In this guide
💡 The Short Version: No City museum is free: the Matisse, Masséna and Chéret museums are €10, the others €5, and the 4-day Museums Pass is €15. The national Chagall museum is free only on the first Sunday of the month; it is €12 while an exhibition runs (Chagall Couture, to 18 January 2027 and again from 6 February) and it shuts from 13:00 to 14:30 in November and December 2026. Tuesday closes Matisse, Chagall and Masséna; Monday closes the Chéret, Photography and Natural History museums. MAMAC and the Terra Amata museum are closed. The French Riviera Pass (€30, €45 or €65) includes no train, tram or bus and pays back only on a day with about €30 of paid sights. Castle Hill, the Promenade des Anglais and the Cours Saleya are free. Monaco is about 22 to 26 minutes by train, but the Prince’s Palace is closed until spring 2027. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Old Town and Castle Hill walking tourad is from €26 and the Èze, Monaco and Monte-Carlo half-day tripad from €36 (GetYourGuide).
What to book before you go
Prices are the adult rate in euros, from each operator’s own page. The City sells museum tickets at the door and through its museums ticket office.
| Sight | Booking | Adult price | Book at | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musée Matisse | Online or at the door; no timed slot | €10 | musee-matisse-nice.org | Closed Tuesdays. Closes at 17:00 from 1 November. Suitcases and backpacks are not accepted: leave them at the hotel |
| Musée national Marc Chagall | At the museum on the day | €12 while an exhibition runs; €10 otherwise | musees-nationaux-alpesmaritimes.fr | Closed Tuesdays, and 13:00 to 14:30 in November and December 2026. Free on the first Sunday of the month |
| Museums Pass | The City’s ticket office | €15 for 4 days | billetterie-museesnice.tickeasy.com | Covers the Matisse, Masséna, Chéret, Photography, Archaeology, Naïve Art, Natural History and Lascaris museums. Not Chagall |
| Other City museums | At the door | €10 at Masséna and Chéret; €5 at the rest | nice.fr | Masséna and Lascaris close Tuesdays; Chéret, Photography and Natural History close Mondays |
| Russian Orthodox Cathedral | At the door | €10, as the tourist office prints it | sobor.fr | Closed to visitors on Sunday from 9:00 to 12:00 and during services |
| Castle Hill | None | Free | nice.fr | Closes at 18:00 from 1 November. The Bellandarium is €5 and the Tour Saint-François €5 |
| French Riviera Pass | Online | €30, €45 or €65 | frenchrivierapass.com | No train, tram or bus. Each site once |
| Nice Le Grand Tour bus | Operator’s site | €24 for 1 day; €28 for 2 | nicelegrandtour.fr | GetYourGuide sells the same ticket at €24 |
| Little train | Kiosk at the departure point | €12; €6 aged 4 to 12 | francevoguette.com | Leaves from the foot of the Centenaire monument on the Promenade. GetYourGuide sells the castle circuit from €14 |
| Coastal cruise | Reserve ahead | €23.50 | trans-cote-azur.co.uk | One hour at 11:00 and 15:00, not Mondays, to 1 November 2026. GetYourGuide sells it from €30 |
- The big two. The Matisse museum page and the Chagall museum page set out the tickets, the closed days and the order to go round.
- Cimiez. Cimiez puts the Matisse museum, the Roman arena and baths, the monastery gardens and Matisse’s grave on one hill.
- The rest of the museums. Best museums in Nice lists the City’s museums with prices and closed days.
- The old town. Old Town Nice and the Cours Saleya market cover the Baroque streets and the Monday antiques market.
- The seafront and the hill. The Promenade des Anglais, Castle Hill and the beaches cost nothing to walk or sit on.
- Walks. The old town walk runs from Place Masséna through the Cours Saleya and up Castle Hill to Port Lympia, and the Cimiez walk climbs from the Chagall museum to the Matisse museum and the Roman baths, each with what is open on which day.
- The Russian cathedral. The cathedral page has the Sunday-morning closure.
- Beyond the sights. Things to do in Nice lists everything with its price, and free things to do in Nice gathers what costs nothing, with the viewpoints.
