Nice is a large city, covering an area of 74 km², but it’s easy to explore on foot. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to appreciate its beauty, especially as an efficient public transport network is at your disposal. Tour Azur guides you to optimize your itinerary and make sure you don’t miss a thing.
Nice's walking wonders
Promenade des Anglais
The Promenade des Anglais is one of Nice’s most popular itineraries. This legendary thoroughfare stretches for some 7 km along the Côte d’Azur coastline.
Old Nice
This is the pedestrian heart of the city, with its narrow streets and Baroque facades. Stroll between artisan stalls and the legendary Cours Saleya market, ranked one of France’s most beautiful markets.
📌On Cours Saleya, there’s a market from Tuesday to Sunday (6am-1.30pm) and a flea market on Monday (7am-6pm).
Castle Hill
The Colline du Château offers one of the finest views in Nice. A free elevator provides easy access for those who prefer to save effort. Here are the main viewpoints not to be missed during your visit:
- La Baie des Anges
- Old Nice
- Overview of Port Lympia
- The Russian cathedral of St. Nicholas or the steeple of the church of St. Joan of Arc pierce the skyline.
📌The park is open from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (October-March) and until 8 p.m. (April-September). It attracts tourists and locals alike, a testament to its timeless charm.
Port Lympia
This is the town’s main port. It offers more than 500 berths for yachting and pleasure boats, as well as shipping services. Between two strolls, enjoy the restaurant terraces overlooking the Mediterranean.
Place Masséna
A true gateway to the Côte d’AzurPlace Masséna beats to the rhythm of Nice. Between two tourist events, craft markets or summer concerts, the eye wanders between the ochre-red architecture and the seven modern sentinels. Visit 7 suspended statues baptized “Conversation à Nice” and representing Buddhas, take on a magical dimension as night falls.
Cimiez Arena
This freely accessible archaeological site blends historical heritage with Mediterranean landscapes. For a complete immersion experience, guided tours of the Cimiez archaeological museum reveal the secrets of this site.
📌The museum is open every day except Tuesday, from 10am to 5pm (November-April) and until 6pm (May-October).
Quartier des Fleurs
The Quartier des Fleurs transports you to the heart of Nice’s soul, between typical homes and scenes of everyday life. This is where the true face of Nice is revealed, with its colorful facades and neighborhood grocery stores.
City museums of Nice
Nice is packed with museums. We detailed them in our article on Visiting Nice in a day. Among the best-known are :
- the Matisse Museum
- the museum of archaeology
- NAMAM (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art).
Coastal paths
These coastal trails, mostly within walking distance of Nice city center, offer breathtaking panoramas of the Mediterranean and the Côte d’Azur. Access is easy by public transport.
💡Tour Azur tip: always check the altitude difference before setting off, as well as the presence of drinking water points.
Shady gardens
Nice’s shady gardens offer a breath of fresh air right in the center of town. Among them, the Parc Phoenix, an eco-refuge for exotic animals since 2020, is a must-see with its tropical greenhouse (known as the “Green Diamond”) and floral park.
📌Inexpensive admission (5.50 full price) and the “Remarkable Garden” label make it well worth a visit.
Itinerary 1: Nice on foot with children
The day begins on the famous Promenade des Anglais. From the Quai des États-Unis esplanade, walk along the seafront towards Rauba-Capeù, an unmissable viewpoint featuring the famous “I Love Nice” sculpture. From here, leave the seafront via Place Guynemer, then take Rue François Guisol to Place Garibaldi, which marks the northern entrance to the Promenade du Paillon. This vast green corridor is home to a modern playground. Younger visitors will also appreciate the fountains sprouting from the ground.
📍Promenade des Anglais → Rauba-Capeù (1,440 m).
📍Rauba-Capeù → Promenade du Paillon (580 m). Drinking fountain on Place Guynemer and several fountains near the playground.
How about lunching at Marinette, a cosy, family-run address located just 200 meters from the Promenade du Paillon? This café-restaurant offers homemade dishes, salads, tartines and sweet options.
📍13 Rue Colonna d’Istria. Book in high season, as the establishment is very popular.
The afternoon is devoted to discovering the Colline du Château, a site not to be missed. The ascent can be made on foot or using the free elevator at Place du 8 Mai 1945. The hill is also home to a playground. Along the way, don’t miss the artificial waterfall.
📍 Marinette → Colline du Château: approx. 900 m to 1 km depending on the route chosen. Be careful, it’s uphill!
Review of the itinerary with children :
- Total distance: ~4 to 5 km depending on variant
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate, with an ascent to the Colline du Château (elevator available).
- Actual walking time: Approximately 1h15 to 1h30 spread over the day
💡Tour Azur the Nice Little Tourist Train is the perfect way to limit walking if you’re tired. It offers a guided tour lasting around 50 minutes, starting from the Promenade des Anglais, passing through Old Nice and climbing up to the Colline du Château.
Itinerary 2: Nice on foot for sports enthusiasts
Start the day with a run or brisk walk along the Promenade des Anglais, then tackle the climb up the hill to the château. Once at the top, the Château belvedere offers an exceptional panorama. You’ll also find a drinking water fountain near the playground.
