Nice is a walking city. Two days cover the essentials without hurrying — provided you know the closing days, which hold a few unpleasant surprises.
Saturday morning: the Old Town
Start at the Cours Saleya. The flower market runs Tuesday to Sunday — it is closed on Mondays, which is the first thing to remember. On Mondays the square changes character entirely: around a hundred and eighty antique and second-hand dealers set up from 7am to 6pm.
Around it, the lanes of the Old Town are best walked without a map. This is where to try the local specialities: socca, a chickpea pancake baked over wood, pissaladière with onions and anchovies, and Swiss chard tart.
Chez Thérésa, 28 rue Droite, bakes its socca in an 1867 wood oven and has been trading since 1925. Tuesday to Sunday, 9.30am to 3pm.
By the port, Chez Pipo, 13 rue Bavastro, is an institution for socca and pissaladière. Wednesday to Sunday, 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10pm.
Saturday afternoon: Castle Hill
The hill rises above the city and separates the Old Town from the port. The view over the Baie des Anges on one side and Port Lympia on the other is the finest in Nice, and the park is free to enter.
It opens at 8.30am and closes at 8pm from April to October, 6pm the rest of the year. You can climb the steps from the Old Town or from the port. A lift runs from rue des Ponchettes — free in principle, though it can be out of service for maintenance, so check on the day.
Sunday morning: the Promenade des Anglais
Seven kilometres along the bay, on foot or by bike, ideally early. The beaches along it are pebble — that is the nature of the Nice shoreline, not a lapse in maintenance.
On Sundays, street parking is free across the city: it is the one day driving in costs nothing.
Sunday afternoon: the museums
Two museums are worth the journey, and both close on Tuesdays.
The Matisse Museum, up in Cimiez, charges €12 full price. A city museum pass valid four days costs €15 and pays for itself on the second visit. Entry is free for under-18s, students and jobseekers.
The Marc Chagall National Museum works separately — it is a national museum, not covered by the city pass. Expect €10 to €12 depending on whether a temporary exhibition is running. It opens 10am to 6pm with a break from 1pm to 2.30pm, and entry is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
If you stay longer
The Marché de la Libération, near the Gare du Sud, runs Tuesday to Sunday mornings. Less touristy than the Cours Saleya, it is where people in Nice actually shop.
Place Garibaldi hosts a flea market on the third Saturday of each month, and a craft market on some Sundays depending on the season.
Information verified in September 2026 against official sources. Prices and opening times may change.