The Cote d'Azur and Nice Carnival

We meet the Tour Manager this morning at London St Pancras. We board the Eurostar to Paris, with a light meal on the way. In the French capital, we change trains for a journey in First Class to Nice, arriving in the French Riviera this the evening.

Our hotel is on the famous Promenade des Anglais, the shimmering palm-lined seafront looking out onto the Mediterranean Sea. The evening is free for you to relax at our spa hotel or step out and explore the area at leisure, enjoying dinner at a local restaurant of your choice.

• Eurostar Meal

After breakfast at our hotel, we explore Nice on a guided coach tour. Beginning at Mont Boron, an exclusive hilltop neighbourhood of beaux arts mansions and a 16th-century fort, we admire panoramic views across Nice and the glimmering Mediterranean. From here, we explore the Roman ruins of the Cimiez. Dating from the 3rd century, we view the remains of the bathhouse and arena that once formed part of the city of Cemenelum.

In the historic Old Town, a jumble of alleyways lined by centuries-old buildings, we see the Opera House, the colourful flower market, and Nice's striking cathedral.

This afternoon you are free to explore this artistic city at your own pace. The Musée National Marc Chagall honours the Belarussian-born French artist and pioneer of modernism, while the Matisse Museum in Cimiez, contains Fauvist works by Henri Matisse, who spent many years in Nice.

Along the Promenade des Anglais, you could visit the Hotel Negresco for a famous Royal Negresco cocktail containing champagne and flakes of gold, before a three-course dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today, you are free to enjoy the atmosphere of the city before a highlight of the holiday this evening. You could walk along the famous Promenade des Anglais, strolling under palm trees with the Mediterranean Sea by your side. Alternatively, utilise the area's excellent public transport to head out to some of the French Riviera's most renowned towns. Cannes, Antibes, Juan les Pins and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are all within 30 minutes of Nice.

Tonight we travel by tram to the city's Masséna Square. Here, we experience this evening's carnival extravaganza from our reserved grandstand seats. Sit back and relax, admiring the innovative floats, adorned with meticulously arranged flowers, and talented performers in colourful costumes, as they wend their way through the illuminated streets.

More than one thousand dancers, actors and performers take part in this incredible spectacle, with processions taking place through the streets, making this an unforgettable experience and an explosion of colour and vitality.

• Breakfast

Heading into the beautiful countryside of Provence, we explore its towns, starting in Grasse. Surrounded by aromatic fields of jasmine, roses and lavender, Grasse has been renowned worldwide for its perfume making for centuries. One of the town's oldest perfumeries is the Parfumerie Fragonard, which has been in its current premises since 1782. In the 1920s, it changed its name to honour Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Grasse's most famous artist. Nowadays, the factory produces perfumes, soaps and cosmetics using their time-honoured traditional methods. We take a tour of the premises to learn more about its fascinating history.

Later, we make our way to the beautiful medieval 'perched' village of St-Paul-de-Vence. With free time to look around, you could visit the Maeght Foundation, which houses one of Europe's most important collections of 20th-century art, or walk along the village's historic ramparts for views over the surrounding sandstone villas and cypress trees.

• Breakfast

With a free day, you could make use of the Côte d'Azur's excellent and affordable trains. The harbour town of Antibes boasts historic streets lined with quaint medieval fisherman's houses and has understandably attracted visitors for centuries - including Pablo Picasso, who lived in Château Grimaldi for six months. The castle is now the site of the Picasso Museum, while the covered Provençal Market is also worth visiting.

Alternatively, visit Cannes, originally a small fishing village that can still be uncovered in the cobbled streets of Le Suquet. The Croisette boulevard hosts the world-famous film festival and is dotted with palms and upmarket boutiques. There is also a colourful Provençal market that is a feast for the senses. In Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, near Nice, you can find the pink-hued villa formerly owned by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, a socialite and art collector of the prominent Rothschild dynasty.

• Breakfast

Today begins with a coach journey along the Lower Corniche Road to Monaco. Winding around the coast, we bask in fantastic views of the azure Mediterranean.

One of the world's smallest sovereign states, Monaco is renowned as a playground for the rich and famous. Our first stop on a guided tour is Monaco's Old Town and its medieval lanes. The stronghold of the ruling Grimaldi dynasty since the 13th century, our tour takes in the Palais du Prince as we witness the time-honoured Changing of the Guards ceremony. Later, we visit the Place du Casino and view the world-famous Monte-Carlo Casino. Following our tour, you have some free time to explore.

We leave Monaco in the afternoon and stop at nearby Èze, a medieval village set high on a rocky peak above the glistening sea. Its labyrinthine lanes are lined with ancient stone houses, many of which have been converted into galleries or craft shops.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your wonderful getaway to the French Riviera concludes after breakfast this morning. Boarding a train to Paris, we journey through the heart of France and look back at the highlights of this sparkling Côte d'Azur holiday.

Nice is an attractive city all year round, but it really comes alive during carnival time. The lively atmosphere and colourful floats add a special charm, and the nearby principality of Monaco offers plenty of great attractions. We also visited the fragrant town of Grasse, explored the medieval ramparts of St-Paul-de-Vence, and enjoyed the beautiful sea views in Èze.

Changing trains in Paris, we board our First Class seats and arrive back in London this evening, saying farewell to our Tour Manager and making your way home.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal