How to spend 3 days in Nice: A complete 3 day itinerary

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Are you planning a trip to France and want to know how to spend 3 days in Nice?

Last year, we spent a month in Nice, combining work with travel and taking the opportunity to explore the French Riviera. Nice is a great city to use as a base for travelling around the French Riviera with a great mix of city & beach, modern living with Old Town charm and just a short train from some amazing locations.

The great thing about taking a trip to Nice is that the city itself has so many things to do, while also giving you access to some of Europe’s most idyllic coastal locations. This itinerary for Nice will give you the best of both, combining the best of Nice with a day trip in the French Riviera as well. If you plan to stay longer, we’ve also covered 5 of the best day trips from Nice.

This 3 day guide to Nice will take you through a complete 3 day itinerary, from how to get there, to getting around and the best things to do in Nice. We will also provide you with some great hotels in Nice and a map of the locations we recommend to help you plan out your trip to France.

How to get to Nice City Centre from Nice Airport

Tram

This is the option we would recommend taking to get from the airport to Nice city centre. There are obvious drawbacks to taking the tram to Nice city centre. It can get very busy at peak times and there is not a lot of space for large luggage or prams.

If you can manage it though, the tram runs every 7-8 minutes and stops ay Jean Medecin, which is very close to Place Massena or else Port Lympia, which is also a popular area to stay. A return tram ticket costs only €10

Bus

The bus from the airport is a good cost efficient option to reach the city centre. It may also be more manageable depending on the bus you get as some will have storage compartments.

You will be looking for bus line 12, which departs from just outside Terminal 1, opposite the Sheraton hotel and has stops throughout the city centre.

Taxi

Unless you can’t avoid it, we would not recommend taking a taxi from Nice airport. The taxi journey is very short but still can cost upwards of €50. If you have large suitcases/baby equipment etc. it may be unavoidable but do try to avoid this option where possible.

Private Transfer

Naturally, a private transfer is more expensive but saves a lot of the hassle of navigating public transport etc. If you do want to arrange a transfer, we would suggest Welcome Pickups, who have really strong reviews for reliability online.

Is 3 days in Nice enough time?

3 days in Nice is enough time to see the city and enjoy most of activities the city has to offer. Nice is a reasonably big city but is very easy to get around on public transport. The 3 day itinerary that we provide will allow you to enjoy everything Nice has to offer, while also squeezing in a day trip along the french Riviera.

That being said, if you want to use Nice as base to explore the French Riviera more broadly, we would recommend spending at least 7 days in Nice. We cover off the best ways to use a week in the French Riviera in our 7 days in the French Riviera guide.

If you do only have 3 days in Nice and don’t know where to choose for a day trip, we have also put together a list of someone of the best day trips from Nice to help you decide. If yous imply can not decide which day trip to do from Nice, then there also some great tours like this one that cover the French Riviera in a day. Make sure to book well in advance as these tours fill up fast, especially during the summer.

Where to stay in Nice

If you are planning to stay overnight in Nice, the best way to choose where to stay in Nice is it’s proximity to the tram line. You don’t necessarily have to get a hotel in Old Town Nice or along the Promenade des Anglais to be really central.

The hotels in Nice that we recommend below are either in Nice city centre or else within a short walk of the tram stops to get you to the main attractions really quickly. In terms of the best areas to book a hotel in Nice, we would suggest either Old Town Nice, Jean Medecin area, Garibaldi, Promenade des Anglais or Port Lympia.

We have put together a complete guide on where to stay in Nice to help you plan out your trip and choose your accommodation in Nice.

If you would like to stay in a luxury hotel in Nice, we would highly recommend La Perouse, which sits on right on the Promenade des Anglais.

Three days in Nice Itinerary

Day One in Nice

Morning – Sunrise swim in the ‘Gatorade Water’

One thing Nice is renowned for is their bright blue ‘Gatorade Water’. So while you are here, start your day off with a sunrise dip in this beautiful sea, watching the planes pass overhead as they arrive into the city.

