How many days in Nice?
How much time to spend in Nice and the French Riviera
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The most useful piece of French Riviera advice I can give is also the least glamorous: base yourself in Nice and let the coastal train do the work. Monaco is about 20 minutes to the east, Antibes is a similar distance to the west, and the towns in between are just one or two stops apart. You unpack once and still see much of the coast. Two days are enough for Nice itself — the Old Town, the markets, and the Matisse and Chagall museums. Every day after that can be a day trip.
Lisa Robin
Travel Expert for France
Updated on 09/24/2026
Nice is the largest city on the French Riviera, but its center is easy to explore on foot. The Old Town, the port, and the Promenade des Anglais are all within a 20-minute walk of each other, so two days let you see the city at a relaxed pace.
Beyond that, Nice's real advantage is its location. Villefranche, Èze, Monaco, Menton, Antibes, and Cannes are all less than an hour away by train or car. Add a day for each town that interests you, and you'll have your trip length.
2 days — Vieux Nice (the Old Town), the Cours Saleya market, Castle Hill, and an evening on the Promenade des Anglais.
3–4 days — Add Villefranche, Èze, and Monaco, the cliffside towns east of Nice.
5–7 days — Nice as a base for the entire coast, from Menton to Cannes, plus a day inland in Saint-Paul-de-Vence or Grasse.
Staying longer than a week? Consider splitting your trip with a few nights in Provence.
| Days in Nice | Best for | Combine with — wider route |
|---|---|---|
| 2 days | A stop after Paris | Paris ▸ Nice |
| 3 days | Nice and the eastern Riviera | Nice ＋ Èze ＋ Monaco |
| 4 days | The coast from Menton to Antibes | Nice ＋ Menton ＋ Antibes |
| 5 days | A base for the whole Riviera | Nice ＋ Monaco ＋ Antibes ＋ Cannes |
| 7 days | The Riviera and Provence | Paris ▸ Provence ▸ Nice |
| 10 days | The South of France by car | Nice ▸ Avignon ▸ Bordeaux |
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Two days work well for Nice after a few nights in Paris. The flight takes about an hour and a half, and there are seasonal nonstop flights between Nice and New York. From the airport, the tram reaches the city center in about 30 minutes.
Visit the Cours Saleya early in the morning. By 8:00am, the flower and produce stalls are already busy, and on Mondays the market turns into an antiques market. For lunch, try socca, the traditional chickpea flatbread baked in wood-fired ovens.
Day 1 — The Cours Saleya market, the narrow streets of Vieux Nice, and the climb up Castle Hill (Colline du Château) for the view over the Baie des Anges. An apéritif at the port, followed by dinner in the old town.
Day 2 — A morning at the Matisse and Chagall museums in the hills of Cimiez. In the afternoon, relax at a beach club on the Promenade des Anglais. The beaches here are pebbly, so a lounger makes a real difference.
Four days give you two in the city and two along the coast. The eastern Riviera is the most dramatic stretch, with three scenic corniche roads carved into the cliffs between Nice and Monaco. A private driver can take the high road on the way out and the coastal road on the way back.
Start in Villefranche-sur-Mer, a harbor town ten minutes from Nice, then visit Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens on Cap Ferrat. The village of Èze sits on a rocky outcrop high above the sea, with a cactus garden at the top. In Monaco, the old town on the Rock (Le Rocher) — home to the Prince's Palace and the Oceanographic Museum — deserves as much time as Monte Carlo's casino square.
Days 1–2 — Vieux Nice, the Cours Saleya, Castle Hill, and the Matisse and Chagall museums.
Day 3 — Villefranche-sur-Mer and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat, with a swim at Paloma Beach.
Day 4 — Èze in the morning, then Monaco for the old town, the Oceanographic Museum, and an evening in Monte Carlo.
A week lets you explore the Riviera in both directions without changing hotels. To the east, Menton has lemon groves, Italian-style facades, and a quieter seafront near the border. To the west, Antibes has the Picasso Museum, set in a castle overlooking the sea, and a coastal path around Cap d'Antibes.
Inland, the hilltop village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is home to the Fondation Maeght and a long tradition of resident artists. Grasse, about an hour away, is France's perfume capital, and several perfume houses let you create your own fragrance. Set aside a day for Cannes or, in summer, a boat trip to Saint-Tropez.
Days 1–2 — Nice.
Days 3–4 — Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Èze, and Monaco.
Day 5 — Menton, with lunch just across the border in Italy.
Day 6 — Antibes and the coastal path around Cap d'Antibes.
Day 7 — Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Grasse, or a boat trip to Saint-Tropez in summer.
Nice on its own, or as part of a France trip
Many travelers arrive in Nice after Paris. On a two-week trip to France, 2–3 days in Nice leave enough time for Provence. If the French Riviera is your main destination, a week in Nice lets you explore the entire coast without repacking. Still planning your stay in Paris? Our guide on how many days in Paris can help.
The season
May, June, and September are the best months to visit Nice, with warm water and a calmer coast. July and August are hot and busy, and beach clubs fill up quickly. May is also a month of major events, as the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix drive up hotel prices along the coast.
In February, the Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival fill the streets with parades and giant citrus sculptures. For more on each season, see our French Riviera travel guide.
Getting around
Coastal trains connect Nice to Monaco, Menton, Antibes, and Cannes several times an hour, so you can skip the car. Buses reach Èze and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. A private driver is the most comfortable option for the corniche roads and the hilltop villages. For routes that continue into Provence, browse our tailor-made France trips.
