Train Exp. through the Alps (Royal Baroque Route from Nice)
Recommended by 94% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
Nice, France
- 10 to 12 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
The mountain railways of the Alps wind their way through canyons, tunnels, and viaducts, affording spectacular views and adventure. With this full-day tour, you'll ride the train to picturesque medieval villages, hopping off to enjoy hiking, perusing town squares, and more. A good fitness level is required as you’ll be walking up to 7 miles (11 kilometers) in total, experiencing this untrammeled land in the open air.
- Journey through the Alps by train, with a guide making it easy
- Visit alpine villages that pop from storybooks
- A local authentic lunch is provided
- Enjoy hiking in the French Alps with a local guide
What's Included
- Local taxes
- Lunch
- Driver/guide
- Live commentary on board
- Local guide
- Professional guide
- Fuel surcharge
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Gare Sncf De Nice, 12 Av. Thiers, 06000 Nice, France
Meeting point at 8am in front of the main entrance: Gare de Nice-Ville ("boulangerie Paul" terrace), 12 avenue Thiers, Nice (2mn walk from Tramway line 1 stop "Gare Thiers", follow black modern building Iconic). The guide will be waiting with a blue sign "Nice Creative Tours - Guided visits"
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.08:00
Itinerary
Your full day out along the Baroque Route mountain railway—one of France’s most picturesque train journeys—begins conveniently in the heart of Nice. In the morning, meet your guide at the Nice train station, and come prepared for a day out in France’s spectacular maritime Alps region. With round-trip transit and hands-on guidance, this tour offers an accessible way to get out in nature.
Once aboard the train, soak up extraordinary mountain views, with stops in several notable villages, including Tende and La Brigue. This active tour—which also covers roughly 9 miles (15 kilometers) on foot—gives you the chance to really immerse yourself in the scenery. Then, break for lunch: Enjoy a picnic of local fare, or upgrade for an indulgent meal in one of the top restaurants in town.
Afterwards, the journey continues to Saorge, considered one of France’s most beautiful villages. Visit its historic monastery before continuing your hiking in the Roya Valley. As you go, your guide will share stories and history about the region that you wouldn’t discover on your own.
Finally, return to central Nice by train at the end of the day, where this experience ends.
Once aboard the train, soak up extraordinary mountain views, with stops in several notable villages, including Tende and La Brigue. This active tour—which also covers roughly 9 miles (15 kilometers) on foot—gives you the chance to really immerse yourself in the scenery. Then, break for lunch: Enjoy a picnic of local fare, or upgrade for an indulgent meal in one of the top restaurants in town.
Afterwards, the journey continues to Saorge, considered one of France’s most beautiful villages. Visit its historic monastery before continuing your hiking in the Roya Valley. As you go, your guide will share stories and history about the region that you wouldn’t discover on your own.
Finally, return to central Nice by train at the end of the day, where this experience ends.
1
Gare de Nice Ville
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Southern French Alps (Pass By)
2
Saorge
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Monastere de Saorge
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Tende
4 hours • Admission Ticket Free
The Alps (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travellers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travellers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travellers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions (except if it rains all-day), please dress appropriately
- The guide will send you a text message the day before the tour with the final details (temperature, weather, advises for clothing). If you want to check meteo forecast by yourself type on google: meteo Tende + day of tour)
- There is only time departure at 8am from Gare de Nice-Ville, 12 avenue Thiers 06000 Nice (Boulangerie Paul) (we don't organize pick-up from hotel)
- Good physical conditions required (there are some important uphills if you want to visit all the monuments)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travellers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
Featured review
Susan_B
It was a fun trip! Our guide, Cyril, was amazing! He was knowledgeable and entertaining. So much history in Entreveaux and Touet-sur-Var. Beautiful views of the mountains and countryside. We would recommend this tour.
Reviews
4.8
based on 722 reviews
Steven_Y, May 2026
With any guided tour, the make or break is the guide. Our guide was exceptional. Young, vibrant, fun, and knowledgeable, Sophia ensured that we had an amazing tour. The locations visited, along with the natural beauty of the area, exceeded our expectations. We plan to return to the French Riviera again soon to further explore the area and to learn more of the history and the culture that shaped one of the most beautiful areas of France.