The water here can have a pretty strong tide so we would only recommend doing this if you are a comfortable swimmer. The beaches here are also very stoney so make sure to bring a good pair of water shoes with you to make it a more pleasant experience.

This is a really refreshing and unique way to start your day and the sunrise here is spectacular.

Old Town (Vieux Ville) breakfast

Just a short walk from the Promenade there are two great cafe’s for breakfast, Marinette or Maranna. Marinette is down a side street that’s a little deceptive at first but has a real courtyard feel to it.

They have lots of seating both inside and outside and beautiful views of the cathedral in the background. They also do a great iced coffee, which always comes in handy in a sunny climate.

Alternatively, Maranna is quite modern and offers lots of popular brunch options like avocado toasts etc. A really nice setting for a relaxed breakfast.

Afternoon – Explore Cours Saleya

After breakfast, take the short walk over to Cours Saleya, a beautiful street market between Vieux Ville and the Promenade des Anglais. The Cours Saleya runs throughout the day, selling food and flowers during the day before switching to handmade crafts and jewellery in the evenings.

Additionally, the area around the market is really popular with lots of bars and restaurants, as well as being a short walk from the beach.

Promenade des Anglais

No day in Nice would be complete without taking a walk along the famous Promenade des Anglais. This strip stretches for 7km along the water and has stunning views of the region. We wouldn’t necessarily advise walking the full distance but a walk along here really gives you that Mediterranean feel to get you in the holiday mood.

Evening Sunset at Castle Hill

Our favourite thing to do in Nice is to watch the sunset. You can easily get a great view from the promenade des Anglais, with the plane passing overhead and the shadow of the palm trees it is a beautiful setting. But for a slightly different perspective, we would suggest heading up to Coline du Chateau (Castle Hill) to get the best viewpoint.

One thing to note with this, is that the elevator that can take you up finishes running at around 5:30pm so it does limit anyone with accessibility issues or if you have a pram etc.

On a side note, if you are visiting Nice with kids, there is a great playground at the top of Castle Hill that you can access via the elevator during the day. You still get to enjoy the 360 views of the city and there is a train running around the grounds as well so it’s a great place to spend a morning with your family.

That being said, the climb up the stairs in the evening is worth it when you get to the viewpoint. This panoramic view of the water below against the mountainous backdrop is really stunning and a must see view on your day in Nice.

Dinner at Cose Cosi or The Patio

After the sunsets, it’s time to enjoy dinner. There are a lot of great restaurants in Nice, for this day trip we are going to stick with the Promenade des Anglais.

One of our favourite places to eat in Nice, was a small Italian restaurant called Cose Cosi. The restaurant is down a side street just off the Promenade but it is packed with flavour and the owners were great. If you are travelling with young kids, they have high chairs etc. and they actually gave us a portion of food for our toddle for free.

Alternatively, if you would like a romantic location for dinner, try the Patio at the Perouse Hotel. This stunning restaurants sits just below Castle Hill and would be perfect for a special occasion.

If you would like to go for a drink after dinner, we have two recommendations. For wine lovers, try out La Treille, which has a great selection of wine and a nice atmosphere. Or if you would prefer cocktails with a view, try out Movida or Waka Waka.

Both of these bars are set along the Promenade des Anglais and have great views looking out over the water – the perfect way to end a day in Nice.

Day 2 – A Day Trip to Eze

One of the best things about Nice is that it is so close to some of Europe’s most beautiful towns and villages for day trips. From the glamour of Cannes and Monaco to the medieval charm of Eze & Saint Paul du Vence, Nice gives you the opportunity to pack in a lot of experiences.

If you can’t decide which day trip to take, you can read our guide on day trips from Nice to help you decide. Equally, if you are limited for time and want to see as much as possible, we would highly recommend taking this tour of the French Riviera.

This guided day trip takes all the stress out of planning and covers the best of the French Riviera, spread across 9 hours. The obvious downside is that you won’t get a huge amount of time to enjoy each location but will still be able to capture some incredible memories and views along the way.

