The South of France is absolutely beautiful and definitely worth a 6 hour train ride from Paris. The limestone cliffs, beautiful turquoise water and hidden beaches are a must see. Here is our 5 day itinerary for Nice, France in order to really see the most of the area.
There are a lot of different towns in the French Riviera or Cote d’Azur. Some popular locations are Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Saint Tropez. They are all along the coast with Saint Tropez and Antibes being a little more west and Cannes and Nice a little more east going closer to Italy. We chose Nice because we felt it would better suit our travel style than the more upscale Cannes. Nice is also closer to Monaco which we knew we wanted to take a day trip to.
Day 1:
Walk around and explore Old Town Nice
We took the train from Paris to Nice and found it very easy to do. You can read our Public Transportation in Paris post for more information about which train we took and how we booked it.
We took an early morning train and were able to get into Nice in the afternoon. That left us with enough time to walk around and explore a little before sunset. We stayed in the Vieille Ville section of Nice which is known as the Old Town and really enjoyed it! The old architecture is beautiful and definitely worth walking around for a while.
We stayed in an amazing Airbnb and found there was everything we could ever want in walking distance. We even found a place to get an espresso and croissant every morning a few steps from our apartment and by the end the owner knew our order!
You can walk around the small alleys within downtown Nice or walk towards the water. There is a pathway along the beach that you can walk up and down without going too far to try to catch the sunset.
Day 2:
Day Trip to Eze Village
We took the local bus to Eze Village which is a medieval village on top of a hill. It has amazing views of the ocean as well as nearby Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Eze Village is about 12 km from Nice about three-quarters of the distance from Nice to Monaco. From Nice you can take the local bus to Eze Village and get dropped off right at the steps going up. The bus ride will take about 30 minutes and is by far the most scenic bus ride we have taken! Get a seat by the window and make sure to turn around to look at the view behind you as you drive up the hill.
We would HIGHLY recommend going to Eze Village. It is small but the views from the top are like nothing else!
- Eze Village is the hilltop village and Eze refers to Eze beach. Make sure if you are taking the bus to clarify which one they are going to. If you are dropped off at Eze Beach you will have to hike up the mountain to get to Eze Village.
Check out our full Day Trip to Eze & Mala Beach post for exactly what to see!
Mala Beach and the Coastal Path
About 3 and a half km from Eze Beach is Mala Beach (or Plage Mala) which is a beautiful, small beach tucked away in Cap d’Ail. It is very picturesque and you can easily spend a couple hours enjoying this secluded beach. When we visited we were not the only ones there but easily had enough space to put down towels and relax.
On the far side of Mala Beach (just past the restrooms) is a pathway that leads to the Mala Beach Coastal Path. This coastal path stretches from Plage Mala to Plage Marquet which is just before the Monaco border. The path follows the curve of the coastline throughout Cap d’Ail. It takes about 45 minutes one way or an hour and a half roundtrip.
The Mala Beach Coastal Path is absolutely worth it! Every little curve gives you an unobstructed view of inlets, small beaches and amazing cliffs jutting into the blue waters.
- The pathway is relatively well paved but was significantly easier to do in sneakers. Also don’t forget to bring sunscreen as there is very little shade along the pathway!
Day 3:
Day Trip to Monaco
Nice is about 20 km from Monaco which makes it a very easy day trip. We took the public bus to and from (even though it’s a different country) and we didn’t even need our passports. However, we did go and visit the tourism office upon arriving to have our passports stamped there. Although not necessary we thought it was a cool addition to our other stamps.
You’ve probably heard of Monte Carlo before which is why it is a popular destination within Monaco. There you see the famous Monte Carlo Casino, the Grand Prix raceway as well as rows and rows of extremely extravagant yachts.
Check out our $5 Day Trip to Monaco post to see how we went to Monaco for the day for a total of just $5!
The bus from Nice to Monaco took us about 25 minutes. It dropped us right off outside the Tourism Office which is a few steps from the casino.
Get a drink..with a view!
There are a couple different rooftop bars and terraces in Nice to get a drink and see the view. Obviously not the cheapest activity on this guide but if you’re up for it it’s a nice change of perspective especially on a nice, warm night! We tried the Moon Bar at the Aston La Scala Hotel which was a 5-10 minute walk from our Airbnb in Old Town Nice. We wore khakis and a casual dress and simply walked right in and up to the elevators with no issues. On the roof we were one of maybe four total groups up there which made for a really relaxing feel.
Day 4:
Hike Castle Hill
Castle Hill, or Colline de Chateau, used to be a Chateau that sat on the hilltop but was long ago demolished. However, the hilltop area remains and, curtesy of the Germans, even has an elevator if you can’t hike up! On top you’ll still find a large waterfall and ruins to walk around. You’ll also find the area has been made into a large park with plenty of space to hangout. If you walk inward a little you will find old cemeteries with ruins of the chateau and cathedral that long ago stood on the hill.
The real reason for hiking Castle Hill, in our opinion, is for the view. As the highest point in the city, you get a view of all of Old Town Nice, the beach extending all the way to the Nice Airport. If you were to drive to the airport would be about 10 km away. The hike up has a decent amount of stairs but it is definitely doable if you are in average shape and the view makes it worth it.
Villefranche-sur-Mer & Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Villefranche-sur-Mer is the area on the other side of Nice and Mont Boron. It is nicely nestled in with the extending Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is the peninsula that extends out into the ocean in between Nice and Eze. You’ll see it on the bus ride as you drive up to Eze Village, you’ll see it at the top of Eze Village, and you’ll see it in the distance as you hike along the Mala Beach Coastal Path. It really deserves its own day! Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat has its own coastal path which we made sure to do and highly recommend.
Read More: Day Trip to Villefranche & Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
You can (just like all the other places on this list) take the public bus from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer and it will bring you to the small village. There are some streets of shops and restaurants and some very pretty restaurants along the ocean. Although small, it was nice to walk through for a little while before moving on. You can also take the bus a little further closer to the peninsula to shorten the walk! The bus is super manageable to navigate and its easy to request a stop and get off whenever you want.
Notice how we talked about 2 coastal pathways? Check out our Mala Beach Coastal Path vs. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Path post to read our comparisons of the two and which we think is worth doing!
Day 5:
Walk through the Cours Saleya Market
The Cours Saleya Market is an open air market in the Cours Saleya in Old Town Nice. It is there everyday with the items changing slightly throughout the day. In the morning you’ll find fresh fruits and vegetables being sold until early afternoon. As well you’ll see flower stands all day and a special antique area on Mondays. Regardless of the items it was really interesting to walk through and see all the stands. There were plenty of food stands available too. There we got the opportunity to try the local food called Socca which is like a chickpea pancake. We also found quite a few artists selling paintings and drawings of the nearby landscapes.
Go to the beach one last time!
We have previously mentioned a lot of other places that include gorgeous beaches. Eze Beach, Mala Beach, small beaches along Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are all gorgeous, tucked away and uncrowded beaches. But there are beaches right in Nice that are worth a shot before leaving! We found it was much more crowded than the other beaches we went to a little outside of Nice but a couple blocks from our apartment (and free) made it worth it.
- There are plenty of beach clubs in Nice as the free part of the beach is very rocky. If you prefer a chair or other services (and plan to be there for longer) there are quite a few options to choose from. We chose to just lay on the rocks as we only had a short amount of time before packing up!
