France · September 2026
The French Riviera
September on the Riviera belongs to those who know to come in September. The crowds are gone. The light is lower and more golden. The roads that were impassable in August are ours again. We begin in Monaco and end above the Verdon.
Monaco · Route Napoléon · Gorges du Verdon · Eze · Grande Corniche
Day 01 · Nice · Monaco
Monaco at dusk.
Members arrive into Nice and drive the Corniche Inférieure to Monaco — an immediate orientation. The evening in the old town: cocktails, dinner, a walk along the harbour after. Monaco in September, with the season concluded, is quieter and more interesting than it has ever been in August.
Private harbour walk with a local collector.
Day 02 · Monaco · Grasse · Route Napoléon
North by the old road.
Napoleon's return from Elba in 1815 went through these mountains. The N85 climbs north from Cannes through Grasse and into lavender country — a road built for an emperor, driven today in silence. A private session at a Grasse perfume house before lunch.
Private access to a Grasse maison de parfum. Not the tourist version.
Day 03 · Gorges du Verdon
Europe's Grand Canyon.
The D952 along the Verdon gorge south rim demands complete attention — 700 metres of void to the left, the turquoise river below so improbable it takes time to accept. Lunch at Moustiers-Sainte-Marie: one Michelin star, private table. Afternoon at leisure in the gorge.
Lunch at Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. One star. Private table.
Day 04 · Plateau de Valensole · Eze
Lavender plateau. Then the sea.
The plateau in September still carries the scent of the harvest. The descent south is a series of passes that return you to the coast with increasing speed and light. Eze — 427 metres above the sea — a private dinner at a residence in the village with the Mediterranean below.
Private dinner at a residence in Eze. Mediterranean at 360 degrees.
Day 05 · The Three Corniches
Three roads. One coast. Three elevations.
Between Nice and Monaco: the Corniche Inférieure along the sea, the Moyenne Corniche at mid-height, the Grande Corniche at 500 metres. We drive all three in succession — the same coastline from three entirely different perspectives.
Grande Corniche at morning light. Used in Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief.
Day 06 · Nice
Final morning. Departure.
A last breakfast on the Promenade des Anglais. Members depart through the morning. The Route Napoléon will be visible from the plane window, if you know where to look.
“September on the Riviera belongs to the people who know to come in September.”
Curated Moments
Beyond the drive.
The Route Napoléon — uninterrupted
The complete N85 from coast to plateau, driven without agenda. A road that predates the automobile, built for an emperor. In September, with the summer traffic gone, it is ours.
Grasse — private perfumery
One of the great perfume houses of Grasse opens its laboratory for a private session with the master perfumer. Not a tour — a conversation, with raw materials on the table.
Gorges du Verdon at dawn
The D952 before 7am. The light on the turquoise water is unlike anything the same road offers at midday. We drive it twice. They are completely different experiences.
Private residence, Eze village
Dinner at a private home in Eze, not a restaurant. The host is a collector with a cellar that reflects four decades of buying Provence wines before they became fashionable.
Membership By Application
Join the journey.
Membership to The Grand Tour Society is by application only. Entry is selective, based on shared values, genuine passion for driving, and a commitment to the culture of the club.
Your application is confidential. We will respond within 5 working days.