Nice is the capital of French Riveras’ Alpes-Maritimes department and is the 7th most populous city in France. Settled by the Greeks, the city is big on history and is interesting to note that it was a hip tourist destination for the European elites back in the beginning of the 1900s. The present day Nice is more than nice and offers a range of things and attractions for which you will probably need days to explore completely. To make things fit in a 24 hours time frame, we are listing a few attractions in the form of an easy-to-follow itinerary for a perfect self-guided tour of Nice.
To save time and be more efficient, it is better to use a car. If travelling with a friend who is a native of France or lives in Nice, you can use their car, but if you are on your own, it is best to rent a car. Nice Airport is a good place to pick the rental car .
Places to visit in NICE in 24 hours
Start your day at the Cours Saleya Market
Part of Nice’s historic neighborhood, visiting Saleya Market is a great way to start your day in Nice. Cours Saleya Market has quite a name in the region and by choosing to visit it in the morning you will be able to beat the rush. This market is one of the most recommended places to sample local food so if you want, have your breakfast here, it will also save you time. Some of the specialities that you will have the chance to taste here are socca and tourte de blettes.
The market is about veggies, fruits and local food but if you are visiting on Mondays, you will love it more. On Mondays, it is transformed into a lovely flea market where in addition to food, you will be able to buy an eclectic mix of things from vintage things, clothes and trinkets.
After breakfast, explore other attractions of the Old Town
After the healthy breakfast and some shopping, get in your car and drive to the Old town aka Vieille Ville. You will need at least 1.5 to 2 hours to complete the walking tour of Old Nice. Old houses, historic gates, markets and squares, you will fall in love with Vieille Ville’s attractions like the City Courthouse (Palais de Justice) & Baroque Cathedral of Saint Reparata on the Place Rossetti Square.
Old Nice attraction highlights
- Place Rossetti
- Place du Palais de Justice
- quai des États-Unis
- Église Sainte-Rita de Nice
- Plage publique de l’opera
- Chapelle de la Miséricorde de Nice
- Bellanda Tower
- Église Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur de Nice
In case you want to have your morning coffee before getting started, please go ahead, this neighborhood is full of street-side cafes and restaurants.
Explore Place Masséna
Though it is not part of Old Nice, it is located nearby and is as impressive. Here are a lot of landmarks that you should explore before taking the lunch break.
Sun Fountain and the statue of Apollo, the seven statues of the Massena Square, the fountains at the Promenade du Paillon and the beautiful park of Jardin Albert 1er & its monumental arch are some of its major highlights
For lunch you will not have to go far, street Rue Massena has many good restaurants like Flavio da Milano & La Villa d’Este.
After lunch, go shopping at Avenue Jean Médecin
Avenue Jean Médecin is the best place to have a relaxing shopping time. The Avenue Jean Médecin area starts from Place Masséna and continues till the train station. This place has stores of almost all the big international brands, numerous popular boutiques, a really big shopping mall called Nice Etoile shopping mall and the very popular Galeries Lafayette department store.
Spend the afternoon strolling down the beaches & checking out the museums
After lunch and shopping, it is time to spend some time on Nice’s most popular beach. Cote d’Azur is so beautiful that it is possible that you might want to spend the whole afternoon on the beaches that line the coast. Spend at most 1 to 1.5 hours on the beaches, after that head towards the car and drive to Musee National Marc Chagall followed by Musée Matisse. Even if you are not a museum person, you should make some time to visit at least one of the museums. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art,, located in the center of the city is also a great place to experience the best of art that Nice offers.
Climb the Colline du Château
After the trip to the museum(s), the next stop is Castle Hill aka Colline du Château. You can use either the stairs or the elevator (located somewhere on the main street) to reach the top. In the past, it was used for military purposes, but today it is the best public park in the city.
It is the best way to end your afternoon, the panoramic views of the city as sun sets are really something to look forward to. It is a really great experience; the views over the Promenade des Anglais will remain with you for a long time.
Walk the Promenade des Anglais as night falls
The best feature of Promenade des Anglais is its exceptional Belle Époque architecture. This promenade extends from the airport to the Quai des États-Unis, which means during the day you might have passed it once; still, you would not want to miss it at night. At night, it comes across as a totally different place. After the stroll, go to one of the bars on the beach if you feel like. Have dinner at Hard Rock Cafe Nice, it is the best place in the city when it comes to American food.
Where to stay the night in Nice, France?
For the night, you can stay at one of the following hotels: Hôtel Pastoral and Hôtel Villa Rivoli. They offer many facilities at budget prices and have good reviews.