Hours and closed days
Hours are the operators’ own, in force from 1 November 2026.
| Sight | Hours | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Musée Matisse | 10:00 to 17:00 to 31 March 2027; 10:00 to 18:00 from 1 April. Ticket office closes 30 minutes before | Tuesday; 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 December |
| Musée Chagall | 10:00 to 17:00 to 30 April 2027, closed 13:00 to 14:30 in November and December 2026 except from 2 to 7 November. Last sales 30 minutes before closing | Tuesday; 1 January, 1 May, 25 December |
| Musée Masséna | 11:00 to 18:00 to 30 April 2027; 10:00 to 18:00 from 2 May | Tuesday |
| Palais Lascaris | 10:00 to 18:00 | Tuesday; 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 December |
| Archaeology museum, Cimiez | 10:00 to 17:00; 10:00 to 18:00 from 2 May. Ticket office closes 30 minutes before | Tuesday |
| Naïve Art museum | 10:00 to 12:30 | Tuesday |
| Musée Jules Chéret | 11:00 to 18:00 to 30 April 2027; 10:00 to 18:00 from 2 May | Monday |
| Photography museum | 10:00 to 18:00 | Monday; 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 December |
| Natural History museum | 10:00 to 18:00; the City prints hours to 31 December 2026 | Monday |
| Russian Orthodox Cathedral | Monday to Friday 10:00 to 13:30 and 14:00 to 17:30; Saturday 10:00 to 18:00; Sunday 9:00 to 18:00 | Closed to visitors Sunday 9:00 to 12:00, during services and weddings |
| Castle Hill park | 8:30 to 18:00 from 1 November to 31 March | None |
| Bellandarium | Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 | Sunday and Monday |
| Tour Saint-François | Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 on one weekend a month: 28 and 29 November, 19 and 20 December 2026, 23 and 24 January, 27 and 28 February, 27 and 28 March 2027 | Every other day |
| Cours Saleya flower market | Tuesday to Sunday mornings | Monday, when the antiques market runs 7:00 to 18:00 |
| Fish market, Place Saint-François | Tuesday to Sunday 6:00 to 13:00 | Monday |
| Promenade du Paillon | 7:00 to 21:00 to 31 March 2027 | None |
Closed or changed
- MAMAC: the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art has been closed for renovation since 7 January 2024.
- The Terra Amata prehistory museum: closed since 15 April 2026 for accessibility work.
- The Centre du Patrimoine: the heritage office that sells tickets for the Bellandarium, the Tour Saint-François, the archaeological crypt and the City’s guided tours is closed 2 to 6 November 2026 and reopens on 9 November.
- The boats: Trans Côte d’Azur’s one-hour coastal cruise runs to 1 November 2026, its Monaco boat to 31 October, and its Cannes and Saint-Tropez boats ended on 20 October.
- The Promenade des Anglais: eleven months of work on the Mercantour bridge near the airport began on 2 October 2026, with the seaward lanes diverted, which affects cars, taxis and buses to the airport.
- Monaco: the Prince’s Palace is closed to visitors until spring 2027, and the Oceanographic Museum’s Mediterranean aquariums have been closed since 1 September 2026 for about two years.
The passes
The City’s Museums Pass is €15 for 4 days and the French Riviera Pass is €30 for 24 hours, €45 for 48 and €65 for 72. The French Riviera Pass includes the Nice Le Grand Tour bus and the little train, and no train, tram or bus; each site can be entered once. Is the French Riviera Pass worth it? has the sums. These are the ones that decide it:
| Plan | Single tickets | Pass | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matisse and Masséna | €20 | Museums Pass €15 | Saves €5 |
| Matisse, Masséna, Chéret, Lascaris and Archaeology | €40 | Museums Pass €15 | Saves €25 |
| Matisse and one €5 museum | €15 | Museums Pass €15 | Break-even |
| Matisse, Chagall at €12 and the Russian cathedral | €32 | 24-hour French Riviera Pass €30 | Saves €2 |
| Matisse, Chagall, Archaeology and the Russian cathedral | €37 | 24-hour French Riviera Pass €30 | Saves €7 |
| The five City museums above and nothing else | €40 | 48-hour French Riviera Pass €45 | Costs €5 more; buy the Museums Pass |
A 24-hour French Riviera Pass started on a Tuesday wastes most of its value, because Matisse, Chagall and Masséna are shut.
Free things worth a line
Free things to do in Nice has the hours. The ones that cost nothing:
- The Promenade des Anglais, almost 7 km of seafront with the blue chairs. The Promenade page walks it west to east.
- Castle Hill, a 19.3-hectare park with a waterfall and a view over the bay. Castle Hill has the two ways up.
