Signature experience — Valbonne
Gourdon, Tourrettes and the Loup gorges
Duration
Full day
Price
From €720
Mercedes
Dedicated vehicle & chauffeur
In 1859, engineer Alphonse Dussaud mapped the mule track through the Loup gorges, then the key route for flowers bound to Grasse. From Valbonne it’s a 14 km run to the limestone narrows, with turquoise pools and the 40 m Courmes waterfall at its best after snowmelt. Higher up, Gourdon sits at 760 m on a rocky spur, once known for crystal cutting, its views stretching to the Estérel on clear days. Nine kilometers away, Tourrettes-sur-Loup revolves around the Victoria violet, celebrated each spring since 1952.
Collected from your Valbonne hotel, you settle into a Mercedes while your dedicated driver keeps the day effortless: scenic pullouts in the gorges, the cliff-top lookout at Gourdon, then a village inn for daube à l’orange or a local pissaladière. You browse workshops and sweet-makers in Tourrettes as the driver waits nearby. If skies are clear, the return arcs over the Caussols plateau—about 1,100 m high, with the CNRS radome on the skyline—before a smooth descent back to Valbonne.
Your itinerary
- I
09:00 — Pick-up at your Valbonne hotel, drive to the Loup gorges (14 km, 25 min).
- II
Stop at Courmes waterfall and Saut du Loup viewpoints, photos and a short walk (30–40 min).
- III
Climb to Gourdon for village visit and lunch at a viewpoint inn (arrive around 12:15).
- IV
Afternoon in Tourrettes-sur-Loup: artisan workshops and sweet-makers, then return via Caussols plateau if clear (arrive Valbonne ~17:30).
What’s included
- ✓ Dedicated day driver
- ✓ Recent Mercedes and water
- ✓ Hotel pick-up
- ✓ Waiting at stops
Your chauffeur’s tip
To beat the crowds at Saut du Loup, arrive before 10:00 and book a terrace table along the ramparts in Gourdon for an open view toward the Estérel.
Book this experience
Confirmed within 30 minutes · Fixed price quoted in advance