Nice in 3 Days: Old Town, Art and Riviera Views

Start the first morning among the flower and produce stalls before exploring Vieux Nice. Tuesday to Sunday is the food-market version; Monday brings antiques instead. The surrounding lanes are good for a socca snack or a café break.

This small Baroque palace adds one indoor visit to the old-town walk, with decorated rooms and a collection of musical instruments. It is close to Place Rossetti, so there is no need for a separate museum journey.

Pause in the square by Sainte-Réparate cathedral for a coffee or ice cream before the climb to Castle Hill. The surrounding lanes are the best part of this stop: keep wandering towards the seafront rather than rushing between landmarks.

Climb to the park for views over the old town, beach and port. The castle itself has gone; this is a viewpoint and garden visit. Afterwards, walk down to the seafront and follow a stretch of the Promenade des Anglais towards Jardin Albert 1er.

Begin the second morning in the red-fronted square between the old town and newer centre. The nearby park and seafront make an easy morning walk before the trip up to Cimiez.

Walk through the garden to the eastern end of the Promenade des Anglais for the curve of the bay. This is a short outdoor stop beside Place Masséna, with a café break before heading north to the museums.

Follow the planted walkway and fountain area near Place Masséna, then turn back towards the bus route for Cimiez. It gives the morning some space outdoors before the main art visit.

Make Matisse the main afternoon visit, with paintings, drawings and sculpture in a villa above the city. Take a bus to Cimiez from central Nice rather than making the whole uphill journey on foot. The monastery gardens are nearby.

Walk down from the museum area to the arcaded square for lunch before heading to Port Lympia. The port is east of the old town; follow the streets towards Place du Pin and the waterfront.

Choose this villa museum west of the centre if you prefer older paintings to the Matisse or Chagall collections. Use it as a replacement art visit, then walk back along the seafront towards the Masséna area.

The museum in the seafront villa tells the story of Nice, with period rooms and local history. It is an alternative to one of the main art museums, conveniently beside the Promenade des Anglais.

See the hotel’s pink dome and façade on the western seafront walk. Treat it as an exterior landmark, with Musée Masséna next door, rather than planning to wander through a working hotel.

For an active alternative afternoon, head to the hilltop fort for views towards Villefranche and Nice. The route uses the surrounding viewpoint; the fort interior is a separate guided visit. Continue through Mont Boron afterwards.

Choose the villa and gardens on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for a separate half-day outing from Nice. Pair it with a nearby coastal stroll for a longer day; replace part of the city route rather than squeezing it between museums.

The aquarium and museum work as the main visit on a separate Monaco day. Travel to Monaco, then explore Monaco-Ville around it. This is an alternative Riviera outing, not a nearby stop on the Nice port walk.

Choose the modern-art foundation above Saint-Paul-de-Vence if you prefer sculpture and art to another city museum. Pair it with a walk through the village and dedicate a separate outing to the journey inland.