- The Cours Saleya markets and the old town streets. The market page has the days.
- The Promenade du Paillon, the park with the reflecting pool and its 128 water jets.
- The public beaches, pebbles with no charge for sitting. Nice beaches separates them from the paid clubs.
- The Musée Chagall on the first Sunday of the month: 1 November and 6 December 2026, 3 January and 7 February 2027.
The Baie des Anges and the Promenade des Anglais from Castle Hill. Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The overnight tax
Hotels and rentals in the Métropole collect a tourist tax on top of the room price, per person per night. In 2026 it is €6.43 in a palace, €4.69 in a five-star, €3.48 in a four-star, €2.28 in a three-star, €1.34 in a two-star and €1.07 in a one-star hotel, a bed and breakfast or a hostel. Children under 18 do not pay. An unrated hotel or rental charges 6.7% of the price before tax, per person per night, capped at €6.43. The hotel collects it with the bill. The Métropole says the 2027 rates are the same (Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur).
Getting around
Trams and buses run on the Lignes d’Azur network. A single ticket is €1.70 and allows changes for 74 minutes but not a return journey; a 1-day pass is €7 for 24 hours from the first validation. Buy before boarding, from a machine at the tram stop (coins or bank card, never banknotes), in the Lignes d’Azur app or from an agent, and validate on every journey, pass or not (Lignes d’Azur). Regional buses on Zou! lines need a separate ticket. Bus 5, 16, 18, 33 and 40 serve the Matisse museum, and bus 5 serves the Chagall museum, which is also tram 1 to Gare Thiers and a 15-minute walk. Nice public transport has the fares and the lines.
Getting in from the airport
Nice airport to the city compares the options.
| Way | Price | Time and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tram line 2 | €1.70 | From both terminals to Jean Médecin and Port Lympia in under 30 minutes, every 7 to 8 minutes on weekdays |
| Bus 12 | €1.70 | Along the Promenade des Anglais to Place Masséna, the old town and Place Garibaldi. No tickets are sold on board |
| Taxi | €32 flat to the centre | The airport’s indicative 2026 fare list; supplements are extra |
- Monaco by taxi is a flat €95 on the same list, and Cannes €85.
- There is no station at the airport. Nice-Saint-Augustin is a 3-minute walk from the Grand Arénas tram stop, and the tram between Terminal 2, Terminal 1 and Grand Arénas is free.
Entry rules for France
France is in the Schengen area, and one 90-day allowance covers every Schengen country you visit. The rules below are for a tourist stay.
| Citizens of | Visa | Passport | On arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | None, for up to 90 days in any 180 (gov.uk) | Issued less than 10 years before you arrive, with 3 months left after the day you leave the Schengen area | Registered in the Entry/Exit System |
| United States | None, for up to 90 days in any 180 (EU visa-free list) | The same | Registered in the Entry/Exit System |
| Canada | None, for up to 90 days in any 180 (travel.gc.ca) | The same | Registered in the Entry/Exit System |
| Australia | None, for up to 90 days in any 180 (Smartraveller) | The same | Registered in the Entry/Exit System |
| EU | None | A passport or a national ID card (Your Europe) | Not registered |
The passport rule is the EU’s, for every non-EU visitor (Your Europe).
- Entry/Exit System (EES): non-EU visitors are registered at the border on their first entry to the Schengen area, with fingerprints and a photo. It is free, needs nothing before you travel, and replaces the passport stamp; it has run in full since 10 April 2026 (EU).
- ETIAS: not yet required. The EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch (EU).
- Border checks: France has border checks with Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027, so carry your passport or national ID card on the train to Ventimiglia and on any trip into Italy (EU Commission list of notified internal border controls).
- Monaco uses the euro and French immigration rules, so you need the same documents as for France.
- Official travel advice for France: UK Foreign Office, US State Department, Canada and Australia.
Day trips
Day trips from Nice compares every trip by train, bus and tour. A regional train runs every 15 minutes between Cannes and Menton, and the run times below are the scheduled ones from Nice-Ville: check the timetable for your date.
- Monaco: about 22 to 26 minutes. The Prince’s Palace is closed until spring 2027; the Changing of the Guard is at 11:55 every day.
- Èze: Lignes d’Azur bus 82 from Nice Vauban takes about 30 minutes, roughly hourly from Monday to Saturday.
- Villefranche-sur-Mer: about 7 minutes by train, with Cap Ferrat and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild beyond it.
