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Prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes, Southern France
Photo: Niels Elgaard Larsen, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Nice (pronounced like the English word "niece") is a large city in France on the French Riviera. It's a popular destination for vacationers young and old, with something to offer nearly everyone. It is well known for the beautiful view on the Promenade des Anglais, its famous waterfront, and is an ethnically diverse port city. In 2021 the waterfront and a considerable part of the city were listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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The castle hill overlooking the Baie des Anges and harbour offers a spectacular vantage point overlooking the city. Not much is left of its ruined castle besides crumbling walls. Still, climbing up the stairs to reach the platforms 90 m above Nice is well worth the view. There is also a lift (ascenseur) which will take you three quarters of the way up. The castle hill park closes at around sunset. Expect to be escorted outside if you stay longer.
2500 different plants in botanical garden and tropical glass house. Also various animals.
Indian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and world art in great architecture on a lake.
Even if you are not in art, this is a museum which should not be missed. It includes stained glass windows by the artist.
Charming collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures in 17th-century Genoese villa.
The ruins of the Gallo-Roman settlement in Cimiez, plus a museum with nice documentation on Gallo-Roman life (but mostly not in English). Activities for children. Guided tours available.
MAMAC, Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain de Nice
It has four connected towers featuring modern and contemporary artists and their sculptures, paintings, and conceptual installations. Its open-air roof terraces offer one of the best panoramas of the city.
To the west, there is the Musée des Beaux-Arts, housing an excellent collection of pastels and other works by Jules Cheret, among other artists.
Château de Bellet has a winery, vineyards and wine tastings in a deconsecrated chapel. The wine cellar, built in 2015, is partially underground and semi-circular in shape, conceived for the reception of the grape by gravity and the ageing of wines in optimal conditions. The visit includes a secret crypt in the chapel.
Sentier Littoral
You can follow the path around Cap de Nice half way to Villefranche, but be prepared for several hundred steps up to rejoin the road. It’s a very beautiful walk and you will find mostly local people using it.
Chemins de Fer de Provence
A regular SNCF train departs from Nice to Puget-Théniers, where it connects to a narrow-gauge railway through the mountains and valleys of the hinterland. A very scenic but less comfortable ride than the SNCF main lines. Terminates at Nice-CP station a few blocks behind Nice-Ville main station. Leaves in the morning, and returns in the evening. Reservations for the steam trains are mandatory.
This opera house hosts not only opera performances but also many concerts of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and chamber music recitals, and some ballet performances. The house's website is in French only, but even if you don't read French well, you should be able to make out the information on their calendar (calendrier).
Serves ice creams and Italian-style ices. It's a tough choice to select just one or two of the 94 flavours, which include classics like chocolate or vanilla and less usual ones like thyme, cactus or lavender. 2 locations in the Old Town.
Local dishes including the best tasting Socca, which only costs €2.80 (April 2019). Locals (and the lots of French tourists) seem to love this place and it is often quite busy. Order your food at the counter and take it with you to sit at the benches outside. Try Daube pasta/polenta for €9.50 (April 2019) and soupe au pistou, and socca. Very nice atmosphere and very decent price. Worth a try, even though the baked food can be somewhat soaked in oil. Avoid red wine at this place, though, as they serve it chilled rather than warm.
Friendly welcome, fast service, excellent pizza. Very good food, variety of dishes
French cuisine. Nice restaurant with very pretty decor. Very warm welcome and friendly. Excellent cuisine. You'll probably find yourself seating at the same table with other people, which makes the experience even better
The best staff, and amazing food. A welcoming, authentic and pleasant place.
Succulent Portuguese cuisine. Great portions and divine food. In addition to the friendliness and kindness of all the staff. The terrace is very picturesque.
Delicious food, best value in the area by far. Great service, cute dog. Delicious, beautiful setting, friendly atmosphere.
The exceptional service and the atmosphere of the restaurant makes this place a memorable experience. A real treasure to stumble upon this hidden gem of a restaurant. Great decor and fantastic food.
Vegan restaurant. This all-you-can-eat restaurant is simple but perfect for all appetites. Amazing food. Very nice host.
Excellent home cooking, very welcoming. Hearty Vietnamese dishes full of flavors.
The feeling of a very familiar hometown restaurant. Good and authentic Chinese food.
Has tasty Indian food. Lunch menus are a good deal.
Vietnamese restaurant. Serves good Vietnamese food at affordable prices. Rice is not included in the dishes but ordered separately. Chopsticks are provided but you have to ask for a fork and a knife. The staff are very friendly but speak next to no English, so be prepared to order in French. Main courses €12-20.
