2 Day Nice Itinerary: Nice Plus a French Riviera Day Trip (2026)

One day in Nice covers the classics. Two days lets you actually do what the French Riviera is famous for — hopping between countries and villages that are all sitting a short train ride from each other.

This is exactly how I’d plan a 2 day Nice itinerary: one day in Nice itself, and one full day out exploring the Riviera. I’ll give you two ways to do that second day too, depending on whether you’d rather plan it yourself or just show up and let someone else handle it.

2 Day Nice Itinerary: Quick Overview

• Day 1: Nice itself — Old Town, Castle Hill, the promenade, a sunset tour to close things out
• Day 2: French Riviera day — either Monaco and Menton by train yourself, or a full guided day tour covering several Riviera villages

Full breakdown of this 2 day Nice itinerary below.

2 Day Nice Itinerary: Getting to Nice

Nice has its own international airport, so you’re not looking at a long transfer to start your trip. Once you land, you’ve got a few ways into the city:

• Tram — cheapest, runs straight into the center, just a bit slower
• Taxi — quicker, but you’ll pay more for it
• Private transfer — book it ahead of time so it’s sorted before you even land

→ Book a private Nice airport transfer here

2 Day Nice Itinerary: Where to Stay

For this 2 Day Nice itinerary you’ll want somewhere central for both nights — close enough to walk to the Old Town, and close enough to the station that getting the train out on day two is simple.

Here are 4 great accommodations for Nice depending on your budget:

• Backpacker: SLO Hostel Nice 
• Budget: Best Western Alba
• Mid-Range: Best Western Plus Hotel Brice Garden Nice
• Luxury: Hotel Le Negresco

→ Check hotels in Nice here

2 Day Nice Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Nice

Spend your first day getting to know Nice properly before heading further out.

Morning

Start in the Old Town while it’s still quiet — it’s the most walkable, most atmospheric part of Nice, with narrow streets, tall pastel buildings and small squares to get lost in for an hour or two. A few things worth building your morning around:

• Cours Saleya — the main market, running most mornings except Mondays. Flowers, produce, local food stalls. Get there early, before it fills up with both tourists and locals doing their actual shopping. On Mondays it switches to an antiques and brocante market instead, which is worth knowing so you’re not disappointed if you time it wrong.
• Rue Saint-François-de-Paule — the street connecting the market to the opera house, home to the famous Alziari olive oil shop if you want a genuine local souvenir instead of the usual tourist stuff.
• Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate — right in the Old Town, worth a quick look inside if churches interest you, and it’s free.
• Castle Hill (Colline du Château) — save this for the end of your morning. There’s no actual castle left, but it’s the best viewpoint in the city — the whole bay, the Old Town rooftops and the promenade all laid out in front of you. There’s also a small waterfall and an old cemetery up there if you want to explore a bit further. It’s a proper walk up, but there’s a lift if you’d rather skip the stairs.

If you’re more into museums than markets, the Matisse and Chagall museums are also in Nice, though a bit further out in the Cimiez area — worth considering instead of the market if art matters more to you than local produce.

Lunch

Stay in the Old Town — it’s full of small places to eat and the easiest area to just wander into somewhere and sit down. A few Nice specialties worth actually looking for rather than just picking anywhere:

• Socca — a thin chickpea pancake, sold in small spots all over the Old Town, usually eaten standing up
• Pan bagnat — a tuna and vegetable sandwich soaked in olive oil, basically salade niçoise in bread form
• Salade niçoise — the original version of the salad, which tastes noticeably different here than the version most people know abroad

Afternoon

Walk down to the Promenade des Anglais, the long stretch along the water Nice is known for. It’s flat and easy, so take your time. If the weather’s on your side, this is your window for beach time — worth knowing the beaches here are pebble, not sand, so bring proper shoes or a mat if that’s not what you’re expecting.

On your way, you’ll likely pass through Place Masséna, the main square linking the Old Town to the newer part of the city. If you’d rather do something other than beach time, MAMAC (the modern and contemporary art museum) is right near the square and is a good option if you want somewhere air-conditioned in the middle of a hot afternoon.

Evening

Instead of just watching the sunset from the promenade like everyone else, you’ve got a few better options. If you don’t want to spend anything, walking back up Castle Hill for sunset is free and genuinely one of the best views in the city. If you want to make more of an occasion out of it, book a sunset tour instead — usually a boat tour with wine and snacks, a simpler boat tour without the extras, or a sunset tour through the hills above Nice in a historic Land Rover with wine tasting.

→ Find sunset tours in Nice here

Day 2: French Riviera Day Trip

This is where the second day earns its place in your 2 day Nice itinerary. You’ve got two ways to do it.

Option 1: Do it yourself by train

Have breakfast in Nice, then head to the station. This part still gets me a little — you can leave Nice after breakfast, get on a train, and be in a completely different country in about 40 minutes. That’s how close Monaco is.

