French Riviera by Yacht
A crewed motor yacht from Antibes — Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat at anchor with the Villa Rothschild above, the calanques east of Cassis by tender, a lunch prepared from the Antibes fish market as the sea deepens to navy beyond the three-mile line. A private, tailored journey of 8 Days · 7 Nights in French Riviera, France, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$18,500 per traveler.
- Ideal length: 8 Days · 7 Nights
- Best time: May through early October, when the Riviera warms, Provence blooms and Paris settles into long, golden evenings.
- Private guiding, access and transfers throughout
- From US$18,500 per traveler — a starting point, tailored to you
- Designed one-to-one by a Forest Travel advisor
- Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels
A crewed motor yacht from Antibes — Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat at anchor with the Villa Rothschild above, the calanques east of Cassis by tender, a lunch prepared from the Antibes fish market as the sea deepens to navy beyond the three-mile line. A private, tailored journey of 8 Days · 7 Nights in French Riviera, France, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$18,500 per traveler.
France rewards those who slow down, moving from grand boulevards to vineyard cellars and coastal villas with effortless grace.
When to go
May through early October, when the Riviera warms, Provence blooms and Paris settles into long, golden evenings. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.
The experiences
A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:
- A private tender excursion into the calanques east of Cassis, where the limestone cliffs drop sheer into water that shifts from turquoise to deep green, inaccessible by road.
- A morning at the Marché Provençal in Antibes followed by a chef's market run, so that lunch is built from that morning's catch as the yacht holds position beyond the three-mile line.
- An anchor-off at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat with a private guided visit to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, arranged through our curatorial contacts before the property opens to the public.
- A late-afternoon passage into the harbour at Monaco for a privately hosted dinner at Louis XV, with the yacht berthed steps from the casino gardens.
A sense of the rhythm
Mornings are unhurried — coffee on deck as the crew positions the yacht for the day's first anchorage, chosen the evening before with the captain over the chart table. By midday the pace is set by the sea: a swim off the stern ladder, a long lunch, a siesta in a sheltered bay. Evenings bring the Riviera's social rhythm ashore, then back to the quiet of the yacht by midnight.
Motor yacht versus sailing yacht for the Riviera
A crewed motor yacht gives you range and flexibility that a sailing yacht cannot match in the same week — Antibes to Cassis and back, with Monaco and Portofino both reachable, requires reliable speed rather than wind dependence. The Riviera's prevailing Mistral and afternoon Tramontane can pin a sailing yacht in port on days that a motor yacht simply crosses. For a journey built around specific anchorages, market mornings and dinner reservations ashore, a motor yacht between 24 and 35 metres is the practical and the more comfortable choice. Sailing itineraries work beautifully here but require more schedule flexibility and a genuine appetite for passage-making.
How to do it well
The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:
- Charter contracts for July and August on the Côte d'Azur close out by February at the latest — prime 24-to-35-metre yachts in Antibes and Cannes are committed well before spring, so engage us in January for a summer sailing.
- The Cannes Film Festival in mid-May and the Monaco Grand Prix on the last weekend of May compress harbour availability across the entire coast simultaneously; avoid those windows unless the events themselves are part of your intent.
- French Riviera yacht charters require an APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) of roughly 30 percent above the base charter fee to cover fuel, provisions, port dues and crew gratuity — factor this into your planning from the first conversation.
- For the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and any curated private access ashore, lead time of six to eight weeks is the minimum; some experiences in high season require we hold a provisional date before your charter contract is even signed.
What only your advisor can open
The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.
Who it's for
Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.
Estimated investment
From US$18,500 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.
Designed entirely around you
Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.
Your Virtuoso privileges
As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.
Continue exploring French Riviera
Part of our French Riviera travel guide. Related private journeys:
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