Train Exp. through the Alps (Royal Baroque Route from Nice)

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Nice, France

Popular pick

Booked 5+ times last week!

11 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Pam_L ·

Jun 2026

This tour exceeded our expectations. The guide , Cyril, was very informative and fun to be around. The sights were incredible - the towns were like stepping back in time and we saw a cool monastery and a very cool church with a special spring - a pilgrimage site.

· Jody_F ·

May 2026

Lovely train/bus/van tour. Beautiful scenery. Fantastic lunch! Nice hiking in 800 year old villages. Tour guide, Samual, was awesome!

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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

Lunch of local food (excellent food) included (at least a main dish and a drink, sometimes starter)
Driver/guide
Live commentary on board
Local professional guide expert of the valleys
Fuel surcharge
Public transportation

Train ride through the Alps (3h30 during the all day), traintickets, bus shuttle and private minivan (30mn) included in the price
Guided visit of 2 beautiful villages

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
.8:00 am

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.

Gare de Nice Ville

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Monastere de Saorge

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Saorge

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Southern French Alps (Pass By)

La Brigue

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 travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers 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 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Jayne_C

Carmela was a wonderful tour guide for our train trip through the mountains to medieval towns. She was so knowledgeable about the history and accommodated all activity levels in our group. My daughter and I were so glad to opt into the longer hike - beautiful views and up close encounters with expert rock climbers made the hike worth every step. Do wear comfortable walking shoes! Highly recommend thus tour as a complement to time spent in Nice. Carmela was awesome!

Reviews

4.8

based on 741 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Worth it

Pam_L, Jun 2026

Good day out with excellent guide.

SHELLY_S, Jun 2026

Excellent tour guide, kind, caring and pleasant. The tour was not as nice as other tours as not so interesting.

Excellent Day, Exceeded My Expectations

Laura_P, Jun 2026

Cyril was an amazing guide, expertly knowledgeable offering detailed history with a perfect blend of teaching and humor. He was authentic, sensitive, and kind (not just to his tour group but to the drivers and local business owners and venue managers he dealt with throughout the day). And his attention to the details in pulling it all together was amazing. Truly an expert historian and a real professional as a guide. It was an excellent day filled with history, beauty, laughter, and soulful introspection from start to finish spent with a truly amazing human being. We need more people like him in the world. The tour exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend it!.

Excellent Tour to Medieval Villages in the Alps

Maria_H, Jun 2026

I enjoyed the opportunity to travel by train into the Alps region. Sofia was such a warm and friendly tour guide and the information she provided helped me to recognize and appreciate the interesting aspects of each medieval city visited. I loved the food at the restaurant Sofia selected for us to eat lunch at.

Well worth the cost!

Cara_D, May 2026

Amazing trip, well worth the cost. Sophia, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, funny, and her English was amazing. Cannot recommend her enough. This tour was a great experience and very special.

Best Experience Ever.

Alexander_N, May 2026

This was the most unbelievably experience of the entire trip. We visited the most beautiful and unexpected places you can imagine. Samuel was our guide and he was incredible. Would recommend this 10/10 times. Wish I could give more stars

Lovely train/bus/van...

Jody_F, May 2026

Lovely train/bus/van tour. Beautiful scenery. Fantastic lunch! Nice hiking in 800 year old villages. Tour guide, Samual, was awesome!

Worth your time!

Betty_A, May 2026

Fabulous tour! Samuel was absolutely amazing in all his knowledge of the areas we visited and the lunch spot at Chez Luna was my favorite of our entire 10 day trip. Had time to explore and enjoy each area. Would highly recommend this tour!

Beauty of the French Alps

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.

Wonderful tour

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.

Alps Train Tour with Sofia (ft. Ramon!)

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.

Highly recommend this...

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.

Sophia was a phenomenal tour guide for this experience!

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

We had such a wonderful...

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

Great day trip to mountain villages

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.

Beautiful Alps and unvarnished towns

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.

This was a great day trip...

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.

Train trip through Alps

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!

A Must Do While in Nice

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!

Spectacular alpine...

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.

Breathtaking views

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!!

French apps train

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.

Highly Recommend

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.

A “5+” Tour of Nice and the Alps!

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!

Rich history with an amazing tour guide

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.

Fun, Unique Day

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.

Great tour from Nice!

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.

Wonderful full day tour!

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.

Hope weather is not that cold but we have fun

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,

Visiting villages in the Alps

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!