Things to do in Nice

The places Nice locals actually go: restaurants, walks, museums and nights out, tried and recommended by the people who live here.

  • 674recommended places
  • 122locals recommending

Nice has two faces: Vieux-Nice, with its narrow lanes, ochre façades and markets, and the resort city stretching along the Baie des Anges, from the Promenade des Anglais to the hills of Cimiez and Mont Boron. Between the two, the sea is never far — and it is usually facing it that locals meet.

No sponsored rankings on this page: every place is recommended by Spoooters, locals who genuinely go there. The more a place is recommended, the higher it climbs.

Where to eat in Nice

Traditional Niçoise cooking, socca on the go, tables facing the sea and neighbourhood cafés — the places locals recommend most. 487 recommended places in Nice

MIAM

in Nice

50 addresses

qui ont le goût de Nice

Socca, pan bagnat et petites tables qui sentent bon le Sud.

The locals' albumMIAM in NiceSocca, pan bagnat et petites tables qui sentent bon le Sud.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go for a walk in Nice

The coastal path, Castle Hill, the Promenade des Anglais and hilltop gardens, picked by the people who walk them all year. 65 recommended places in Nice

MER

in Nice

42 addresses

pour voir Nice côté grand bleu

Criques, sentiers et panoramas à couper le souffle.

The locals' albumMER in NiceCriques, sentiers et panoramas à couper le souffle.42 spots · €2.99
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What to see in Nice

Artists’ museums, the palaces of Vieux-Nice and monuments: the city’s culture as its residents see it. 73 recommended places in Nice

CULTE

in Nice

50 addresses

qui font la légende de Nice

Vieux-Nice, colline du Château et incontournables baignés de soleil.

The locals' albumCULTE in NiceVieux-Nice, colline du Château et incontournables baignés de soleil.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go shopping in Nice

Markets, concept stores and independent designers spotted by locals. 34 recommended places in Nice

LOCAL

in Nice

50 addresses

que les Niçois se refilent

Du Port à Libération, marchés vivants et repaires d'habitués.

The locals' albumLOCAL in NiceDu Port à Libération, marchés vivants et repaires d'habitués.50 spots · €2.99
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Things to do in Nice

Shows, escape games and days out in the open air to fill a day or an evening differently, tried by people who live here. 18 recommended places in Nice

ARTY

in Nice

50 addresses

qui dévoilent le Nice des artistes

De Matisse à Chagall, l'art prend l'accent du Sud.

The locals' albumARTY in NiceDe Matisse à Chagall, l'art prend l'accent du Sud.50 spots · €2.99
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Local tips

  1. 01

    Reach Castle Hill the easy way

    A lift on rue des Ponchettes climbs to the top of Castle Hill. For the view over the Baie des Anges and the port you can also take the stairs, then come down on the Vieux-Nice side.

    Source: Wikipedia — Château de Nice
  2. 02

    Try the socca

    A wide pancake of chickpea flour and olive oil, browned in a wood-fired oven and eaten piping hot with black pepper. Spoooters recommend Chez Pipo, near the port. Round it off with a pissaladière or a pan bagnat.

    Source: Wikipedia — Socca
  3. 03

    Cours Saleya, and go in the morning

    In the middle of Vieux-Nice, the cours Saleya hosts the flower market and the produce stalls. Come early for the fullest displays, before getting lost in the lanes nearby.

    Source: Wikipedia — Cours Saleya
  4. 04

    Spend a morning in Cimiez

    Up on the hill, the monastery garden gives one of the finest views over the city. Matisse, who lived and worked in Nice from 1917 to 1954, is buried in the neighbouring cemetery, and his museum is a step away in the Villa des Arènes.

    Source: Wikipedia — Musée Matisse
  5. 05

    Mesclun comes from here

    By local tradition, this mix of young salad leaves was born in the vegetable garden of the Franciscan monks of Cimiez, who scattered the seed by hand. The monastery garden now occupies that former plot.

    Source: Wikipedia — Mesclun
  6. 06

    Bring shoes for the pebbles

    The beaches of Nice are pebble, not sand. Water shoes make getting into the sea far more pleasant, especially along the Promenade.

  7. 07

    Walk along the sea

    The coastal path — the walk most recommended by Spoooters — and the quai Rauba Capeu, at the foot of Castle Hill, are the best places to walk by the water away from traffic.

Did you know?

The Promenade des Anglais is well named

The first seaside path was laid out between 1822 and 1824 by the British colony who wintered in Nice. It is said to have been funded by the Reverend Lewis Way, though that is not firmly established. It now runs for about seven kilometres.

Source: Wikipedia — Promenade des Anglais

There is no longer a castle on Castle Hill

In 1706 Louis XIV ordered the destruction of the fortifications of Nice, levelled with picks and explosives. The waterfall that walkers enjoy today was laid out in 1885 on the ruins of the keep.

Source: Wikipedia — Château de Nice

Nice has only been French since 1860

Long attached to the House of Savoy, the County of Nice was ceded to France by the Treaty of Turin of 24 March 1860, after a plebiscite held in April. The vote, overwhelmingly in favour, is still disputed by some historians.

Source: Wikipedia — Traité de Turin (1860)

A city on the World Heritage list

Since 27 July 2021, “Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera” has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is recognised for the mix of British, Italian, French and Russian influences left by its winter residents, from the Promenade des Anglais to Mont Boron and Cimiez.

Source: Wikipedia — Ville de la villégiature d’hiver de riviera à Nice

Neighborhoods to know

Vieux-Nice
The historic core: colourful lanes, the cours Saleya and its markets, the Palais Lascaris on rue Droite, and the tables serving Niçoise cooking.
The Port
Around Port Lympia, a lively quarter where people eat socca before heading up to Castle Hill or Mont Boron.
Cimiez
The residential hill of the old winter residents: the monastery and its gardens, the Matisse museum, and the Marc Chagall museum below.
Mont Boron
A large wooded park above the sea, for walking in the shade of the pines and taking in the view from the Fort du Mont Alban.
Le Carré d’Or
Between place Masséna and the sea, the quarter of shopping streets and the Musée Masséna, a step from the Promenade.

Frequently asked questions about Nice

Where do locals like to eat?

According to Spoooters' recommendations, La maison de Marie - Restaurant Traditionnel Nice, Bocca Nissa and Tigermilk Nice come first in Nice.

What to do in Nice in a weekend

Start with Vieux-Nice and the cours Saleya in the morning, climb Castle Hill for the view, then follow the Promenade des Anglais. The next day, head for Cimiez (monastery, Matisse museum) or the coastal path, with a socca near the port for the road.

What to do in Nice when it rains

The Marc Chagall museum, the Matisse museum, the Musée Masséna, the Palais Lascaris, the Asian art museum and Saint Nicholas cathedral all keep you dry.

Where to watch the sunset in Nice

The top of Castle Hill, the quai Rauba Capeu and the Promenade des Anglais give the finest view over the Baie des Anges. For height away from the crowds, climb Mont Boron.

How does Spooot pick its places?

Every place is recommended by Spoooters, locals who actually go there. Nothing is sponsored: a place climbs the ranking as more locals recommend it.

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