In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Flowers, fruit and vegetables Tuesday to Sunday in the morning; antiques on Monday only, from 7:00 to 18:00, with about 180 dealers. The fish market on Place Saint-François runs Tuesday to Sunday from 6:00 to 13:00 and is shut on Mondays. An arts and crafts market runs on the Cours Saleya in the evening in summer. Walking the market costs nothing. On the third Saturday of each month the brocante also sets up on Place Garibaldi. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the old town and local markets food tourad is from €97 and the food and wine old town walkad from €84 (GetYourGuide).
Days and hours
The market is free. Hours are the Nice Côte d’Azur tourist office’s, from its pages for the Cours Saleya, the flower market, the antiques market and the fish market.
| Day | Cours Saleya | Fish market, Place Saint-François |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Antiques and brocante, 7:00 to 18:00 | Closed |
| Tuesday to Sunday | Flowers, fruit, vegetables, crafts and regional food, in the morning | 6:00 to 13:00 |
- Third Saturday of the month: the brocante also sets up on Place Garibaldi.
- In summer: an evening arts and crafts market runs on the Cours Saleya.
A flower stall on the Cours Saleya. Photo: Irene Grassi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Tours worth paying for
The market is free to walk, so a tour buys the tastings and a guide. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Old Town and Local Markets Food Tour
From €97 · 3 hours · 4.9 stars from 58 reviews
Nice: Old Town & Local Markets Food Tour with 9+ Tastingsad covers the old town and its markets with nine or more tastings. Choose a Tuesday to Sunday for the fish market.
Food and Wine Old Town Guided Walking Tour
From €84 · 4 hours · 4.8 stars from 429 reviews
Nice: Food and Wine Old Town Guided Walking Tourad is sold by Nice Creative Tours. Nice food tours compares the guided options side by side.
What to see
The Cours Saleya is the old town’s market square, best known for its flower market. Niçois have shopped here since 1861, and the tourist office lists it among the 100 most picturesque markets in France. Carnival floats paraded here in the second half of the 19th century.
- The flower stalls. Cut flowers and plants Tuesday to Sunday mornings, with fruit and vegetables, local crafts and regional food between them.
- The Monday antiques market. About 180 dealers on the Cours Saleya and Place Pierre Gautier from 7:00 to 18:00.
- The socca stands. Chez Thérésa sells a slice of socca, a chickpea pancake, at €3.50 from its Cours Saleya stand from Tuesday to Sunday mornings; Chez Marie-Thé, Socca du Cours, sells a slice at €3.50 from Wednesday to Sunday between 9:30 and 13:30. Best socca in Nice lists the counters.
- The Chapelle de la Miséricorde. A Baroque chapel on the square, with murals by Bistolfi.
- The Ponchettes steps. Opposite Place Pierre Gautier, they give a view over the square.
- The fish market. On Place Saint-François, around the dolphin fountain, beside a clock tower and a Baroque former town hall.
An antiques stall in the old town. Photo: mwanasimba, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The order that works: arrive before 10:00 on a Tuesday to Sunday, take the fish market first (it closes at 13:00), then the flowers and fruit, then lunch at a socca stand. On a Monday, go for the antiques and skip the fish. What to skip: the market after lunch, when the Tuesday to Sunday stalls are packing up.
The Chapelle de la Miséricorde above the market awnings. Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Practical information
- Getting there: the Cours Saleya is in the old town. Bus 12 stops at Opéra and Cathédrale. Nice public transport has the lines.
- Eating: Le Safari at 1 cours Saleya serves Niçoise cooking seven days a week. Where to eat in Nice lists the restaurants.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: coming on a Monday for flowers or fish, or after 13:00 for the fish.
The old town page puts the market in a walk with the Palais Lascaris and the Place Saint-François, and the old town walk takes it as the third stop of a route from Place Masséna to Port Lympia. Castle Hill is at the east end, and free things to do in Nice lists what costs nothing. What to book in Nice has the hours of every sight, and things to do in Nice lists the rest. For a bed, see where to stay in Nice, and 3 days in Nice puts the market on a morning.
Common questions
When is the Cours Saleya market open?
The flower, fruit and vegetable market runs Tuesday to Sunday in the morning. On Mondays the Cours Saleya holds an antiques market from 7:00 to 18:00 instead.
Is the Cours Saleya market open on Mondays?
Yes, as an antiques and brocante market with about 180 dealers, from 7:00 to 18:00. There are no flowers, fruit or vegetables on Mondays, and the fish market on Place Saint-François is closed.
When is the fish market in Nice?
On Place Saint-François, Tuesday to Sunday from 6:00 to 13:00. It is free to visit and closed on Mondays.
Is there an evening market on the Cours Saleya?
An arts and crafts market runs on the Cours Saleya in the evening in summer.
Is the Cours Saleya market free?
Yes. Walking the market and the square costs nothing.
Where can I eat socca at the Cours Saleya?
Chez Thérésa has a stand on the Cours Saleya selling socca, a chickpea pancake, from Tuesday to Sunday mornings, and Chez Marie-Thé sells it from Wednesday to Sunday. A slice is €3.50 at each.
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