Nice in 3 Days: The Lucalvry Itinerary
By Alex Marlowe · Updated 2026-05-17 · 12 min read
An hour-by-hour itinerary for three days in Nice — the Cours Saleya at opening, the Castle hill at golden hour, the corniche to Èze, the Matisse Museum and the dinners worth the booking.
Day 1
Cours Saleya, Castle hill, Vieux Nice evening
- 8:00am — Cours Saleya market
The flower market and produce market run every morning except Monday (when an antiques…
The flower market and produce market run every morning except Monday (when an antiques market replaces them). The morning hour before 9am is the genuine market; from 10am onwards it becomes a tourist set-piece. Coffee at Le Café du Cours.
- 9:30am — Walk to La Merenda (Rue Raoul Bosio 4)
Five minutes
Five minutes. No telephone, no email — the only way to book is in person. Add your name to the chalkboard for that evening's first or second seating; the kitchen confirms by handshake.
- 10:00am — Climb the Castle hill (Colline du Château)
The lift on Rue des Ponchettes (free) saves the 213 steps; the castle ruins themselves…
The lift on Rue des Ponchettes (free) saves the 213 steps; the castle ruins themselves are modest but the panorama across the Bay of Angels is the Nice photograph. Allow 75 minutes including the cemetery.
- 12:30pm — Lunch at La Petite Maison (Rue Saint-François de Paule 11)
The most see-and-be-seen lunch room on the Côte d'Azur — the courgette flowers, the tru…
The most see-and-be-seen lunch room on the Côte d'Azur — the courgette flowers, the truffled tomatoes, the petits-farcis. Reservation a fortnight ahead.
- 3:00pm — Walk the Promenade des Anglais east to west
Forty-five minutes from the Castle base to the Hotel Negresco, with the entire Belle Ép…
Forty-five minutes from the Castle base to the Hotel Negresco, with the entire Belle Époque architectural sequence on the right side. Stop at the Negresco for the historical lobby walk-through (politely, dressed reasonably).
- 5:00pm — Aperitivo at Le Plongeoir (1 Quai Rauba Capeu)
The diving-platform-restaurant on the rocks at the eastern end of the bay
The diving-platform-restaurant on the rocks at the eastern end of the bay. A glass of rosé, the best photograph of the day.
- 8:00pm — Dinner at La Merenda
The Niçoise classics — daube niçoise, tripes à la niçoise, tarte de blettes — at the ei…
The Niçoise classics — daube niçoise, tripes à la niçoise, tarte de blettes — at the eight-table room you booked at noon. Two-hour seating, cash only.
Day 2
Matisse, Chagall, Cimiez Roman amphitheatre
- 9:00am — Bus 15 from central Nice to the Matisse Museum
Twenty minutes uphill to Cimiez
Twenty minutes uphill to Cimiez. The museum opens at 10am; coffee at the Café Régence at the lower square.
- 10:00am — Musée Matisse
The Belle Époque villa with the most complete Matisse collection in the world after MoMA
The Belle Époque villa with the most complete Matisse collection in the world after MoMA. The chapel preparatory drawings on the upper floor are the set-piece; allow ninety minutes.
- 11:30am — Roman amphitheatre and Olive Grove walk
The 1st-century Cemenelum amphitheatre and baths sit immediately behind the museum — fr…
The 1st-century Cemenelum amphitheatre and baths sit immediately behind the museum — free, unstaffed, atmospheric. The olive grove south of the amphitheatre is the right walk down to the next stop.
- 12:30pm — Lunch at L'Aromate (Avenue Henri Barbusse)
One Michelin star, modern Provençal, the most serious Cimiez kitchen
One Michelin star, modern Provençal, the most serious Cimiez kitchen. Reservation a week ahead.
- 3:00pm — Walk down to the Musée Marc Chagall
Fifteen minutes downhill
Fifteen minutes downhill. The 1973 building was designed around the Biblical Message paintings; allow ninety minutes for the cycle and the auditorium.
- 5:00pm — Bus or taxi back to Vieux Nice
Aperitivo at Le Bar des Oiseaux on Rue Saint-Vincent (a Vieux Nice institution that sur…
Aperitivo at Le Bar des Oiseaux on Rue Saint-Vincent (a Vieux Nice institution that survived the gentrification of the surrounding streets).
- 8:30pm — Dinner at Peixes (Vieux Nice)
Modern fish bistro, the locals' pick when they want a serious meal that isn't La Merenda
Modern fish bistro, the locals' pick when they want a serious meal that isn't La Merenda. The crudo selection and the catch-of-the-day are the orders. Reservation a week ahead.
Day 3
Corniche to Èze, Villefranche, the Negresco farewell
- 9:00am — Pre-booked private car along the Moyenne Corniche
Half-day private driver (€280 for four hours including stops) is the right format — the…
Half-day private driver (€280 for four hours including stops) is the right format — the corniche-driving experience itself is the point and a public bus does not deliver it.
- 9:30am — Èze village
Twenty minutes from Nice
Twenty minutes from Nice. The medieval village clings to the Moyenne Corniche cliff above the Mediterranean; the Jardin Exotique at the top is the photograph. Allow 75 minutes including coffee at La Chèvre d'Or's terrace.
- 11:30am — Drive down to Villefranche-sur-Mer
Twenty-five minutes via the Basse Corniche
Twenty-five minutes via the Basse Corniche. Park at the Citadel; the Cocteau-painted Chapelle Saint-Pierre at the harbour is the set-piece; the small Vieille Ville above takes thirty minutes.
- 1:00pm — Lunch at La Mère Germaine (Quai Amiral Courbet, Villefranche)
The 1938 harbour-side institution your driver will defend
The 1938 harbour-side institution your driver will defend. The sea bream, the ratte potatoes, the rosé. Reservation a fortnight ahead in season.
- 3:30pm — Drive back to Nice via the Basse Corniche
Drop off at the hotel by 4:30pm
Drop off at the hotel by 4:30pm.
- 5:30pm — Slow walk along the Promenade des Anglais
The hour before sunset is the best Promenade hour; the air softens, the joggers thin, t…
The hour before sunset is the best Promenade hour; the air softens, the joggers thin, the rosé-on-the-pebbles ritual begins.
- 7:00pm — Aperitivo at Le Negresco's salon
The Cocteau-decorated salon-bar at the grand-dame; one drink, dressed appropriately, th…
The Cocteau-decorated salon-bar at the grand-dame; one drink, dressed appropriately, the most theatrical aperitivo on the Côte d'Azur.
- 8:30pm — Dinner at Le Chantecler (Hotel Negresco)
One Michelin star, classic French haute-cuisine, the destination dinner for the final e…
One Michelin star, classic French haute-cuisine, the destination dinner for the final evening. The truffled poularde and the dessert chariot are the orders. Reservation three weeks ahead.
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Editor-in-Chief
Alex MarloweAlex Marlowe is Lucalvry's Editor-in-Chief. Twelve years covering hotels and travel for Condé Nast Traveller, Monocle, and Wallpaper. Based between London and Lisbon.
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