Nice France 2 Day Itinerary

48 Hours in Nice: No Filler

Two days is tight enough that you need to cut the fluff immediately. Here’s what earns a spot and what gets skipped, no apologies.

Day 1, morning: Old town first, before the crowds

Land and get into the city on tram Line 2 toward Port Lympia, roughly thirty minutes to Jean-Medecin for 1.70 euros. Skip the taxi rank unless you enjoy watching a meter run past the quoted 32 euro flat rate, which plenty of drivers will try. Uber is cheaper and less of a fight.

Go straight to Vieux Nice and walk it with no fixed plan. The Cours Saleya market runs Tuesday through Sunday mornings for flowers and produce, Mondays for antiques. Whatever you do, don’t eat at the restaurants with terraces directly on that square; they’re overpriced and the food is an afterthought. Walk one or two streets back instead.

Day 1, midday: Socca and Castle Hill

Lunch is socca, the chickpea pancake that’s basically Nice’s flag. Chez Pipo on rue Bavastro has been making it wood-fired since 1923, or grab it from the Chez Theresa stall on the market square. Five to eight euros, and it’s the single best food decision you’ll make this trip.

After lunch, climb Castle Hill. No actual castle up there, it was demolished in 1706, but the free elevator or the stairs get you to a panoramic view that outclasses any paid attraction in the city, for the price of a short climb. This is worth more of your limited time than a museum would be.

Day 1, evening: Promenade and dinner

Walk part of the Promenade des Anglais toward sunset, free, seven kilometers, blue chairs included. Remember the beach itself is pebble, not sand, so don’t plan on bare feet if you want to get in the water. For dinner, Lou Balico or Acchiardo in Vieux Nice cover proper Nicois cooking, daube, ratatouille, stuffed vegetables, mains 15 to 25 euros. If you want a splurge night, Chantecler at the Negresco is the two-Michelin-star option, but on a two-day trip I’d save your money for day two instead.

Day 2, morning: One day trip, not three

With one full day left, pick a single day trip and commit rather than trying to squeeze in Monaco, Cannes, and Eze back to back, which is how people end up seeing everything from a train window. Villefranche-sur-Mer is the easiest: seven minutes by train, 2 to 3 euros, with a real natural harbor and a fraction of Nice’s crowds. If you’d rather see Monaco, it’s 20 to 25 minutes and 4 to 6 euros, worth it for the old town and the sheer oddity of the place, even if you skip the casino.

If Eze is calling you instead, know that the train only reaches Eze-sur-Mer at the base; you’ll still need a steep uphill walk or bus 83 to reach the perched village. Only do this in the morning. A midday climb in summer heat will ruin the rest of your day.

Day 2, afternoon: Back to Nice, unhurried

Return to Nice with enough time to sit somewhere rather than rush your last hours. If you missed the Matisse or Chagall museums and care about art, know they’re two separate buildings up in Cimiez, not downtown, closed Tuesdays, with Chagall running 12 euros during special exhibitions or 10 outside them, free the first Sunday of the month. On a two-day trip they’re the first thing I’d cut if time is short; the old town and Castle Hill matter more.

Have a final coffee or pastry in Vieux Nice, pick up something from the Cours Saleya market if it’s open, and head to the airport with time to spare. Watch your bag closely at the Grand Arenas tram stop specifically, it’s a known pickpocket spot around the ticket machines, and that’s not the way you want to end a good two days.