What to do in Nice, from the best beaches, great walks, a jogging map, bicycling, watersports, hiking, and skiing…
Best Beaches in Nice Public beach or private beach? The best beaches in Nice for water sports, dining, cocktails, hipsters, families with kids, and the best beach deals if you’re on a budget.
For sea swimmers, some jellyfish predictors and strategies, where to find kid-friendly jellyfish-free zones, beaches with lifeguards, and the distance between the Nice buoys.
What to do in Nice with Kids So many ideas, you’re bound to find something!
Bicycling in Nice Take an easy guided bicycle tour, design your own self-guided velo-bleu day for 1 euro, or take a more serious tack with city and mountain bike rentals with a bike path map and some websites with suggested itineraries for all levels. And finish in one of Nice’s coolest cycle-cafés.
Running/Jogging
Besides the Prom Classic 10k in January, Nice Ironman (normally in June but this year in September), and the Nice-Cannes Marathon in November, there are also lots of smaller runs up and down the coast…. and for something really different, try the Hash House Harriers.
Walks and Walking Tours (page coming soon)
Some stunning (and easy) walks you can do on your own (St. Jean cap Ferrat…), history walking tours (in English), walking/eating tours, biking tours, and an entire vacation package designed around walking the Riviera with The Blue Walk!
Yoga by the sea (in English)
What could be more zen than to ‘greet the sun’ with the smell of the sea air and the sound of the pounding waves?
Pools
The best deals are the municipal pools (there is even one tucked away in Old Nice!), the best views are from rooftop hotel pools (Aston, Boscolo, Meridian, Marriott), but the best of both, hands down, is the open-air Olympic-sized municipal swimming pool surrounded by super-yachts the Port of Monaco.
Hiking
Pick up a free Hiking Guide (‘Rando guide’) from the Maison du Departement on the corner of the Prom and the tip of the Old Town; it is only in French but easy to figure out, with detailed circuits/itineraries for every walking/hiking level. For English check out RivieraRambling, a terrific site dedicated to walking and hiking on the French Riviera. Both suggest circuits and detail the well-marked trails from all the little mountain towns, so you can plan a hike that matches your abilities and go at your own speed. You can take the mountain trains to base your hike in numerous picturesque villages, or take the awesome bargain-priced rando bus which will take you to the mountains in the morning and drive you back at the end of the day.
Skiing
In the winter you can be in the snow in less than 90 minutes from Nice. Drive to Auron or Isola 2000 ski resorts, or relax and leave the driving to the bargain-priced ski bus.
If you are looking for Sightseeing and Museums: This is an entire other section!
See Related Pages
- Sundays in Nice for what to do in Nice on Sunday
- Nice by Night for Jazz Clubs, Tango and Salsa, Quiz Nights, English Cinema
- Shopping in Nice for Outdoor Markets, Flea Markets, and Antiquing
- and By Month for what’s happening in Nice month-by-month
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Photo credits: Beaches by Best of Nice, Almost Paridise in Nice France by Chris de Rham – Flickr – licensed under Creative Commons.