France

Stunning Tourist Places to Visit and Things to Do in Nice

Nice is a beautiful city situated at the southern coast of France. It is perhaps the most popular tourist destination along the French riviera. With the Mediterranean sea at it’s south end, the beaches are among the most popular places to visit in Nice. South of France is especially known for beautiful coast lines. At this city, you also get foot of the Alps meeting the ocean. This creates opportunities for a lot of activities to be listed among best things to do in Nice concerning the mountains and the ocean. All these sights combined with amazing architecture and other things to see in Nice earned this city the title: “Nice la Belle” which translates to Nice the Beautiful. Another aspect of beauty attributed to the city is in deference to design and architecture. Among Nice tourist attractions are some of the finest structures from the the beautiful age or “La Belle Epoque”

The city is also known for its extravagant festivals, especially Nice Carnival. A tradition which has been going on since 1274. Being a part of this event is among the top things to do in Nice. The atmosphere is incredibly lively during the carnival. The city just lights up with all sorts of games, activities, foods and markets. The best beaches in Nice become even more interesting. Even besides the festival, the long beach promenade is one of the biggest Nice attractions. You can either lounge here to bask in warm sunlight or enjoy some of the water sports. There are markets for shopping and great cafes and restaurants for dining. Even the best things to do in Nice at night can be found along the shores.

In terms of culture, Nice has one of the most exquisite art scenes in France. It has been home to artists like Chagall and Matisse. You can also visit their houses to learn about their life and work during Nice sightseeing. You should also check out the museum of contemporary and modern art when you visit Nice. There are other large and small galleries exhibiting work from well known and upcoming artists spread across the city.

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Visit The Best Tourist Places of Nice in 2 days

Day 1

1. St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church

This brightly colored Russian style cathedral is among the most beautiful things to see in Nice. The architecture is modeled after St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. You will need 1 hour for this cathedral.

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church

2. Fine Arts Museum of Nice (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice)

This Palace used to house Princess Elisabeth Kotschoubey. It now exhibits some of the finest works of art to be found during Nice sightseeing. It will take you about 2 hours to see all the exhibits as well as admire the architecture here.

Fine Arts Museum of Nice

3. Promenade des Anglais

This long beachfront is one of the most popular among Nice tourist attractions. The beach is the place to be for some of the best things to do in Nice any time of the day. If you are here during day time, be sure to keep time otherwise you would miss out on other Nice attractions. The best beaches in Nice take up a whole lot of time as there is a whole lot to do. So schedule visit here in the evening.

Promenade des Anglais

4. Nice Old Town

The old town has a charm of its own. It is a place you must visit on Nice travel. While walking the old neighbourhood, you will also come across amazing places to shop and dine. You should keep and hour or so aside to explore this area when you visit Nice.

I suggest you should try a guided walking tour of Nice Old Town.

Nice Old Town

5. Opera de Nice

This opera house was built in the year 1828. There are several performances going on at this venue. Be sure to check out Nice travel guide for shows falling on the day you are there. It is much more fun to enjoy a show there than an empty theatre. You will need about 30 to 45 minutes for this theatre.

Opera de Nice

6. Cimiez Monastery

This monastery is among the most picturesque places to see in Nice. This place has welcomed several Franciscan monks since the 16th century. You will need at least an hour here before you move on to other places to go in Nice.

Cimiez Monastery

Day 2

1. Castle Hill (Collline du Chateau)

Also known as Castle Hill, it is one of the best places to visit in Nice. As there are many attractions to explore within the castle, you would need about 2 hours here.

I suggest you should take guided walking tour of castle hill with Old Town.

Castle Hill (Collline du Chateau)

2. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC)

You cannot be in France and not explore the art scene. This museum exhibits some of the most interesting things to see in Nice in terms of art exhibits. You will need 2 hours here as well.

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC)

3. Palace Lascaris

This opulent Palace was inspired by the Palazzo of Genoa. You will need about an hour to explore the palace and its exhibits.