- Antibes: about 23 to 28 minutes. The Musée Picasso is closed on Mondays.
- Cannes: about 36 to 41 minutes, with ferries to the Lérins islands.
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence: by train to Cagnes-sur-Mer, then bus 655, to the village and the Fondation Maeght.
- Grasse: direct trains in about 67 to 73 minutes.
- Menton: about 35 to 40 minutes. The Lemon Festival runs 13 to 28 February 2027.
- Over a day’s train fares: the Pass Journée is €20 for a day on regional trains in the Alpes-Maritimes, and the Pass Sud Azur Explore is €35 for 3 days, €50 for 7 and €80 for 14, with buses, trams and trains included.
Tours, food, stays and when to go
Nice walking tours compares the City’s English tours with the paid ones, and the hop-on hop-off bus covers the bus, the little train and the boats. Where to eat in Nice lists the restaurants, best socca in Nice names the counters and their days, and Nice food tours compares the guided ones. Best time to visit Nice gives the weather by month, with Nice Carnival 2027, Nice Christmas 2026 and the Monaco Grand Prix 2027 for the dates that change a visit.
Plan the trip
- Where to sleep: where to stay in Nice compares the areas, and hotels near the Promenade des Anglais lists the seafront ones.
- Getting there and about: Nice airport to the city and Nice public transport.
- When to go: best time to visit Nice, Nice Carnival 2027, Nice Christmas 2026 and the Monaco Grand Prix 2027.
- The sights: Matisse, Chagall, the museums, Cimiez, the Russian cathedral, the old town, Castle Hill and the Promenade each have a guide, and the old town walk and the Cimiez walk put them in walking order.
- Passes: is the French Riviera Pass worth it? runs the sums.
- Free and family: free things to do in Nice gathers what costs nothing, and Nice with kids sorts it by age.
- How many days: 3 days in Nice builds the plan round the closed days, and things to do in Nice lists the rest.
- Day trips: day trips from Nice.
- Onward: Paris is the guide for the capital, for the TGV north.
- A beach break: beach city breaks sets Nice’s pebbles against seven other cities, with the fare, the months the sea reaches 20 °C and the official water quality class.
Itineraries
Day-by-day plans for a first visit.
Which ticket to buy
The official ticket, the tours that include entry, and which sells out first.
Tickets
Matisse Museum Nice: Tickets, Hours, Closed Days
The Musée Matisse in Cimiez costs €10, is closed on Tuesdays and closes at 17:00 from 1 November. Tickets and who goes free, the Museums Pass, the bag rules that bar backpacks and suitcases, the Matisse and Alex Katz exhibition and how to get there by bus.
Tickets
Chagall Museum Nice: Tickets, Hours, Free Sundays
The Musée national Marc Chagall costs €12 while an exhibition runs and €10 otherwise, is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month and closes from 13:00 to 14:30 in November and December 2026. Tickets, the Biblical Message rooms, the Chagall Couture show and bus 5.
Tickets
Museums in Nice: Prices, Closed Days, Museums Pass
Nice's City museums are not free: Matisse, Masséna and Chéret cost €10, the others €5, and a 4-day Museums Pass is €15. Which close on Tuesday and which on Monday, what each holds, why MAMAC and Terra Amata are shut, and the sums that show when the pass pays.
Tickets
Russian Orthodox Cathedral Nice: Hours, Entry Fee
The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Nice is open daily but closed to visitors on Sunday from 9:00 to 12:00 and during services. Hours from October, the €10 adult entry the tourist office prints, the dress rule, the crypt museum, the guided tour and parking.
Tickets
Nice Walking Tours: Free, City and Paid Compared
The City of Nice runs English walks on Mondays at 10:00, a tips-based walk leaves Place Masséna at 10:55 daily, and paid old town walks are from €23 for 2.5 hours. Meeting points, languages and lengths compared, with the e-bike and Segway tours and what no walk includes.
Tickets
Nice Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: Price, Route, Worth It?
Nice Le Grand Tour is €24 for 1 day and €28 for 2, the same on GetYourGuide. It has 11 stops, from the Promenade des Anglais to Villefranche-sur-Mer, with a bus every 45 minutes from 10:00 to 17:30. The €12 little train, the €23.50 coastal cruise and whether the tram is the better ride.