One of the most authentic Chinese food in France. The owner and the wife of the owner are very attentive and enthusiastic in cooking.
Hidden gem in Nice! It kept this traditional French bistrot atmosphere. The staff is genuine and welcoming. The food is delicious.
Excellent fresh Italian sandwiches. Rich, high-quality ingredients and nice owners.
Amazing local pizza and lovely owner. The pizzas are amazing, very tasty and good size.
Typical French place with homemade food. One of the best pissaladières in Nice. Lots of very nice little dishes, very fresh and delicious.
Super nice little restaurant, fresh and excellent products, lovely service. Generous cuisine, fresh products, sauces to die for, a treat.
Best Socca in Nice. The portions are generous. Very pleasant experience, smiling and pleasant servers.
Great typical Portuguese and Cape Verdean restaurant. Braised chicken formulas to die for. Great and beautiful restaurant.
Pizzas for €6; taking them away to the beach makes for a nice dinner. The pizza menu is appealing for its originality and humor. Very tasty pizza.
Wood-fired oven pizzas, made in front of the customers. Great Neapolitan pizza.
The ambiance is great, contemporary, and the staff are friendly welcoming with genuine smiles. Very nice decoration.
A good Mediterranean restaurant where you can taste specialties from Nice. The socca is good there and the other dishes too.
Very good restaurant in terms of their specialty socca. Impeccable service. Generous and good socca and pizza. Simplicity and kindness.
Delhi Belhi is a family-owned and -operated restaurant specializing in Indian cuisine. Open daily for dinner, à-la-carte or prix-fixe menu. Great curries and tandoori specialties. Delhi Belhi is the only Indian restaurant on the entire French riviera that has been included in the prestigious Gault-Millau guides since 2005. Fluent English also spoken here. Behind the popular cours Saleya flower market. This is a very popular restaurant so reservations are highly recommended (at least a few hours ahead).
If you're watching your budget but want to have a gourmet, healthy meal, this is the place to go for lunch. For €11 you get a main course, a drink such as wine, beer or soda and after the meal, a coffee. Try the trio of fish. For €13, add the dessert of the day. Hopefully it's cinnamon crème brûlée. Don't be put off by the one waitress to a full restaurant ratio, the chefs get the food to you quickly. The meal deals are more expensive during the night, starting at €19.
In the heart of Vieux Nice, this is a friendly, vibrant, old-fashioned restaurant with as much Italian influence as Provençale. The beignets and daube with gnocchi are particularly good. €15-30 (Dec 2020).
Le Tire Bouchon is an attractive, desirable restaurant in which to enjoy a classic bistro-café meal. The restaurant has a picturesque atmosphere that everyone is sure to enjoy.
The former small lauderette or laundry shop is transformed in to a modern bistro and hosted by two brothers who are passionate about bistronomy. The chefs offer fresh, local ingredients listed in a seasonal menu in a French tapas bar format. Several tapas dishes per person will round out comfortable portions.
Peixes, pronounced 'pêche' specializes in affordable fish and seafood served in a modern form of small plates or tapas. Peixes is a small restaurant with blue and white tiles and a Mediterranean ambiance. Mentioned in the Michelin Guide.
Takeout, delivery or eat-in bistro where you can taste all varieties of truffles paired with food and wine. Takeout includes small bottles of truffle oil.
Casual breakfast/brunch/lunch place with a focus on pancakes. All vegetarian, mostly vegan. The "planted steak" is delicious.
The Chantecler is a two-star Michelin restaurant and a destination of many gourmets and foodies. Extraordinary gastronomy by Master Chef Virginie Basselot mixes lightness and complexity with renowned table service. The menu offers a talented tribute to regional products. Guests are hosted in a period restaurant with amazing woodwork dating back to 1751.
Restaurant Flaveur is a restaurant worth searching as described in the Michelin Guide that gave it two-star Michelin rating. The passion of these two brothers lifts this restaurant to among the best in France. Flaveur is a restaurant to 'splurge'.
Restaurant Jan is a one-star Michelin restaurant featuring South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen. The 24-seat formal dining room allows wait staff to focus on each guest and present the finest local produce from the markets of the south of France. Splurge on a bottle of South African wine. Across the street, private dining room is available where guests can enjoy a mid-meal interlude with 20 cheeses and tasty preserves made from local ingredients.
Le Plongeoir is perched high above the sea on a famous pillar of rock overlooking the port of Nice and offering a stunning and memorable view. Platform diving boards (hence the name) pre-date the restaurant. The menu features fresh and inventively prepared seafood with a modern Mediterranean influence, prepared with fresh, seasonal market produce. The hip lounge bar is a place to see and be seen; the bar is open from 1 Jun to 30 Sep, weather permitting because of the weather-exposed site.
