Epic Day Trip from Nice: Gorges du Verdon, Lake Sainte-Croix & Canyon Swim! (Part 1)

🚗 Ready for one of the best day trips from Nice? In this Verdon road trip series, we’re showing you a breathtaking adventure through the Gorges du Verdon — Europe’s answer to the Grand Canyon! In Part 1, we’ll cruise dramatic mountain roads, paddle across the turquoise Lake St. Croix, and discover hidden spots right in the heart of the canyon. Don’t miss this Côte d’Azur must-do!

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🎥 ========== Featured in This Video ========== 🎥

🌟 Destination: GORGES DU VERDON 🌟
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/g3D173cGTyQSHPm89

👉 Book tour with Chris:

Verdon Gorge

Tourist Information “Gorges du Verdon”:
https://www.lacs-gorges-verdon.fr/

Bakery in Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey – Pain “Aux Gourmandises de Lana et Cyana”
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/ubYdVHyMZQZxcRQ59

AIGUINES
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/m7ANXb167jAhG3gq6

LAC DE SAINTE-CROIX
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/m4Q4g7YhgGDqp4EU7

Pedal Boat Rental:
MYC Plage – https://mycplage.fr/
📍https://maps.app.goo.gl/oCpzPFGzCbyrtZWM9

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📌 What’s in this video:
00:00 Intro