📍 Promenade des Anglais → Rauba-Capeù: 1,440 m
📍 Rauba-Capeù → Colline du Château: 480 m ascent
📍 Ascent: ~90 m
For lunch, we recommend KOI Sushi, a Japanese cuisine restaurant with protein-rich options, or Deli Bo, which offers gourmet salads, healthy dishes and smoothies.
📍 KOI Sushi: 7 Quai des Deux Emmanuel. Distance from Colline du Château: 600 m.
📍 Deli Bo: 5 Rue Bonaparte. Distance from Colline du Château: 750 m
The afternoon is devoted to discovering Mont Boron and the coastal path to Villefranche-sur-Mer. From the Port of Nice, take the Boulevard Carnot, then the Route Forestière du Mont Boron, which offers a 2 km climb with a difference in altitude of around 190 meters. Drinking water fountains are available on the Plateau du Mont Boron and near the Fort du Mont Alban. Make the most of them before starting the descent, as there are none left until Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Once you’ve reached the summit, take a welcome break near the Fort du Mont Alban, a 16th-century fortress. From here, take the path that leads directly to the village. On arrival, you’ll find a drinking water point on rue Baron de Brès.
📍 Quartier du Port → Mont Boron: 2 km ascent (~190 m ascent)
📍 Mont Boron → Fort du Mont Alban → Villefranche-sur-Mer: 2.5 km descent
To get back to Nice, take the TER train from Villefranche-sur-Mer station (7-minute journey to Nice-Ville).
- Itinerary summary: Total distance (walking, running, uphill and downhill): ~10 to 12 km depending on variants
- Total vertical gain: ~280 m (Colline du Château + Mont Boron)
- Difficulty: Intermediate to sustained.
Itinerary 3: Nice on foot for relaxing strolls
Get your day off to a good start with breakfast on a terrace in Vieux-Nice, then head for Cours Saleya, where the flower and local produce market is held every morning. After enjoying the market atmosphere, take time to visit Place Rossetti, home to the magnificent 17th-century baroque Cathedral of Sainte-Réparate.
📍 Departure: Vieux-Nice → Cours Saleya (300 m)
📍 Cours Saleya → Place Rossetti (200 m)
For lunch, head for a Nice bistro where the atmosphere is as warm as the food. Here are two good addresses for a relaxing gourmet break: Acchiardo, offering traditional dishes such as daube niçoise and pissaladière; and Le Safari, ideal for terrace dining with a view of the bustling market. After lunch, continue your stroll to the antique dealers’ district, near Place Garibaldi and Rue Catherine Ségurane.
📍 Acchiardo: 38 Rue Droite. Le Safari: 1 Cours Saleya.
The afternoon is dedicated to nature and culture. From Place Garibaldi, cross the Promenade du Paillon, just 300 meters from the antique district.
Then, why not visit the MAMAC (Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain) which exhibits works by great artists such as Yves Klein and Niki de Saint Phalle? To round off the day in style, head for the Promenade des Anglais to admire the sunset over the sea.
Finally, for a last moment of relaxation, settle down on a rooftop with a view, like Le Méridien Rooftop, a chic lounge bar with a terrace, or La Movida, a more casual cocktail bar.
📍 Coulée Verte → MAMAC (200 m); MAMAC → Quai Rauba-Capeù (1 km)
📍 Méridien Rooftop: 1 Promenade des Anglais. La Movida: 37 Quai des États-Unis (Distance from Rauba-Capeù: 500-700 m).
Review of the relaxation and strolling itinerary :
- Total distance: ~5 to 6 km depending on the variant.
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Actual walking time: Approximately 1h30 spread over the day.
Route comparison
Not sure which is the best way to discover Nice on foot? Each itinerary offers a different approach: accessible urban walks, nature escapades in the hills or historical immersion. All of them allow you to savor the authenticity of the Côte d’Azur.
Where to park to visit Nice and the old town?
First of all, the best and cheapest option is to use one of the nine Parcazur, also known as Parc Relais, or P+R. These are parking lots reserved for drivers who continue their journey by public transport. They are all connected to one of the tramway lines. You can view the map and find all the information you need about each Parc Relais. They are very inexpensive compared with underground parking lots. The only drawback is that they are closed for a few hours at night, generally between 2 and 4 am.
Afterwards, you can park in one of the many paying underground parking lots. There are several in and around the old town (e.g. parking Saleya, parking du Palais de Justice, parking Corvesy). They are managed by the Nice Azur Parking company, and you’ll find all the information you need on their website.
Finally, you can also park on the street by paying at a parking meter. However, this option is only valid for short-term parking: 2h15 maximum on weekdays, 3h15 maximum on Saturdays.
Public transport in Nice
Getting around Nice without a car
It’s very easy, and even advisable. There are 140 bus lines and 4 streetcar lines. These are very practical, as they are connected to the Parcazur.
💡Good to know: you can also park your bike in a special Parcazur vélo.
Where to buy tickets and at what price?
