Nice, France · France
Nice Itinerary 2 Days - Old Town, Hills and the Sea
Nice packs its market, its hill and its long curve of sea into a space you can cross on foot. This two-day plan covers Vieux Nice, Castle Hill, the Promenade des Anglais, the port and Cimiez, with socca stops built in.
Published October 14, 2026
Early morning on Cours Saleya smells of wet flowers and warm chickpea batter. Stallholders stack lemons, a waiter drags café chairs into the sun, and somewhere above the rooftops a cannon-shot echo once told the town it was noon. This **Nice itinerary 2 days** plan follows that rhythm. Nice packs its market, its hill and its long curve of sea into a space you can cross on foot, so two days feel full without turning into a sprint. You get mornings in the lanes, afternoons climbing or wandering, and evenings by the water. Food stops are built in, because skipping socca here would be a small crime.
Is 2 Days Enough for Nice?
Yes, two days is enough to see the heart of Nice at a comfortable pace. The main sights sit close together along the coast and in the old town. Day 1 covers Vieux Nice, the Cours Saleya market and Castle Hill. Day 2 follows the Promenade des Anglais to the port, then heads up to the quiet, leafy hill of Cimiez for Matisse and Roman ruins. That split keeps the steep climb and the long seafront walk on different days, so your legs get a break. It also puts the old town at its liveliest, in the morning, and saves the seafront for the soft evening light. What two days will not cover is the string of hill villages and coastal towns nearby. Each of those deserves its own day, so treat them as a reason to come back rather than something to squeeze in. For a first visit, the city alone holds more than enough **things to do in Nice** to fill both days.
Day 1 — Vieux Nice, Cours Saleya Market and Castle Hill
The Nice old town, **Vieux Nice**, is a knot of narrow lanes where washing lines cross overhead and façades come in ochre, rust and faded pink. It grew under the hill that once held the city's castle, and it still feels closer to Genoa than to Paris. Start early, before the lanes fill. Wander rue Droite and rue de la Préfecture, peek into the Baroque churches, and stop at Place Rossetti. The cathedral of Sainte-Réparate fills one side of the square, and its glazed tile dome catches the light above the ice cream queues.
From there, drift down to Cours Saleya. The long market street is famous for its flower stalls, but look past the bouquets to the tables of olives, courgette flowers and local cheeses. On certain days the stalls change to antiques and bric-a-brac, so check the [official tourism board](https://www.explorenicecotedazur.com/en/) before you go if you have a preference.
Lunch belongs to the old town. Look for a wood oven and a cook flipping wide, blistered pancakes onto paper. Order a portion with plenty of black pepper and eat it standing up, like everyone else.
In the afternoon, climb Castle Hill, the Colline du Château. The castle itself is long gone, but the park on top is shaded by pines and cooled by an artificial waterfall that roars louder than you expect. A lift near the seafront end saves your knees, though the stairs reward you with changing views on every turn. From the terraces, the Baie des Anges spreads out in a perfect arc, and the red roofs of the old town lie directly below. Small detail most visitors miss. The hill also hides old cemeteries with ornate tombs, a quiet and slightly eerie corner worth a short loop.
Day 2 — Promenade des Anglais, the Port and Cimiez
The **Promenade des Anglais** is the city's front porch, a seven-kilometre seafront walk named after the English winter visitors who paid for its first path. Start in the morning, when joggers and dog walkers own it. Grab one of the famous blue chairs and watch the pebble beach. Then walk east past the pink dome of the Hotel Negresco, a landmark that has graced countless postcards.
Keep going around the rocky point at Rauba Capeù and the Port of Nice, also called Port Lympia, opens up. Here the buildings turn deep red and yellow, fishing boats bob beside yachts, and the church of Notre-Dame du Port stands guard at the end of the basin. It feels more working-town than resort. Have a coffee on the quay and watch the ferries come and go.
After lunch, head inland and uphill to Cimiez. This is the city's quiet side, a hill of villas and gardens where wealthy visitors once wintered. The Matisse museum occupies a red Genoese villa set in an olive grove, and its collection traces the painter's work from early canvases to late paper cut-outs. Check the [museum website](https://www.musee-matisse-nice.org/) for visiting details before you go. Right beside it lie the remains of a Roman arena and baths from the ancient town of Cemenelum. A short walk away, the Cimiez monastery has a rose garden with sea views, and Matisse himself is buried in the cemetery next door.
Come back down for early evening. The sea turns silver, then gold, and the Promenade fills with people doing exactly what you are doing.
How Do You Get Around Nice?
Nice is a walking city first. Most of this route works on foot, and the distances between the old town, the port and the seafront are short. The **tram** is the easiest way to cross the centre or reach the port and the airport when your feet need a rest. Buses fill the gaps and climb the hill to Cimiez, which is the one stretch most visitors prefer not to walk. Tickets work across both trams and buses, but routes and fares change from time to time. The [transport operator](https://www.lignesdazur.com/) has maps, ticket options and journey planning. Bring comfortable shoes with real grip. The old town's polished cobbles get slippery, and the stairs on Castle Hill are steep.
Where Can You Eat Socca and Local Food in Nice?
**Socca** is a thin, crisp chickpea pancake baked in a wide copper pan in a very hot oven, and it is the signature street food of Nice. It comes out in rough, golden slices, smoky at the edges and soft in the middle. Beyond socca, look for pissaladière, an onion tart with anchovies and olives, and pan bagnat, a round sandwich soaked in olive oil and stuffed with tuna and vegetables. Salade niçoise here is stricter than the versions abroad. Stuffed vegetables, the petits farcis, show up at lunch counters too.
Where should you eat? Follow the queues of locals. The old town lanes around rue Pairolière and the streets near the port are good hunting grounds. Lunchtime counters often sell out of socca early.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Nice?
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for this itinerary. The weather is mild, the light is soft, and long walks feel easy. Summer brings beach days and warm sea, but also crowds and real heat on the climbs. Winter is quiet and often sunny, with cool evenings and fewer people on the Promenade.
Whatever the season, time your climb well. **Castle Hill** is at its best in the late afternoon, when the sun drops behind the bay and the whole curve of the city glows. If you can only fit one sunset into your trip, watch it from the upper terraces. Bring a light layer, since the breeze picks up on top once the sun goes down.
Ready to Plan Your Own Days in Nice?
Create your own itinerary with Keptour, add the places that catch your eye, arrange them into days and share the plan with whoever is coming along. Leave room for a long lunch, a detour down an unnamed lane and a sunset you did not schedule. Nice rewards a loose plan, so pack comfortable shoes and let the city set the pace.