In a nutshell
- Nice is the heart of the Côte d’Azur and offers a beautiful long beach with an equally long waterfront promenade.
- The top attractions in Nice are the old town Vieux Nice, the Colline du Château viewpoint, and the Saleya flower market — all free to visit.
- Nice is a great base for day trips to Monaco, Cannes, and the Gorges du Verdon — all easily reachable by train or organized tour.
- In the area around Nice, stunning beaches await you, such as those in Villefranche-sur-Mer and Juan-les-Pins — both just 30 minutes away.
- Nice is chic, elegant, and luxurious! The area is home to many magnificent luxury villas — quite a few of which belong to well-known celebrities.
- In our guide you’ll find the 18 best things to do in Nice, France, plus honest tips on hotels, beaches, and day trips so you can make the most of your time.
Our Top 3 Hotel Tips for Nice
When you travel to Nice, a great place to stay is a must. That’s why we’re kicking things off with our top 3 hotels in Nice:
Looking for even more hotel tips for Nice? Read our detailed article on where to stay in Nice.
The Most Beautiful Sights in Nice
Whether you’re making a quick trip to Nice or spending more time on the French Riviera, there are so many things to do in Nice, France — and plenty of highlights to discover across France.
All Nice Sights on One Map
To give you a better sense of where each sight is located in Nice, we’ve marked them all on a map.
Vieux Nice - the Old Town of Nice
It’s definitely one of the absolute highlights of Nice: Vieux Nice, the old town. For us, it’s even one of the most beautiful places to visit in France.
You can wonderfully lose yourself in the narrow, charming alleyways and take great photos.
As you stroll through the historic center, you’ll pass sweet little shops and lively squares with countless restaurants and bars.
Nice is very close to Italy, and the old quarter has a certain Italian town-center feel to it. You’ll find not only French cuisine but also many pizzerias and Italian restaurants in Vieux Nice.
Viewpoint Colline du Château
The best vantage point in Nice is the Colline du Château, the only hill in the center of the city. It separates the old town from the Port de Nice Lympia harbor.
From the top, you have a breathtaking view of Nice and the Mediterranean. It’s especially beautiful at sunset — and it’s not as hot by then either.
From the beachfront promenade, around 200 steps lead up to the hill. The climb can be a bit exhausting, especially in the blazing sun. With a bit of motivation, though, it’s totally doable.
Around the hill there are additional footpaths leading to the viewpoint. Not all of them consist only of stairs, so the route is also manageable with a stroller. You can’t get up there by car or bus.
There is also a free elevator up to Castle Hill.
Promenade des Anglais and Nice City Beach
The Promenade des Anglais is Nice’s wide beachfront promenade, stretching from the Colline du Château all the way to the airport.
Especially in the morning and evening, you can take a wonderful stroll here, listen to street musicians, and admire Nice’s beautiful buildings.
During the day, we’d rather recommend hitting the beach and cooling off in the gorgeous turquoise water, since the Promenade des Anglais offers hardly any shade.
Heads up! The city beach in Nice is a pebble beach, and if you don’t have water shoes, walking into the sea can be a bit painful. That said, you can manage, and it’s doable barefoot too. There’s also virtually no shade on the beach.
Le Negresco
Probably the most impressive building on the Promenade des Anglais is the 5-star Hotel Le Negresco. It’s located about a 20-minute walk from the old town and immediately catches your eye with its majestic dome.
A night at this luxury hotel costs between 300 and 1,000 euros, depending on the time and room type.
Alternatively, you can simply rent a lounger on the hotel’s private beach section and treat yourself to a little luxury with a delicious cocktail — though the drink won’t come cheap either.
Mountain Village Èze
The small mountain village of Èze is located about 12 kilometers east of Nice — in the direction of Monaco. It sits on a hillside right along the French Riviera and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the coast.
The best views are from the Botanical Garden of Èze. You’ll need a ticket for this, which you can purchase at the entrance. Admission costs 10 euros.
But the village of Èze itself is a real attraction too — walking among the old buildings feels a little like being transported back to the Middle Ages.
Heads up! The mountain village of Èze Village sits at around 400 meters above sea level. Don’t confuse it with Èze-sur-Mer — that’s the little town down by the beach.
Getting to Èze from Nice
If you’re a hiking fan, you can take the train toward Ventimiglia from Nice Ville to Èze-sur-Mer and then hike up. The train ride takes 15 minutes and the steep hike takes about an hour.
Alternatively, you can take bus lines 82 and 602 (the latter runs very infrequently) from the Vauban bus terminal directly to Èze Village. Vauban is about seven minutes from Nice’s old town by tram. The bus ride to Èze takes about 30 minutes and costs 1.50 euros.
