Things to do · Nice · France
17 best things to do in Nice
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Tubantia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Nice are Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice and Place Masséna. Of the 17 picks below, 10 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 5 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Promenade des Anglais
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- Musée Matisse
- Time to see the highlights
- 5 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promenade des Anglais | Seafront | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Vieux Nice | Vieux Nice (Old Town) | Half a day | Free |
| Place Masséna | Jean-Médecin and Place Masséna | 30 minutes | Free |
| Cours Saleya market | Vieux Nice (Old Town) | 1 hour | Free |
| Castle Hill (Colline du Château) | Vieux Nice (Old Town) | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Promenade du Paillon | Jean-Médecin and Place Masséna | 1 hour | Free |
| Musée Matisse | Cimiez | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Musée National Marc Chagall | Cimiez | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Monastère de Cimiez and gardens | Cimiez | 45 minutes | Free |
| St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral | Tzarewitch | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Port Lympia | Le Port | 1 hour | Free |
| Musée Masséna | Promenade des Anglais seafront | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Palais Lascaris | Vieux Nice (Old Town) | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Sainte-Réparate Cathedral | Vieux Nice (Old Town) | 20 minutes | Free |
| Parc Phoenix | Arénas | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Mont Boron and Fort du Mont Alban | Le Port | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret | Baumettes | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Waterfront · Seafront
1.Promenade des Anglais
Nice's seafront promenade runs about 7 kilometres around the Baie des Anges from the airport to the foot of Castle Hill. It is lined with palms, the famous blue chairs and Belle Époque façades such as the Hotel Negresco, and has a separate two-way cycle lane. Steps lead down to free public pebble beaches between the private beach clubs.
Walk it at sunset from the Negresco towards the old town, then continue up to Castle Hill for the view back along the bay.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
Neighbourhood · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
2.Vieux Nice
The old town's lanes, such as Rue Droite and Rue de la Préfecture, hide baroque chapels, small museums and some of the best places to try socca and pissaladière. Place Rossetti, in front of the cathedral, is known for its ice-cream shops, and the arcaded Rue Saint-François-de-Paule has the Opéra and old-fashioned food shops.
Explore in the morning when the lanes are cool and quiet, then return in the evening when the terraces fill up.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Landmark · Jean-Médecin and Place Masséna
3.Place Masséna
Nice's main square has red-ochre Italianate arcades, a black-and-white chequerboard pavement and the Fontaine du Soleil with its marble Apollo. Seven kneeling figures by Jaume Plensa sit on tall poles above the square and change colour after dark. Tram line 1 crosses it and the Promenade du Paillon begins on its northern side.
Come back after dark to see Plensa's illuminated figures, then walk the Promenade du Paillon's water mirror.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Market · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
4.Cours Saleya market
The long square at the edge of the old town hosts Nice's best-known flower and produce market from Tuesday to Sunday mornings, with local olives, courgette flowers, citrus and Provençal herbs. On Mondays it switches to an antiques and bric-a-brac market. Restaurant terraces take over the square in the evening.
Go before 10am for the best produce and buy a portion of socca from one of the counters at the eastern end.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
5.Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
The fortress that once crowned this rock was demolished in 1706, and the hill is now a shaded park with an artificial waterfall, a playground, ruins of the old cathedral and the city's best viewpoints over the Baie des Anges on one side and Port Lympia on the other. Stairs climb from the old town and the port, and a lift near the Tour Bellanda saves the steepest section.
Climb up from the old town in the late afternoon and walk down the far side to the port for dinner.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
- Couples
Park · Jean-Médecin and Place Masséna
6.Promenade du Paillon
This long green corridor was built over the covered Paillon river and links Place Masséna with the old town's edge. Its water mirror sends up jets and mist that children run through on hot days, and there are large wooden playgrounds shaped like sea creatures, lawns and shaded benches.
Bring a change of clothes for small children if you plan to stop at the water mirror in summer.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
Museum · Cimiez
7.Musée Matisse
Set in a red Genoese villa among olive groves on Cimiez hill, the museum traces Matisse's career from early paintings to the cut-outs of his last years, with drawings, sculptures and personal objects from his Nice studios. Matisse lived in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954 and is buried in the nearby Cimiez cemetery.
Combine it with the Roman ruins in the same park and the monastery gardens next door; bus lines from the centre stop outside.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Cimiez
8.Musée National Marc Chagall
Purpose-built in 1973 with the artist's involvement, the museum holds Chagall's cycle of large Biblical Message paintings, a concert hall with his blue stained-glass windows and a mosaic reflected in a garden pool. It is on the lower slopes of Cimiez, about 20 minutes' walk from the station.
