If you find yourself in the South of France during a cruise, you are more than likely going to stop in Nice. I took a Disney Cruise through the Mediterranean and Nice was one of our stops. I later have gone back and visited the city over 10 times!  You may be thinking dang, this girl loves Nice and I would tell you “Yes, I think it’s very nice” …cringy joke I know but I couldn’t help it. 

Moving right along, you are here to learn about how to live your best life on a port day. First piece of advice, don’t book an excursion. There is really nothing that crazy to do here that would require a guide. Nice is a great city to explore by foot and at any pace. Due to boats usually having a strict time to be back I would start at the back of the city and work your way forward. 

I would start at Castle Hill as this is your longest hike of the day. The views are so amazing, and you get a great shot of the whole city! After this you can spend an hour or so and that’s sufficient enough time and then all that walking you’ve earned yourself a treat. Stop at one of the many cafes and get a coffee, croissant or crepe or hell all three you’re on vacation! 

I would spend some time exploring Old Town or what is known as Vielle Ville. There are some amazing spots to have lunch here. Plus, so many shops to walk through and if you can easily get to Cours Saleya Market which is their biggest farmer’s market. It definitely deserves a walk through, and you can pick up a few items. Just remember you can’t take open food back on the cruise ship. 

You are probably midway through your day, and this is when I would stop for a Nice lunch…and she won’t stop with the cringy jokes. Seriously though there are some great food spots in Nice and you should eat at one. I wouldn’t go all out and go Le Chantecler as that’s a great dinner spot and you want to enjoy your €230 per person meal. You can go to Le Vingt4 or La Rossettisserie, both offer great lunches at reasonable prices. After you eat, make sure to get some gelato, it’s almost as good or sometimes better than what is in Italy. (Don’t at me for that)

A great way to end your Nice port day is to spend it on the beach or going shopping. The South of France is world renowned for their beaches so you should spend at least an hour there. They also have some amazing shopping! 

After a full day you should have plenty of time to head back to your ship without feeling rushed. Nice is a great port day and one that you can accomplish so much in a short amount of time! Let me know how your port day goes by dropping a comment below!