The French Riviera has long drawn artists, cooks, and curious travelers with its pebbled beaches, hillside villages, and layered cultural life. Figures like Pablo Picasso and Julia Child have spent time here, contributing to a legacy that continues to shape the region’s creative and culinary identity.

Join food writer Rebekah Peppler, author of Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, for an immersive journey through the flavors and traditions of the French Riviera. We’ll start by exploring the markets in Nice, tasting exquisite Provençal ingredients and farm products along the way. Then, with glasses of local rosé in hand, we’ll gather for a private aperitif in a garden overlooking the sea.

Beyond the coast, the itinerary unfolds across hill towns, contemporary wineries, and the flower gardens of Grasse, where many of the world’s most prestigious perfumes originate. The experience concludes with an after-hours visit to the Maeght Foundation, a modern art museum that houses works by Chagall, Kandinsky, Miró, and others, followed by dinner at Sous les Pins, a restaurant on the museum’s grounds operated by the team that runs Michelin-starred Les Agitateurs.

Highlights:

Day 1:

• Check into the Hôtel du Couvent in Nice, a renovated 17th-century convent with cloistered gardens and Roman baths.
• Visit Villa Santo Sospir, a private estate in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat whose interiors were painted by French artist Jean Cocteau in the 1950s.
• Experience the art of the apéro alongside Rebekah Peppler, with Nice and the Mediterranean as a backdrop.

Day 2:

• In Old Nice, Rebekah leads guests through the bustling outdoor market, introducing local produce, olive oils, cheeses, and regional specialties like vin d’orange.
• Lunch takes the form of a backstreets tour of standout bites with a Provençal food expert, stopping at historic cheese shops and storefronts such as Maison Auer.
• A private dinner at Nice institution Restaurant Chez Davia, set within its vintage interiors, features a menu built around the season’s best ingredients, from deep-fried zucchini blossoms to pistou pasta.

Day 3:

• Take a guided walk through the gardens at the International Perfume Museum in Grasse, and savor the aromas at the heart of some of the world’s finest fragrances.
• Unwind at an early summer lunch en plein air at a private estate amid blooming gardens.
• Put your olfactory prowess to the test with a perfume-making session led by an expert perfumer, then take home your fragrance.

Day 4:

• Visit the celebrated Château de Bellet winery and see how the region’s signature rosé is made.
• Dine beneath the pine trees at Sous les Pins, set within the grounds of the Maeght Foundation, with a menu curated by Michelin-star Les Agitateurs.
• Toast farewell at an exclusive after-hours gathering at the Foundation, surrounded by original works by Chagall, Miró, Braque, and others.