Nice itinerary — 2 days
Day 1 — Nice
4 stops · ≈ 5 h 52 minNice's iconic seafront promenade runs some seven kilometres along the Baie des Anges from the airport to the port. The first path was paid for in the 1820s by English winter visitors, hence the name. Today it is the city's main artery: palms, the famous blue chairs, the Hotel Negresco, joggers and rollerbladers all year round. The beach across the road is pebbly, so the promenade itself is the real draw, especially at sunset.
Jardin Albert 1er is one of the oldest and most elegant public parks in Nice, established during the 19th century between the Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna. Its shady promenades are landscaped with towering palm trees, maritime pines, exotic cycads, and manicured lawns. The park features the neoclassical Three Graces fountain, the monumental steel arc sculpture by Bernar Venet, and the open-air Théâtre de Verdure concert venue.
Consecrated in 1912 under the patronage of Tsar Nicholas II, Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Nice is the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe. Built in Old Russian style with pink brick, limestone trim, and glazed ceramic tiles, it features five vivid turquoise-and-gold onion domes rising above manicured gardens. The luminous interior displays a hand-carved gilded iconostasis, historic Romanov icons, and intricate frescoes.
OGC Nice's home ground, opened in 2013 for Euro 2016: a light white bowl with a timber frame and solar panels designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte's studio. The National Sports Museum occupies the tribunes, and on non-match days guided tours take you through dressing rooms, the players' tunnel and the stands. A tram line links the stadium with the city centre; the easiest ways in are a tour or a match ticket.
Reserve
9If you have time left — worth it too.
The Cours Saleya pedestrian zone hosts the busiest street markets in Nice, the most famous of which is the Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Market). It takes place from Tuesday to Sunday and includes several stalls selling colorful fresh flowers, as well as fruits and vegetables. If you're looking for valuable antiques and vintage items, be sure to visit Cours Saleya on Monday, when the marché à la brocante (antique/secondhand market) takes place. It's a very pleasant place for a stroll. Cours Saleya offers three markets: fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The most famous one, of course, is the flower market, full of colors and scents.
Casino Barrière Le Ruhl is an iconic gaming venue located directly on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, occupying the site of the historic Grand Hôtel Ruhl. The complex features nearly 300 slot machines, electronic and live roulette, blackjack, and poker rooms. Guests can also enjoy cabaret shows in the theatre hall, dine at a restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean, or relax at the bar. Valid ID is required for entry.
A classic private beach club and seaside restaurant situated along Nice's iconic Promenade des Anglais, right opposite the Palais de la Méditerranée. Blue Beach offers comfortable sun loungers and blue-and-white parasols on the pebble shore, paired with a relaxed beachfront restaurant serving Mediterranean seafood. Thrill-seekers can enjoy on-site watersports, including parasailing and wakeboarding over the Baie des Anges.
Perched dramatically on an isolated limestone rock rising from the Mediterranean near Nice's port, Le Plongeoir is one of the French Riviera's most iconic dining venues. Originally conceived in the late 19th century with a gazebo atop the rock, it was rebuilt in the 1940s with a modernist diving board. Guests enjoy refined Mediterranean dishes surrounded by crashing sea waves.
A wooded park on Mont Boron hill (191 m) at the eastern edge of Nice, between the city and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Mediterranean pines, olives and a network of trails offer hectares of shade above the coast, where locals jog and walk their dogs. The lookouts frame the Baie des Anges and Cap Ferrat, and the old Mont Boron fort stands nearby. It is a quiet spot for sunset, away from the seafront crowds.
A garden on the Cimiez hill built around the ruins of the Roman town of Cemenelum: an amphitheatre and baths from the 1st–3rd centuries sit beside the archaeological museum. The park's charm lies in its olive grove with centuries-old trees, a rose garden and shaded walks where families rest. The Franciscan monastery stands nearby, and the Matisse museum is a few steps away. Entry is free, and even in high season it is calmer than the seafront.
The only museum built in Chagall's lifetime to his own design: the artist gave his Biblical Message cycle to France, and the museum opened in 1973. Its heart is seventeen paintings running from Abraham to Moses, later joined by genre scenes, stained glass, gouaches and lithographs. A calm Mediterranean garden leads to the concert hall with its mosaic and stained-glass window — take your time here.
The largest Roman Catholic church in Nice, constructed on Avenue Jean Médecin between 1864 and 1868 following Nice's annexation to France. Designed by architect Louis Lenormand, its striking French Neo-Gothic architecture drew inspiration from Angers Cathedral. The white-stone facade features twin 65-metre square towers and a grand rose window portraying the Assumption, while the luminous interior hosts regular organ concerts.
Spanning seven lush hectares on the southwestern edge of Nice near the Promenade des Anglais, Parc Phœnix combines botanical gardens with wildlife habitats. Its standout feature is The Green Diamond, one of Europe's largest glasshouses, rising 25 meters to recreate six tropical and subtropical climates filled with rare orchids and palms. Outside, peaceful paths wind around a central lake home to pink flamingos, otters, and lemurs.
- Purchase a pass for unlimited travel on public transport.
- Try to learn basic French phrases to enhance communication.
- Visit local markets for authentic cuisine and souvenirs.