Nice, in the South of France, is a great base for day trips exploring the French Riviera. With lovely sunny weather and a good variety of activities, this is a great part of France to explore. Here are the top 10 day trips from Nice, France.
1. St Tropez
The first of my Top 10 Day Trips from Nice, France is to St Tropez. This was once a small fishing village, but is now a favourite spot for the rich and famous with their super yachts.
Arrive in St Tropez in style, by taking the boat from Sainte Maxime. Once you get to St Tropez, you can walk around the marina to see the fancy boats, and also explore the shops in the town.
St Tropez has markets every Tuesday and Saturday. These markets are really nice to walk around and browse the variety of local produce available. There’s a good selection of wine as well as local olive oil and oils. And there are some bakery and other food stalls as well.
The Citadine in St Tropez gives some great views out over the town and to the sea. It’s definitely worth visiting for the views. It’s also an interesting place to learn about the history of St Tropez.
St Tropez has a really good variety of restaurants, so you can stop for a long lunch or dinner. The Mediterranean/Italian food is great here. Make sure you enjoy a glass or two of Rose wine with your meal, one of the most famous wines in the region.
St Tropez has some beautiful beaches as well, just a short walk from the town centre. Relaxing on one of the beaches here is just perfect after a day exploring the town.
2. Eze village
Eze village is another of my top 10 day trips from Nice, France. This beautiful medieval village is perched high on the cliffs and hills, over 400m above the Mediterranean sea. The views from the village down to the sea are lovely.
The streets of Eze village are beautiful to walk around. You can browse the cute, independent shops and art galleries.
Eze village also has some great restaurants for lunch. I’d recommend Le Cactus, which has outdoor seating with lovely views out to sea. It’s the perfect place to relax at lunchtime with a salad and a refreshing glass of Aperol Spritz.
Check out more detail about getting to Eze by public transport on my blog here.
3. Monaco
There aren’t many places in the world where you can just pop to another independent country as a day trip. But Monaco makes a great day trip from Nice. It only takes 20 minute to get to Monaco from Nice by train.
Start off exploring Monaco’s marina, with lots of impressive boats owned by the rich and famous people who make Monaco their home.
The Palais des Princes is interested to visit to learn more about Monaco’s history and royal family. You can watch the Changing of the Guard outside the palace, and also pay to go inside to see the lavish state rooms. There’s a lovely view across the whole of Monaco from the terrace outside the palace as well.
The Musee d’Oceanographique is a great family-friendly attraction in Monaco. There are great exhibits of fish, sharks, turtles and more from around the world.
The Jardins de Saint Martin are a lovely place to relax away from the busy city. It’s also a great place to get views down to the Port de Fontvieille, on the other side of Monaco. This was one of my favourite views in the whole country.
Monaco is famous across the world for the Grand Prix racing, which takes place in late May each year. I visited in early May and could see them starting to get ready for the racing, with stands of seating being put up. It’s a good time of year to visit if you want to see some of the preparations for the Grand Prix.
Of course, no trip to Monaco is complete without visiting the Casino de Monte Carlo. The outside of the Casino is impressive to see, especially if there are nice cars like this Ferrari parked outside. You can go inside the atrium of the casino free of charge, to get an idea of what life is like for the rich and famous people who come here. Check out the casino opening times here.
4. Castellane
Castellane is a small village in the mountainous area to the north of Nice. The roads to get here from Nice are very scenic, with lovely views out across the hills and mountains.
Castellane is a small village, but it’s very cute. The small, colourful streets are packed with small shops. You can buy souvenirs here to take home.
There’s a lovely little bakery in Castellane which sells lovely fresh bread. I’d recommend getting some anchovy fougasse.
5. Port Grimaud
Port Grimaud is another really charming little town that can be visited as a day trip from Nice. It looks a bit like Venice in Italy, with its intricate system of canals.
The best way to experience Port Grimaud is by boat. You can hire a boat yourself and drive your own little electric boat around the waterways. Alternatively, for a cheaper option, you can take a short 20 minute tour on the water taxi. It’s a great way to see the pretty houses, boats and canals.
There’s also a nice beach at Port Grimaud, just a 5 minute walk from the main town. It’s a lovely place to relax in the sun, and maybe even take a swim in the sea if it’s warm enough.
6. Les Gorges du Verdon
One of the most impressive scenic parts of the South of France is Les Gorges du Verdon. You’ll need to drive or take a group tour to get here, as the area isn’t very accessible by public transport. But it’s definitely worth the trip.
The gorge is beautiful, with steep sides and a blue river that runs along the bottom of the gorge. There are several hiking trails where you can walk down to the river and look up at the gorge all around you.
The roads along the top of the gorge have some great parking areas with amazing views. Plan plenty of time to drive along these roads and stop at all the viewpoints you find and take thousands of photos.
You can also spot wildlife in this area, if you’re lucky. I was lucky to spot this eagle flying high above me when I was at one of the high viewpoints.
There’s also a lake at the end of the river, called Lac de Sainte-Croix. It’s another great place for more photos of this beautiful part of the South of France.
7. Antibes
Antibes is another of my top 10 day trip from Nice, France. It’s easy to get to by train from Nice, with a direct train taking only 45 minutes.
Antibes has a lovely marina with more of the fancy yachts that this part of France is known for. It also has a nice town, with shops and restaurants to enjoy at your leisure.
The beaches at Antibes are nice as well. It’s worth walking just a short distance away from the town to the sandy beaches, where you can relax and swim in the sea.
8. Le Chemin de Nietzsche
Le Chemin de Nietzsche is a famous hiking trail that’s easily accessible from Nice. It’s not the easiest of hikes as it’s a steep uphill climb, which can be challenging if the weather is hot and humid. However, the views are worth it.
The hiking path starts opposite Eze-Sur-Mer train station. It’s just a 15 minute train journey from Nice. And the path climbs up over 400m above sea level, up to the village of Eze on the cliffs above. It takes just over an hour to walk up the steep path to reach Eze village, although you can easily take longer if you stop for plenty of photos.
The views down to the Mediterranean sea from this path are breath-taking. And there are some great views through the trees and to the hills around.
9. Eze beach
Eze beach is a really pretty little beach that’s easy to get to from Nice. Eze-Sur-Mer train station is only 15 minutes from Nice-Ville. And Eze beach is only a 5 minute walk from the train station.
Eze beach is a pebble beach, rather than sand, but it’s still really beautiful. The sea is really blue and clear. It’s perfect for a paddle – even if the pebbles are a bit painful to walk on!
10. Moustiers Saint Marie
The last of my top 10 day trips from Nice, France is to the pretty village of Moustiers Saint Marie. It’s inland, in the hills to the north of Nice.
There’s a church on a hill, and the 15 minute walk up to it gives great views down to the village and to the hills and mountains beyond. It’s worth going inside the church as well, to admire the old architecture.
Moustiers Saint Marie village is really pretty too. There are plenty of shops to browse, and also lots of ice cream shops and cafes. It’s a lovely place to have a wander around and something to eat and drink.
Enjoy your visits to the top 10 day trips from Nice, France! If you’re visiting the South of France, make sure you check out my guide to spending 4 days exploring the French Riviera from Nice, and also my detailed guide to visiting Eze by public transport. There are plenty of other great places in Europe to explore as well, such as Lisbon, Seville and Austria.