Right in the heart of the 'Old Town' and next to the opera, Ma Nolan's has everything you would expect from an Irish pub: live music every night, major sporting events on four screens, really good food and very friendly staff.
— Big Scandinavian/Irish pub with live music every night. On two floors with a large terrace this place is expensive but chill. Many of the larger hotels (such as the Holiday Inn) have 2-for-1 drink coupons which can be easily obtained even if you are not a guest.
— An old school bar with live music and theme nights, a bit coyote ugly meets cheers. When the place is crowded, people dance on the tables. It's somewhat expensive to drink here (but Wayne's isn't alone with this characteristic), but definitely one of the most fun/party places in Nice. English-speaking tourists also seem to gravitate to this bar, but you'll also meet lots of French people or locals here.
Lounge bar at the pool on top of the hotel. Relaxed atmosphere and great views over the city.
Created in 1993. Rock ambiance for young folks. Live music, live sports and Trivia Night entertainment Wednesdays at 20h00. The restaurant offers typical pub grub and a few salads.
An amazing hostel with a great party vibe, includes free internet and free breakfast. Situated a short way to the north of the town centre in a former monastery. You can easily catch a bus there from Nice Ville train station (1, 2 or 23), the staff are very helpful, knowledgeable and will even pick you up free if you arrive late.
A clean, cheap hostel with dorm rooms and a shared kitchen. The host is very kind and helpful and you're just a few minutes from the Nice train station (Gare SNCF) and a few metres away from the next tram station.
A renovated three-floor residence, located in a private garden in the heart of the Fabron district. 500 m from the shops, 800 m from the beach, 4 km from the old port of Nice and 6.5 km from the airport.
Hotel in an Art Deco building.
Swimming pool, restaurant.
Beautiful Bed and Breakfast.
Well appointed and plenty of room but, be prepared for a bit of a walk to most attractions and the city centre. Several supermarkets close by and several bus routes pass right outside (if you can decipher the timetables!)
Quaint would be too nice to describe this place. Is not the best. But it is in the middle of Nice, good friendly staff too. €55/65 a night for single/double.
This hotel offers a gym, sauna, swimming pool.
Very close to the sea and the old quarter. Free Wi-Fi. The Superior and Privilege rooms have a small balcony with a table and two chairs where you can sit and view the surf along the entire waterfront. The rooms are typically French sized small but well decorated. Business services.
Free use of pool and whirlpool in next door Hotel Splendid.
Small but cozy hotel in the city center with a bed-and-breakfast vibe; two blocks away from the oceanside and walking distance to most sights. Owners are friendly and will try to accommodate things like early check-in. Stairs may pose a problem for those with heavy luggage, windows sometimes open to noisy streets.
4-star hotel.
Perched upon a hillside overlooking the Baie des Anges and Old Village. Large rooms and suites, some with a terrace and private hot tub. Concierge and valet services. Pool, jacuzzi, fitness and solarium. Business and seminar areas.
Upscale Italian chain with spa and fine dining in the city centre.
Famous landmark hotel. Houses Le Chantecler, a bar and a brasserie. Worth a look even if you are not staying there. Can be very expensive depending on season.
La Malmaison Nice
Boutique hotel, pets allowed.
Marché aux Fleurs
Originally a 19th-century flower market, this street market is now full of produce and baked goods, and some souvenirs.
Food market.
This gourmet shop has specific jams, sweet fruits and petals, which are traditional from that area. The candied clementine and the rose jam are their fine specialities.
By train
By car
The A8 autoroute is the easiest way to access Nice either from the west (Cannes, Aix-en-Provence) or from Italy.
By bus
Other long distance buses connect Nice with other major European cities.
By boat
Nice is right along the coast, so you should be able to find your way easily no matter if you run on diesel or let the wind help you.
By train
Nice has no metro and little need for one.
By car
You don't need a car to explore Nice itself, and if you do bring or hire one expect some frustration. The town centre is congested and its system of streets is complicated and mostly one-way.
By taxi
If you can, avoid the notoriously expensive taxis, though sometimes you do not have a choice. It is not always easy to find a taxi when you need one.
By bicycle
Nice has installed a public bicycle rental system called "Vélo Bleu". As of 2026, one day rental is €3 per day, €5 per week, €10 per month and €40/year.
On foot
Even though Nice is the fifth largest city in France, a high proportion of the tourist attractions are close together in the town centre, at most half an hour's walk from each other.
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Nice, Alpes-Maritimes · International · NCE
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