One day in Nice

Day by day

1. Day 1: Promenade des Anglais and Vieux Nice

   Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice, Place Masséna and Cours Saleya market, then Vieux Nice in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Promenade des Anglais

      Walk it at sunset from the Negresco towards the old town, then continue up to Castle Hill for the view back along the bay. Allow 1–2 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Vieux Nice

      Explore in the morning when the lanes are cool and quiet, then return in the evening when the terraces fill up. Allow Half a day.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Socca

      Counters in Vieux Nice and around the Cours Saleya and the port; it is best straight from the oven, so watch for a fresh tray.

   4. Afternoon

      Place Masséna

      Come back after dark to see Plensa's illuminated figures, then walk the Promenade du Paillon's water mirror. Allow 30 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      Cours Saleya market

      Go before 10am for the best produce and buy a portion of socca from one of the counters at the eastern end. Allow 1 hour.

   6. Evening

      Vieux Nice

      Pubs, wine bars and cocktail terraces around Rue de la Préfecture, Place Rossetti and the Cours Saleya, busy every evening in summer.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Musée Matisse (Cimiez): Combine it with the Roman ruins in the same park and the monastery gardens next door; bus lines from the centre stop outside.
• Swap in Musée National Marc Chagall (Cimiez): Visit before the Musée Matisse and walk uphill between the two; it is easier than the other way round with the bus.
• Swap in Musée Masséna (Promenade des Anglais seafront): Pair it with a rest in the free garden, one of the few shaded green spaces directly on the Promenade.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–8 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. Line 1 runs north–south through Place Masséna and Avenue Jean-Médecin; line 2 runs east–west from the airport through the western districts and the centre to Port Lympia; line 3 serves the airport and the western districts.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Nice
• 3 days in Nice
• 4 days in Nice
• 5 days in Nice
• 7 days in Nice

Questions travellers ask