Nice 6 Day Itinerary

Six days in Nice is enough time to stop being a tourist and start being a temporary local, which mostly means learning which train to catch and which restaurants to avoid on principle.

Getting In

Tram Line 2 links the airport to Jean-Medecin in about 30 minutes for 1.70 EUR, heading toward Port Lympia rather than the Centre Administratif branch. A flat-rate taxi runs 32 EUR for up to four passengers with luggage; agree on that rate before the doors close, since some drivers let the meter run instead and quietly land you at 45 or 50 EUR. Uber is usually cheaper and more transparent. Keep your bag zipped at the Grand Arenas tram stop specifically, a known pickpocket zone while people are buying tickets.

Day 1: City Center And Promenade

Settle into your hotel, then walk the Promenade des Anglais, seven free kilometers along the Baie des Anges, past the Hotel Negresco. The blue chairs cost nothing to sit in. Remember these beaches are pebble, not sand, so bring water shoes rather than counting on soft sand underfoot.

In the afternoon, wander toward Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya, catching the tail end of the morning market if you’re there before it wraps (flowers and produce Tuesday through Sunday, antiques on Mondays). Skip the terrace restaurants directly on the square, they’re priced for the view rather than the cooking; walk a street or two back for better food at a lower price.

For dinner, try socca first, at Chez Theresa’s stall on Cours Saleya or at Chez Pipo on rue Bavastro, wood-fired since 1923, 5 to 8 EUR, before a proper sit-down meal nearby.

Day 2: Castle Hill And The Museums

Climb Castle Hill early, before the heat sets in. There’s no standing castle up there, demolished back in 1706, but the view is free and remains the single best value hour anywhere in the city. Take the free public elevator at the east end of quai des Etats-Unis if you’d rather skip the stairs.

Spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon on the Matisse and Chagall museums, which occupy two separate buildings near Cimiez, not one combined site and nowhere near downtown, a detail a surprising number of itineraries get wrong. Matisse’s museum sits in a 17th-century villa, open 10am to 6pm, closed Tuesdays, reachable by bus 5, 16, or 18. The Chagall museum on avenue Docteur Menard, also closed Tuesdays, costs 12 EUR during exhibitions or 10 EUR outside them, and is free on the first Sunday of every month. A four-day multi-museum pass exists if you’re planning to hit several sites across your stay.

Dinner in Vieux Nice again, Lou Balico or Acchiardo for daube, stuffed vegetables, and other Nicois staples, mains around 15 to 25 EUR. If salade nicoise appears on the menu, hold the kitchen to the real recipe: raw vegetables, tuna or anchovies, egg, and olives, with no cooked potatoes or green beans anywhere near it.

Day 3: Villefranche And Eze

Take the train to Villefranche-sur-Mer, seven minutes and 2 to 3 EUR, and walk the edge of one of the deepest natural harbors on the coast. Continue by train to Eze-sur-Mer, about 15 minutes further, then climb the steep path or catch bus 83 up to the perched village of Eze itself; the train stops at sea level and does not deliver you to the hilltop directly. Do this leg in the morning or during the cooler months only, since a midday summer climb up to Eze is miserable rather than picturesque. Return to Nice for dinner in a part of Vieux Nice you haven’t tried yet.

Day 4: Monaco

The train to Monaco and Monte-Carlo takes 20 to 25 minutes for 4 to 6 EUR, delivering you into an entirely different country for the price of a coffee. Wander the old town and harbor, and if you’re curious about the Casino de Monte-Carlo, even a look at the exterior is worth the walk. Lunch prices run noticeably higher here than in Nice, so plan around that or eat before you board the train. Back in Nice by evening, this is a good night to splurge slightly, six days in, you’ve earned a nicer table.

Day 5: Antibes And Cannes

With extra days to spend, pair up two coastal towns in one outing. Antibes is 20 to 25 minutes away for 5 to 6 EUR, home to the Picasso Museum and the lively Marche Provencal, both worth a couple of hours. From there, continue on to Cannes, 30 to 40 minutes and 7 to 9 EUR from Nice, for a walk along La Croisette before heading back. If that feels like too much train time for one day, pick just one town and spend a slower afternoon there instead; nobody hands out medals for cramming.

Day 6: A Slow Morning, Then Departure

Use your last morning for whatever you missed rather than trying to squeeze in something new. That might mean a final coffee at Cours Saleya, a last walk up to Castle Hill for one more look at the view, or simply packing without rushing. If your flight allows it, Menton is 35 to 40 minutes and 6 to 7 EUR away and makes a fitting final stop, since it’s the actual lemon capital of the region, home to the Fete du Citron, not Nice, whatever other guides might imply. Head to the airport with time to spare, and remember the same 32 EUR flat-rate taxi conversation applies on the way out as it did on the way in; don’t let a departure-day driver talk you into a higher fare just because you’re in a hurry.

Where To Sleep For Six Nights

Old Town hotels keep you within walking distance of the market and the best restaurants, though rooms run small and summer nights can be loud. A room on or near the Promenade buys the classic sea view for a higher nightly rate. For a stay this long, an aparthotel near Jean-Medecin with a kitchen is genuinely worth considering, since six days of every meal eaten out adds up fast, and having breakfast sorted at home saves both money and morning stress.

Practical Notes

French is official, English is widely spoken in tourist areas, and the Euro is the currency; cards are accepted almost everywhere but keep cash on hand for markets and small cafes. The calmest, most swimmable stretch to visit is May through June or September into October, warm enough for the sea without the July-August crush of heat, packed pebble beaches, and inflated hotel rates. Nice Carnival happens in February, centered on Place Massena with flower parades by day and illuminated ones by night, worth planning around if your dates happen to overlap.

Six days gives you enough slack to skip a day trip entirely if the weather turns or you’re simply tired, and that’s a perfectly reasonable way to spend a vacation day: nowhere in particular, on a pebble beach, with a book.