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We’ve been to Nice in the south of France a few times now, both with our kids and without, and it’s been such a great base location to explore the French Riviera. There are a variety of accommodation options and restaurants and so much to discover and explore. It really should be on everyone’s bucket list! Here are our favorite activities and must see things to do when in Nice. Have a look!

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(1) Explore Old Town: You can easily get lost wandering the small streets and alleyways of Nice’s Old Town. There are so many pockets of inspiration and beauty around every corner. It’s also a great place to shop and eat! We love doing walking tours of a new city that we visit and Nice is no exception. Book your next guided walking tour of Old Town Nice!

(2) Shop Cours Saleya market: Every morning, there’s something to explore at the market. Every Tuesday through Sunday, there’s a flower and fruit market. On Mondays, there is an antique and flea market. We love getting some fresh fruit from the market to take with us for a picnic.

(3) Stroll or bike the Promenade des Anglais: Promenade des Anglais is a promenade along the coast that goes for about 7 km. It’s a great place to walk, bike, scoot, people watch and just generally hang out.

(4) Catch the views from Colline du Château: Take the stairs or the elevator to the top of the castle for incredible views of Nice. We decided to get our steps in and took the stairs and there were nice viewpoints and gardens along the way.

(5) Relax or stroll the Prominade du Paillon: It was once a river and is now a transformed green space for people to enjoy. There are several play structures and a fun splash pad for the summer.

(6) Take a dip at the beach: There are private beach clubs and public beaches all along the coast of Nice. While a couple of loungers and food service sounded great, since we had the kids, we opted instead for a quick dip at one of the public beaches, Plage Ponchettes (which is right off the entrance to the Old Town and near Colline du Château). Nice beaches aren’t the most kid-friendly because the waves are bigger and it gets deep pretty quickly and unexpectedly. So, we didn’t spend much time here.

(7) Have an amazing meal at La Cantine de Mémé: We happened upon this restaurant when we were wandering Nice and we are so glad we found this place. The food is fantastic! The dishes change every 2 weeks based on the ingredients in season and are innovative but with French roots. The atmosphere is modern but casual. Check out more of our favorite Nice restaurants in our French Riviera Guide.

(8) Check out the museums: We don’t go to museums as often as we used to because… toddlers, but we heard incredible things about the Musée Matisse and the Villa Masséna Musée. There’s also the Musée National Marc Chagall, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice and the Musée d’Art Moderne for a wander or for rainy days.

(9) Explore villages outside of Nice: Nice is a wonderful home base, but we highly recommend getting outside the city and exploring other towns and villages, like Menton, Eze and Villefranch-sur-mer. We like to rent a car for a few days so we have the flexibility to explore all of the hidden and not so hidden gems of the French Riviera. For more information on these villages, check out our French Riviera Summer Guide and see some of our favorite Côte d’Azur beaches.

Book your next stay in Nice here!