Things to do in Nice
I ranked them in the order you naturally discover them, from the sea to the hills. The first six fit in the same day, on foot. If you want to place Nice on the wider coast, I put the other towns together in my guide to the French Riviera.
The seafront stretches about eight kilometers (5 miles), from the airport to the port, lined with palm trees, blue chairs and Belle Époque façades like the Negresco. Walk it in the morning, or cycle along it. In the evening it is the best place to watch the sun set over the Bay of Angels.
A maze of ochre-colored lanes between the sea and Castle Hill. Go through Place Rossetti and the Sainte-Réparate cathedral, look for the Lascaris palace, then climb to Place Garibaldi and its arcades. This is also where to try socca, the chickpea flour pancake eaten hot, on the go.
The big square of the Old Town hosts the flower market every day, with stalls of fruit, vegetables and local products. On Mondays the flowers give way to an antiques market. In summer, a night market of craftspeople sets up in the evening.
The best viewpoint over Nice, between the Bay of Angels on one side and the port on the other. You climb by the stairs from the Old Town or by the elevator on the Quai des États-Unis side. At the top: a large wooded park, a waterfall and ruins of the former castle.
The square with red façades and a black and white checkerboard marks the center of Nice. It opens onto the Promenade du Paillon, a green belt running to Place Garibaldi, with water jets that children love in summer.
Colorful façades, wooden fishing boats and fish restaurants. You can walk to the port from the Old Town by going around Castle Hill along the Quai Rauba Capeu, the most photographed spot in the city.
On the Cimiez hill, a red Genoese villa holds the works Matisse left to the city where he lived and is buried. The same neighborhood has the Roman arenas, the archaeology museum and the monastery gardens, with views all the way to the sea.
The largest public collection of Chagall, with the Biblical Message cycle, in a building designed for it. The museum sits halfway between the train station and Cimiez, so you can combine it with the Matisse Museum.
Its green and gold onion domes stand out among the apartment buildings near the station, on Boulevard du Tzarewitch. It was built for the Russian community that came to winter in Nice in the 19th century. You can visit outside services, and its crypt holds a small museum on the Russian presence on the Riviera.
The wooded hill that separates Nice from Villefranche, with the Mont Alban fort at the top and a view over both bays. The loop around Mont Boron is a little over 5 kilometers (3.2 miles), best done in the morning in summer. For more walks, see my hikes around Nice.
Itinerary
These three plans fit together: if you stay three days, do day 1, then day 2, then day 3.
By interest
Castle Hill, the Promenade des Anglais, the Old Town, the Cours Saleya market and the Promenade du Paillon cost nothing. The municipal museums, including the Matisse Museum, are free for under 18s and students.
Parc Phoenix has a huge tropical greenhouse, birds, lemurs and playgrounds on seven hectares (17 acres). Admission is free under 12. Add the water jets of the Promenade du Paillon and the waterfall on Castle Hill.
The Old Town stays lively late, especially around Cours Saleya. Bars cluster on Rue Bonaparte and Place du Pin, near the port. In summer, the Cours Saleya night market and outdoor concerts take over.
This is museum time: Matisse, Chagall, the Masséna museum on the Promenade and the Lascaris palace in the Old Town. With the 10 museum pass (€15 for 4 days), you break even after two visits. Note that the Matisse and Chagall museums close on Tuesday.
Where to base yourself
The neighborhood changes your stay. Here is what to know at a glance.
| Neighborhood | Feel | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town (Vieux-Nice) | Lanes, markets, restaurants, lively day and night | First trip on foot, couples |
| Carré d'Or | Chic, Belle Époque buildings, steps from the sea | Comfortable stay near the Promenade |
| Jean-Médecin | Shopping, central, near the station | Short stays, mid budgets |
| Port Lympia | Maritime, fish restaurants, bars | Nights out, local feel |
| Libération | Market, neighborhood life, softer prices | Small budgets, long stays |
| Cimiez | Residential, quiet, museums and gardens | Families, a calm stay |
| Musiciens | Residential and central, between station and sea | Handy for the train |
To pick a hotel by neighborhood, see where to stay in Nice for your budget.
Nice has about twenty public beaches and fifteen private ones, almost all along the Promenade des Anglais. They are pebble beaches: bring water shoes. The Centenaire and Carras beaches are equipped for people with reduced mobility, and Carras is the only one where dogs are allowed, in a marked area. The beach by beach detail is in my guide to Nice beaches.
Nice beachesFor a first trip, the Old Town and the Carré d'Or let you do everything on foot. Jean-Médecin and the station area offer more choice at mid prices, and Libération is the most affordable. In October 2026 a 3-star hotel cost between €55 and €78 a night, a 4-star around €170, and prices climb sharply in July, August and during the Carnival. If your budget is tight, I selected well-located cheap hotels.
Where to stay in NiceThe center is walkable. The tram links the airport to the port through the city, and a ticket costs €1.70. For the coast, the regional train and ZOU! buses serve Villefranche, Èze-sur-Mer, Monaco and Menton to the east, Antibes and Cannes to the west. A car is only useful for the hinterland: if you need one, see how to rent a car in Nice. Flying in? Here is how to get to the center from the airport.
Calendar
The Nice Carnival runs from February 9 to 28, 2027, on the theme "Vive l'Amour". In July, the Nice Jazz Festival takes over the city center.
All eventsWhere things are
The ten places in this guide. Hover over a name to find it on the map.
Nice is a city you never quite finish exploring: the Old Town, the hills, the museums, the markets. And of course the sea, with its famous pebbles, which you either love or learn to love. It is both elegant and lively, and that mix is what I like about it.
Keep going
Your questions
Five places are essential: the Promenade des Anglais, the Old Town, the Cours Saleya market, Castle Hill for the view over the bay, and the Lympia port. They all fit in the same day on foot. With more time, add the Matisse and Chagall museums, and a day trip to Èze or Villefranche.
Yes. Two to three days are enough to visit Nice. Spend one day on the Promenade, the Old Town and Castle Hill, a second on Cimiez and its museums, and a third on Mont Boron or a day trip to Villefranche, Èze or Monaco.
Yes. The historic center, the Promenade des Anglais, Castle Hill and the port are within half an hour's walk of each other. One day is enough for the essentials. For Cimiez and its museums, take the bus or plan for a good climb.
They are different trips. Nice is a city of more than 340,000 residents with a bay, an old town, markets and the Matisse and Chagall museums, and it costs less to stay in. Monaco is compact and glamorous, with a palace, a casino and an oceanographic museum, and it is about 25 minutes away by regional train. Many visitors stay in Nice and do Monaco in a day.
Socca is the most typical specialty: a thin pancake of chickpea flour, cooked over a wood fire and eaten hot. You find it in the Old Town and around the port. Pissaladière, pan bagnat and salade niçoise are also part of Niçoise cooking, which some restaurants show with a label.
Nice's municipal museums are free for under 18s and students. For everyone else, entry to the Matisse Museum costs €10, and the 10 museum pass is €15 for 4 days. The Matisse and Chagall museums are closed on Tuesday.
Who writes this guide
The French Riviera has been my passion for years. I explore its towns, beaches and hotels to bring you the addresses and advice I would like to receive before every trip, from Menton to Saint-Tropez.
By Enzo
