Things to do in Nice in 24 hours
Founded by the Greeks, Nice is French Rivera’s sparkling jewel – the city which is part of numerous French itineraries or drives because of its sheer magnetism. (One such popular drive is French Riviera Road Trip whose route includes Cannes – Antibes – Nice – Monaco.)
One of the largest French cities, Nice is a major tourist attraction where you can easily spend a week and still fail to see it all. However, road trippers only have either 24 or 48 hours time to see Nice before moving on to the next destination. In this trip itinerary we are providing a detailed 24 hour itinerary that you can use to plan your day in Nice. Though NICE has great public transport, we advise you to use a rental car. If you already have picked one for your trip, well and good, but if you are just visiting Nice on a day trip, many car hire agencies also offer one day deals. A car rental makes moving about the city easy and flexible.
Start your day at CASTLE HILL
Castle Hill is the place where the Castle of Nice – mainly used for military purposes in the past – sat overlooking the Bay of Nice for 7 Centuries, from 11th to 18th Century after which it was destroyed in a fire. Today the Castle Hill is being used as a park and has emerged as a great place to enjoy the great views of the city and the bay.
Have breakfast before climbing the Castle Hill. Some great breakfast places near Castle Hill are Kind & Co. and Marinette. In case you are fine with doing a climb on an empty stomach, there is a café on the top most floor where you can have something to eat and drink afterwards.
The climb is easy enough, and the first thing that you should do on reaching is click a few instagram worthy pics in front of #ILOVENICE. It is best that you do the climb in the morning when the lighting is perfect and the visibility is maximum. Though taking the stairs is the best way to see the city from different angles (there are a lot of observation towers on the way up), there is a lift in case you are visiting with an elderly. At the top you will be able to enjoy the castle waterfall and the panoramic views of the city. The landmarks and attractions visible from up there include the beautiful rooftops of the houses and the cathedrals, the Promenade des Anglais and the old port. You can easily spend the whole morning here.
Spend the afternoon exploring the Old Town
Before heading towards the old town, it is better to have lunch and the best place for a lunch break is Cours Saleya Market. It is one of the best places to sample the local foods like tourte de blettes.It is also a great place to buy veggies & fruits and in case you are visiting on Mondays, this place becomes a food-cum-flea market, whatever the case, you will love it. So, after climbing down, visit the market for lunch; it is not at all expensive and saves you time as the Old Town is just a few minutes away by car.
Known as Vieille Ville, the Old Town is NICE’s major highlight. To save time, we suggest you join a walking tour of the old town; there are a lot of free tours that are offered all year round. Though you can also explore the old town on your own but for that you will need a list of attractions that can be easily covered in 2 to 2.5 hours. So it is best to join a tour; Nice Walking Tours is one such free tour & its meeting place is Massena Square Fountain next to “Apollo statue” at 10H55. A small list of places covered during the walking tour is given below:
- Massena Square
- The opera House
- The cours saleya market
- Galerie des Ponchettes
- The belanda tower
- Rossetti square
After that if you still have time, visit St. Nicholas Russian cathedral, it is just a few miles away, or visit Place Masséna which is known for attractions like Sun Fountain, the statue of Apollo, the seven statues of the Massena Square, the beautiful park of Jardin Albert 1er & its monumental arch and the fountains at the Promenade du Paillon.
Visit one of the museums
There are a lot of museums in the city that are worth visiting. Since we just have a small window, covering one or two museums will be enough. You can visit Musée Matisse where you will get the chance to see the great collection of local artists, or Chagall Museum which houses 400 works by Chagall himself and MAMAC, or Museum of Modern Art and Contemporary Art. However note that MAMAC is closest to the Old Town.
Nice Fine Arts Museum or Musée des Beaux Arts is another museum that you should visit if you are interested in 16th – 20th Century French and European art.
Spend the evening at the beaches
After hours of walking, it is time to relax a bit – what better way to enjoy the sun while strolling peacefully down a beach. One beach we recommend is Promenade des Anglais, which though a bit rocky is a great place to have some good beach time. It is 7 km in length and you will need to see to know why it is classified as one of the most beautiful beaches of French Riviera.
If you are into bicycling, you will be able to hire a bicycle at the Promenade des Anglais. After spending an hour or two at the beaches, make your way to one of the cafes or restaurants located nearby. Though a little expensive, some of them are great when it comes to dinner menus and service.
After dinner either go shopping at Avenue Jean Médecin or catch a play at one of the many live theatre venues of Nice. Palais Nikaïa, Opéra de Nice and Auditorium Apollon – Nice Acropolis are some of the venues that you can check beforehand and get a booking in advance.
Where to stay the night in Nice?
- Hôtel Villa Rivoli
- Hôtel Pastoral
- Hôtel Mercure Nice Marché aux Fleurs
- Le Negresco
