Italian Market & Dolceacqua

This Cannes shore trip crosses the border into Italy to visit a local market town and the medieval village of Dolceacqua. You can shop for food, cheese and wine, or clothes and leather goods at the market, then your driver-guide takes you to Dolceacqua, where you have time for lunch and to explore this hidden gem.

After meeting your driver-guide at the pier in Cannes, you drive along the scenic Upper Corniche, with dramatic views as you head toward the Italian border. Your first stop is either Sanremo or Ventimiglia, depending on which town is hosting its market that day. Sanremo's food and fish market runs daily except Sunday, with a flea and clothing market taking over the surrounding streets on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Ventimiglia's Friday market is considered the largest in Italy, with roughly 400 stalls along the waterfront and riverfront; its covered market building dates to 1922, when it opened as one of the first cut flower markets of its kind in Europe. On market days, you can shop for local fruit, vegetables, cheese and meat, as well as Italian leather goods and clothing, often at a fraction of the price you would find in stores.

Next you visit the medieval village of Dolceacqua, also in the Italian Riviera but close to the French border. The village is dominated by the Doria Castle, a fortification built in the 12th century on a site first documented in 1177, when the village was known as Dulzana. In 1270, the village and its castle were purchased by the Doria family of Genoa, who ruled here for centuries; the castle was besieged twice in the 14th century, in 1319 and 1329, and again in the 1740s during the War of the Austrian Succession, when it was heavily damaged. The local municipality acquired the castle in 1942, and restoration work that began in 1986 has since reopened parts of it for cultural events. You have free time in the village to take in the local charm and to have lunch on your own (meal not included).

At the end of this Cannes day trip, you are brought back to the pier or your hotel.

• During the Grand Prix Events there is a 50% supplement and it is not possible to visit Monaco or Monte Carlo from June 4-7, 2026. Please contact us if you are interested in a tour during this period.