Visit before the Musée Matisse and walk uphill between the two; it is easier than the other way round with the bus.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Garden · Cimiez
1.Monastère de Cimiez and gardens
The Franciscan monastery's terraced gardens of roses and lemon trees look out over the Paillon valley to the sea. The church has early Renaissance altarpieces by Louis Bréa, and the cemetery next door holds the graves of Henri Matisse and Raoul Dufy.
Visit the garden in May when the roses are in flower and the views are clear.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Off the beaten path
- History
- Couples
Religious site · Tzarewitch
2.St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Consecrated in 1912, this cathedral with onion domes in green, gold and blue was built for the Russian aristocracy who wintered on the Riviera. Its interior is covered with icons and carved wood. It stands in a quiet garden west of Nice-Ville station.
Cover shoulders and knees, and keep quiet if a service is taking place.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Le Port
3.Port Lympia
Nice's 18th-century harbour is framed by tall façades in Genoese reds and yellows and the neoclassical Notre-Dame-du-Port church. Traditional wooden fishing boats called pointus moor alongside yachts and the ferries to Corsica, and the quays are lined with restaurants.
Walk round the eastern quay past the lighthouse towards Coco Beach for views back to Castle Hill.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Food
- Views
Museum · Promenade des Anglais seafront
4.Musée Masséna
This Belle Époque villa on the Promenade holds the city's history museum, with Napoleonic memorabilia, paintings and objects that trace Nice's growth into a Belle Époque winter resort. Its seafront garden is free to enter and offers a shaded break from the Promenade.
Pair it with a rest in the free garden, one of the few shaded green spaces directly on the Promenade.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Palace · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
5.Palais Lascaris
A 17th-century aristocratic palace on Rue Droite with a monumental staircase, painted ceilings and one of France's largest collections of historic musical instruments. It is small enough for a short visit while exploring the old town.
Use it as a cool, quiet break during a hot afternoon in the old town.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Religious site · Vieux Nice (Old Town)
6.Sainte-Réparate Cathedral
Nice's 17th-century baroque cathedral, dedicated to the city's patron saint, faces Place Rossetti with a tiled dome and an ornate interior of side chapels. It is free to enter and sits at the centre of the old town's lanes.
Follow your visit with an ice cream on Place Rossetti, where the gelaterias offer flavours such as lavender and olive.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Garden · Arénas
7.Parc Phoenix
A botanical park near the airport end of the Promenade, built around one of Europe's largest greenhouses, the Diamant Vert, which holds tropical plants, butterflies and small animals. Outside are lakes, birds and play areas, making it a good half-day with young children.
Reach it on tram line 2 towards the airport and combine it with a walk back along the Promenade.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Rainy day
Nature · Le Port
8.Mont Boron and Fort du Mont Alban
The wooded hill east of the port is a forest park of pine and holm oak with walking paths and the 16th-century Fort du Mont Alban at its summit. From the top you look down on both the Baie des Anges and the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrat.
Take a bus up to the fort and walk down through the forest to the port; bring water as there are few shops.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Active
- Off the beaten path
- Free
- Nature
Museum · Baumettes
9.Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret
Nice's fine-arts museum occupies a Belle Époque villa built for a Ukrainian princess, with works by Jules Chéret, Raoul Dufy, Kees van Dongen and earlier European painters. It is usually quiet and makes a calm alternative to the busier Cimiez museums.
Walk up from the western Promenade; the villa's garden and staircase are worth seeing on their own.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Musée Matisse, Musée National Marc Chagall, Musée Masséna and Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret |
| History | Vieux Nice, Musée Matisse, Monastère de Cimiez and gardens and St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral |
| Views | Promenade des Anglais, Castle Hill (Colline du Château), Monastère de Cimiez and gardens and Port Lympia |
| Outdoors and nature | Promenade des Anglais, Castle Hill (Colline du Château), Promenade du Paillon and Parc Phoenix |
| Food and markets | Vieux Nice, Cours Saleya market and Port Lympia |
| After dark | Place Masséna |
| With children | Promenade des Anglais, Castle Hill (Colline du Château), Promenade du Paillon and Parc Phoenix |
| On a rainy day | Musée Matisse, Musée National Marc Chagall, Musée Masséna and Palais Lascaris |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Nice?
Promenade des Anglais. Nice's seafront promenade runs about 7 kilometres around the Baie des Anges from the airport to the foot of Castle Hill.
+What can you do for free in Nice?
Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice, Place Masséna, Cours Saleya market and Castle Hill (Colline du Château). More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Nice when it rains?
Head indoors to Musée Matisse, Musée National Marc Chagall, Musée Masséna and Palais Lascaris.
+What is there to do in Nice at night?
Place Masséna are best after dark.