Must SeeFree
Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya Market
Old town
A tangle of ochre lanes leading to a flower and produce market with cafés.
- Suggested time: 2h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Food lovers
Market Tuesday–Sunday mornings; flea market Mondays
Nice
A sunny seafront city of pebbled beaches, an old town and Riviera day trips.
Plan your Nice trip
- Flight + Hotel PackageRecommended Best option if you want the trip arranged together. View Packages Packages
- Hotels Prefer to book accommodation separately? View Hotels Hotels
- Flights Already have accommodation? View Flights Flights
- Things To Do Tours, attractions and experiences. View Activities Activities
Overview
Why go to Nice
Nice pairs an elegant seafront promenade with a colourful old town, a hilltop castle park and a superb art scene. Trains make it easy to reach Monaco, Antibes and hilltop villages.
- Where
- French Riviera, France
- Recommended stay
- 3–5 nights
- Best time to go
- May–June and September for warm sea and fewer crowds; July–August is lively and expensive.
- Approx. daily budget
- £90–180 a dayPer person, excluding flights. Indicative.
What does Nice cost?
Full cost guide- Budget traveller£80–115a day
- Mid-range traveller£160–235a day
- Luxury traveller£325+a day
Approximate per person per day, including a share of a twin room, and excluding flights. Not live prices.
Things To Do
See all 25 Top picks in Nice
Day Trips~£5
Monaco Day Trip
Monaco (15 km)
A glittering micro-state of casinos, a palace and a harbour of yachts, by 25-minute train.
- Suggested time: Full day
- No booking needed
- Suits: Families · Couples
Trains run frequently
Local FavouritesFree
Promenade des Anglais
Seafront
A palm-lined seafront boulevard curving along the bay, perfect for walking or cycling.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Couples · Beach lovers
Open-air; always accessible
ViewpointsFree
Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
Castle Hill
A wooded hilltop park with a waterfall and an excellent panorama of the bay.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Families · Photographers
Daily, roughly 8:30–18:30 (later in summer)
Hidden Gems
See all 9 Beyond the checklist
ViewpointsFree
Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
Castle Hill
A wooded hilltop park with a waterfall and an excellent panorama of the bay.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Families · Photographers
Daily, roughly 8:30–18:30 (later in summer)
Day Trips~£6
Èze Village Day Trip
Èze (12 km)
A medieval village perched on a rock, with an exotic garden and views over the Riviera.
- Suggested time: 4 hrs
- No booking needed
- Suits: Couples · Photographers
Village open daily; garden hours vary
Hidden Gems~£3
Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Nice-Ouest
A dazzling Russian Orthodox cathedral of onion domes and painted interiors, a reminder of the Riviera’s Russian past.
- Suggested time: 45 min
- No booking needed
- Suits: Culture lovers
Daily; hours vary
Hidden GemsFree
Mont Boron Park and Fort
Mont Boron
A wooded hill above the port with walking trails and lookouts over the bay, a green escape close to the centre.
- Suggested time: 2 hrs
- No booking needed
- Suits: Outdoor lovers · Photographers
Open-air; daily
Hotels
All 3 hotels Best-value hotels in Nice
Well reviewed and fairly priced for what you get: not simply the cheapest.
Best ValueBest Luxury Value
Example listingHôtel Promenade Azur
Promenade, Nice
Excellent valueValue score 87 out of 100
Rated 9.1/10, priced in line with similar 5★ hotels in Nice, in a central location.
From £240 per night · check current availability
Best Mid-Range Hotel
Example listingCimiez Garden Hotel
Cimiez, Nice
Excellent valueValue score 82 out of 100
Rated 8.5/10, about 13% below typical 4★ prices in Nice, with a pool.
From £130 per night · check current availability
Best Budget Choice
Example listingVieux Nice Maison
Old town, Nice
Very good valueValue score 73 out of 100
Rated 8.8/10, priced in line with similar 3★ hotels in Nice, in a central location.
From £100 per night · check current availability
Food & Restaurants
See all 7 Where to eat
Chez Pipo
A historic Niçois eatery famed for socca, the crisp chickpea pancake, baked in a wood oven.
Known for: Socca, pissaladière
Under about £20 per person
Local favourite Good for Families · Groups
Chez Thérésa
A stall at the flower market selling socca hot off the griddle, eaten with your fingers.
Known for: Socca
Under about £20 per person
Local favourite Good for Families · Groups
Fenocchio
A famous ice-cream shop in the old town with dozens of flavours, including lavender and tomato-basil.
Known for: Ice cream, unusual flavours
Under about £20 per person
Local favourite Good for Couples · Families
La Merenda
A tiny, much-loved restaurant serving authentic Niçois cooking without a menu on show.
Known for: Stuffed vegetables, pistou soup
About £20–40 per person
Local favourite Good for Families · Groups
A suggested Nice itinerary
3 nights Couple
Nice · Highlights
Nice in 3 nights
A balanced first-visit plan built from our Nice picks: the headline sights, a local favourite or two and time to breathe.
- Day 1 · Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya Market, Promenade des Anglais, Port Lympia
- Day 2 · Monaco Day Trip, Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
- Day 3 · Beach Day at Plage Beau Rivage, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Matisse Museum, Mont Boron Park and Fort
Plan Nice your way
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