Best things to do in Nice, including free and rainy-day options

Nice rewards a slow first day: the seafront and old town cost nothing and set up everything else. Then pick one paid museum and one coastal train day. The table below ranks the main options by cost and time so you can build a two- or three-day plan.

Start on the Promenade des Anglais, the seafront curve that runs for about 7 km from the airport side to the old town. It is flat, free and busy with walkers, runners and cyclists at almost any hour. The beach below is mostly pebble, so bring shoes you can wear into the water; the strip near the harbour is easier on bare feet.

Vieux Nice sits behind the seafront: narrow lanes, baroque churches, gelato counters and the Cours Saleya market square. Walk it without a map for an hour, then climb or take the free lift up Castle Hill for the classic view over the Baie des Anges and the port. The hill has shade, a waterfall and a playground, so it works with children.

For art, the Musée Marc Chagall in Cimiez holds the biblical message cycle, and the Musée Matisse, a short walk away in the same hill neighbourhood, covers his cut-outs and drawings. Both are indoor, quiet and good in rain. MAMAC, near the old town, covers modern and contemporary art and is the easiest to reach on foot.

The coastal railway is the best-value day out. Trains run along the Riviera to Monaco, Èze (via the station below the village) and Menton; fares are low and fixed, and you do not need to book ahead. Check times the day before, as services thin out in the evening.

The core of Nice is free: the promenade, the old town lanes, Castle Hill and the market squares cost nothing to walk. Budget for one or two paid museums, a coastal train ticket and food. A simple day of walking plus a picnic can cost almost nothing; a museum-and-train day is a modest spend.

Do the seafront early or late in summer; midday heat is strong and shade is scarce. The old town is best before 11:00, when the market is full and the lanes are quieter. If it rains, museums and the covered market halls are the reliable fallback, and the coastal train still runs.

Nice is a good base without a car: buses and the coastal train cover the Riviera, and the airport is close to the city. Plan around the season: May–June and September–October give warm sea and comfortable walking, while July–August bring crowds and higher prices.

Riviera rain tends to arrive in short, heavy bursts rather than all-day drizzle, so a museum plus a long lunch usually covers it. The Musée Marc Chagall and Musée Matisse are the strongest indoor choices; MAMAC and the Musée Masséna are central and easy to reach on foot. The covered market halls near Cours Saleya keep trading when the outdoor stalls close.

If the weather clears by afternoon, the seafront after rain is often empty and the light is good for photos. Check the coastal train timetable too: it runs in rain and gets you to Monaco or Menton for an indoor day.