Things to do in Nice – 10 tips on the French Riviera

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | What is there to see and do in Nice on the French Riviera? We have visited the city three times, in 2015, 2017 and 2025, and we like this colorful city on the Mediterranean more and more. Here we recommend the Promenade des Anglais, the old town, markets, views and an excursion to Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Nice on the French Riviera

Nice is located on the Mediterranean Sea in southeastern France and is one of the most important cities in French Riviera. Here, big city and seaside resort meet in a way that we think works very well.

We have visited Nice three times in ten years. The first time we came by camper in 2015. Two years later we arrived in a completely different way, on board the cruise ship. Freedom of the Seas. In 2025 we were back with the camper again.

And Nice has grown on us. There is something grand about the city with the big houses, the palm trees and the long promenade. At the same time, it is enough to disappear into the alleys of the old town for the atmosphere to change completely.

Cannes is still our favorite city on the French Riviera, but Nice is also well located.

1. Stroll along the Promenade des Anglais

It is hardly possible to visit Nice without ending up at Promenade des Anglais. The famous promenade follows the Baie des Anges for almost seven kilometers and is lined with palm trees, beaches and the characteristic blue chairs.

The history of the promenade dates back to the 1820s. At this time, wealthy British people had begun to spend their winters in Nice due to the mild climate. What started as a much simpler promenade along the sea eventually developed into today's Promenade des Anglais.

We have walked here during several of our visits and still think it is one of the places that best sums up Nice. On one side lies the city with its grand buildings. On the other, the blue Mediterranean spreads out.

2. Discover Old Nice

From the large beach promenade it is not far to a completely different environment. Old Nice, the old town, is filled with narrow alleys, colorful facades, small shops, restaurants and outdoor cafes. This is one of the parts of Nice that we like best.

Here you can really just walk around without any real plan. And eventually you'll probably get hungry. During one of our visits we sat down at an outdoor café and ordered moules frites and a beer each. It's hard to complain on a day like that.

3. Visit the market at Cours Saleya

On the outskirts of the old town lies Cours Saleya, where markets have been organized for a long time. When we were here, we walked around the stalls with, among other things, fruit, vegetables, cheese, sausages, olives, honey, spices and local products.

It's the kind of place where we like to stay much longer than we initially intended. Partly to take photos and partly because we really like the food.

4. See Place Masséna

Place Massena is one of the large central squares in Nice and hard to miss when moving between the old town and the more modern part of the city center. The square with its red facades and black and white paving feels much more grandiose than the alleys of Vieux Nice, and the contrasts are something we like about the city.

From here it is also close to the shopping streets, the old town and the Promenade du Paillon.

5. Stroll through the Promenade du Paillon

Promenade du Paillon is a long green strip through the center of Nice. When we visited the city in 2017, we were captivated by the combination of greenery, open spaces, and the large body of water with fountains. It almost feels like a break between different parts of the city.

This is also a good route to take if you are moving between Place Masséna and the areas further north.

6. Climb the Colline du Château

A place we would add to the list even if we haven't visited it is Castle Hill, Castle Hill. From here you get the classic view of Nice, Baie des Anges, the old town and the harbor. However, there is no longer a castle on the hill.

7. Discover Nice as a World Heritage Site

Since 2021, parts of Nice have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name ”Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera”. So it is not the old town itself that is the World Heritage Site. Instead, UNESCO highlights how Nice developed into a cosmopolitan winter destination from the mid-18th century until the 20th century.

Mainly wealthy British people began to spend their winters here, but people gradually came from many different parts of Europe and the world. This left its mark on the city's planning, architecture, hotels, villas, parks and promenades. Nice also belonged to the Kingdom of Sardinia before the city became French in 1860.

8. Swim in the middle of Nice

One of the special things about Nice is that the beach is right in front of the city. The beaches along the Baie des Anges do not consist of soft sand but of large, rounded stones. So it is not the typical sandy beach that you might imagine when you think of the French Riviera. But the location is hard to beat.

Here you can stroll through the old town, have lunch, shop and then go straight down to the Mediterranean for a swim. Swimming shoes may be a good idea for those who don't like balancing on large rocks.

9. Discover the food in Nice

Nice also has its own cuisine with several local specialties. Perhaps the most famous is salad niçoise, but there are also, for example, socca, a thin pancake made from chickpea flour, and pissaladière, a kind of onion pie with anchovies and olives.

We ourselves have obviously been less adventurous. Moules frites. But after three visits it's actually starting to get a bit embarrassing, so next time we'll have to be more careful.

10. Take a trip to Villefranche-sur-Mer

Just east of Nice lies Villefranche-sur-Mer, beautifully situated around a deep bay. This is where we landed when we visited the area with Freedom of the Seas 2017. The large cruise ship was anchored out in the bay and we went ashore with a smaller tender boat.

Even from the water, Villefranche looked very inviting with colorful houses, small boats and the beach inside the bay.

We also wanted to experience Nice, so we took the train there. After the day in Nice, we returned and had time to walk around Villefranche for a while before it was time to board the train again.

In retrospect, we regretted one thing above all. We hadn't brought our swimsuits. Villefranche-sur-Mer works great as an excursion from Nice and the towns are only a few minutes apart by regional train.

Nice with a campervan

Two of our three visits to Nice have been by motorhome, in 2015 and 2025. Nice is not the place we would prefer to try to find our way around with a large motorhome right in the city centre. The traffic is intense and parking can be difficult for larger vehicles.

For us, Nice has instead served as a place where we combined our campervan journey with other means of transport and continued our journey. Both times we have come here by campervan, the next destination has been the same: Corsica.

Ferries to Corsica depart from the port of Nice, and we have boarded the motorhome and continued out to one of our absolute favorite destinations in the Mediterranean. In this way, Nice has become both a destination and a gateway to our next adventure.

READ MORE: Ferry from Nice to Corsica – our experiences

More to see and do in Nice

We still haven't had time to explore everything there is to do in Nice. Some places that might be interesting for a longer visit are:

• Matisse Museum – museum dedicated to Henri Matisse, who lived and worked in Nice for a large part of his life.
• Palais Lascaris – a baroque palace in the old town that we actually tried to visit back in 2017. It was closed that day, so it's still on the list.
• Russian Cathedral of Saint-Nicolas – the large Russian Orthodox cathedral is another trace of the international influences that have shaped Nice.
• Cimiez – area on the heights above the city center with Roman remains, monasteries and several museums.
• Nice port – the area around Port Lympia offers boats, colorful houses and restaurants and is also the place from where we continued by ferry to Corsica.

Is Nice worth a visit?

Absolutely. Nice was nice the first time we came here, but after three visits we have started to appreciate the city even more.

We like the combination of big city and holiday resort. One moment you're walking between grand buildings and large squares, the next you're disappearing into the alleys of Vieux Nice or standing by the Mediterranean on the Promenade des Anglais.

And then there's Villefranche-sur-Mer right next door and the rest of the French Riviera around the corner. Cannes is still a bit higher on our personal favorite list. But we suspect we haven't been to Nice for the last time either.

See more along the French Riviera

Of course, there is much more to experience along the French Riviera. Here you will find more tips and reports:

• Things to do in Cannes
• Esterel Mountains in France
• Guide to the French Riviera