The Lignes d’Azur network offers three main ways of purchasing tickets:
- On the phone with the Ligne d’Azur Tickets which allows you to buy and recharge occasional tickets and season tickets;
- Ticket vending machines (around 130 throughout the network) ;
- In a Ligne d’Azur branch.
There are several pricing options.
- Solo ticket: €1.70 for a 74-minute journey with connections.
Pass 1 day: €7 for unlimited journeys over one day. - 7-day pass: €20 for unlimited travel over seven days.
- Pack 10 voyages Multi-Voyageurs: €17, usable by several people simultaneously, with connections for 74 minutes.
💡Good to know Paper tickets have been replaced by rechargeable magnetic cards.
Our practical tips for visiting Nice on foot
Here are our four top tips, tried and tested!
Bring good good shoes and special plasters for blisters: the cobbled streets of Vieux-Nice and the stairs leading up to the Château hill can be hard on the feet.
Start early in the morning Nice is a very busy city, and the heat can become overwhelming in summer.
Use a plan or an app. Wandering around is fun, but having a map or an app like Google Maps will save you time.
Bring water and a hat in summer. The Côte d’Azur sun can be intense, especially between midday and 4pm.
Always with the aim of never running out of water, which can happen faster than you think, locate available drinking water with a tool like Owater, Akualis or EauPotable.info.
What to see around Nice on foot?
Beautiful places can be reached from Nice with a long walk or combined with a short journey by public transport:
- Villefranche-sur-Mer, a charming coastal village accessible via a panoramic path.
- Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, superb trails such as the Tour du Cap and Paloma beach.
- Cap d’Ail, a spectacular coastal path leading to the Mala beach.
If you are prepared to travel a few extra kilometers, by public transport for example, we highly recommend :
- Monaco, which you can easily in a day. Don’t miss his famous automobile museum, the Princely Palace or the Casino de Monte-Carlo. The Principality offers must-see wonders and can be visited any time of year. As for Rocher is a district not to be missed under any circumstances.
- Grasse, the town so famous for Fragonard’s perfumer Fragonard.
- Saint-Tropez, whose port or the Citadelle are key places to visit. More unusual, we also recommend the pretty Gendarmerie and Cinema Museum.
Discover Nice with Tour Azur
A private tour allows you to discover a place in exclusivity, accompanied by your loved ones and a chauffeur-guide, in a top-of-the-range vehicle that’s totally reserved for you. Your chauffeur is much more than that: he’s a professional who’s also a tour guide. He accompanies you to each location on the tour, and provides a guided tour.
If you’d like to explore Nice, we’ve designed an exclusive itinerary for you.
Unusual Nice
Let us tell you about its main places of interest, anecdotes and legends. Get off the beaten track and discover the must-sees: meet the heroes of Nice and the people who have left their mark on history.
The benefits of a guided tour
When you choose Tour Azur, you’re opting for much more than just transportation: you’re opting for a truly exclusive Nice discovery experience. With our expertise and passion, we ensure that every moment of your trip is smooth and enjoyable. Thanks to feedback from our customers, we have refined our offer to include customized excursions adapted to your desires. Our commitment to excellence means that we can guarantee a top-of-the-range service to make your Côte d’Azur getaway an unforgettable experience.
Book your 1-day tour of Nice with Tour Azur
Organizing your tour with Tour Azur is quick and easy. Available every day of the week, our team guarantees you a response within 24 hours to fine-tune every detail of your trip. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to make your project a reality!
What can I do in Nice in 1, 2 or 3 days?
At a day in Nice explore Old Nice, climb the hill of the Château for a panoramic view and stroll along the Promenade des Anglais.
In two days, add a visit to the Matisse and Chagall museums, and a stroll through the Cimiez district.
For three days, take a trip to nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and discover the Cours Saleya market. Relax on the pebble beaches or sample local specialties such as socca and pissaladière.
Don’t forget to stroll along the Place Masséna and the Jardin du Paillon for a pleasant break.
How can I visit the Côte d'Azur without a car?
You can visit the Côte d’Azur without a car thanks to regional trains (TER), which serve towns such as Cannes, Antibes, Monaco and Menton. The Lignes d’Azur bus network provides access to hilltop villages and coastal sites. Ferries offer a pleasant alternative to Saint-Tropez and the Lérins Islands. Electric bikes and scooters are ideal for exploring the towns in complete freedom. Last but not least, there are numerous footpaths in the region, such as the coastal path at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Is there a metro in Nice?
No, but there’s an excellent streetcar and city bus network.
What's free to visit in Nice?
Many of Nice’s sites and activities are accessible free of charge, as is much of what we’ve featured in this article. Stroll through Vieux-Nice, explore its colorful alleyways and admire the Place Rossetti. Climb up to the hill of the Château for a breathtaking view of the city and the sea. Stroll along the Promenade des Anglais and enjoy the public beaches. Visit free museums such as the Musée Matisse and the Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain (MAMAC). Discover the Cours Saleya market, Place Masséna and the gardens of the Monastère de Cimiez for a cultural and natural break.
