By air
Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE), ~7 km
Europe · France
Nice, France
The Promenade des Anglais and the blue Riviera
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to June and September — warm, less crowded
Don't miss
The Promenade des Anglais
Vieux Nice
Castle Hill
Èze
Things to do
The Promenade
Old Nice's market
Day trips to Monaco and Èze
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Moody Dreiza (Moody751 at English Wikipedia) · CC BY 2.5
What to pack
Swimwear, sandals (the beaches are pebble)
A quieter corner
Villefranche-sur-Mer's bay
Questions travellers ask
Are the beaches in Nice sandy?
No, they're pebble, so pack sandals along with your swimwear.
When should I visit Nice, and what's there to see?
May to June and September, when it's warm and less crowded. Walk the Promenade des Anglais, explore Vieux Nice and head up Castle Hill.
Where can I go on a day trip from Nice?
Monaco and Èze both make day trips, and Villefranche-sur-Mer's bay is worth seeking out.
Which local dishes should I try in Nice?
Socca, salade niçoise and pan bagnat. Browse old Nice's market while you're there.
About Nice
- Coastal
Where it is
Nice is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera in south-east France, curving around the Baie des Anges on the Mediterranean, about 13 km from Monaco and 30 km from the Italian border.
History
Greeks from Marseille founded Nikaia here around 350 BC. In 1388 the town placed itself under the Counts of Savoy, and apart from brief French interludes it stayed with Savoy until the Treaty of Turin ceded it to France in 1860. Wealthy English visitors who wintered here gave their name to the Promenade des Anglais, and in 2021 Nice, the winter resort town of the Riviera, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People
Niçois speak French, and some still speak Niçard (Nissart), a dialect of Occitan. The city's cooking shares much with neighbouring Liguria, from socca, a chickpea-flour pancake, to pissaladière, an onion and anchovy tart, and every February the Carnival fills the streets with giant floats.
Known for
- The Promenade des Anglais
- Vieux Nice and the Cours Saleya market
- Socca, salade niçoise and pissaladière
- The Nice Carnival in February
- The Matisse and Chagall museums
Did you know?
Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of the leaders of Italian unification, was born in Nice in 1807, and he opposed its cession to France in 1860.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.