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Three Days in Nice: Old Town, Cimiez, and a Riviera Day Trip

Reviewed by TheOneToGo Editorial · Updated June 13, 2026

Three days is the right amount of time for Nice. Give two days to the city, then use the third for Èze and Monaco if you want the famous Riviera contrast. Nice is better when you stop treating it like a beach break and start treating it like a real city with a very good shoreline.

an aerial view of a city next to the oceanPhoto by Constantin on Unsplash

Stay near Vieux Nice, Place Masséna, Jean Médecin, or the lower Promenade if this is your first visit. Tram line 2 links Nice airport with Jean Médecin and Port Lympia in under about 30 minutes, according to the airport transport page. Tram line 1 runs through the central corridor, including stops such as Masséna, Opéra-Vieille Ville, Garibaldi, and Vauban. For a short trip, that is a big advantage.

The honest tradeoff: the beach is good-looking and awkward. Pebbles are not sand, and they punish lazy packing. I would give the sea the early and late parts of the day, then spend the best walking hours on Vieux Nice, Castle Hill, Cimiez, and one clean day trip. Nice rewards walkers, but the trams and buses mean you do not have to turn the trip into a chore.

Day 1: Old Nice, Cours Saleya, Castle Hill, and the Promenade

  1. Morning

    Start at Cours Saleya while the market still has energy. The flower market normally runs Tuesday to Sunday, and Monday is the antiques market, so check the current listing if the market is the reason you are going. Have coffee nearby, look around the stalls, then go straight into Vieux Nice before the lanes fill with lunch tables and tour groups.

    Cours Saleya guide
  2. Late Morning

    Walk through Le Vieux-Nice without turning it into a checklist. Stop at Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, then take the smaller streets behind it instead of only the souvenir lanes. The old town is dense, warm, and messy in a way I like. Look up often, eat something simple, and do not burn the morning waiting for the snack everyone is photographing.

    Le Vieux-Nice guide
  3. Afternoon

    Go up to Parc de la Colline du Château after lunch, either by the stairs from the Old Town side or by the lift if it is operating. There is no castle to tour, so do not come for that. Come for the view over the Baie des Anges, the port side, the waterfall, and the moment when Nice suddenly makes sense from above. If you only do one viewpoint in the city, choose this one.

    Parc de la Colline du Château guide
  4. Evening

    Drop down to the Promenade des Anglais for late light. Walk west from the Old Town side instead of treating it as a photo stop. The beach is pebbly and rough on bare feet, but the curve of the bay works on me every time. Sit on a blue chair if one is free, then head back toward Place Masséna for dinner nearby.

    Promenade des Anglais guide

Day 2: Cimiez Museums, the Russian Cathedral, and a Calmer Evening

  1. Morning

    Take the bus to Cimiez, or walk uphill if you are in the mood to earn your museum. Start with Musée Matisse Nice if it is open. The museum normally closes on Tuesdays, and it also posts temporary closures, including an announced closure through 16 June 2026 for exhibition preparation. The collection is not the biggest Matisse experience in France, but the setting makes it feel tied to Nice rather than dropped into it.

    Musée Matisse Nice guide
  2. Late Morning

    Stay in Cimiez a little longer instead of rushing back downhill. The neighborhood is calmer than the seafront, and that pause helps the day. If Matisse is closed, make Musée National Marc Chagall the main museum instead, after checking its current visitor information. My choice between the two, if you only want one focused museum: Chagall is the cleaner visit.

    Musée National Marc Chagall guide
  3. Afternoon

    Head to Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice, the Russian Orthodox cathedral. It sits away from the Old Town, which is part of the appeal. The exterior is the reason many people go, but step inside if visitor access is open and you are dressed respectfully. After Cimiez and the seafront, it changes the tone of the day in a good way.

    Cathédrale Orthodoxe Russe Saint-Nicolas de Nice guide
  4. Evening

    Come back through Place Masséna and keep the second night lighter. If you skipped Palais Lascaris on day one, this is the better Old Town add-on when it is open. It is usually listed as closed on Tuesdays, with other closures possible. I would pick it over another aimless loop through the same shopping streets. Otherwise, return to the Promenade for dusk. Repeating that waterfront walk is not lazy here. It is the right call.

    Place Masséna guide

Day 3: Èze and Monaco, or a Slower Nice Day if You Hate Transfers

  1. Morning

    Go early to Èze Village by bus from Nice if you want the hilltop version of the Riviera. Use a route that serves Èze Village itself, such as the 602 or 82 when current schedules show them running, not only Èze-sur-Mer down by the coast. This distinction matters. The train is useful for coastal stops, but for Èze Village it can leave you with a steep climb or another connection. Èze is small and polished, so arrive before the lanes start to feel like a slow queue.

  2. Late Morning

    Keep Èze focused: stone lanes, upper viewpoints, and a short pause. Do not let a long lunch eat the day unless that is the whole point. Èze is beautiful, but it is also very managed. My verdict: it is worth a morning, not a full day, unless you want to slow the itinerary down on purpose.

  3. Afternoon

    Continue to Monaco if you want the contrast. Current regional bus schedules should be checked on the day, but line 602 is commonly used between Nice, Èze Village, and Monaco. TER trains between Monaco-Monte-Carlo and Nice-Ville are frequent, and SNCF lists the Nice to Monaco trip at about 22 to 24 minutes in normal conditions. Monaco is not my favorite place on this coast, but it is fascinating for a few hours: the palace area, the harbor, the casino exterior, and the strange feeling that the whole city has been edited for wealth.

  4. Evening

    Return to Nice for the final evening instead of making your last dinner feel like a connection problem. If you skipped Monaco, spend the late afternoon at Palais Lascaris or back around Le Vieux-Nice, then finish on the Promenade des Anglais. The better ending is Nice itself, not one more town collected for the list.

    Promenade des Anglais guide
Photo credits

Photos: Mike is Michi, Alexander Migl, Amin (CC BY-SA 4.0); TTaylor, Tubantia, Europe22 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Magali M from Nice, France (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons.

Practical tips

Nice itinerary: FAQs

Yes. Three days is enough for the Old Town, Cours Saleya, Castle Hill, the Promenade, Cimiez, one or two museums, the Russian cathedral, and a day trip to Èze and Monaco. It is not enough for every Riviera town. Trying to add Cannes, Antibes, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Èze, and Monaco usually makes the trip worse.

Choose Èze and Monaco if this is your first Riviera trip and you want the famous contrast: hill village, cliffs, money, harbor, train back. Stay in Nice if you dislike tight transport days or if museums matter more than adding towns. I would do Èze in the morning either way. Monaco is optional.

Stay near Vieux Nice, Place Masséna, Jean Médecin, or the lower Promenade. Those areas keep the market, Old Town, tram lines, beach, restaurants, and station access manageable. Staying far west along the Promenade can look appealing on a map, but it adds dull back-and-forth time.

No. A car is more nuisance than freedom for this plan. Nice has trams, buses, trains, and walkable central sights. For Èze and Monaco, public transport works if you check the current schedule and start early. Rent a car only for a wider hill-town or countryside day, not for central Nice.

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