From Monte Carlo to Eze

In the morning check out this amazing hotel. It is a great building to see from outside if you are not staying there. Admire the beautiful façade with beautiful statues. It used to have very prestigious guests that would even live here all year round.

The Japanese garden is a very nice place to visit and good for meditation and getting a zen attitude. It was conceived by the landscape architect Yasuo Beppu. A lot of elements were conceived entirely in Japan like the tea house, stone lanterns, the wood portals and the dolls hina for example. In the middle, there is a 3 meters high waterfall.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:45 (until 18:45 in Summer).

The New National Museum of Monaco is hosted in two villas: villa Sauber and villa Paloma. These are two beautiful buildings. You can visit both of them with a combined ticket.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 18:00 when an exhibition is on. Check the website.

Go back to the parking lot where you left your car to pick it up to go visit the other sites further away in Monaco.

The exotic garden of Monaco is a huge incredible garden. The tropical plants adapted very well to the French Riviera climate thanks to the microclimate in Monaco and the way the garden is oriented towards the sun on these rocks. There is an exceptional collection of 7000 plants.
Open hours Tuesday - Saturday 8:30 - 15:30 Closed on Mondays and Sundays. The garden is closed for renovation in 2022, check the website to see when it reopens.

Have lunch at this great restaurant with amazing setting and view on the port. They grow their own oysters called "perles de Monte-Carlo" here so it is definitely a must try. And you can enjoy great fresh seafood.
Open hours Monday - Saturday 12:00 - 14:30 Wednesday - Friday 19:00 - 22:00 Closed on Sundays. Book a table on their website.

This is the private collection of cars from the Prince of Monaco. If you like beautiful cars, don't miss this visit. About 100 cars are exhibited here including rare models.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:30.

After getting to know the small country of Monaco, go to visit Eze, a beautiful village on the way back to Nice. The exotic garden is one of the most interesting site to visit in Eze, apart from the village itself. It has three thematical gardens: the Mediterranean garden with caves and waterfalls, the exotic garden with beautiful plants including impressive cactus and the tropical humid garden. The visit is also completely worth it for the views it offers over the ruins of the castle, and the whole French Riviera. On a clear day, you can even see Corsica.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 9:00 - 16:30 (until 18:30 in April, May, June and October and until 19:30 in July, August and September). If you visit in Winter, start with this site to reach on time, but if you visit in Summer, you definitely have time to visit the village and cathedral before coming here.

Eze is located at 429 meters above sea level and offers great views of the surroundings. Stroll around the old village with its medieval streets and houses well restored. The architecture of the village is circular and it can be very busy in the day in summer. Some plates give details about the architecture and the history of the place.

This church was built in the 18th century with a nice classical style facade. The nave is baroque style and very magnificent.

Have dinner at this very great restaurant with amazing views before driving back to Nice.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 12:15 - 14:30, 19:00 - 21:30 from April to October. Book a table online.

Go back to Nice after this nice road trip discovering the Principality of Monaco and its surroundings. If you have more time, check out the other road trips on the French Riviera from Nice.