As you can see, getting there is a bit complicated — at least if you don’t have a car. By car, you can conveniently park right up in Èze Village.
That’s why we recommend booking a tour to Èze. It saves you a lot of travel time and you’ll also get some great insider tips. You can also easily combine the visit with a day trip to Monaco from Nice.
Book the guided tour to Èze and Monaco
Saleya Market
The Saleya Market, also known as the flower market, is hands down our pick for the most beautiful market in Nice.
Running parallel to the sea along the Cours Saleya, wonderful stalls line up every morning of the week — except Mondays.
Here you’ll find not only a huge selection of beautiful flowers and plants, but also delicious, locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Cathedral Saint-Nicolas de Nice
The Russian Orthodox Cathedral Saint-Nicolas is located behind the Nice-Ville train station and is one of the most impressive points of interest in Nice.
It is the largest Russian Orthodox church outside of Russia.
With its six gold and green domes, the cathedral makes for a fantastic photo subject. The frescoes and wooden elements inside are seriously beautiful too. Admission is free.
Basilica Notre Dame de Nice
Notre Dame isn’t only in Paris — there’s one in Nice too. The Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption is located on the main street Avenue Jean Médecin, just before the main train station.
A distinctive feature of the church is its two towers, which are blunt rather than pointed. It’s somehow unusual, yet totally fascinating. Admission to the Basilica Notre Dame is also free.
Port de Nice Lympia - Nice Harbor
On the other side of the Colline du Château lies the harbor of Nice, the Port de Nice Lympia.
Honestly, we don’t find it particularly exciting — it’s just a harbor, like you’d find in most seaside cities. We thought the Vieux-Port in Marseille was much more beautiful, for example.
That said, it is one of the more notable sights in Nice and makes for a great photo subject from the Colline du Château viewpoint. And if you’re into luxury yachts and boats, you’ll definitely enjoy the harbor.
The Cap Ferrat Peninsula
The Cap Ferrat peninsula lies east of Nice and is a very upscale, expensive area filled with grand villas.
One of them is the stunning Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, which you can also visit. The standard ticket costs 18 euros.
Buy tickets for the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Cap Ferrat also has many beautiful swimming spots. The beaches are on the smaller side, but absolutely lovely, and the water is very clear. The peninsula is also great for short hikes.
Plan on spending a half or full day for your trip to Cap Ferrat.
By bus, line 15 takes just over half an hour to reach the peninsula. A single fare costs 1.70 euros.
Musée Matisse
When it rains in Nice, the city has some great galleries and museums to offer too.
For art lovers, we especially recommend the Musée Matisse, named after the French painter Henri Matisse.
In the beautiful villa, you’ll find many works by the artist, as well as sculptures, drawings, and photographs.
The museum is located a bit outside the city center. Bus lines 05 and 33 will get you there in about 25 minutes.
Admission to the Musée Matisse costs 10 euros; it is closed on Tuesdays.
The Most Beautiful Beaches in Nice
If you want a mix of city trip and beach vacation, Nice is a great choice. In and around the city, you’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches on the Côte d’Azur.
If the city beach is too crowded for you, or you prefer sand over pebbles, there are some great options close by. Here are our three favorite beaches near Nice and how to get there.
Beach at Villefranche-sur-Mer
The small town of Villefranche with its Plage des Marinieres is only about five kilometers east of Nice’s old town.
Thanks to its location in a bay, the water here is totally calm and usually crystal clear — perfect for swimming or a vacation with kids.
It’s also a bit quieter and less crowded than Nice’s city beach.
By train, it’s only about eight minutes from Nice-Ville to Villefranche-sur-Mer station, and from there just a few minutes’ walk to the beach. Alternatively, you can combine your visit with an e-bike tour from Nice.
Book the e-bike tour to Villefranche-sur-Mer
Plage des Fourmis
Just one bay over from Villefranche, you’ll find the next dream beach: Plage des Fourmis. This beach is also made up of fine pebbles, and both the beach and the water are very clean.
To get there, take the same train as to the Plage des Marinieres and get off one stop later at Beaulieu-sur-Mer. From the station, it’s only a 5-minute walk.
Plage de Juan les Pins
On the other side of Nice — heading west toward Cannes — there are also some great beaches. You’ll find one beautiful beach after another on the Cap d’Antibes peninsula.
We especially recommend the Plage de Juan les Pins. This is a lovely sandy beach that you can easily reach by train from Nice.
From Nice-Ville station, take the train for about 30 minutes toward Marseille and get off at the Juan-les-Pins stop. From there, it’s less than a 10-minute walk to the beach.
Sights Around Nice – Day Trips
There are an incredible number of great day trips from Nice. The French Riviera has quite a few more wonderful destinations to offer.
