From Nice
From Nice, the Verdon is an escape of about 1h45 via the legendary Route Napoléon: you leave the A8, climb into the hinterland and arrive at Castellane, the canyon’s natural eastern gateway. Here’s the route, the driving time, where to start once you arrive — and how to come even without a car.
From Nice, you first join the A8 motorway, then switch onto the legendary Route Napoléon (N85 / D6085), which climbs towards Castellane. Allow about 93 km and ~1h45 of driving, which varies with traffic. It’s a journey worth taking in its own right: you leave the Côte d’Azur behind to head into the hinterland, between gorges, plateaus and hilltop villages, as the road climbs and the landscape turns wilder all the way to Castellane.
Castellane is the Verdon’s eastern gateway, the most logical one coming from Nice and the Côte d’Azur. From there, you reach the heart of the Grand Canyon: Point Sublime and its view over the Couloir Samson, the Route des Crêtes on the right bank and its belvederes above La Palud, and the start (or finish) of the Blanc-Martel trail, the canyon’s legendary long-distance hike. It’s the best starting point to discover the Verdon coming from the east.
From Nice, the Verdon can be visited as a day trip as well as a longer stay. To gauge the right dose for the time you have — a flying visit, a relaxed weekend or a full week of exploring — lean on our itinerary guides, which lay out what to see and in what order, as well as our advice on where to stay closest to the sites.
The Verdon in 1 day, a weekend or a week →·The Verdon in 3 days →·Where to stay to visit the Gorges du Verdon →
No car? The regional Zou! 51 bus line connects Nice and Nice airport to Castellane, via Grasse, also serving Saint-André-les-Alpes and Digne. Book and check timetables at zou.maregionsud.fr before you set off. Once in Castellane, line 450 takes you into the heart of the gorge, and for the legendary hike, the Park’s Blanc-Martel shuttle. Our dedicated guide details the whole bus + shuttle + walking chain.
Allow about 1h45 of driving to reach Castellane, the Verdon’s eastern gateway, from Nice — around 93 km. The actual time varies with traffic, especially leaving Nice and in summer. Allow extra time for the mountain section, which is slower than the motorway.
From Nice, take the A8 motorway, then the Route Napoléon (N85 / D6085), which leads directly to Castellane. It’s the most logical and the most beautiful route: the Route Napoléon crosses the hinterland between gorges and hilltop villages all the way to the canyon’s gates.
Yes. The regional Zou! 51 bus line connects Nice and Nice airport to Castellane, via Grasse (then Saint-André-les-Alpes and Digne). Timetables and booking at zou.maregionsud.fr. Once in Castellane, line 450 serves the heart of the gorge, and the Blanc-Martel shuttle lets you do the canyon’s great hike without a car.
The nearest airport east of the Verdon is Nice Côte d’Azur. From the airport, you reach Castellane by car (A8 then Route Napoléon, about 93 km / ~1h45) or by the regional Zou! 51 bus, which has a stop at the airport.
From Nice, it’s Castellane, on the east side. It’s the closest and most direct gateway via the A8 and the Route Napoléon, and it opens onto the heart of the Grand Canyon (Point Sublime, Route des Crêtes on the right bank, the Blanc-Martel trail). Moustiers-Sainte-Marie sits at the canyon’s western end and is reached more easily from Marseille or Aix; getting there from Nice means crossing the whole region.
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Horaires, réservation et lignes régulières de cars régionaux desservant le Verdon (dont les lignes 450, 51 et 430 citées dans nos guides).
Ligne Nice – Digne-les-Bains desservant Saint-André-les-Alpes, horaires et état de la ligne (travaux et cars de substitution).
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État de circulation en temps réel des routes départementales et nationales du 04, viabilité hivernale et fermetures de cols, avec un code couleur (normal, délicat, difficile, impossible).
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