Palace Lascaris

4. Nice Cathedral

The complete name of this church is Basilique Cathedrale Sainte Marie et Sainte Reparate de Nice. It is one of the most imporatant historical buildings to visit among Nice tourist attractions. You will need 1 hour here.

Nice Cathedral

5. Marc Chagall Museum

The museum exhibits creations by artist Marc Chagall. You not only get an insight on the work of this amazing artist but also his life. There are not many Nice attractions which can mesmerize admirers of art as this one does. You will need an hour and a half here.

Marc Chagall Museum

6. Matisse Museum

This museum used to be the house of artist Henri Matisse. It is a beautiful house with even more beautiful exhibits inside. You would need about 2 hours to explore the exhibits here during Nice sightseeing.

Matisse Museum

If you visit Nice for more than 2 days or if you wish to add more places to your itinerary, do check out the section below. We have compiled a list of all the top things to do in Nice and put them in different categories. You can create your own itinerary with these if you want, almost all the Nice attractions have been covered in this section.

Things to do in Nice

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Nice

  1. Marc Chagall National Museum
  2. Musee Matisse
  3. Castle of Nice
  4. St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
  5. Modern and Contemporary Art Museum
  6. Nice Cathedral
  7. Musee du Palais Lascaris
  8. Notre Dame de Assomption Basilica
  9. Foundation Maeght
  10. Villa Massena Musee
  11. Musee des Beaux Arts des Nice
  12. Musee Renoir
  13. Cimiez Monastery
  14. Musee National Fernand Leger
  15. Fort du Mount Alban
  16. The Rosary Chapel
  17. Nice Observatory
  18. Musee D’Archeologie
  19. Musee National du Sport
  20. Citadelle de Ville Franche sur Mer
  21. Asian Arts Museum
  22. Garden of Arenas Cimiez
  23. Chateau de Bellet
  24. Lazaret Cave
  25. Castle Cremat
  26. Fountain of the Sun
  27. Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban
  28. Rauba Capeu Memorial
  29. Chapelle Saint Pierre
  30. Human Palaeontology  Terra Amata Museum
  31. Castle Cemetery
  32. Cascade Gairaut
  33. Pyramid of Falicon
  34. Eglise Sainte Rita de Nice
  35. Palais Regina
  36. Chapelle de la Misericorde de Nice
  37. Museum d’Histoire naturelle
  38. Nellcote
  39. Musee International d’Art Naif Anatole
  40. Notre Dame du Port
  41. Eglise Sainte Jeanne d’Arc
  42. Palais de la Prefecture
  43. Charles Negre Museum of Photography
  44. Chateau Musee Grimaldi
  45. Escoffier Museum of Culinary Arts
  46. Valrose Castle
  47. Centenary Monument
  48. Bibliotheque Louis Nucera
  49. Belland Tower

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Nice

  1. Loup River
  2. Paillon River
  3. Parc de Mount Boron
  4. Mount Boron
  5. Mount Alban
  6. Baou de Saint Jennet
  7. Canyon Forest
  8. Cape de Nice
  9. Azur Canyon

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Nice

  1. Parc Phoenix
  2. Jardin Botanique de Nice
  3. Jardin de Monastère de Cimiez
  4. Carol of Romania Mini Golf Park
  5. Domaine de Toast
  6. Jardin les Cedres
  7. Casino Barriere Le Ruhl Nice

Shopping in Nice

  1. Course Saleya
  2. La Gare du Sud
  3. Old Town Market
  4. Nice Etoile
  5. Place Garibaldi Antique Market
  6. Place du Palais Market
  7. Liberation Market
  8. Marche aux Poissons
  9. Summer Night Crafts Market
  10. Rue Catherine Segurane
  11. Le Carre d’Or

Beaches in Nice

  1. Promenade des Anglais
  2. Baie des Anges
  3. Plage des Marinières
  4. Blue Beach
  5. Plage de Carras
  6. Rade de Villefranche
  7. Plage publique de l’opera
  8. Quai des Etats Unis
  9. Plage de la Darse

