The first stop is Nice, the de-facto capital of the Côte d’Azur, with its famous Bay of Angels and the Promenade des Anglais.
- Next, see the medieval village of Eze and the famous Perfumery of Fragonard high on the corniche.
- Visit the old town in Monaco, high on its rock above the deep water Port Hercules, once the safe harbor for Grimaldi and Genoese traders, now a top spot for million-dollar yachts.
- Drive by the Grand Prix circuit before seeing all the classic landmarks in the Principality and stopping off in the iconic Casino Square to soak in all the atmosphere of the place.
Private Day Trip to Monaco and Eze
Another terrific tour choice for cruise ship passengers is this twin-location, mountain-top, and city, narrated private visit for up to eight people. Whether you are in a family or friendship group make sure you don’t miss a thing on this iconic tour of the Côte d’Azur.
- Old and new, ancient and modern combine on this tour to give you a unique perspective on the history and development of the region. The Fragonard Factory may be at the new, cutting edge of production, but its recipes are as old as the hills.
- In Monte-Carlo witness the traditional changing of the guard at the centuries-old Prince’s Palace on the Grimaldi stronghold, the Rock of Monaco in the old town.
- Tours are guaranteed to be in English but are available on request in a range of languages in the high, summer season, including French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and Portuguese.
- Pick-up and drop-off at the quay. Larger groups can be accommodated at the time of booking (i.e. more than one minibus) and car seats for infants should also be requested at the same time.
- Suitable for foldable strollers and wheelchairs only.
