France Itineraries: Multi-Day Yacht Routes Across France

The French Riviera and Corsica reward both the long weekend and the extended voyage. The itineraries below are designed to be combined: a guest looking at the 3-day and 4-day Riviera routes can stitch them together into a full 7-day cruise without repeating a single harbour or anchorage. Every itinerary is fully customisable – your Boatcrowd charter specialist and onboard captain will tailor stops, pacing and activities to your group’s interests and the conditions on the day.

3-Day France Yacht Charter Itinerary: The Western Riviera

Day 1: Cannes to the Îles de Lérins and Antibes

Board your yacht at Cannes’ Vieux Port or Port Canto by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and a glass of Provençal rosé on the flybridge, cruise 15 minutes south to the Îles de Lérins. Anchor between Île Sainte-Marguerite and Île Saint-Honorat for a morning swim in crystal-clear water with the Cannes skyline behind you. Take the tender to Sainte-Marguerite to explore the Fort Royal, where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned from 1687 to 1698, and wander the eucalyptus-shaded paths. Cross to Saint-Honorat for a visit to the working monastery – monks have lived here continuously since AD 410 – and taste their wines and Lérina herbal liqueur. Your chef lays out lunch on the aft deck: grilled loup de mer, ratatouille, local olive oil and a chilled rosé from nearby Bandol. After lunch, cruise east 7 nautical miles to Antibes and berth at Port Vauban or anchor off Cap d’Antibes. Stroll the Provençal old town, visit the Musée Picasso inside the medieval Château Grimaldi, and settle into a harbourside restaurant as the evening light softens over the ramparts.

Day 2: Antibes to St Tropez via the Estérel Coast

Depart early and cruise west past the red porphyry cliffs of the Estérel massif – roughly 20 nautical miles of volcanic coastline where crimson rock meets deep blue water in a colour combination unlike anywhere else on the Riviera. Pause at one of the Estérel’s hidden calanques (Calanque du Petit Canéret or Calanque de Maubois) for a mid-morning swim and snorkel along the rocky shoreline. Continue west to the Gulf of St Tropez, arriving by early afternoon. Anchor off Pampelonne Beach and tender ashore to Club 55 for a long, rosé-fuelled lunch on the sand (book through your crew). Spend the late afternoon swimming and paddleboarding in the turquoise shallows, then cruise into St Tropez’s Old Port for an evening berth. The superyacht quay puts you steps from the pavement cafés of the Quai Jean Jaurès and the cobbled lanes of the old village. Dinner at La Vague d’Or (three Michelin stars, at Cheval Blanc) or Cucina by Alain Ducasse at Hôtel Byblos.

Day 3: St Tropez and the Gulf

Spend the morning exploring the Gulf of St Tropez. Cruise south to Cap Taillat for a swim at one of the most beautiful unspoilt beaches on the Riviera – a sandy promontory jutting into clear water, accessible only by sea or a long coastal walk. Continue to Cap Camarat and anchor off Plage de l’Escalet, a quiet cove backed by pine and maquis scrub. Your chef prepares a farewell gourmet lunch on the aft deck – perhaps a bouillabaisse with rouille and croutons, followed by local cheeses and a tarte tropezienne (the cream-filled brioche invented at La Tarte Tropézienne in 1955). After lunch, cruise back to Cannes (24 NM, roughly 90 minutes) or disembark at St Tropez. Guests looking to extend can seamlessly add the 4-day eastern Riviera itinerary for a full 7-day voyage.

4-Day France Yacht Charter Itinerary: The Eastern Riviera and Monaco

Day 1: Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrat

Board your yacht at Nice’s Port Lympia by mid-morning. Cruise east past the sweeping curve of the Baie des Anges, rounding the Colline du Château into the deep natural bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer – just 4 nautical miles, 15 minutes. This is one of the most beautiful anchorages on the Riviera: a sheltered, almost circular bay framed by pastel-coloured houses tumbling down the hillside to a 14th-century citadel at the water’s edge. Drop anchor and swim in the warm, calm water. After a seafood lunch on the aft deck, take the tender around Cap Ferrat to explore the sheltered coves on the peninsula’s eastern side. Walk up through the gardens of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild – a Belle Époque palazzo with nine themed gardens and views across both sides of the cape. Return to the yacht for a sunset dinner in the bay, the hillside lights of Villefranche reflected on the still water.

Day 2: Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Èze and Monaco

A short cruise east from Villefranche brings you to Beaulieu-sur-Mer (3 NM), a sheltered harbour town with a distinctly Edwardian charm. Visit the Villa Kerylos, a faithful reconstruction of an ancient Greek villa built in 1908 on a promontory above the harbour – the mosaic floors and atrium are extraordinary. Cruise on to Monaco (5 NM from Beaulieu), arriving by late morning. Berth at Port Hercule or anchor in the Anse du Portier. The principality packs an extraordinary amount into its 2.02 square kilometres: the Casino de Monte-Carlo (dress code applies), the Océanographic Museum (built into the cliff face, with a world-class aquarium founded by Prince Albert I in 1910), and the Prince’s Palace for the changing of the guard at 11:55. In the afternoon, take a taxi up to the hilltop village of Èze (410 metres above the sea), where narrow medieval lanes wind through a perched settlement with panoramic views from the exotic garden at the summit. Dinner at Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris (three Michelin stars) or at the more relaxed terraces of Monte-Carlo’s port.

Day 3: Monaco to Menton and the Italian Border

Cruise east from Monaco to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (3 NM), where Le Corbusier spent his last summers and designed the iconic Cabanon cabin. Anchor off Cap Martin for a morning swim in calm, clear water surrounded by century-old pines. Continue east to Menton (4 NM from Roquebrune), the last French town before the Italian border. Menton enjoys the mildest microclimate on the Riviera – its lemon groves and subtropical gardens thrive year-round. The Musée Jean Cocteau (Collection Séverin Wunderli) is a striking modern building on the harbour designed by Rudy Ricciotti, housing the largest collection of Cocteau’s work. Stroll the Italianate old town with its ochre and terracotta façades, visit the Jardin Serre de la Madone (a botanical treasure with plants from five continents), and lunch at Mirazur (three Michelin stars, chef Mauro Colagreco, voted World’s Best Restaurant in 2019). Return westward in the late afternoon, passing the glamorous coastline of Cap d’Ail and anchoring overnight in a quiet cove between Monaco and Villefranche.

Day 4: Cap d’Antibes, Juan-les-Pins and Return to Nice

Cruise west past Nice to Cap d’Antibes (13 NM from the overnight anchorage, roughly 45 minutes). Anchor off the southern tip of the cape for a morning swim in the sheltered waters between the lighthouse and the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc – one of the Riviera’s most iconic hotels, its clifftop pool visible from the water. Take the tender into Juan-les-Pins for a wander through this lively resort town, famous for its Jazz à Juan festival (every July since 1960). Browse the morning market in Antibes’ old town and let your chef source provisions for a farewell lunch on the aft deck. Cruise back to Nice (9 NM), arriving by mid-afternoon with time for a last stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, a final bowl of socca in Vieux Nice, or a sunset drink on the Colline du Château viewpoint overlooking the harbour. Guests wanting a full week can combine this 4-day eastern route with the 3-day western Riviera route for a comprehensive 7-day cruise covering the entire Côte d’Azur without repeating a single stop.