Nice itinerary: 1 to 5 days
Plans for one to five days in Nice, day by day: the Promenade des Anglais, the cathedrals and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral first, then the Chagall and Matisse museums in Cimiez, and modern art, natural history and the observatory as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Nice in 1 day
Day 1
Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice
A 3.5-hectare municipal botanical garden on a hillside in the west of the city, with Mediterranean plants from around the world.
Promenade des Anglais
The seafront promenade curving along the Baie des Anges, for walking, cycling and sea views.
Notre-Dame de Nice
A neo-Gothic basilica on Avenue Jean Médecin, the largest church in Nice, with two square towers and a rose window.
Nice in 2 days
Day 1
Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice
A 3.5-hectare municipal botanical garden on a hillside in the west of the city, with Mediterranean plants from around the world.
Opéra de Nice
The city's 19th-century opera house at the edge of the old town, staging opera, ballet and concerts.
Notre-Dame de Nice
A neo-Gothic basilica on Avenue Jean Médecin, the largest church in Nice, with two square towers and a rose window.
Day 2
Promenade des Anglais
The seafront promenade curving along the Baie des Anges, for walking, cycling and sea views.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice
The city's fine arts museum, in a 19th-century villa built for a Russian princess, with paintings and sculpture.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice
St Nicholas Cathedral, opened in 1912, with onion domes and a richly decorated interior.
Nice in 3 days
Day 1
Nice Cathedral
The Baroque cathedral of Sainte-Réparate in the old town, with a dome of glazed tiles.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice
The city's fine arts museum, in a 19th-century villa built for a Russian princess, with paintings and sculpture.
Opéra de Nice
The city's 19th-century opera house at the edge of the old town, staging opera, ballet and concerts.
Day 2
Sainte Jeanne d'Arc, Nice
A 1930s concrete church north of the centre, known for its white domes and Art Deco style.
Promenade des Anglais
The seafront promenade curving along the Baie des Anges, for walking, cycling and sea views.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice
St Nicholas Cathedral, opened in 1912, with onion domes and a richly decorated interior.
Notre-Dame de Nice
A neo-Gothic basilica on Avenue Jean Médecin, the largest church in Nice, with two square towers and a rose window.
Day 3
Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
A park on the hill above the old town, with a waterfall and the best views over the Baie des Anges.
Musée Matisse
A municipal museum in a 17th-century villa in Cimiez, with works from every period of Matisse's career.
Musée Marc Chagall
A museum built for Chagall's Biblical Message paintings, opened in 1973 during the artist's lifetime.
Falicon pyramid
A small stone pyramid of uncertain origin above a cave in the hills north of Nice.
Nice in 4 days
Day 1
Nice Cathedral
The Baroque cathedral of Sainte-Réparate in the old town, with a dome of glazed tiles.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice
The city's fine arts museum, in a 19th-century villa built for a Russian princess, with paintings and sculpture.
Opéra de Nice
The city's 19th-century opera house at the edge of the old town, staging opera, ballet and concerts.
Day 2
Sainte Jeanne d'Arc, Nice
A 1930s concrete church north of the centre, known for its white domes and Art Deco style.
Promenade des Anglais
The seafront promenade curving along the Baie des Anges, for walking, cycling and sea views.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice
St Nicholas Cathedral, opened in 1912, with onion domes and a richly decorated interior.
Notre-Dame de Nice
A neo-Gothic basilica on Avenue Jean Médecin, the largest church in Nice, with two square towers and a rose window.
Day 3
Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
A park on the hill above the old town, with a waterfall and the best views over the Baie des Anges.
Musée Matisse
A municipal museum in a 17th-century villa in Cimiez, with works from every period of Matisse's career.
Musée Marc Chagall
A museum built for Chagall's Biblical Message paintings, opened in 1973 during the artist's lifetime.
Falicon pyramid
A small stone pyramid of uncertain origin above a cave in the hills north of Nice.
Day 4
Stade Charles-Ehrmann
A multi-use stadium in the west of Nice seating about 8,000, used for football and athletics.
