What to Do in Nice: The Complete Guide

Try to time your walk along the Promenade des Anglais for sunset: that’s when the light turns the whole bay gold, and it’s worth building the rest of your day around it. Give yourself two to three days to take in the back streets of Vieux-Nice at a relaxed pace, the climb up Castle Hill for the view over the Bay of Angels, a stop for socca at a historic address, and a half-day escape to Villefranche-sur-Mer or Èze. Our day-by-day itinerary further down sets out the order that works best.

Nice has a character all of its own: Italian until 1860, shaped by the English and Russian winter visitors of the Belle Époque, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021, it’s a seaside city that’s as much about living as it is about sightseeing. People come for the light and the ochre facades, and stay for the markets, the Niçois cuisine and the hills full of museums. It’s an ideal city for a first couple’s, family or friends’ city break: everything is within walking or tram distance, and the sea is never more than ten minutes away.

The unmissable sights of Nice

The Promenade des Anglais

Seven kilometres of seafront between the airport and the harbour, originally funded by the English community in the 19th century. People walk, run and cycle here, but above all, they sit down: the famous blue chairs facing the Bay of Angels are the best sunset spot in town. While you’re there, admire the pink dome of the Negresco, a grand hotel dating from 1913.

Vieux-Nice

The historic heart holds the essentials: Sainte-Réparate Cathedral on Place Rossetti, the Chapelle de la Miséricorde, Lascaris Palace and a maze of back streets where washing still hangs from the windows. Come in the morning when the markets are in full swing, and come back in the evening when the terraces light up.

Castle Hill

Nice’s great viewpoint: a free park perched between the old town and the harbour, with an artificial waterfall and a 180-degree view over the Bay of Angels. Climb up via Montée Lesage or take the free lift from the foot of Bellanda Tower. The castle itself has been gone since 1706; nobody minds, since the view has more than taken its place.

Place Masséna

A black-and-white chequerboard floor, Pompeian-red facades, the Sun Fountain and Jaume Plensa’s seven statues perched on their poles, changing colour after dark. It’s the tipping point between the shopping streets and the old town.

Museums and culture

Worth knowing before you start: the municipal museum ticket (around 10 euros) remains valid for 48 hours across the whole network, and most museums close on Tuesdays.

On Cimiez hill, the Matisse Museum occupies a red Genoese villa set in an olive grove next to the Roman arena: one of the most complete collections of the artist’s work, who spent nearly forty years in Nice. Halfway up the hill, the Marc Chagall National Museum houses the Biblical Message cycle, seventeen monumental canvases designed specifically for the space (around 10 euros). Further down towards the Promenade, Villa Masséna tells the story of Belle Époque Riviera life in an 1900s mansion surrounded by gardens. The MAMAC, the modern art museum, is closed for several years of renovation work, so there’s no point putting it on the itinerary.

The best neighbourhoods to explore

Beyond Vieux-Nice, three neighbourhoods are worth lingering in. First, Port Lympia: colourful facades, pointus (traditional fishing boats), antique dealers and bars on Place du Pin, nicknamed Nice’s own little Marais; it’s where locals go for an early evening drink. Then Cimiez, a peaceful residential hill: a Roman arena, monastery gardens and grand old winter-visitor hotels turned residences, including the former Regina, where Matisse lived. And finally Libération, built around the former Gare du Sud, now a food hall: its daily market (closed Mondays) has the most authentic prices and accents in town.

Where to eat and drink in Nice

Niçois cuisine is best tasted in the street: crispy socca baked in a wood oven (3 to 4 euros a slice, from Thérésa on Rue Droite or Chez Pipo near the harbour, an institution since 1923), pan bagnat generously doused in olive oil, pissaladière with caramelised onions and petits farcis (stuffed vegetables). Cours Saleya and its market (Tuesday to Sunday, antiques on Mondays) remain the best place to put together a basket of local produce. For something sweet, Place Rossetti has its own institution: Fenocchio, with more than 90 ice cream flavours. And to wash it all down, look out for wines from Bellet, one of France’s smallest appellations, grown on the very hills of Nice.

Experiences and activities

Swimming comes first: the public beaches on the Bay of Angels are pebble (water shoes strongly recommended), free and lifeguarded in season; private beaches rent out sun loungers and parasols for around 20 to 30 euros a day. For walkers, the climb up Mont Boron from the harbour offers sweeping views over Villefranche bay and Fort Mont Alban in under an hour. For families, the Promenade du Paillon, a green corridor recently extended right into the centre, strings together a water mirror and play areas where children can run around while you catch your breath. Sports fans can hire a bike to ride the full length of the Promenade des Anglais, ideally early in the morning.

What to do for free in Nice?

Nice is a great city for a tight budget: Castle Hill and its waterfall, the gardens of Cimiez Monastery and their view over the city, the markets, the baroque churches of Vieux-Nice and the sunset over the blue chairs all cost nothing. Don’t miss Saint Nicholas Cathedral either, the largest Russian Orthodox church in Western Europe, a legacy of the Russian winter visitors: onion domes, a spectacular iconostasis and free entry (modest dress required). Lastly, on the first Sunday of certain months and during Heritage Days, the municipal museums open their doors for free: check the calendar before reaching for the 48-hour ticket.

Around Nice

Two day trips are a must, both reachable without a car. Villefranche-sur-Mer, 8 minutes away by train: one of the most beautiful bays in the Mediterranean, the fully vaulted Rue Obscure and the Saint-Pierre Chapel decorated by Jean Cocteau (around 4 euros). Then Èze, a medieval village perched 429 metres above the sea: bus 82 from the Vauban transport hub, or the train followed by a demanding climb up the Nietzsche Path; at the top, the Exotic Garden (around 8 euros) offers a view stretching as far as Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. With one more day, Monaco is just 25 minutes away by train and Antibes half an hour in the other direction.

How many days do you need to visit Nice?

Two days are enough for the heart of the city (Vieux-Nice, Castle Hill, Cimiez, the Promenade des Anglais); three days let you add Villefranche-sur-Mer and Èze without rushing, which is the ideal city-break format. Rather than reinventing the wheel, follow our itinerary for visiting Nice in 3 days: it takes you through the neighbourhoods in a logical order, with budgets, travel times and two options for the last day.

Practical tips for visiting Nice

To build a tailor-made programme from these ideas, our guide to planning a city break with AI does the legwork for you, and our tips on estimating and tracking your travel budget help you set the right amount aside before booking. And if you’re still torn on the destination, compare it with our itinerary for visiting Marseille in 3 days, the other great city break of the French Mediterranean.