Tickets
French Riviera Pass: Is It Worth It? The Sums
The French Riviera Pass is €30 for 24 hours, €45 for 48 and €65 for 72, with no bus, tram or train. It pays on a day with about €30 of paid sights: a museum day saves €2 to €7, a Monaco and Èze day over €30, and Cap Ferrat loses to the €24 combined ticket. The €15 Museums Pass for museums alone.
Day trips from Nice
Out and back in a day, with the tours compared against going on your own.
Day trip
Day Trips From Nice: Monaco, Èze, Cannes, Menton
Trains run every 15 minutes between Cannes and Menton: Monaco takes 22 to 26 minutes from Nice-Ville, Antibes 23 to 28, Menton 35 to 40, Cannes 36 to 41 and Grasse 67 to 73. Each trip against its tour, the passes, Saint-Tropez, the Verdon and Italy, and what is closed from 1 November 2026.
Day trip
Monaco Day Trip From Nice: Train, Bus, Tour
Monaco is 22 to 26 minutes from Nice-Ville by regional train. The Prince's Palace is closed until spring 2027, the Oceanographic Museum's Mediterranean aquariums are shut, and the Changing of the Guard is free at 11:55. Prices, the Casino's two visits, the Exotic Garden and the tours.
Day trip
Èze Village From Nice: Bus 82, Garden, Fragonard
Èze village is about 30 minutes from Nice Vauban by Lignes d'Azur bus 82, roughly hourly from Monday to Saturday and thinner on Sundays. The €10 Exotic Garden 429 metres above the sea, Fragonard's free factory tour, the train and path from Èze-sur-Mer, and the tours.
Day trip
Villefranche-sur-Mer From Nice: Train, Cap Ferrat
Villefranche-sur-Mer is 7 to 9 minutes from Nice-Ville by train. Lignes d'Azur bus 15 runs on to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, €18 or €24 with Villa Kérylos. The Citadelle is closed 2 to 13 November 2026. The bay cruise, the hop-on bus and the cruise-ship landing.
Day trip
Antibes Day Trip From Nice: Picasso Museum, Market
Antibes is 23 to 28 minutes from Nice-Ville by regional train. The Musée Picasso in the Château Grimaldi is €12 and closed on Mondays, the Provençal market runs every morning except Mondays from September to May, and the old town has a route past the ramparts. Prices, hours and the tours.
Day trip
Cannes Day Trip From Nice: Train, Lérins Islands
Cannes is 36 to 41 minutes from Nice-Ville by regional train. The ferry to Île Sainte-Marguerite is €19.00 return and runs every day except Sundays from 1 November to 1 April. Le Suquet, the Forville market, the Fort Royal museum and the tours, with the Film Festival dates for 2027.
Day trip
Saint-Paul-de-Vence From Nice: Bus 655, Maeght
Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a train to Cagnes-sur-Mer and bus 655 from Nice, with a 10-minute walk from the village stop to the Fondation Maeght. The foundation is €18, open every day, with no booking. The pedestrianised village, the tours from €65 and the ways to plan the connection.
Day trip
Grasse Perfume Day Trip From Nice: Train, Classes
Grasse is 67 to 73 minutes from Nice-Ville on a direct train. The International Perfume Museum is €6 and closed on the first Monday of each month from October to March. Fragonard's factory tour is free, and perfume classes are from €31. The gardens, the €2 train discount and the tours.
Day trip
Menton Day Trip From Nice: Train, Cocteau, Lemons
Menton is 35 to 40 minutes from Nice-Ville by regional train. The Jean Cocteau museum in the Bastion is €5 and closed on Tuesdays. The Lemon Festival runs 13 to 28 February 2027, with parade prices and the sold-out Sundays. Ventimiglia is 51 to 60 minutes, and France checks the Italian border from 1 November.
Where to stay
Areas and hotels, chosen for a visitor rather than a resident.
Where to stay
Where to Stay in Nice: Areas and Hotels
For a first visit, stay in the old town or on the Promenade side of the centre: the Cours Saleya and the beach are on foot. The Nice areas compared, with the dates that fill hotels, the tourist tax by star grade, what the governments say about safety, and the hotels in each with addresses, star grades and Michelin Keys.
Where to stay
Hotels Near the Promenade des Anglais, Nice
Hotels on and near the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, in order along the front from the old-town end to the airport end, with star grades, Michelin Keys, the private-beach arrangements the hotels print, their own distances to the old town and the airport, and the tourist tax.
Airport transfers
From the airport to the centre, every option priced and timed.
Getting around
Tickets, passes and the transport a visitor actually uses.