Palais Nikaia
An indoor concert hall and event venue in the west of Nice near the airport, opened in 2001.
Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice
A 3.5-hectare municipal botanical garden on a hillside in the west of the city, with Mediterranean plants from around the world.
Nice in 5 days
Day 1
Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Nice
A cemetery at Caucade in the west of Nice, the resting place of many Russian émigrés.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice
The city's fine arts museum, in a 19th-century villa built for a Russian princess, with paintings and sculpture.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice
St Nicholas Cathedral, opened in 1912, with onion domes and a richly decorated interior.
Day 2
Sainte Jeanne d'Arc, Nice
A 1930s concrete church north of the centre, known for its white domes and Art Deco style.
Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Nice
Nice's natural history museum, with fossils, minerals and wildlife of the Mediterranean region.
Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain
MAMAC, Nice's museum of modern and contemporary art, with New Realism and Pop Art and a rooftop terrace.
Notre-Dame de Nice
A neo-Gothic basilica on Avenue Jean Médecin, the largest church in Nice, with two square towers and a rose window.
Day 3
Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
A park on the hill above the old town, with a waterfall and the best views over the Baie des Anges.
Musée Matisse
A municipal museum in a 17th-century villa in Cimiez, with works from every period of Matisse's career.
Musée Marc Chagall
A museum built for Chagall's Biblical Message paintings, opened in 1973 during the artist's lifetime.
Falicon pyramid
A small stone pyramid of uncertain origin above a cave in the hills north of Nice.
Day 4
Stade Charles-Ehrmann
A multi-use stadium in the west of Nice seating about 8,000, used for football and athletics.
Palais Nikaia
An indoor concert hall and event venue in the west of Nice near the airport, opened in 2001.
Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice
A 3.5-hectare municipal botanical garden on a hillside in the west of the city, with Mediterranean plants from around the world.
Day 5
Nice Observatory
A 19th-century observatory on Mont Gros, whose great dome was designed by Gustave Eiffel; seen on guided visits.
Opéra de Nice
The city's 19th-century opera house at the edge of the old town, staging opera, ballet and concerts.
Nice Cathedral
The Baroque cathedral of Sainte-Réparate in the old town, with a dome of glazed tiles.
Promenade des Anglais
The seafront promenade curving along the Baie des Anges, for walking, cycling and sea views.
Watch: Nice in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Nice
May, June and September are the best months for Nice, with warm sea, sunny weather and fewer crowds than midsummer. July and August are hot and very busy, with the highest hotel prices. Winters are mild and sunny compared with most of France, and the Nice Carnival and its flower parades fill the city for two weeks in February.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Nice on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Nice on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Nice on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Nice with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Nice with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Nice
- Check closing days before you go: several museums in Nice close on Mondays or Tuesdays.
- The Chagall and Matisse museums are up on Cimiez hill; take a bus from the centre rather than walking up.
- Climb Castle Hill (Colline du Château) for the classic view over the Baie des Anges and the port; there is also a lift.
- Go to the Cours Saleya market in the old town in the morning, when the flower and food stalls are busiest.
- Dress modestly for the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and other churches: shoulders covered, no beachwear.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Castle Hill (Colline du Château): Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Falicon pyramid: Baskerville, Public domain
- Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice: Gossipguy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Musée Marc Chagall: Europe22, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Musée Matisse: Tubantia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain: BrckoGOS, CC-BY-SA-4.0
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice: Miniwark, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Nice: Debianux, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nice Cathedral: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nice Observatory: Dacoucou, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Notre-Dame de Nice: Teresa Grau Ros from Barcelona, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Opéra de Nice: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palais Nikaia: Renzo Giusti, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Promenade des Anglais: Staeiou, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice: Amin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Nice: Фото Николая Мазепы, Public domain
- Sainte Jeanne d'Arc, Nice: Patrice Semeria, Public domain
- Stade Charles-Ehrmann: The original uploader was Dalfino at French Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.0 fr
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
