The 7 Best Verdon Gorge & Lavender Day Trips from Nice

1.Gorges of Verdon and Fields of Lavender Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,975 reviews · from $125Our pick

Spend nine hours from Nice exploring Castellane, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, the turquoise Verdon Gorge, and Lake Sainte-Croix. Guides such as Roman, Justine, Matt, and Dritan provide local stories, photo stops, and practical help. Lavender is seasonal, so confirm bloom dates before booking.

“Matt is very informative, entertaining, funny & very helpful. We saw some amazing view of the gorge in a lot of different angles. Wellworth the visit. one of the highlights of our Nice trip.”

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2.Gorges of Verdon and Fields of Lavender Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 342 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $144

Spend about 10 hours touring Provence from Nice in a small group of up to 16. Visit Castellane, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, the Verdon Gorge, Valensole lavender country, and Lake Sainte-Croix. Guide quality varies, and lavender is usually in bloom only from mid-May to mid-July.

“The itinerary was adjusted without advance warning. It felt very rushed and the entire tour was two hours shorter than advertised. The driver was an aggressive driver on difficult roads which resulted in significant car sickness for several passengers. He functioned as only a driver; he did not provide any information on the locations on the itinerary. There was no tour of the lavender fields. Instead we stopped on the side of the road for less than 10 minutes to take pictures. I have booked several tours through Viator in different countries and this was the worst tour. I do not recommend this tour. It was 2 1/2 hours outside…”

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3.Gorges du Verdon Shared Tour from Nice

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 273 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $151

Travel from Nice in an air-conditioned vehicle with a guide and up to seven other guests. Visit Castellane, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, the Verdon Gorge, and Sainte-Croix Lake, with time for village walks, photos, lunch, and summer water activities.

“We booked this day trip while staying in Nice for our honeymoon. Safe to say it was a great decision - one of the most memorable parts of our stay! Daniel was a great guide - friendly, knowledgable, and made the experience even more enjoyable. There were a number of great stops along the way, places you wouldn’t be able to get to without hiring your own car. The views were incredible. The Gorge itself was breathtaking - we were so glad we were able to experience it. We had over an hour and chose to rent a pedalo, which was the perfect amount of time to enjoy it. Simply…”

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4.Gorges du Verdon Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 238 reviews · 10 hours · from $163

Spend 10 hours touring the Verdon Gorge from Nice in an air-conditioned minivan with a driver-guide such as Laurent, Isa, Stéphane, or Ruben. Stop at Saut du Loup waterfall, Castellane, canyon viewpoints, Lake Sainte-Croix, and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Lavender is seasonal, and lake time may replace the village visit.

“Verdon Gorge is beautiful and worth the trek. The roads are very windy and for anyone with a hint of motion sickness it can be a lot! Sitting in the front helps. But the views are worth it!”

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5.Verdon Gorge Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 225 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $147

Travel from Nice to Castellane, Verdon Gorge, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, and Lake Sainte-Croix in a shared or private air-conditioned vehicle. Guides such as Mario, Rafael, Bruno, and Alex are praised for safe driving, local insight, humor, and helpful photo stops. Lavender is seasonal, usually June to mid-July.

“Our trip was amazing! The guide named Mario gave us an extensive tour of the region, and did everything possible to accomodate us! The views were incredible even in suboptimal weather conditions! Highly reccomend Mario and Bingo tours to anyone interested in going.”

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6.The Gorges du Verdon and Ste Croix Lake Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 144 reviews · 9 hours

Spend nine hours with a private driver-guide such as Mario, Bruno, Rafael, or Denis, crossing Haute Provence to the Gorges du Verdon and Sainte-Croix Lake. You will stop in Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, pause at viewpoints, and have time for swimming or a boat ride. Lavender is seasonal, mainly late June through July.

“Mario was our guide for the day and was fantastic. He was always checking in with us to make sure we were okay, very knowledgeable on all of the areas we covered and we felt he made such an effort to help us see/cover as much as possible. He stopped at numerous locations for photos and also made a video himself which he sent to us at the end of the day which was a lovely memory. When we got to The Gorges du Verdon we hired a Pedlo which was €20 however you can split this depending on the people on your trip. Our only criticism is we expected…”

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7.The Grand Canyon of Europe and Its Lavender Fields Small group

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $167

Ride from Nice in an air-conditioned minivan with a driver-guide such as Laurent, Stefan, or Alex. See Saut du Loup waterfalls, Castellane, Verdon Gorge, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Lake Sainte-Croix, and Valensole lavender fields. Expect beautiful views, winding roads, and a full 10-hour day.

“The grand canyons and the lake were gorgeous. Isa, our guide, was professional, polite, welcoming and very kind. One thing you must know though is that you will be spending long periods of time with the guide driving you on mountains with lots of loops. Can get you feeling queasy.”

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