Reem_A, May 2026
We took the train to visit some beautiful small mountain villages not too far from Nice, beautiful sceneries along the ride. We visited the villages by bus or mini van. Each village had a lot of history, churches and chapels were interesting as well. “Sofia” did a great job in explaining the history and shared information on each spot and a lot of nice stories and some fun facts, she was really friendly and informative a wonderful guide. A tour worth taking if you enjoy nature and some history of the region.
Ellie_B, May 2026
This was a wonderful experience that my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed. We were in France for our honeymoon and decided to take this tour as a great way to experience some smaller alpine villages and it delivered. The villages were gorgeous, the people were welcoming and nice, the lunch was amazing, I can't speak highly enough. Our guide Sofia and her infectious positivity made the experience even better. Sofia and her partner Ramon were so much fun to talk to, they had a plethora of knowledge on the area and also just France life in general. One of our favorite memories from the whole trip was just chatting with Sofia and Ramon about life in France while we rode the train back. All in all a truly great experience made even better by some wonderful guides.
Steve_B, May 2026
Highly recommend this tour. Scenery and learning about the history and way of life of the villages was priceless. Meeting some of the locals was very memorable. And our guide, Cyril, was extremely knowledgeable, entertaining, and a joy to share the day with.
Tiffany_g, May 2026
Sophia was our tour guide for this magical day and I don’t think it would have been half as amazing if we didn’t have her showing us around! She was so knowledgeable about the history of the towns and culture and answered every single question anyone had. It was very impressive. The tour itself was not as strenuous as it was described. It was a beautiful day and the lunch was out of this world. I had the beef burgeon and it was 11/10! Sophia got the group interacting with eachother all day long, her energy was fantastic and kept us all excited for the next stop. This is a must do tour and if you can, book with Sophia! She is a lovely wonderful tour guide that will be sure to show you a tour of a lifetime
Michelle_H, May 2026
We had such a wonderful time and learned so much history! Our guide was very friendly, helpful and made the trip so enjoyable. Very easy meet-up and travel. Lots of unique small-town stops
Gail_S, May 2026
This was a great day trip. The logistics were perfect and Cyril was knowledgeable and fun to be with. He packed a lot into a single day and we learned a great deal about the towns we visited.
Brenda_M, Apr 2026
Cyril provided great knowledge of history of the region along the way. Awesome views of the Alps and beautiful untouched hill towns. The cherry on top was the Notre Dame of the Fountains church that was opened just for us and a walk down to the beautiful river below.
Zachary_P, Apr 2026
This was a great day trip experience. Very unique train ride through the lower Alps, overlooking little towns as you wind through the mountains and valleys. The two towns we visited were really amazing to see up in the mountains. Our guide Sofia was so knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. This is an absolutely must do experience if you have an extra day to spare from Nice.
Darryl_K, Apr 2026
An excellent excursion and a true bargain for everything that was included. Samuel, our guide, was excellent. He was so personable. He easily made everyone feel comfortable and welcome. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the area. At the end of the day we’re exhausted-but happy. Thank you, Samuel!
April_S, Apr 2026
My husband and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary with a train ride in the French Alps and it did not disappoint. The guide was exceptional and the other guests were lovely to talk to and share the experience with!
Peter_C, Apr 2026
Spectacular alpine scenery, well preserved and still vibrant medieval village (Saorge), impressive religious artwork in local churches and monastery. Great lunch al fresco in a La Bridge restaurant.
Augusta_A, Mar 2026
Breathtaking views!!! Samuel our guide was excellent, very knowledgeable and took his time explaining the history of region!!! This was a highlight of our trip. Highly recommend!!
Chris_J, Mar 2026
Cyril was a great tour guide. He went above and beyond to make this excursion special for the family. This was one of our favorite excursions we did on this vacation.
Samantha_P, Mar 2026
The description didn't adequately describe how much we enjoyed the event. Cyril is so pleasant and knowledgeable. We learned so much about the culture of the people and how the towns evolved over time. Highly recommend. A lovely compliment to your other planned activities.
Donald_P, Mar 2026
If I could give this tour a “5+” rating, I would! Cyrill was a welcoming and wonderful guide who introduced and explained the fascinating history and culture of Nice and its connections to the Alps. He also introduced us to the warm and hospitable people in the villages that we visited. An unforgettable experience!
Gabby_O, Feb 2026
Absolutely loved this tour! Carmela was incredibly knowledgeable. She shared rich history and was flexible in her approach to the tour so that all participants had a great experience.
