7-Day Yacht Charter Itinerary From Cannes: A Day-by-Day Guide

What does a 7-day yacht charter from Cannes actually look like?

A well-planned 7-day itinerary from Cannes lets you cover roughly 120 to 180 nautical miles of the western Mediterranean without ever feeling rushed. This sample route threads together the Îles de Lérins, Saint-Tropez, Monaco, and the Italian border coast — all within comfortable daily hops of 15 to 30 nautical miles. Whether you are chartering a 24-metre motor yacht or a 50-metre superyacht, the rhythm stays the same: morning cruise, afternoon anchorage, evening ashore. Below is the day-by-day route our brokers recommend for the 2026 summer season, from late May through September.

Day 1 – Board in Cannes and cruise to the Îles de Lérins

Most charters begin with a late-morning embarkation at Port Pierre Canto or the Vieux Port. Your captain will hold a safety briefing while the crew settles luggage into cabins. By early afternoon you are underway for the short 1.5-nautical-mile crossing to the Îles de Lérins. Île Sainte-Marguerite offers a protected anchorage on its northern shore, where the water turns a pale, almost Caribbean turquoise over the sandy seabed. Swim off the swim platform, take the tender to the eucalyptus-lined walking trails, and return aboard for your first dinner at anchor. It is a deliberately gentle start — close enough to port if any last-minute provisions are needed, yet far enough to feel the trip has truly begun. Browse our [fleet in Cannes](#) to match the right yacht to your group size.

Day 2 – Saint-Tropez and the Baie de Pampelonne

An early departure puts you on a south-westerly heading toward the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, roughly 20 nautical miles from the Lérins anchorage. Arrival by late morning gives you time to pick up a mooring or Med-moor stern-to along the Quai Jean Jaurès. Wander the narrow lanes behind the harbour, visit the Citadelle for its panoramic terrace, then reboard for an afternoon repositioning to the Baie de Pampelonne. The bay's wide, sandy bottom provides reliable holding in 6 to 10 metres of depth. Beach clubs line the shore, and the tender ride in takes under five minutes. Evening aboard is quiet here — the nightlife stays on the port side of the peninsula.

Day 3 – Port-Cros National Park

From Pampelonne, a 15-nautical-mile passage south-east brings you to Port-Cros, the smallest of the Îles d'Hyères and a fully protected marine reserve. Anchoring permits are required during peak summer months; your captain will arrange these in advance. The snorkelling along the Sentier Sous-Marin is exceptional — grouper, barracuda, and dense posidonia meadows within 3 metres of the surface. Because motorised watersports are prohibited inside the park boundary, this is a day for swimming, paddle boarding, and shore hikes. The silence at anchor here, with no jet-ski buzz, is striking.

Day 4 – Eastward to Cavalaire-sur-Mer or Ramatuelle

This is the turnaround day of the week. A relaxed morning at Port-Cros leads to an afternoon cruise back toward the mainland. Cavalaire-sur-Mer provides a sheltered bay facing south, good for overnight stays when the Mistral pushes from the north-west. Alternatively, anchor off the rocky coves near Cap Taillat for a wilder, less-visited coastline. The crew can set up a barbecue on the aft deck while the sun drops behind the Maures hills.

Days 5 and 6 – Antibes, Cap Ferrat, and Monaco

Two days of eastbound cruising open up the glamorous stretch between Antibes and Monaco.

- Antibes and Port Vauban — One of Europe's largest marinas, ideal for an evening stroll through the Provençal market quarter and the Picasso Museum on the ramparts. - Cap d'Antibes anchorage — The eastern side of the cape, near the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, offers a lunch stop in 8 to 12 metres over rock and sand. Swell can wrap around the headland, so check conditions with the captain. - Villefranche-sur-Mer — A deep, calm rade sheltered from westerlies. The pastel waterfront and small restaurants reward a tender trip ashore. - Monaco — An overnight berth in Port Hercule places you steps from the Casino gardens and the Oceanographic Museum. Expect customs formalities to be minimal for EU-flagged vessels; non-EU flags should carry crew lists and transit logs. - Èze and Beaulieu-sur-Mer — If time permits on Day 6, a short diversion to these coastal villages adds variety before the return leg.

See our [Cannes day-charter itinerary](#) for a condensed version of this eastern route.

What size yacht suits a 7-day Riviera charter?

Group size dictates the answer. For 2 to 4 guests, a 20- to 28-metre motor yacht delivers comfortable cabins and enough deck space for al-fresco dining. Families of 6 to 10 typically charter in the 30- to 45-metre range, gaining a dedicated crew of 5 to 7, a larger tender, and a toy garage stocked with jet skis and paddleboards. Corporate groups hosting 10 to 12 guests look at 50-metre-plus vessels with formal dining salons and AV-equipped sky lounges. Review our [superyacht listings](#) to compare layouts across these size brackets.

Plan your charter

A week aboard along the French Riviera balances open-water cruising with short, scenic hops that leave plenty of time at anchor. Every leg of this itinerary can be adjusted — swap Port-Cros for the calanques near Cassis, add a night in Portofino if the weather window opens, or simply stay an extra evening in Villefranche-sur-Mer because the light on the water is too good to leave. The 2026 season is already taking shape, and the best yachts in the 30- to 50-metre range tend to confirm earliest. A route like this one is the kind of week that recalibrates your sense of time — slow mornings, warm stone villages, and the quiet satisfaction of watching a coastline you have only ever seen on a map unfold from the sundeck.