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure in Nice

  1. River Cruise
  2. Mountain Climbing
  3. Hiking
  4. Water Sports
  5. Scuba Diving
  6. Snorkeling

Sightseeing in Nice

  1. Cours Saleya
  2. Castle Hill
  3. Place Massena
  4. Place Garibaldi
  5. Place Rossetti
  6. Nice Port
  7. Port Lympia
  8. Jardin Albert Garden
  9.  Avenue Jean Medecin
  10. Promenade du Paillon
  11. Place Saint Francois
  12. Parc de Velrose
  13. Parc Castle des Deux Rois

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Nice

  1. Le Chantecler
  2. Bistrot d’Antione
  3. Le Vingt4
  4. Bar des Oiseaux
  5. La Routide
  6. Peixes
  7. Oliviera
  8. Cafe de Turin
  9. Keisuke Matsushima
  10. Comptoir du Marche
  11. Le Sejour
  12. Di Più
  13. Les Pecheurs
  14. Le Galet
  15. La Rossettisserie
  16. La Voglia

Where to Stay in Nice?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-Range and Budget Hotels in Nice. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Nice.

Luxurious Hotels

  1. Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranee
  2. Hotel Le Negresco
  3. Radisson Blu Hotel, Nice
  4. Best Western Plus Hotel Massena Nice
  5. Hotel Boscolo Nice
  6. Mercure Nice Centre Notre Dame
  7. NH Nice
  8. Ibis Styles Nice Centre Gare
  9. Hotel Aston La Scala
  10. Hotel La Perouse
  11. Le Windsor, Jungle Art Hotel
  12. AC Hotel by Marriott Nice

Mid-Range Hotels

  1. easyHotel Nice Palais des Congres Vieux Nice
  2. Hotel Parisien
  3. Hotel Nice Riviera
  4. Ibis Styles Nice Vieux Port
  5. Ibis Budget Nice Californie Lenval
  6. Villa Otero by HappyCulture
  7. Campanile Nice Centre – Acropolis
  8. Hotel Paganini
  9. Ibis Nice Centre Gare
  10. Hotel Relais Acropolis
  11. Hotel Busby Nice
  12. Esatitude Hotel

Budget Hotels

  1. Hotel Trocadero
  2. Hotel Ibis Nice Aeroport Promenade Des Anglais
  3. Campanile Nice Aeroport
  4. Ibis Budget Nice Aeroport
  5. Ibis Budget Nice Palais Nikaia
  6. Kyriad Nice – Stade
  7. B&B HOTEL Nice Aeroport Arenas
  8. Pastoral Hostel
  9. Premiere Classe Nice – Promenade Des Anglais
  10. Appart’City Nice Acropolis

TripAdvisor

Custom Tours Package in Nice

How to Reach Nice?

By Air

Nice Airport receives flights from several countries of Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. You can get direct flights to visit Nice from all major cities in Europe including London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome and many more. You can also get flights for Nice travel from New York City, Moscow and Toronto. You can reach the places to go in Nice via tram, buses, and taxi from the airport. The Tram service will take you to Magnan Station, which is quite close to the city centre. You can continue to places to see in Nice from there. The buses have several stops in the city and you can pick whichever is closest to the places to visit in Nice you want to visit. Cabs will take you anywhere you want to go, but are costlier than public transport options.

By Road

People frequent between Nice and Paris, hence the trains run daily between these two cities. You can also get trains to visit Nice from several other cities of France. There are also international trains that allow Nice travel from Moscow, Milan, Minsk, Genoa, Vienna, Rome, Warsaw, and Venice. The bus network on the other hand offers far more options than several cities in Europe.

If you are planning to travel by road using a car, you should head for an autoroute A8. This road will directly take you to visit Nice.

By Water

Nice is a very popular port in France. You can get ferry, boats or cruise rides for Nice sightseeing from Ile Rousse, Ajaccio, Bastia, and Calvi.


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Mustafa Natalwala

Mustafa is a content writer and digital marketing expert at WideWorldTrips.com His mainly interests are into travelling, photography, film-making

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