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Kayaking the Verdon Gorge in the Provence in South France is the best way to explore one of the largest European canyons.
The Verdon Gorge in the Provence, France, is one of the largest canyons in Europe. With a length of about 21 km and a depth of up to 700 m, it is an impressive sight.
Even more impressive is the turquoise water of the Verdon. It winds slowly through the canyon and is perfect for kayaking or renting a boat.
In this article, you will learn how to get to the Verdon Gorge and where you can rent a kayak, SUP, or boat.
How To Get to The Verdon Gorge The Verdon Gorge is 2 1/2 hours away from Nice or a 2 1/2 hour drive from Marseille. The best way to get there is by car. We highly recommend booking a rental car with Discovercars. They offer the best price, and you can compare various rental car agencies. Alternatively, you can book a guided day trip to the Verdon Gorge. We recommend checking out this guided tour with Viator or GetYourGuide. Renting a Kayak or a SUP You can rent a kayak or SUP to explore the Verdon Gorge. It’s best to book it in advance, especially during summertime, when they are often booked out. You can book a kayak or SUP here. (This tour is in another part of the Verdon Gorge, not the one we kayaked.) Where to Stay The Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Gorge are in a more remote area in the Provence. If you want to stay in close proximity to the Gorge, we recommend booking a hotel in Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon or Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.
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Kayaking The Verdon Gorge
During our road trip along the Lavender Route in the Provence, and cliff jumping in South France, we stopped at the Lac de Sainte-Croix.
The Verdon River flows into the beautiful lake.
After a turbulent night (weather-wise) at the Lac de Sainte-Croix, we rented a kayak. We thought this would be the perfect fit for us.
You would be surprised how hard it can be if you do it the first time. We took a kayak for two and first, it was hard paddling forward. I have to admit it was my fault. 😀
I am glad no one knew us. The first hundred meters were a pain in the butt.
We were zig-zagging until we reached the bridge which is the entrance between the Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Gorge. Suddenly, we made our way through the canyon and it worked out pretty well.
If you’re not comfortable renting a kayak, you can also rent a boat.
How deep the river is, was hard to figure out but definitely deep enough.
Later in the afternoon, we watched some crazy guys jumping from the cliffs and even the bridge. (You can see a picture of this crazy dude here)
Along some waterfalls and the cliffs of the canyon, we had to paddle back way too soon.
Especially during summer, you feel like you are in the middle of rush hour.
While the Verdon Gorge is very popular and not truly one of the hidden gems in France anymore, I still highly recommend taking your time and renting a kayak.
Renting a kayak, boat or SUP for a Verdon Gorge Tour
If possible, avoid renting a kayak around noon. Get up early and rent your kayak in the morning.
You have a chance to rent the kayak longer than one hour. It´s not possible to see the canyon in one hour. It gives you an overview but it would be nicer to have time to stop at the shore or for floating around. You can skip this hassle by renting a kayak online in advance (This tour is for a different part of the Verdon Gorge!).
The prices for renting a kayak are reasonable and it´s definitely recommended.
Besides kayaking you can also rent a boat or a SUP to explore the canyon.
Would this be something for you or don´t you like being on the water?
To book a trip to the Verdon Gorge click here: Verdon Gorge
You might also enjoy:
Swimming and Cliff Jumping at the Cascades Du Sautadet (Provence, France)
Road Trip Along The Lavender Route (Provence, France)
zuletzt aktualisiert am November 24, 2025
Oh wow!! Look at the colour of that water. This is somewhere we want to visit for all the outdoor activities here including Kayaking and climbing too. We are hoping to go and do some kayaking soon but unfortunately not in these amazing surroundings!!
Hope you have fun wherever you´re heading. And maybe, some day, you can kayak and climb at the Verdon Gorge too. 😉
Wow this place looks beautiful! I’ll have to add it to our list for when we go to Europe
If you travel to the Verdon Gorge and the Lac de Sainte-Croix I would recommend you travel along the Lavender Route too. There are some spectacular views along the route and you see the famous Lavender fields.
https://www.cityseacountry.com/route-de-lavande-provence/
I would definitely want to get out on the water here, its gorgeous!