What's on, month by month
Festivals, holidays and closures that change a visit.
Events
Best Time to Visit Nice: Month by Month
Nice month by month from Météo-France's 1991 to 2020 normals: highs of 13.3°C in January and 27.9°C in August, 138 mm of rain in November, 349 hours of sun in July, with the sea temperature and daylight. The Carnival, the Lemon Festival, Cannes, the Monaco Grand Prix and Christmas.
Events
Nice Carnival 2027: Dates, Tickets, Flower Battles
The Nice Carnival 2027 runs from Tuesday 9 to Sunday 28 February, theme Vive l'Amour. Tickets go on sale in December 2026. The 2026 prices for the grandstands and the standing zones, the rules at the gate, the Flower Battles, and the Lemon Festival in Menton on 13 to 28 February.
Events
Nice Christmas Market 2026: Village de Noël Dates
Nice's Christmas village, the Village de Noël, runs from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 in the Jardin Albert 1er and Place Masséna, with more than 60 chalets and free entry. The closed days on 25 December and 1 January, the December weather and New Year's Eve.
Events
Monaco Grand Prix 2027 from Nice: Trains and Tickets
The Monaco Grand Prix runs from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 June 2027, the first sprint weekend there. The Automobile Club de Monaco's prices, from €40 on Thursday and €50 standing on Friday, the dearer official F1 resale, the train from Nice in about 22 to 26 minutes and where to stay.
Food and drink
Where to eat, what to order and when to book.
Food and drink
Where to Eat in Nice: What the Sources Agree On
The best restaurants in Nice by how many of 27 English and French lists name them: Chez Pipo, Acchiardo, JAN and La Merenda lead. With the Michelin stars and Bib Gourmands, the Cuisine Nissarde label, what to order, the days each place is shut and the closures.
Food and drink
Best Socca in Nice: Where to Eat It
Where to eat socca, Nice's chickpea pancake: Chez Pipo (Wednesday to Sunday, no reservations), Chez Thérésa (Tuesday to Sunday, €3.50 a slice) and Chez Marie-Thé on the Cours Saleya (Wednesday to Sunday mornings), with what to order with it and what to know before queuing.
Food and drink
Nice Food Tours: Prices, Tastings, Which to Book
Nice food tours compared on price, length, meeting point and what is eaten: No Diet Club from €69, the food and wine old-town walk from €84, full-meal tours from €81, market tours from €97, and the tourist office's cooking class from €60.
Walks
Self-guided routes, stop by stop.
Walk
Nice Old Town Walk (Vieux Nice): Self-Guided Route
A self-guided walk through Vieux Nice, 4.6 km from the Masséna tram stop to Port Lympia: the Opéra, the Cours Saleya, Place Rossetti, the Palais Lascaris, Place Saint-François, Place Garibaldi and Castle Hill. A map, every price and opening time, and which day each stop is shut.
Walk
Cimiez Walk Nice: Chagall, Matisse and Roman Baths
A self-guided walk up Cimiez, 2.9 km from the Chagall museum bus stop to the Arènes / Musée Matisse stop: the boulevard de Cimiez, the Régina where Matisse lived, the monastery and his grave, the Matisse and Archaeology museums, the amphitheatre and the olive grove. Every price, the Tuesday closures and the lunch break.
More guides
Guide
Things to Do in Nice: Prices and Closed Days
Nice's sights with the price and the closed day for each: Matisse and Masséna at €10, the Chagall museum at €12 or €10, the Russian cathedral at €10, the little train at €12 and the free Promenade, Castle Hill and Cours Saleya. Which close on Monday or Tuesday, and which museums are shut.
Guide
Promenade des Anglais Nice: Length, Beaches, Hours
The Promenade des Anglais runs almost 7 km along the Baie des Anges, free and open every day. What stands on it from the airport end to Quai Rauba Capeu: Villa Masséna, the Negresco, Place Masséna, the Centenaire monument and the little train, plus the bridge works that began on 2 October 2026.
Guide
Castle Hill Nice: Lift, Hours, Waterfall, Views
Castle Hill (Colline du Château) in Nice is a free park open 8:30 to 18:00 from 1 November and to 20:00 from 1 April. The ways up, the lift, the waterfall and belvédère, the €5 Bellandarium in the Tour Bellanda, the playground and the walking tours that include the hill.