Day Trip to Monaco from Nice
During a vacation in Nice, you can easily pop over to another European country: Monaco. By train from Nice Ville toward Ventimiglia, you’ll reach Monte Carlo in about 30 minutes.
If you thought Nice was wealthy and glamorous, Monaco takes it to another level entirely. About one third of the country’s residents are millionaires — and they pay no income tax in Monaco.
We were particularly impressed by the stunning Casino de Monte-Carlo and the yachts in the harbor. A visit to the Palais des Princes is also well worth your time. It sits on a hill where the historic center of Monaco-Ville is located — from here you can enjoy a fantastic view.
Read our tips for the most beautiful sights in Monaco
Day Trip from Nice to Cannes
The Cannes International Film Festival is world-famous. But even outside of the festival, the city is really worth a visit.
Particularly worth seeing is the promenade La Croisette, which is very similar to the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The Palais des Festivals is also located here.
If you’re spending more than a day in Cannes, we recommend a trip to Île Sainte-Marguerite.
Book the ferry from Cannes to St. Marguerite
By train, it’s only 30 minutes from Nice-Ville station to Cannes.
The Verdon Gorge in the Nice Hinterland
Also known as the Grand Canyon du Verdon, this gorge is one of the largest in Europe. The Verdon Gorge is about 20 kilometers long and up to 700 meters deep.
Here you can look forward to breathtaking views of a stunning natural spectacle and turquoise water.
From mid-June to mid-August is lavender season, by the way. During this time, you can visit gorgeous purple lavender fields very close to the Verdon Gorge — another fantastic photo opportunity!
Book the combo tour of the Verdon Gorge and lavender fields from Nice
Day Trip to Saint-Tropez
Welcome to Saint-Tropez! About 100 kilometers from Nice, you’ll find this playground of the rich and famous. The film industry played a big role in making the town world-famous.
Global stars like Romy Schneider, Robbie Williams, and Leonardo DiCaprio have all lounged on the beaches of Saint-Tropez. It’s not unlikely that you’ll spot a familiar face at the legendary beach club Le Club 55.
Saint-Tropez is also known for its lively nightlife. So if you’re looking to let loose, don’t miss this day trip from Nice.
Full-day tour from Nice to Saint-Tropez incl. return
General Info and Tips for Your Nice Vacation
To help you prepare perfectly for your vacation in Nice, here are a few important things to know.
Public Transportation in Nice
Since the city isn’t too large, you can easily reach almost all the major attractions in Nice on foot. In certain cases, such as getting to the Musée Matisse, you should use the bus or tram.
A single ticket for a bus or tram ride costs 1.70 euros. A 7-day pass costs 20 euros, which pays off quickly if you’re staying in Nice for a while.
Train tickets can be purchased either at the ticket machines at the station or online on the SNCF website. Trains to Cannes or Monaco run throughout the day, roughly every 30 minutes.
From the Airport to the Center of Nice
The Nice/Côte d’Azur airport is not far from the city center and is super easy to reach by tram.
From the airport to the city center, take line 2 toward Port Lympia; the ride takes about 20 to 25 minutes. There is a dedicated ticket for this that costs 10 euros (round trip).
How Many Days Should I Plan for Nice?
You can see all the main sights in Nice itself in two days. However, we recommend staying at least five days in Nice.
That way you’ll have enough time to relax on the beach and explore the attractions around Nice.
How Expensive Is Nice?
We found the prices for public transportation in Nice to be genuinely affordable by comparison, and for most sights you don’t have to pay an entry fee either.
Even so, Nice is overall not a budget destination, as food and accommodation come at a price.
Here’s a quick overview of the approximate prices you can expect in Nice:
- Standard double room in a nice, centrally located hotel: 180 euros
- Espresso: 1.50 euros
- Cocktail: 12 euros
- Beer 0.5l: 8 euros
- Dinner at a restaurant: 15–30 euros
- Beach lounger: 25–50 euros for the whole day
- Baguette: 1 euro
- Croissant: 1 euro
Restaurant Tips in Nice – What You Should Try
Since we’re already talking about food, here are a few culinary recommendations for your Nice vacation.
The most typical dish from Nice is socca, a kind of crêpe made from chickpea flour. It didn’t quite win us over, though. We enjoyed pissaladière more — a kind of onion tart. Both make for a great snack on the go.
We recommend the snack bar Lou Pilha Leva in the old town for both. They serve socca and pissaladière at good prices and quality. Outside the snack bar, there are wooden benches and tables set up.
Other regional dishes include Salade Niçoise and Daube Niçoise (beef braised in red wine). For a tasty restaurant serving traditional Nice cuisine, try Chez Acchiardo in the old town.
By the way: In most restaurants in Nice, you’ll get a free carafe of water with your meal.