…and it´s not the only gorgeous place out there. Close to the Lac de Sainte-Croix and Verdon Gorge is the Lac de Castillon. It is as turquoise and beautiful as the two I mentioned first.
I can’t believe how blue that water is and I can’t believe it’s in France!
I was surprised at first too when I saw the canyon. 🙂
That water is so gorgeous, it is hard to believe it is even real! Looks like a fun, yet tiring, trip.
kayaking seems both like fun and hard work at the same time. But in such a beautiful spot…. looks well worth it all! thanks for sharing!
The Verdon Gorge ist one of the most beatiful places i have ever seen! Just visited the Gorge in may. We didn’t kayak, but we hiked a lot. There are many trails with breathtaking lookouts!
That’s true. I was there in August and it was too hot to hike along the Verdon Gorge. It was in the 30+ degrees Celsius range.
Perfect for kayaking.
Hi, may I know if kayaking in may/June will be weird? As in no one there and water will be cold?
Hi Shirley, I was there in summer time but I guess the end of May and June should be fine. As long as you don’t jump into the water (which I wouldn’t do anyways in the gorge du Verdon). The water in the gorge comes from a river and flows into the Lac de Sainte Croix, so it might be cold in May and June.
Hope it helps and if you go there: Have fun!
Hi, thanks for feedback! I will be going towards the end May! Would like to know if it is safe to kayak in The Gorge? And where should I rent the kayak ?
Hi Shirley, what do specifically mean with: Is it safe? If you’re not sure or scared with kayaking in a gorge or on water in general you can also rent a pedal boat if this feels more safe or comfortable for you.
You can rent a kayak or a pedal boat directly at the Lac de Sainte Croix, close to the bridge that connects the Lac de Sainte Croix lake with the Gorge du Verdon. I’m sure you won’t miss it. There is a parking space next to the lake where you can rent a pedal boat or a kayak.
Oh, I would mean the safety of the water itself. Alrights! Thanks for the advise. How long should I rent the kayak or boat for? If I want to cover most parts of the gorge?
We only had it for 30 minutes because the place was really crowded in July/August. I don’t know how many people are there at the end of May. My suggestion would be to be there as early as possible (if I remember correctly they open the place at around 9 o’clock). Most people starting to arrive at around 10:30.
If I would go there again I would rent it (if possible) for about 1 1/2 hours to be able to enjoy the gorge. But that always depends how interested you’re in nature and the gorge and water itself.
30 minutes was a bit stressful, especially if you want to see a lot of it.
Hope it helps. 😉
Hi, do you have an recommendations as to where we could rent kayaks for a few hours and if I would have to book the same in advance?
Hi Mishti, I booked them when I was there and I don’t know if you can book them in advance. I would recommend being there early as possible. Most people come at around 10:30 / 11:00.
When will you be there? Now or next month?
Christina
Next week actually! Is there a particular location? We are planning to drive down from Nice. So if you could maybe help me with what I could put into my GPS that would be helpful! Thanks 🙂
I would try to be as early as possible. I can’t remember when they opened the place but I think it was around 8:30 or 9:00.
Let me know if you can check out this link: https://goo.gl/maps/vN48i3qFWzx
It’s a Google map and you can see where it is exactly.
I just saw that there are two other rental places.
The one I used was the one on the map. (It’s close to the bridge and there’s a parking spot there.
Hope it helps.
Let me know how your trip was.
Christina
Hi Christina, do you paddle up river and then back down or do they offer a pick up service later down the river so you don’t have to paddle against the current?
Many thanks!
Hi Ramsay, when I was there there was no current. You can paddle into the canyon and back. No pick up service available or needed.
Christina