Stunning Tourist Places to Visit and Things to Do in Nice

December 6, 2020 Mustafa Natalwala 4294 Views

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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Table of Contents

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Marc Chagall National Museum
Musee Matisse
Castle of Nice
St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
Modern and Contemporary Art Museum
Nice Cathedral
Musee du Palais Lascaris
Notre Dame de Assomption Basilica
Foundation Maeght
Villa Massena Musee
Musee des Beaux Arts des Nice
Musee Renoir
Cimiez Monastery
Musee National Fernand Leger
Fort du Mount Alban
The Rosary Chapel
Nice Observatory
Musee D’Archeologie
Musee National du Sport
Citadelle de Ville Franche sur Mer
Asian Arts Museum
Garden of Arenas Cimiez
Chateau de Bellet
Lazaret Cave
Castle Cremat
Fountain of the Sun
Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban
Rauba Capeu Memorial
Chapelle Saint Pierre
Human Palaeontology Terra Amata Museum
Castle Cemetery
Cascade Gairaut
Pyramid of Falicon
Eglise Sainte Rita de Nice
Palais Regina
Chapelle de la Misericorde de Nice
Museum d’Histoire naturelle
Nellcote
Musee International d’Art Naif Anatole
Notre Dame du Port
Eglise Sainte Jeanne d’Arc
Palais de la Prefecture
Charles Negre Museum of Photography
Chateau Musee Grimaldi
Escoffier Museum of Culinary Arts
Valrose Castle
Centenary Monument
Bibliotheque Louis Nucera
Belland Tower

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Nice

Loup River
Paillon River
Parc de Mount Boron
Mount Boron
Mount Alban
Baou de Saint Jennet
Canyon Forest
Cape de Nice
Azur Canyon

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Nice

Parc Phoenix
Jardin Botanique de Nice
Jardin de Monastère de Cimiez
Carol of Romania Mini Golf Park
Domaine de Toast
Jardin les Cedres
Casino Barriere Le Ruhl Nice

Shopping in Nice

Course Saleya
La Gare du Sud
Old Town Market
Nice Etoile
Place Garibaldi Antique Market
Place du Palais Market
Liberation Market
Marche aux Poissons
Summer Night Crafts Market
Rue Catherine Segurane
Le Carre d’Or

Beaches in Nice

Promenade des Anglais
Baie des Anges
Plage des Marinières
Blue Beach
Plage de Carras
Rade de Villefranche
Plage publique de l’opera
Quai des Etats Unis
Plage de la Darse

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure in Nice

River Cruise
Mountain Climbing
Hiking
Water Sports
Scuba Diving
Snorkeling

Sightseeing in Nice

Cours Saleya
Castle Hill
Place Massena
Place Garibaldi
Place Rossetti
Nice Port
Port Lympia
Jardin Albert Garden
Avenue Jean Medecin
Promenade du Paillon
Place Saint Francois
Parc de Velrose
Parc Castle des Deux Rois

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Nice

Le Chantecler
Bistrot d’Antione
Le Vingt4
Bar des Oiseaux
La Routide
Peixes
Oliviera
Cafe de Turin
Keisuke Matsushima
Comptoir du Marche
Le Sejour
Di Più
Les Pecheurs
Le Galet
La Rossettisserie
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

Mid-Range Hotels

Budget Hotels

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.

Image Reference

Russian Orthodox Cathedral – Valery Bareta / ShutterStock
Fine Arts Museum Nice – Miniwark / Wikimedia Commons
Promenade des Anglais – Alexandra_Koch / PixaBay
Nice Old Town – kerenby / ShutterStock
Opera de Nice – Jesmar / Wikimedia Commons
Cimiez Monastery – Kiev.Victor / ShutterStock
Castle Hill-Colline du Chateau – Dale Harvey / Flickr
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art – saiko3p / ShutterStock
Palace Lascaris – dalbera / Wikimedia Commons
Nice Cathedral – Sergey Dzyuba / ShutterStock
Marc Chagall Museum – EQRoy / ShutterStock
Matisse Museum – Margarita Hintukainen / ShutterStock