Skip to main content

Top things to do in Nice

Attractions, tours and activities in Nice

Nice: the city's best neighbourhoods

Find a great area to stay in Nice

About Nice

Including tips for the best time to visit Nice

Located on the scenic shores of the French Riviera, Nice offers something for everyone, thanks to its endless sunshine, sandy beaches and wonderful landscapes. A stroll down the famous Promenade des Anglais is a great way to soak up the best seafront sights, and you can even rent bikes, skates or scooters to explore the four-kilometre stretch.

However, the city's real essence is found in the old town of Vieux Nice. This narrow network of meandering alleyways remains largely unchanged since the 1700s and is full of boutiques, brasseries and bars. The undeniable highlight is the daily flower and food markets of the Cours Saleya, where you can sample local specialities such as pissaladière (onion tarts) and pan bagnat (a bread roll packed with a Nicoise salad filling). On Mondays, a flea market selling furniture and trinkets is held in the square.

Although Nice's coast is mostly made up of pebble beaches, the turquoise waters are still perfect for a swim. If you do prefer a sandy beach, take a jaunt to the nearby towns of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes or Cannes. Offering soaring views over the Baie des Anges and the rest of the city, the Colline du Chateau makes for a great vantage point.

Nice is also renowned for its museums, including Musée Matisse, Musée Masséna and the Museum of Modern Art. For those wishing to experience the glamour of nearby Monte Carlo, you can catch an express train from Nice to Monaco in around 20 minutes.

Tonight

From £59 per night

This weekend

From £166 per night

Next weekend

From £133 per night

Most popular time to visit October–December
Cheapest time to visit January–March
Local currency € 10 = £8.57
Language French
Average weekend price £85 per night
Average weekday price £83 per night
Typical stay 2 nights

Points of interest in Nice

Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Nice

Nice reviews

What other travellers say about Nice

10

We liked that Nice airport is just 1.

10 March 2024

We liked that Nice airport is just 1.5 hours from Gatwick, with trams to get us around the city to our hotel, a short and comfortable trip. We enjoyed seeing the old town, cathedral, the sandy beach and walking for miles on the Promenade des Anglais. The old town had interesting shops and a large variety of restaurants. It was lovely to visit the South of France, there was a great atmosphere.

Shirley
Shirley United Kingdom
10

What a lovely place to visit off season.

3 March 2024

What a lovely place to visit off season. We opted to stay here for a few days on the way to Marseille for a rugby match at the start of February and we weren’t disappointed. Lots of lovely things to do while simply wandering around the town. Be warned that most museums are closed on Tuesdays while others were temporarily closed for works.

Anonymous
8.0

Nice is great, but it's a big city with all the problems...

2 March 2024

Nice is great, but it's a big city with all the problems that come with big cities, so be very wary of pickpockets especially as you first arrive and may be under pressure with luggage and finding your way. Pickpockets work in teams and may be smartly dressed and have good English and language skills they will offer help at ticket machines etc. BE AWARE I dragged a pickpockets hand out of my wife's bag. That said Nice is a lovely city with many restaurants serving generally very high quality food. Get the card for travelling on the tram network you can load it up on your smartphone. Wayne's bar very good acoustic set 20.00/22.00 house band after that, Shapko after 22.00 for jazz and drinks, Plenty of restaurant's. It is easy to visit Cannes, Menton, Villefranche, Antibes, St Rapheal, Monaco, Monte Carlo by train, all these stations place you very close to the towns centre's. Tip, booking easier on the UK Trainline app. Tip, try to avoid travelling back Monaco to Nice direction, between 15.30/17.30 trains are full of workers on daily commute. Fantastic area but don't let a pickpocket spoil it for you.

Grant
Grant United Kingdom
10

First impression of Nice was fantastic, starting at the...

29 February 2024

First impression of Nice was fantastic, starting at the airport. Very clean and modern. We got the tram from the airport as our hotel was a short walk from a stop. We followed others advise to walk to the next tram stop as they do not sell the normal cards at the airport meaning they charge a premium. I would strongly suggest doing your homework on how the tram, card and other transport systems work and once you know then it is great to use. Nice, despite having a small city feel has everything you could ever need. Plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. it has a really nice vibe and the people on the whole were pleasant and friendly...although they must take their lessons on queueing from the Italians! The whole city stretches along the beach. We went for the carnival which I can whole heartedly recommend, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Another huge advantage of Nice is the connections to other places along the coast such as Menton, Eze and Monte Carlo. We travelled by train and bus. Both are very reasonable and the train was fine with service level and timings. The buses are a bit more hit and miss we regards to timings with some routes only offering a bus every couple of hours. The only real downside is the traffic.

Mark
Mark United Kingdom
8.0

Carnival, but there is more advertising in winter.

29 February 2024

Carnival, but there is more advertising in winter. The city is very beautiful because it has everything and you can quickly get from the sea to the mountains. And it seems like a safe city, although there are many communities in this city that think they traffic anything :(

costinel
costinel Romania
10

Walking through Nice is unlike any other city, clean, well...

28 February 2024

Walking through Nice is unlike any other city, clean, well maintained, beautifully presented. There is a real sense of pride and a relaxed holiday vibe, particularly along the stunning coast. A walk around the headland to old Nice is highly recommended.

Ian
Ian Australia

Popular places to stay in Nice

Stay in some of the best accommodation Nice has to offer

Other attractions and activities in Nice

More things to see and do in Nice