Attraction
Promenade des Anglais
Nice's seafront avenue curves for almost seven kilometres around the Baie des Anges, lined with palms, pebble beaches and the city's famous blue chairs.
The things to do in Nice combine a seafront city, a Baroque old town and some of the best art museums on the Riviera. The Promenade des Anglais curves for almost seven kilometres around the Baie des Anges, Castle Hill closes the bay to the east, and below it the lanes of Vieux Nice lead to the Cours Saleya market, Place Rossetti and the cathedral. Place Masséna and the Promenade du Paillon link the old town with the modern centre, Port Lympia lies on the far side of Castle Hill, and the hill district of Cimiez holds the Matisse and Chagall museums.
Food in Nice has a strong local identity, from socca and pissaladière to stuffed vegetables and Swiss chard tart, alongside Michelin-starred dining rooms, seafood bistros and a growing natural wine scene. Evenings revolve around aperitifs on terraces, jazz in the old town and drinks by the port. Three days is enough for the main sights and a museum or two; four or five days leaves time for day trips along the coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco or Antibes.
Attraction
Nice's seafront avenue curves for almost seven kilometres around the Baie des Anges, lined with palms, pebble beaches and the city's famous blue chairs.
Attraction
A wooded hilltop park between the old town and the port, with free entry, an artificial waterfall and the classic view over the Baie des Anges.
Attraction
A seventeenth-century Genoese villa in the Cimiez olive grove holding nearly 600 works donated by Henri Matisse and his heirs, from early paintings to late cut-outs.
Attraction
A national museum created under Marc Chagall's wishes to house his Biblical Message paintings, with more than 400 works by the artist in Cimiez.
Attraction
An onion-domed Orthodox cathedral inspired by the churches of Moscow, with a richly decorated interior of icons, frescoes, carved wood and a metal iconostasis.
Attraction
Nice's Baroque cathedral on Place Rossetti in the old town, with a glazed-tile dome, an eighteenth-century bell tower and about ten richly decorated chapels.
Café
A family ice-cream maker founded in 1966, serving more than 90 flavours on Place Rossetti, including Niçois oddities such as tomato-basil and Swiss chard tart.
Café
A confectioner and chocolatier founded in 1820 opposite the Opéra, famous for its candied fruit and its rococo-style shop, run by the Dolfi family.
Café
A bright café-bistro in the port district serving farm-produce brunches, a lunch menu and evening sharing plates with natural wines.
Café
A confectionery on the port quays, open since 1974, where free tours show how candied fruit, crystallised flowers, citrus jams and chocolates are made.
Café
A renowned Nice pâtisserie and chocolatier founded in 1995, known for refined entremets, award-winning chocolates and macarons, with a shop on Rue Barla.
Café
An old-town sourdough bakery run by Dominika Zielinska, baking heritage-flour breads, babka and cinnamon rolls alongside sandwiches and tartines.
Hotel
The pink-domed palace of the Promenade des Anglais, a five-star hotel with 130 rooms and suites, a Michelin-starred restaurant and a celebrated art collection.
Hotel
A five-star hotel behind a Belle Epoque facade dating from 1848, fully renovated, with a rooftop terrace, Anantara spa and around 230 rooms near the Jardin…
Hotel
A five-star hotel behind the Art Deco facade of a 1929 landmark on the Promenade des Anglais, with a heated pool, spa and sea-facing rooms.
Hotel
A four-star hotel at the foot of Castle Hill at the end of the Promenade, with a pool, rooftop and sweeping views over the Baie des…
Hotel
A four-star hotel at the entrance to the old town, with contemporary rooms, a leafy patio and its own private beach across the Promenade.
Hotel
A four-star boutique hotel in central Nice, with Mediterranean-style rooms, some with terraces, a few minutes from the sea.
Bar
A hidden cocktail bar in the port area styled on 1920s Italy and Prohibition, with leather armchairs, velvet banquettes and a seasonal menu of creative cocktails.
