Nice in 3 days: day by day
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 6 of 8 free; paid: Chagall Museum, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
- Duration
- 3 days, 9:30 to 18:14 each day
- Start and finish
- Promenade des Anglais → Cagnes-sur-Mer
- On foot
- ≈ 0 min in total
- Transport
- 5 rides, ≈ 2 h 5 min
- Lunch
- around 10:45
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- May–June and September–October; July brings the jazz festival at Juan-les-Pins.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · Nice09:30–16:41 · 3 places · 7 h 10 min
Promenade des Anglais
· 1 h 15 min · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 22 min · transport or taxi
Vieux-Nice
· 3 h · Free
- 19 min · transport or taxi
Chagall Museum
· 1 h 15 min · Ticket
Day 2 · Nice09:30–17:55 · 3 places · 8 h 30 min
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
· 2 h 30 min · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 20 min · transport or taxi
Villefranche-sur-Mer
· 2 h 30 min · Free
- 20 min · transport or taxi
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
· 1 h 45 min · Villa and gardens ticket
Day 3 · Nice09:30–18:14 · 2 places · 8 h 40 min
Antibes
· 4 h · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 44 min · transport or taxi
Cagnes-sur-Mer
· 3 h · Free
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
6 of 8 are free; 2 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 1 | Promenade des Anglais | 50 | 1 h 15 min | Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vieux-Nice | 38 | 3 h | Free |
| 3 | Chagall Museum | 36 | 1 h 15 min | Ticket |
| 4 | Beaulieu-sur-Mer | 37 | 2 h 30 min | Free |
| 5 | Villefranche-sur-Mer | 46 | 2 h 30 min | Free |
| 6 | Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild | 36 | 1 h 45 min | Villa and gardens ticket |
| 7 | Antibes | 36 | 4 h | Free |
| 8 | Cagnes-sur-Mer | 28 | 3 h | Free |
| Total | 19 h 20 min | 6 of 8 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
Promenade des Anglais. The seafront along the Baie des Anges: blue chairs, palms, a pebble beach and sunsets over the sea. Free.
- 2
Vieux-Nice. The old town of ochre houses, the Cours Saleya market, Sainte-Réparate cathedral and socca. Free; the market runs in the mornings.
- 3
Chagall Museum. The national Chagall museum: 17 Biblical Message paintings, blue stained glass and a garden. Ticket; closed Tuesday.
Day 2
- 4
Beaulieu-sur-Mer. A Belle Époque resort with the Greek-style Villa Kérylos on a headland, a marina and calm beaches. Villa by ticket.
- 5
Villefranche-sur-Mer. A town on a deep bay: colourful houses, a tunnel street, the Cocteau chapel and a beach. Free; 10 minutes by train.
- 6
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Baroness de Rothschild's pink villa on the Cap Ferrat isthmus: nine gardens and musical fountains. Ticket.
Day 3
- 7
Antibes. An old town on seawalls, the Picasso Museum in Château Grimaldi, a market and Port Vauban. Museum by ticket.
- 8
Cagnes-sur-Mer. Renoir's house among ancient olives and medieval Haut-de-Cagnes with its Grimaldi castle. Museum by ticket.
Who this route is for
- A long Riviera weekend
- Art lovers
- Seeing the coast without a car
- Èze and Menton make a separate day east
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a bus ride inland
May–June and September–October; July brings the jazz festival at Juan-les-Pins.
Nice itinerary for 3 days
The first two days follow the 2-day itinerary: the centre on foot and the east coast by train. Day three takes the TER west: about 15 minutes to Cagnes-sur-Mer, 20–30 to Antibes. Start in Cagnes and go on to Antibes after lunch.
The Renoir Museum usually closes one day a week, and the Picasso Museum in Antibes on Mondays out of season, so check the hours before you go.
Remove any stop with ✕ or reorder it with ≡, and add another nearby: the timings update.
Day three: Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes
In the morning, Les Collettes in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where Renoir spent his last eleven years: the studio with his easel and the olive grove. If you have the energy, climb up to medieval Haut-de-Cagnes.
After lunch, Antibes: the Provençal market, the promenade on the old walls, the Picasso Museum in Château Grimaldi and Port Vauban with its giant yachts. In the evening, swim on the sandy beaches of Juan-les-Pins.
If you have more time
For a fourth day, the clifftop village of Èze and Menton on the Italian border, or the artists' village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
How to do it right
- Antibes market before lunch.
- Sandy beaches at Juan-les-Pins.
- Check museum hours ahead.
- France uses the euro. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere. Buy TER train and tram tickets from machines or the app; pay for museums and villas on site or on their official websites.
Questions
What should I see in Nice in 3 days?
Vieux-Nice and the Promenade, Villefranche and the Cap Ferrat villas, then Antibes and Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Do I need a car for trips from Nice?
No: Villefranche, Beaulieu, Cagnes and Antibes are all on the TER train.
Where can I swim near Antibes?
On the sandy beaches of Juan-les-Pins.
Where should I go on day four?
Èze and Menton, or Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
How do I pay in Nice?
France uses the euro. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere. Buy TER train and tram tickets from machines or the app; pay for museums and villas on site or on their official websites.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- UNESCO: Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera (no. 1635)
