How To Spend A Day In Nice, France

Going to Nice but only for a day? These are the top things I would suggest doing in this charming city.

Morning: Visit the Cours Saleya Markets

One of my favorite things about Nice is the markets! There’s at least one every single day (excluding holidays), awesome right? I would recommend starting off your morning by going to the markets for some souvenir shopping (any day) and breakfast (as long as it’s not a Monday which is reserved for antique markets only). 

You can get a homemade pastry, freshly squeezed juice, fruit, flatbreads, or even the traditional nice food Socca (chickpea pancake)! I would also advise you to get some olives or olive oil to bring home, the flavor is phenomenal. And don’t forget to get some flowers to bring back to where you are staying!

The biggest location for markets is the Cours Saleya in Old Town Nice. The schedule is as follows:

Flower Market  – Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 6.00-17.30.  Wednesday and Saturday 6.30-18.30.  Sunday 6.30-13.30.  Closed Mondays.

Fruit and Vegetable Market – every day from 6.00-1:30. Closed Mondays.

Antiques/Flea Market – 7:00-2:00 – every Monday

Evening Market – 6:00-12:00 am – June through September

Mid-Day: Go to a perfume-making class at Marionard

After you drop off your goods from the market at your hotel or Airbnb, I would suggest you go to Marionrd to learn about perfume and even make your own! The French Riviera is home to a town called Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, so they know their stuff here.

This has to be booked in advance, so if this is a last-minute trip I would instead recommend shopping in Old Town and grabbing lunch at a bakery. 

Evening: Take a sunset stroll along the Promenade De Anglais

Walking along the Promenade des Anglais has such a magical feeling, the sky lights up into magical colors, waves crash beside you, and the hills glow a warm green. I would recommend going about an hour before sunset so you can take the elevator up to the waterfall and lookout spot. 

The elevator is located at the east end of the Promenade des Anglais and is completely free. You won’t want to miss the view of the coast from the top!

Night: Get dinner at Le Safari and grab a dessert afterward

Le Safari is a lively restaurant in Old Town Nice they serve many traditional foods from nice such as the Nicoise Salad, a favorite of mine. When I was there I also tried the salmon and it was cooked to perfection. 

The food, environment, and service were amazing and it’s a great way to end a fun day in Nice. Then go grab a treat like some gelato from Amorino!