Guide
Old Town Nice (Vieux Nice): What to See and Skip
Vieux Nice is Baroque, not medieval: the Palais Lascaris (€5), the Sainte-Réparate cathedral on Place Rossetti, the Cours Saleya and the Place Saint-François fish market. The City's English walks on Mondays at 10:00, paid walking tours, and which sights close on Monday or Tuesday.
Guide
Cours Saleya Market Nice: Days, Hours, Monday Antiques
The Cours Saleya in Nice's old town sells flowers, fruit and vegetables from Tuesday to Sunday mornings and holds an antiques market on Mondays from 7:00 to 18:00. The days, the fish market on Place Saint-François, the summer evening crafts market, the socca stands and the food tours.
Guide
Cimiez Nice: Matisse, Roman Ruins, Monastery Gardens
Cimiez is a hill above Nice with the Matisse museum, the Roman amphitheatre and baths, the Archaeology museum, a monastery with a free rose garden and the cemetery where Matisse is buried. Opening hours, prices, which parts close on Tuesday and the buses that reach it.
Guide
Nice Beaches: Public, Private Sunbeds, Pebbles
Nice's beaches are pebbles. The public stretches along the Promenade des Anglais are free, and 14 private beach clubs charge for sunbeds: La Plage de l'Opéra asks €30 a person. The two adapted beaches, the dog beach, the tobacco ban, water testing and the sea temperature each month.
Guide
Free Things to Do in Nice (and What Costs Money)
Free in Nice: the Promenade des Anglais, Castle Hill, the Cours Saleya markets, the Promenade du Paillon, Mont Boron, the Cimiez olive grove and the Chagall museum on the first Sunday. The viewpoints with their heights and hours, and the museums and sights that charge.
Guide
Nice With Kids: Beaches, Little Train, Parc Phoenix
Nice with children: City museums free under 18, the little train at €6 for ages 4 to 12, the 1,600 square metre Castle Hill playground, the Promenade du Paillon water jets, Parc Phoenix and the Chagall creative visits from age 4. Prices, ages and what is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Plan your trip
The rules and costs that apply to every city on the site.
Common questions
Are the museums in Nice free?
No. The Matisse, Masséna and Chéret museums charge €10 and the other City museums €5. A 4-day Museums Pass is €15. Under-18s, students and job-seekers go free with proof. The only free day is the first Sunday of the month at the national Chagall museum.
What is closed in Nice on a Tuesday?
The Matisse, Chagall, Masséna, Lascaris, Archaeology and Naïve Art museums. The Chéret, Photography and Natural History museums are closed on Mondays instead, and open on Tuesdays.
Is the MAMAC open?
No. The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art has been closed for renovation since 7 January 2024. The Terra Amata prehistory museum has been closed since 15 April 2026 for accessibility work.
Is the French Riviera Pass worth it?
Only on a day with about €30 of paid sights. It costs €30 for 24 hours, €45 for 48 and €65 for 72, and it includes the Nice Le Grand Tour bus and the little train but no train, tram or bus. For museums alone, the €15 Museums Pass is cheaper.
Is the Musée Chagall free?
On the first Sunday of every month, for everyone. Otherwise it is €12 while an exhibition runs, which includes Chagall Couture from 10 October 2026 to 18 January 2027 and from 6 February to 23 May 2027, and €10 outside exhibitions. It is closed on Tuesdays, and from 13:00 to 14:30 in November and December 2026 except from 2 to 7 November.
Is there a tourist tax in Nice?
Yes. In 2026 it is €1.07 per person per night in a one-star hotel, bed and breakfast or hostel, €2.28 in a three-star, €3.48 in a four-star, €4.69 in a five-star and €6.43 in a palace. Children under 18 do not pay. The hotel collects it with the bill.
How do I get from Nice airport to the centre?
Tram line 2 runs from both terminals to Jean Médecin and Port Lympia in under 30 minutes for €1.70. A taxi to the centre is a flat €32 on the airport's 2026 fare list.
How long is the train from Nice to Monaco?
About 22 to 26 minutes on the regional train from Nice-Ville. The Prince's Palace is closed to visitors until spring 2027, but the Changing of the Guard takes place every day at 11:55.
Do I need a visa to visit Nice?
Not for a stay of up to 90 days in any 180 if you hold a UK, US, Canadian or Australian passport. The passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive, with 3 months left after the day you leave the Schengen area. Non-EU visitors are registered in the Entry/Exit System at the border. ETIAS is not yet required.