Season guide · Nice · France
Nice in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Lascaris, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Mild days with clear Alpine views, Christmas lights in December and the Carnival in February; some beach clubs close. Expect highs up to 14°C (57°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 17 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 5°C (41°F) to 14°C (57°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 17
- Sea
- 13°C (55°F) to 15°C (59°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13°C (55°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 6 | 9.3 h | 1/5 |
| February | 13°C (55°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 5 | 10.4 h | 3/5 |
| December | 14°C (57°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 6 | 8.9 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 13°C (55°F) against a yearly 20°C (68°F), and 17 of the year's roughly 64 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Prom' Classic — 10 km road race on the Promenade (usually early January)
- February: Nice Carnival — parades and flower battles on Place Masséna and the Promenade (usually mid-February to early March)
- February: Menton Lemon Festival — giant citrus sculptures in Menton (usually February to early March)
- December: Christmas village and ice rink on Place Masséna (usually December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Cimiez
Musée Matisse
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
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.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Museum · Promenade des Anglais seafront
Musée Masséna
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)
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.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Garden · Arénas
Parc Phoenix
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
Day trips in winter
- Antibes (About 20–25 minutes by train) — Antibes has a walled old town, a daily Provençal market, the Picasso Museum in the seafront Château Grimaldi and Port Vauban's yacht harbour.
- Menton (About 35 minutes by train) — The last town before the Italian border has a pastel old town climbing to the Basilica of Saint-Michel, lemon groves, subtropical gardens and the Jean Cocteau museum.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Nice?
It is a trade-off: Mild days with clear Alpine views, Christmas lights in December and the Carnival in February; some beach clubs close. The best months overall are May–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Nice in winter?
Highs of up to 14°C (57°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 17 rainy days over the season.