[Music] Think the French Riviera is just beaches and rosé? Think again. Just a couple of hours from Nice, there’s a whole other world waiting for you. Wild canyons to across rivers, endless lavender fields, and tiny mountain villages where time stood still. So today we’re leaving the coast behind and heading deep into Provence with our guide Chris on a custom tour through the epic geron. One epic road trip, one unforgettable day. It’s just after 8:00 in the morning and Anna and I have already made it past grass. Quick stop at a bakery to grab some snacks for the road. According to Chris, our guide and driver for the day, this place has the good stuff. So, who are we to argue? This is today’s little group and a first little taste of lavender. Not in a field just yet, but if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see full fields of purple later. We all pile back into our van. All Korean speaking. Seven seats. Pure luxury, including a fridge for the rosé. We’ll crack open later. Yeah, this is our kind of road trip. Now, please officially meet our group for the day. There’s Chris, who runs bespoke tours from Nice to anywhere you’d like on the French Riviera and beyond. Then, we’ve got his friend Alex. You might remember them both from our bike tour through Nice earlier this year. And joining us, Juan and Dario from South Korea and Poland, who both moved to Nice not too long ago. We head out along the famous Rutnabon. It’s still all gray and cloudy, but you can already see the first patches of blue sky breaking through. Chris promises us the sun’s just around the corner. He always tells his guests there’s the kazour and then there’s this a whole other world. Barely any people, wild nature and landscapes that look like time froze about 50 years ago. The woods especially remind him of Northern Europe. By the way, we started super early for a reason. Big day ahead and some of us are still sneaking in a little nap in the van. And here’s a fun fact. While most tours offer a 7-hour nuon deal, where you hop out three times for a photo and call it a day, Chris’s trips go from 7:00 in the morning to 9 at night. Pick up, drop off, and everything in between. And trust us, you’ll see why that matters as we go. The road winds higher into the hills. The sky is turning a perfect Riviera blue. And we make a quick bathroom stop. Turns out the owners of some very fancy rally cars had the same idea. Sure, nature calls everyone. From here, we’re heading towards Ain, taking the southern route along the G on the way out, and we’ll loop back via the north on the way back. Funny thing, Annie and I have always done it the other way round. So, let’s see how this goes. And here we are, finally leaving the hills behind and heading into the good stuff. So, this is the place where where the best views start. This is the moment that we can finally admire. Maybe not exactly the gorge so far, but like the scenery opens and you can really see that the power of this place, the beautiful views and the like magnificent emptiness of the place. We have the gorge in 5 to 10 minutes. the first stop to admire the the Verdon River because it’s like the of course the Verdon River that goes through the course for 20 km around. And yep, he’s right. You can feel it. Cliffs get higher and it’s like nature suddenly cranks up the drama. Only catch, we’re not alone. Ahead of us, a giant tour bus crawling along, blocking the view, of course. And this is the place where we will see the gorge for the first time in a minute. And this and we will stop here. Yes, please. And also, can someone get that bus out of the way? Ah, yes. Stop here. Stop here. It’s not the best place. You know better. The best place is just around the corner. Of course, Chris knows a better spot. So, we pile out of the van for stop number one. First chance to get a proper look at those famous gorge. And it does not disappoint. From up here, you can see the turquoise ribbon of the Verdon River way down below, winding its way through the canyon. And those tiny moving dots on the water, that’s people canyoning. Quick fact while we’re here, the Gong is among Europe’s largest canyons. The local tourist office even says it’s the biggest, over 20 km long and up to 700 m deep. It’s often called the Grand Canyon of Europe. And when you’re standing up here, you get why. It’s one’s first time here. And judging by his face, he’s kind of stunned. Cameras are out. Everyone’s taking a million photos. And then it’s time to hit the road again. [Music] The views just keep getting better. The road clings to the side of the cliff with sheer drops to the right. And then a bridge Chris mentioned to us earlier. Fun fact, this is the Pundi and on weekends it turns into one of Europe’s highest bungee jumping spots. 182 m straight down. Not for the faint of heart. Meanwhile, the road winds tighter and higher. Views get even more spectacular. Chris tells us some people freak out on this stretch and ask to switch seats to the left side of the van just to be further away from the edge. But that’s exactly why Chris drives this route clockwise so you ride up close to the action. Another hint of lavender along the road. The canyon still dropping away to the right. Anna’s out the sun roof. Everything for that perfect shot. Next stop, lookout number two. More gasps, more photos. This one’s a bit closer to the lake we’re heading to, Lanca. And the small white dots down below. That’s dozens of little boats dotting the Verdon River. That’s where we’ll be later, paddling right through that canyon. While everyone’s still taking pictures, Anna’s made a new friend. Back on the road, and it gets even steeper. Same drill. Epic views, sheer cliffs, twisty roads. [Music] And then comes stop number three. And this one’s going to be the best so far. A wooden viewing platform perched right over the edge of the canyon. This is the shot. We grab a quick group pick. Soak it all in. And in the distance, just a haze of purple on the horizon. If you look very closely, the lavender fields are waiting. Time to leave the canyon behind for now and snake our way down towards the lacqua. For loads more activity ideas from N and the French Riviera, head to our website. Before we actually make it down to the lake, we pass through this adorable little village called Ain. It’s perched above the water with this proper Renaissance chateau that looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale. Okay, you’ve got 5 minutes. Quick pit stop here. Bathroom break, stretch the legs, and Anna finds some lavender postcards. Another little teaser for what’s still coming today. From here, it’s just a couple more bends in the road until we reach the lake. And with the heat cranking up, we’re all seriously ready for a dip. I think this is a good idea. Let’s do wine and picnic on the underos. So, new plan. We’re going to have picnic on the lake. Now, we’ve parked right by the water and head straight to one of the little paddle boat rentals Chris always uses. There are tons of them scattered around the lake, but this one’s his favorite. Things get sorted quickly and off we go. Dio stays behind on land work called so it’s two boats, five people and a whole lot of turquoise water. Anna hops in with Chris and I team up with Alex and one. After a brief moment of figuring out how to steer these things, we start pedaling towards the gorge. And oh my god, look at those colors. Of course, Anna and Chris overtake us immediately. And as we saw from above earlier, we’re not alone out here. But within a minute, the lake works its magic, and we just switch off. The scenery takes over, the sun’s out, and even the water’s warm, which is pretty wild considering it flows straight down from the mountains. That massive bridge above us is the one we’ll be crossing later to get to our next destinations. Down here on the water, it’s basically rush hour. paddle boarders, kayakers, and other pedalers all around us. Some overtaking us, some drifting along. It’s a real fun, busy scene out here. And then we reach that moment. The gorge opens up on both sides with towering cliffs rising straight out of the water. You feel tiny out here. It’s incredible. We glide further in and eventually pick a spot to pull over. [Music] We tie the boats together like proper locals and crack open the chilled bottles of rosé that Chris brought for us. Sante Alex was already in the water. Chris dives in next. And I and I didn’t miss out on that either. After a swim and one last sip, it’s time to head back. Still loads to see today. [Music] Move on. We stop at the bridge we paddled under earlier to check out the scene from above. Fun fact, from this point on, we’re leaving the VA department behind and entering the Alp Province. And that’s where we’ll find Must Marie and those famous lavender fields we’ve been chasing. But that’s a story for part two. So, if you want to see what this picture perfect village looks like, while we find the best lavender spots, and what else this region’s hiding, make sure to catch the next video. If you had fun discovering the canyon and cruising the lake with us, give this video a like, hit subscribe, and turn on the bell so you won’t miss part two. See you there. [Music]