Morning: Visit Monaco

Spend your morning in Monaco. It’s small enough to cover properly in a few hours. Worth prioritizing:

• Monaco-Ville (the Old Town) — perched up on the rock, with the Prince’s Palace and narrow old streets
• Monte Carlo Casino — you don’t have to gamble to go take a look at the building itself, which is worth seeing even just from outside
• The harbor — where the superyachts sit, and a good place to just walk and take it in
• Part of the Grand Prix circuit — if you know the Monaco F1 race, it’s genuinely strange walking streets you’ve seen on TV

Afternoon: Visit Menton

From Monaco, it’s only around a 10-minute train ride to Menton, which is exactly the route I did myself. Spend your afternoon there — it’s quieter than Monaco, with a completely different feel. Menton’s Old Town is worth wandering on its own, and if you time it right seasonally, the lemon gardens and lemon-themed sights are a big part of what makes the town different from anywhere else on the Riviera. It’s a good way to slow the day down before heading back to Nice for the evening.

If you want more inspiration before you go, I’ve written more about Menton on the blog — worth a look if you want to see what to expect before you get there.

→ Nice to Menton: Best Ways to get There

→ Day Trip to Menton from Nice: The Perfect Itinerary

→ Menton Itinerary: How I’d Spend 1,2,3 Days in Menton

→ 25 Best Things to do in Menton, France

Option 2: Take a Guided French Riviera Day Tour

If you’d rather not deal with train times and figuring out routes yourself, a full-day guided tour is the easier option. Most of them cover several Riviera highlights in one day — usually Monaco, Èze and a few other stops — and all you have to do is show up. It takes the planning off your hands completely, and you can just enjoy the day instead.

→ Find French Riviera day tours here

Either option works. If you like being in control of your own timing, do it yourself by train. If you’d rather sit back and let someone else sort the logistics, book the tour.

FAQs

Is Nice worth visiting?

Absolutely yes. I spent three days in Nice and I think its an amazing destination. Not only because of Nice itself but because I loved the French Riviera and exploring the villages along the coast.

→ Is Nice worth visiting? My Honest Review in 2026

Is Nice safe for solo female travellers?

I’ve been traveling the world for 10+ years and I can say I felt safe during my three days solo in Nice and while exploring the French Riviera.

→ Is Nice safe for solo female travellers?

What is the best time to visit Nice?

This really depends on what you are looking for. For the French Riviera I would say summer is the best time to visit Nice, because this is a trip you want to do with good sunny weather. I can’t imagine doing this trip under rain or with grey skies to be honest.

Still, you need to keep in mind that this is not a cheap part of the world. The French Riviera is expensive and if you visit during peak summer that’s when the prices are at its highest. To make it a bit more affordable you can try to visit May-June or September-October but weather might be a bit unpredictable.

→ Best Time to Visit Nice: A month-by-month guide

Is 2 days enough for Nice and the French Riviera?

It’s enough to get a proper feel for both. One day covers Nice itself, and the second gives you time for a solid day trip, whether that’s Monaco and Menton by train or a guided tour covering more ground.

What’s the best way to the second day of this 2 day Nice Itinerary?

Either do Monaco and Menton yourself by train, which only takes about 40 minutes to Monaco and another 10 to Menton, or book a guided day tour if you’d rather not plan the logistics yourself.

What are the best day trips from Nice?

Nice is a fantastic base to explore the French Riviera and there are countless day trips you can take to the other villages along the coast. And the best part is that they are all connected by bus and train and the transportation, unline everything else, is really affordable.

Some of the best day trips from Nice are obviously Monaco and Menton, the ones I wrote on this blog post. Besides that, if you have more time, I’d highly advise visiting Villefranche-Sur-Mer, Èze, Cannes and Saint Paul de Vence.

→ Best day trips from Nice: 10 Amazing Places you can easily visit

Do I need a car for a 2 day Nice itinerary?

No. Everything in Nice itself is walkable, and the Riviera villages are all reachable by train, so a car isn’t necessary either day.

What if I only have 1 day in Nice?

One day is enough to cover the main sights in Nice, just without the day trip. I’ve written a dedicated one-day itinerary if that’s your situation.

→ 1 Day in Nice: The Perfect Itinerary

Final thoughts: 2 Day Nice Itinerary

Two days is really the sweet spot for Nice. You get a proper day to actually enjoy the city itself, plus a full day out on the Riviera, whether that’s doing Monaco and Menton independently by train or letting a guided tour handle it for you.

If you’re tighter on time, my one-day itinerary covers Nice on its own. But if you can stretch to two days, I’d genuinely recommend it — the Riviera day trip is where this part of France really shows what it’s got.

Read my other Nice Guides

Is Nice Safe for Solo Female Travellers?

Day Trips from Nice: 10 Amazing Places You can Easily Visit 

Is Nice Worth visiting? My Honest Review (2026)

Nice, France Solo Travel: A Practical Guide (2026)

How Many Days in Nice do you Need? My Honest Recommendation (2026)

1 Day in Nice: The Perfect Itinerary (2026)