Hiking in Vence country in the French Riviera

The ancient village of Vence. Photo: Paula Soler Moya (Flickr)

Hiking in Vence country in the French Riviera (Southern Alps)

Fabrice, an UIMLA Mountain Leader, takes you on a hiking day trip with amazing views, in the countryside near the medieval village of Saint Paul de Vence, very close to the French Riviera.

MOUNTAIN RANGES

Alps

DURATION

1 Day

OFFER PERIOD

Jan - May, Sep - Dec

FITNESS LEVEL

Occasional

SKILL LEVEL

Intermediate

PAYMENT METHODS

Credit Card, Wire Transfer and more!

Description

A milennial oak tree, a beautiful medieval village perched above the French Riviera, great views from the hilltops, shepherds and farming life, and many surprising evidences of 4000 years of human life, from the Copper Age to the Middle Ages or from even more recent times are the higlights of this hike.

Baous is the local name for the little hills and cliffs in Provence and in the southern French Alps nearby Nice, Cannes and the very famous village of Saint Paul de Vence on the French Riviera.

Located about 40 minutes from Nice, the main city of the French Riviera, this is a nice wilderness gateway into the Alps in spring or fall, avoiding summertime as it would be too hot.

From there we can enjoy broad views on the Mediterranean coastline and the high alpine peaks of the large Mercantour National Park in the north.

Landscapes are quite diversified with oak tree forest, very Provencal limestone hills covered of rosemary, thyme and Sage and ancient terraced fields.

We can propose you two hiking options, one for beginners and the other for more fit hikers.

Easier option: We can hike one Baou (small moutain), 4 hours and about 450 feet ascent.
Intermediate option: We can hike two B_aous_, la Gaude and St Jeannet, 5 hours and about 550 feet ascent.

If you wish to do just a half day hike, I offer a shorter option in the same area of about 3 hours and 450 feet ascent. In this case, you have to be a bit fit to keep the pace, as the trail is a little steep.

You will be amazed by the views on these hikes, embracing the Mediterranean Sea to the southern French Alps and all the French Riviera coastline.

So what are you waiting for? Send me a request, book your trip and come discover this hidden jewel in the French Riviera with a great hiking tour. If you are looking for more hiking options, you could check out my profile link.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Price details

A small snack is included in the price.// Price per person from 8 to 10 people: 30 EUR - From 10 to 12 people: 25 EUR.

Secure your spot with just 25% payment

48-hour free cancellation with 30-day advance booking

Details

More info

-Picnic can be provided for 10 € per person. -Transportation may be proposed from Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo or any other French Riviera cities (Please contact us for prices and more informations).

Check List: Walking shoes or boots. Breathable Jacket Micro fleece and mountain t-shirts, if possible avoid cotton t-shirts. Cap. Water bottle (1 liter/pers). Sun protection cream, sunglasses

Meeting point

Saint Jeannet Village parking. 30 minutes from Nice, 1 hour from Cannes or Monte Carlo

About the guide: Fabrice

Fabrice

4.90

(39)

Mountain Leader

I am a hiking guide (International Mountain Leader) who has been working all over France (including Provence and the Alps), Italy and Portugal since 2001. I speak fluent English due to my frequent trips to Taos Ski Valley (in New Mexico, USA where my family runs a great hotel and ski school), and my hiking trips in the American Southwest.

I live mainly in Nice (French Riviera), but I also move all over the Alps working in different alpine valleys. I often visit Martinique (French Caribbean island), where I enjoy rainforest and tropical hikes.

When I´m not guiding, I also work as a photographer, and like to climb, ski, play tennis, or kitesurf in my spare time. Additionally, I really enjoy botany and history.

I can guide you for a half day or for as many days as you like. I´ll take you to discover my favourite French Riviera alpine region, and the wild and large Mercantour National Park (counting 8 different valleys) near Nice, Monte Carlo and Cannes.

In my region we can enjoy the Mediterranean landscape at sea level. As we move into higher altitudes, we will discover alpine lakes, larch or pine forests, orchids and alpine flowers, open meadows, spectacular medieval perched villages and old baroque chapels and churches, with great historic value.

We can also discover the hiking hotspots in Provence such as Calanques National Park, Verdon gorges, Sainte Victoire and the Var region, with Saint Tropez a particular highlight.

I also love to hike in Italy in the very famous world heritage Cinque Terre (the amazing national park of the "Five Lands"), or in Liguria near San Remo.

And finally, I always enjoy taking my guests to the northern Alps: to Chamonix and Mont Blanc´s amazingly large panoramas or to the great Vanoise National Park, the largest in the heart of French Alps.

Languages

French | English

Certificates

UIMLA

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What people are saying about Fabrice

Mark

5.00

Highly recommend hiring Fabrice as your guide for exploring southern France. As someone unfamiliar with the region, I wasn't up to the task of planning a hike on my own. Particularly a hike in the winter. Fabrice made it all easy. He is incredibly knowledgeable of the region's geography and weather and so was able to tailor a hike just based on the next day's weather forecast. A critical skill for hiking in December. I learned about the natural landscape, vegetation and even how to hike with less stress on my knees. He also taught me about Nordic hiking which is something I definitely want to try again. For sure, I'll be hiring Fabrice again on my next trip to France.

Sue

5.00

Fabrice is a first-class guide! Taking into account last-minute weather changes and after assessing our fitness, he quickly customised an exciting itinerary that led us from the Préalpes to the beautiful hilltop villages of Gourdon, Tourettes-sur-Loup and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. He pointed out great photo opportunities, so we managed to take plenty of nicely-framed photos on our smartphones. Fabrice also introduced us to the game of pétanque and thanks to him, we were able to understand and appreciate the games as they were being played by the locals during our trip.

Daniel

5.00

Fabrice was a wonderful guide with a wide knowledge of not only the history of the area but the flora and fauna of the French Mediterranean coast. The hike provided beautiful views of the cities along the coast as well as the mountains behind them. Highly recommend both the hike and the guide.

matthew

4.00

Fabrice is an adept guide. He took us on some amazing hikes. We were happy to have him guide us to get the most out of our 3 days in Chamonix.

Elias

5.00

Had a wonderful hike with Fabrice as our hiking guide. Highly recommend! If you are from the East Coast of the U.S., recommend going one skill level down from what you think is the right fit for you, since the elevation/altitude of the Alps makes the hike harder than you are likely used to (less oxygen in the air). I did the "moderate plus" thinking it would be easy for me--it was a serious workout! :)