Céline, private tour guide in Nice, offering authentic French Riviera tours

Captured in Nice, this short video features my dear friend Frédérique, a guide in Saint-Tropez and the founder of Les Petits Voyages d’Azur.

Bonjour ! I am Céline, your Guide in Nice

Born and raised in Nice, I grew up wandering the city’s colorful markets with my grandmothers, surrounded by the scents of fresh herbs, olives, and sun-ripened fruit. These early experiences sparked a lifelong love for my hometown’s traditions, flavors, and Mediterranean way of life.

Before becoming a guide, I worked as a designer in various fields, I also taught design and worked in art galleries. This creative background gave me an eye for beauty, detail, and storytelling, which now infuses the way I share Nice and the French Riviera with my guests.

My private tours in Nice are not simply guided visits. They are joyful encounters with the city’s past and present. As a local, I know both the highlights and the hidden treasures that reveal the true soul of my city. Each experience is crafted with care, designed for curious travelers who value authenticity, refinement, and the pleasure of discovery. Guests often write in their Tripadvisor reviews that exploring with me feels less like taking a tour and more like spending time with a friend who loves her city.

For those who wish to go beyond the surface, booking a tour with me is a precious gift you offer yourself, a chance to see, feel, and experience the French Riviera in a way that lingers long after your visit.

In addition to my own cultural and historical tours, I also collaborate with culinary expert Rosa Jackson founder of Les Petits Farcis, guiding food tours through the streets of the Old Town of Nice. It is always a pleasure to share my love for the flavors of the city with her clients as a member of her team.

Céline O'Donnell
An official document from the 1960s, recognising a man who chose Nice as his home and quietly devoted himself to welcoming others.

Some paths are followed long before we are aware of them.

I share with you a document I discovered in 2025. It tells the story of my grandfather, a British man of Irish origin who settled in Nice after the Second World War and truly became a local. In the 1960s and 1970s, working with the American Consulate, he welcomed and assisted British and American travellers, officers and families living in or passing through Nice and the French Riviera.
His dedication, initiative and personal care were officially recognised by the United States Sixth Fleet, which acknowledged the essential role he played in supporting those far from home. At a time when Nice was an international crossroads, he naturally moved among British and American figures working or staying on the Riviera, including Alfred Hitchcock and Grace Kelly, with whom he maintained close professional and personal contacts.

Reading this, I realised something deeply moving: without knowing it, I am doing something very similar to my grandfather (whom I never had the chance to meet, as he passed away before I was born). Today, I too welcome travellers from around the world and help them feel at home in Nice, guided by the same sense of care, connection and belonging.

(An official document from the 1960s, recognising a man who chose Nice as his home and quietly devoted himself to welcoming others.)

I have had the pleasure of contributing several articles to the wonderful editorial platform Perfectly Provence.
These pieces offer rich and inspiring insights for travelers wishing to explore Provence and the French Riviera with curiosity, culture, and depth.
(click on the images to read the full articles)