Taking off on skis, landing on a beach by paraglider, jumping into a turquoise pool or meeting bison: the hinterland of Nice holds unusual activities to enjoy as a couple, with family or with friends, less than an hour and a half from the city.
The ski flight, at GréolièresAn unusual activity in Nice is not necessarily in the city. 50 minutes from the Promenade des Anglais, the Préalpes d'Azur offer what the coast does not: the void beneath a paraglider, the white water of the gorges, snow in winter and bison roaming in semi-freedom.
We have been paragliding and canyoning instructors at Gréolières since 2013, with more than 20 years of experience. This guide brings together our activities and those of our hinterland neighbours that we like to recommend, from the Réserve des Monts d'Azur to the hilltop village of Gourdon.
In this guide: 10 ideas in the air, in the water and on solid ground, ideas to suit you (as a couple, with family, for a birthday), ideas from Cannes, Antibes or the Verdon, prices and your questions.
Always in a tandem with a State-qualified instructor: they fly, and offer you the controls if you wish.
Take-off above Gréolières, 20 to 30 minutes of flight with the Ascending flight (€140), the sea on the horizon in clear weather. From age 7, up to 90 kg, no experience needed: the instructor flies. All about the tandem paragliding flight.
From December to early March, we take off from Mont Gros, above Roquebrune-Cap-Martin: the flight follows the coast and lands on Golfe Bleu beach. See our sea-view flight near Monaco.
When there is snow, you take off on skis from the slopes and land at the foot of the slopes: a short flight of about 10 minutes, at €100, from age 10. The details of paragliding on skis.
To enjoy it for longer: a flight that goes further, video included, at €250. With our two instructors, two people can also fly at the same time, side by side. See the Prestige flight.
From 1 April to 31 October, with a State-qualified guide, wetsuit, helmet and harness provided.
Optional jumps, natural slides and abseils: 2h30 on site, €55 per person (€50 from 5 people), from age 8. See canyoning in the Gorges du Loup.
For the sportiest: the Courmes canyon and its 60-metre abseil down a waterfall, from age 16, on a full-day outing (€80 per person).
Paragliding in the morning, canyoning in the afternoon: €190 per person, even for two: for the canyon, you then join a group already running. The details of the paragliding canyoning combo.
The hinterland spots we recommend, to combine with a flight or a canyon.
In a 700-hectare private reserve at Thorenc, a 2-hour guided tour by horse-drawn carriage to watch European bison, deer and Przewalski's horses in semi-freedom, from age 4, 1h15 from Nice. Our guide to the Monts d'Azur reserve.
A toboggan on rails open all year round, at 1,400 m altitude and 1h10 from Nice; in winter, the resort also opens its ski slopes. All about Gréolières 1400.
At the entrance to the Gorges du Loup, the hamlet of Pont du Loup and its Florian confectionery, there since 1949; above it, Gourdon, a hilltop village at 760 m, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. See our guide to Gourdon.
The Réserve des Monts d'Azur is in the Préalpes d'Azur, like Gréolières: a tandem paragliding flight in the morning, then the carriage safari in the afternoon, for a whole day in the Préalpes d'Azur.
Remember to book the safari directly with the Reserve.
Book the flight
With our two instructors, you both fly at the same time, each in a tandem: see our page on paragliding flights for couples. Some even take the opportunity to make their paragliding marriage proposal, at the landing.
The carriage safari from age 4, paragliding from age 5 with the children's flight (€100), discovery canyoning from age 8 and the Gréo'Luge: plenty to keep the whole family busy.
To celebrate an unusual birthday in the Alpes-Maritimes, the group flies in rotation, and videos are offered for groups: one for 3 people, two for 4, all of them from 5. To give it as a gift instead, see our thrill gift ideas.
In the 06 as elsewhere in the South of France, our activities are easy to reach.
An unusual activity in Cannes, away from the Croisette? Gréolières is 50 minutes away. See the tandem flight near Cannes.
Gréolières is 45 minutes away via the D2085. See paragliding near Antibes.
We do not offer any activity in the Verdon gorges: our canyons are all in the Gorges du Loup, and many visitors from Castellane and the Verdon come there for an unusual activity in Provence, on the Alpes-Maritimes side.
Ideas, thrills, winter, family, birthday, prices and weather.
In the hinterland, 50 minutes from the city: a tandem paragliding flight above Gréolières, canyoning in the Gorges du Loup or the horse-drawn carriage safari among the bison of the Réserve des Monts d'Azur. In winter, the ski flight and, from December to early March, the flight over the sea at Mont Gros.
Tandem paragliding, from €140, and canyoning, with jumps, slides and, for the sporty, the 60-metre abseil at Courmes. The combo brings the flight and the canyon together in the same day, at €190 per person.
Paragliding is possible all year round except from January to mid-February. When there is snow, the ski flight takes off on skis from Gréolières-les-Neiges (€100). From December to early March, Mont Gros offers a flight over the sea with a landing on the beach. The Gréo'Luge is open all year round.
The horse-drawn carriage safari in the Monts d'Azur from age 4, paragliding from age 5 (Children's flight, €100), discovery canyoning from age 8 and the Gréo'Luge at Gréolières 1400.
At Gréolières, paragliding: the group flies in rotation, two people at the same time, and videos are offered for groups (one for 3 people, two for 4, all of them from 5). The paragliding and canyoning combo makes a full day.
The Ascending flight, 20 to 30 minutes of flight, costs €140; the Children's flight, €100; the Prestige flight, 45 minutes to 1 hour with video included, €250. The video option costs €30 per flight.
No. All our canyon descents take place in the Gorges du Loup, in the Alpes-Maritimes, and our flights take off from Gréolières.
The day before, we confirm the flight by text message or by phone, depending on the weather. If conditions are not good, the flight is rescheduled free of charge: we will offer you another date.
Four pointers to choose.
Tandem flight from €140, ski flight when there is snow, flight over the sea at Mont Gros in winter.
Canyoning from €55, from 1 April to 31 October; paragliding and canyoning combo at €190.
Bison in the Monts d'Azur, the Gréo'Luge, Pont du Loup and Gourdon.
Paragliding from age 5, canyoning from age 8; rescheduled free of charge if the weather does not allow flying.