Bar
A rooftop bar and evening lounge at the top of the Aston La Scala hotel, with panoramic views over the Promenade du Paillon, the old town…
Bar
A small live-music bar in the old town where jazz and other relaxed styles play late into the night, popular with locals and visitors alike.
Bar
A busy old-town pub with live bands and DJs every night, a weekly visiting UK band and big-screen football, open from morning until late.
Bar
An Irish pub and restaurant on the port quayside, open daily from morning until 01:00, with sports on screen, food and room for groups.
Bar
A wine bar and cellar specialising in organic, biodynamic and natural wines, with more than 850 references and a lunchtime bistro.
Restaurant
The two-Michelin-star restaurant of brothers Gaël and Mickaël Tourteaux, pairing Niçois produce with spices and flavours gathered from other continents.
Restaurant
The Michelin-starred dining room of the Hotel Negresco, where chef Virginie Basselot cooks light, produce-led French cuisine under 18th-century wood panelling.
Restaurant
Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen's one-star dining room near the port, serving a single set menu of creative cooking rooted in South African flavours.
Restaurant
A long-running Niçois and Mediterranean restaurant beside the Opéra, led by Nicole Rubi and known for stuffed vegetables, truffle macaroni and a glamorous crowd.
Restaurant
A tiny old-town bistro run by former Negresco chef Dominique Le Stanc, serving traditional Niçois dishes such as stockfish, daube and Swiss chard tart.
Restaurant
A busy old-town bistro with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, serving hearty French classics such as pork casserole with polenta and knife-cut beef tartare.
Thing to do
The long market square of Vieux Nice, where flower, fruit and vegetable stalls trade from Tuesday to Sunday and an antiques market takes over on Mondays.
Thing to do
A 57-hectare forest park on the hill between Nice and Villefranche, with 11 kilometres of trails and wide views along the Riviera coast.
Thing to do
Nice's 1885 opera house at the edge of the old town, home to the city's philharmonic orchestra, ballet and chorus, with an Italian-style auditorium of over…
Thing to do
A walk through the Baroque lanes of Vieux Nice, between Castle Hill, the sea and Place Garibaldi, taking in palaces, chapels, squares and the Cours Saleya.
Thing to do
Nice's harbour in the Lympia valley, begun in 1748, where traditional pointu fishing boats, yachts and Corsica ferries share the quays below Castle Hill.
Tour operator
An open-top hop-on hop-off bus with 12 stops around Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer, recorded commentary in nine languages and departures all year.
Tour operator
An electric tourist train run by France Voguette, offering 45 to 50-minute guided loops of the city centre or up to Castle Hill from the Jardin…
Tour operator
A tour company near the Promenade des Anglais offering Segway rides, guided walking and food tours of the old town, and scavenger hunts for groups.
Tour operator
A guided food and wine walk through Vieux Nice, visiting the market, artisan shops and wine cellars before a restaurant meal with Provence wines.
Tour operator
A Riviera boat company running coastal mini-cruises from Nice past Cap de Nice and Villefranche bay, plus day trips to Monaco, Saint-Tropez and the Lérins islands.
Three days covers the old town, Castle Hill, the Promenade des Anglais, the Cimiez museums and the port; four or five days allows day trips along the coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco or Antibes
Vieux Nice and the streets around Place Masséna are best for sightseeing and restaurants, the Promenade des Anglais suits those who want sea views and beach access, and the port area is a quieter, local alternative with good food
Tram line 2 runs from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport to the city centre and the port, and buses and taxis are also available
Nice can be expensive in summer, especially for seafront hotels and beach clubs, but free sights such as Castle Hill, the Promenade and the markets, and cheap local food such as socca, help keep costs down
Nice is generally safe, but pickpocketing occurs in crowded areas such as the old town, markets, trams and the beaches, so keep valuables secure