Joanne_A, Feb 2026
This is a very unique experience. We all enjoyed the day and we were happy we made it to the citadel. It is quite a hike, but worth the work. The views are amazing. Carmela’s communication beforehand was efficient and clear about changes. She was well organized and informative. We all enjoyed spending time with her. The lunch selection was very impressive and the food was good.
Jennifer_S, Dec 2025
Cyril is an amazing guide! I’ve traveled all over the world, and your tour guide can really make or break your experience. Cyril definitely was just as much of a highlight of this tour as the destination itself. He was extremely fun yet very knowledgeable of the history of the area. Even the shop owners in the towns we visited stated that we lucked out on getting Cyril as our guide. If in Nice, this tour is a must!
Side note: I sometimes lose track of my tour guide. From taking photos or in crowds. Cyril was dressed as Mario (as in Mario and Luigi). I never once worried about losing him. 😂 It was hilarious and a great ice breaker upon meeting.
Tiffany_E, Dec 2025
This tour has all the things you could want! Beautiful nature views, lovely walking, delicious food and a wonderful guide who made the whole day informative, fun and really looked out for the group. Carmela was so kind and knowledgeable and also so patient and encouraging. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience she went above and beyond from texting information for us the night before to translating the entire lunch menu.
Jennifer_L, Dec 2025
Cyril is a great tour guy who prepared lots of additional materials to help us learn local medieval cities history and with a twist of French humor,
Melanie_R, Nov 2025
What a wonderful tour! Cyril was a great tour guide. He was very friendly and informative! The train ride to the Apls was amazing scenery!!! The villages we visited were sleepy this time of year, but still charming! We hiked down through a pine forest and olive orchard, which was idyllic! Highly recommend the tour!
Darlene_M, Nov 2025
Be sure and dress appropriately for the time of year you are taking this train experience. Tour guide did a great job.
Susan_B, Nov 2025
It was a fun trip! Our guide, Cyril, was amazing! He was knowledgeable and entertaining. So much history in Entreveaux and Touet-sur-Var. Beautiful views of the mountains and countryside. We would recommend this tour.
Charlene_U, Nov 2025
Started the tour at Entrevaux as planned then decided as a group to go to Touet-sur-Var so we could be back in Nice at 18h30. Moderate uphill climbs at both but very beautiful views of the mountainside and some interesting history. Cyril was a great guide, very knowledgeable and funny.
Michael_M, Nov 2025
If you did the second town hiking stop, it's extra 4 hours. Won't get back till 9:30 pm. Wish we could have done it. I would go back to just do the second stop.
Satish_S, Nov 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip. Our guide Cyril was just amazing. He took good care of us and explained every single details during the whole trip.
Memorial trip. Worth visiting.
Not to miss on the efforts everyone took to celebrate our anniversary too 😊😊😊, thanks Cyril.
Thanks again
Paul_E, Oct 2025
One day before departure we were told that the trip would be cancelled unless the four remaining participants each paid an additional €30 atop the fee previously paid. That was an unpleasant last-minute demand.
Diane_F, Oct 2025
This was one of the best excursions/tours we’ve ever had! Toured two beautiful cities with our exceptional guide, Carmela, who was knowledgeable and very interesting. She went out of her way to get to know our interests and to be very helpful. Lunch was delicious. The restaurant set out a special area just for our group, and there was more food than we could eat. We also had wine. The hike to the Citadel was challenging, but the view from the top is worth the effort. (I walk 3-4 miles a day, and I found it difficult.) it was simply a wonderful day.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We’re happy you enjoyed this beautiful day in the Alps with Carmela — she’ll be so happy to read your kind words. It’s great to know you appreciated both her guiding and the delicious lunch (our mountain hosts do love to make sure no one leaves hungry!).
The hike to the top is indeed a bit of a challenge, but as you said — those views make every step worth it! We’re so glad the day felt special from start to finish.
Warm regards,
Nice Creative Tours Team
Corilyn_R, Oct 2025
Worth it ! The day was informative and adventurous. The train was pleasant with great history of nice. The town’s were quaint
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind review!
All Nice Creative Tours team really appreciate it, we make efforts to be personable and to have guides passionates about our history.
We love too this specific, not-very-turistic and off-the-beaten-tracks villages :-)
We will be happy to see you again and show you more treasures of Nice or about hidden gems of our hinterland.
Best regards
From US$200.25
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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