Nice in 2 days
The market, the old town and Castle Hill on day one, the Cimiez museums on day two — and the two weekdays when this plan fails.
- How long
- 2 for the city
- Getting around
- On foot
- Avoid
- Day one on a Monday
Nice in two days, by the hour: on day one the Cours Saleya market, socca for lunch, Castle Hill and the Promenade towards evening; on day two bus 5 up to Cimiez for Chagall, Matisse and the Roman ruins, then the beach in the afternoon. Day one must not fall on a Monday, nor day two on a Tuesday.
The market, the old town and the hill
The Cours Saleya flower and vegetable market, then on foot into the old town behind it, along the lanes to Sainte-Réparate cathedral.
Socca for lunch, from a stall in the old town — eaten at once, while it is scalding.
Castle Hill, by the lift or the steps, for the view over the bay and the port.
The Promenade des Anglais, on foot westwards, towards sunset.
Cimiez, then the sea
Bus 5 from the centre to the Musée Chagall stop. The €1.70 ticket lasts 74 minutes, transfers included.
The Chagall Museum at opening. Admission is €10–12, and on the first Sunday of the month it is free for everyone. The museum closes from 13:00 to 14:30, so do not arrive late here.
The same bus 5 on to the Arènes / Musée Matisse stop. At the Matisse Museum, skip the €12 single ticket and take the four-day municipal museums pass, €15 — it also covers the archaeology museum next door.
The Archaeology Museum and Cemenelum — the amphitheatre and Roman baths lie within the museum's fenced grounds, on the same pass. On its own it would be €5.
The beach below the Promenade, on a public stretch, where nobody charges for a sunbed.
Two weekdays that break the plan
- A Monday for day one. The Cours Saleya then has no flower or food market, only a flea market of second-hand goods.
- A Tuesday for day two. The Chagall Museum, the Matisse Museum and the Cimiez archaeology museum are all closed that day.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is the Nice museums pass worth it?
If you are seeing Matisse and the archaeology museum, yes: the pass covers every municipal museum and gallery for four days and costs less than those two single tickets together. The Chagall Museum is a national museum and the pass does not cover it.
When is the Chagall Museum free?
On the first Sunday of the month for everyone, and always for under-26s from the European Union. It is closed on Tuesdays.
Do I need a car in Nice?
Not for this plan: the city is done on foot, Cimiez by bus 5, and the coast by train from Nice-Ville station.
Ready for Nice?
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How well does Nice suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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