Today’s travellers are looking beyond sightseeing, seeking trips that immerse them in culture, history, and artistic inspiration. In light of this, Original Travel, the British tailor-made travel specialist, has created Art and the Côte d’Azur, a seven-day road-trip itinerary through the French Riviera and Provence, celebrating the region’s enduring influence on art, architecture and culture.

Following in the footsteps of some of history’s greatest artists, the itinerary explores the landscapes, creative communities and cultural institutions that have made the Côte d’Azur one of Europe’s most inspiring destinations for generations.

As the region continues to enjoy renewed cultural attention, including the Royal Academy of Arts’ forthcoming exhibition Painting the French Riviera, opening at Burlington House, London, on 2nd October 2026, for which Original Travel is a Cultural Partner, the itinerary offers travellers the opportunity to experience first-hand the places that inspired artists including Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir, Braque and Yves Klein, while discovering how the Riviera continues to shape contemporary creativity today.

Tom Barber, Co-Founder and Brand Director of Original Travel, says, “We’re seeing a shift from people wanting to simply ‘go somewhere nice’ to wanting to feel something: intellectual stimulation, emotional connection, a sense of belonging. The likes of art, literature, and music are shortcuts to that depth, and the French Riviera has no shortage of them. This journey through the Côte d’Azur allows travellers to experience these landscapes just as some of the world’s most famous artists have, bringing their work to life and connecting art, history and culture in a way that only travel can achieve”.

The Itinerary: From Nice to Arles

Tracing the landscapes and creative communities that inspired some of modern art’s greatest innovators, the journey begins in Èze, the hilltop village above Nice that captivated artists including Matisse, Renoir, Picasso and Chagall. A private tour reveals the landscapes and viewpoints that helped shape their artistic visions.

The route continues to Saint-Paul de Vence, one of the Côte d’Azur’s most enduring artistic enclaves, where travellers visit the Fondation Maeght, home to one of Europe’s most significant collections of twentieth-century art. Alternatively, guests can explore La Colombe d’Or, the legendary hotel and restaurant whose walls form a living museum, with works by artists including Picasso, Matisse and Braque collected through its long-standing relationship with the creative community.

From here, the journey continues to Vence, where Matisse lived from 1943 to 1948. Guests visit the Chapelle du Rosaire, a masterpiece conceived and designed entirely by Matisse, from the architecture and stained-glass windows to the murals and priestly vestments, representing one of the artist’s most personal creative achievements.

The journey then heads towards Saint-Tropez and the Musée de l’Annonciade, a jewel of modern art history housed in a former chapel. The museum showcases works by the Fauves, Pointillists and Impressionists who were drawn to the Côte d’Azur, including artists such as Paul Signac, Henri-Edmond Cross, André Derain, Matisse, Braque and Raoul Dufy.

After exploring Porquerolles and Provence, the journey concludes in Arles and the surrounding region, including a visit to Carrières des Lumières in Les Baux-de-Provence. Set within a former stone quarry, this immersive cultural venue hosts Picasso, The Art in Motion until January 2027, celebrating the breadth of Picasso’s creative output beyond painting and drawing.

Throughout the journey, Original Travel can arrange for private guides and specialist-led visits to provide deeper insight into the artistic movements, personalities and places that shaped the Côte d’Azur’s cultural identity, allowing travellers to experience the landscapes behind some of modern art’s most celebrated works.