There are so many places that we absolutely love in the French Riviera but if we had to choose just one it would be Eze.

How to get to Eze

If you want to use public transport to go from Nice to Eze, there are two options – train or bus. For most day trips from Nice, we would recommend taking the train but in this instance the bus is your best option.

The train station in Eze is located at the foot of the mountain, meaning you will have to walk a steep climb to reach the centre. However, the bus will take you to the centre of Eze meaning it is the much easier option of the two.

Alternatively, you could also take an organised day trip which will take some of the hassle out of planning and allow you to relax for the day.

One thing we would also point out is that a day trip to Eze isn’t ideal if you are travelling with a young child in a pram. There are a lot of steps, cobbled streets and it is a mountain side location meaning it is very hilly in places. If you are travelling with young children or have accessibility issues, here are some alternative day trips from Nice.

Things to do in Eze

When you do arrive in Eze, start off with a coffee/snack at the village Deli before visiting Jardin D’Exotique. Here you will find some of the best panoramic views in the entire French Riviera. Tickets for the gardens cost around €8 but they are worth the trip alone for those views.

After visiting the gardens, take a walk around the medieval streets of Eze before having some lunch at Maonas. Alternatively, if you are visiting for a very special occasion, Eze has a two Micheln star restaurant called Chevre D’or. Naturally, it is quite expensive but is worth considering as a one off experience.

If you are looking for an activity to do in Eze, you could also try out this perfume making class, where you will learn how to make your own perfume. This is only a short session but you get to take home a sample of the perfume you make as a memento from your day in Eze.

Day 3 in Nice

Morning – Cathedrale Saint Nicolas

Start your final morning in Nice off with breakfast at either the Garden cafe or Edmond Cafe. Both of these places get quite busy so try to get there early to avoid queing. If you’re a pancake lover go for the Edmond Cafe but he french toast in the Garden cafe is incredible so it would have our vote.

After breakfast, take a 10 minute walk to Cathedrale Saint Nicolas, one of the most incredible buildings in the city. The cathedral is the second largest Easter Orthodox church in Europe. The building was opened in 1912 to serve the growing Russian population in the city.

This building is stunningly beautiful and so unique in style, it is free to access from 9am-12pm and 2pm-6pm (Only 2-6 on Mondays).

Afternoon – Le Negresco, Villa Massena & Bocca Mar

After visiting the cathedral, we would suggest making your way back towards the Promenade des Anglais, where you will spend the afternoon at one of Nice’s most renowned beach clubs. Before that though, stop off along the route and snap some photos of one of Europe’s most iconic hotels, Le Negresco.

Right beside Le Negresco, you will also find Villa Massena, another beautiful building that is well worth visiting. Depending on the weather, this is a good option to spend some time in on less sunny days but naturally, we would recommend spending most of your time in Nice outdoors in the sunshine.

Just a short walk from Le Negresco and Villa Massena you will find one of Nice’s most renowned beach clubs, Bocca Mar. Beach clubs tend to be pricey so if you decide to go here, we would recommend staying all afternoon to get your money’s worth. They also do some great food options so you can enjoy some lunch while relaxing in front of the beach before getting ready for the evening.

Evening – Le Plongeoir, Port Lympia & Place Garibaldi

On the final evening of your 3 days in Nice, you deserve something special to close out the trip. For dinner, make a reservation at Le Plongeoir, a beautiful Mediterranean restaurant built into the sea with beautiful surrounding views. This restaurant is one of the most popular in Nice for special occasions so make sure to book your table early to avoid disappointment.

After dinner, take an evening walk back towards the centre, stopping along Port Lympia, where you can admire the colourful boats lining the pier. From here, you have two options, you can head back towards the Promenade/Old Town area, stopping off for a photo at the ‘#I Love Nice’ sign or you can turn towards Place Garibaldi.

Garibaldi was one of our favourite places to go in Nice for a drink when we weren’t in the Old Town. This area has lots of great bars to choose from like Cafe du Pin, Super Bar and Saint Amour. We would definitely recommend spending some time here before closing out your 3 days in Nice.