Miss Witham says...
Overall, an excellent holiday with a varied walking itinerary, comfortable well located hotel and great weather. The local walking guide, Sandrine, was ...
Read reviews »
On the Franco-Italian border, by the warm Mediterranean sea, Menton is a delight for any visitor. It is easy to see how it earned its nickname the Pearl of France, combining a city of gardens, seaport, beach resort and a paradise for hikers into one. With the Alpine chain dropping into the sea at the level of France-Italy border, it is also an ideal location for a guided walking holiday. Many of the trails start directly from the town and gain altitude in a short distance, offering some of the finest views of the French Riviera.
Our start point is a comfortable 3-star hotel in Menton. Situated just a short stroll from the railway station, beach and shops, it is ideally located for a week of walking. In the evening, our guide will hold a welcome meeting to discuss the week ahead, give advice on the local area and answer any questions.
Starting from the hotel, we stop at the market where we discover local food ingredients, then take the train or the public bus to Carnolès. In the grounds of the Palais Carnolès and Musée des Beaux-Arts, we find a renowned collection of citrus trees. After some time exploring the gardens, we start our walk around the beautiful Cap Martin Peninsula where we stop for a picnic lunch. After lunch, we will visit the Cap Martin olive groves then walk or take the bus back to Menton.
We begin our day by taking the train for a 20 minute journey to Eze plage, and carry on by bus to Eze, a medieval village established in the 14th century, offering magnificent views over the coast. From there we will have the option to walk up to Mont Bastide castle ruins to admire amazing views before we visit the Exotic Garden which is built 429 metres above sea level on the site of an ancient fortress in Eze village. It overlooks the Provençal hill village providing home for cacti, succulents, xerophytes and various Mediterranean species. After some free time in the village, we walk down the Nietzsche path to join Eze plage, before taking the train back to Menton.
Today we take a train or bus to Carnolès followed by a walk to Roquebrune where we enjoy stunning views over Monaco. Then we walk down to Monaco where we will take the ferry shuttle to cross Monaco harbour. We will discover Monaco’s old town with tiny streets and beautiful buildings as well as the Casino, before we take the train back to Menton.
On your free day you could choose to explore Menton old town. During the 19th century, the British and Russian aristocracy met here in fabulous palaces and villas. The architecture is stunning with the unique baroque style of the Saint-Michel and Conception squares as well as the Saint-Michel Basilica façade. Alternatively you could visit one or more of the 8 gardens of Menton or head further afield to Nice by train or bus and visit its renowned market as well as the Promenade des Anglais. Monaco also has much to offer, particularly its exotic garden which is hanging over the 'Rocher' giving a beautiful view over the city and the sea.
This morning we take the train to Villefranche from where we will walk to the Gavinette point to admire the spectacular view of Villefranche bay. We will continue our walk to Cap Ferrat where we will be charmed by the beauty of Villa de Rothschild and its gardens.
In the morning there will be an option to take the public bus to the Serre de la Madone garden for a visit (payable locally). In the morning we will take the public bus to the Serre de la Madone garden for a visit. Created by Sir Lawrence Johnston he turned terraces of vines and olives into a garden bright with drifts of agapanthus and strelitzia. After our visit, a private bus will collect and take us to the village of Sainte Agnès. High above Menton town, this village is registered as 'one of the most beautiful French villages'. It hides picturesque streets and artist studios. Perched at 800m of altitude, it offers a breath-taking view over the blue Mediterranean Sea. We then take the bus or walk back to the hotel.
After a relaxed breakfast we say our goodbyes.
This single-centre holiday is based at the following hotel. If you'd like to extend your stay here, or upgrade your room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or email usa@exodustravels.com
Our aim is to provide holidays that are unbeatable for choice and flexibility. We've listed our most popular travel options below, however you aren't limited to these - we can tailor-make virtually any holiday to suit.
To find out more about the travel options available call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or email usa@exodustravels.com
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
Overall, an excellent holiday with a varied walking itinerary, comfortable well located hotel and great weather. The local walking guide, Sandrine, was also excellent.
Excellent variety of mountain and countryside walking combined with experiencing local towns and villages. This holiday rates at the top end of the '2 boot' category with some tough ascents and at least one descent which verges on treacherous (down to Eze). However, our guide Jessica Viale, was an exceptional leader - her local knowledge was encyclopaedic and her mountain and countryside experience made each day's walk a pleasure. She found us wonderful restaurants each evening and was a charming and entertaining dinner companion. She really made the holiday a wonderful experience.
Daily hikes from a base is a great way to go. Very scenic area plus resort amenities nearby if wanted.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night guided walking holiday includes:
All breakfasts
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
How to book:
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'book now' button below.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' button below.
| Departure date | Tour only | Prices | Single supplement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26th Aug 2023 | US$2479 | US$704 | Tour only: US$2479 Single supp: US$704 |
Check availability |
| Check availability | ||||
| 2nd Sep 2023 | US$2479 | US$704 | Tour only: US$2479 Single supp: US$704 |
Check availability |
| Check availability | ||||
| 30th Sep 2023 | US$2479 | US$704 | Tour only: US$2479 Single supp: US$704 |
Check availability |
| Check availability | ||||
| 1st Jun 2024 | US$2749 | US$768 | Tour only: US$2749 Single supp: US$768 |
Check availability |
| Check availability | ||||
| 15th Jun 2024 | US$2649 | US$768 | Tour only: US$2649 Single supp: US$768 |
Check availability |
| Check availability | ||||
| 7th Sep 2024 | US$2749 | US$768 | Tour only: US$2749 Single supp: US$768 |
Check availability |
| Check availability | ||||
| 28th Sep 2024 | US$2749 | US$768 | Tour only: US$2749 Single supp: US$768 |
Check availability |
| Check availability | ||||
The prices quoted for each individual departure supercede those published in our current brochures. Air prices are subject to change and we advise early booking to obtain the best prices. Please see our Planning your holiday and What's included in the price? pages for additional information.
This holiday is operated by our sister company, Exodus
7 nights comfortable hotel with en suite facilities
5 days centre-based walking
Low altitude throughout
Altitude maximum 751m, average 350m
