Sightseeing · Nice, Èze, Monaco, Saint-Paul-de-Vence
The sights of Nice and the Riviera
The Promenade is best on foot; Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence or Gourdon are not. Thierry takes you there and waits between stops.
Rather talk? 06 25 03 03 20 · English, Italiano, Français
Nice, a World Heritage city
Since 2021, Nice has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera”: the Promenade, the villas, the hotels and the gardens born of two centuries of winter stays.
That is the key to understanding the city: before it became a summer seaside resort, Nice was where Europe’s aristocracy spent the winter. The Promenade des Anglais, the Belle Époque grand hotels, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas and the villas of Cimiez and Mont Boron are what remains of it.
Many of these places can be visited on foot from the centre. Others, on the hills or in the neighbouring villages, need a car: that is where Driver, Let’s Go! comes in.
On foot, by tram or by car: the sights sorted by access
The main sights of Nice and the surrounding area fall into three groups, depending on how you get there from the city centre.
| Sight | Where | How to get there |
|---|---|---|
| Promenade des Anglais | Nice, seafront | On foot |
| Old Nice and the Cours Saleya | Nice, centre | On foot |
| Castle Hill | Nice, between Old Nice and the port | On foot or by the lift |
| Place Masséna, Promenade du Paillon | Nice, centre | On foot, tram |
| Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas | Nice, station district | On foot, tram |
| Cimiez: Matisse and Chagall museums, Roman arena | Nice, hill to the north | Bus or car |
| Villefranche-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat | To the east, along the Basse Corniche | Train, bus or car |
| Èze village | To the east, on the Moyenne Corniche | Car recommended |
| Monaco, the Rock | The Principality, to the east | Train or car |
| Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence | Hinterland, to the west | Car recommended |
| Gourdon, Gorges du Loup | Hinterland, to the north-west | Car essential |
Grouping based on where each sight is and on the public transport available; check bus and train times with the operators.
What you can see on foot in Nice
Historic Nice can be explored on foot in a day: the Promenade, Old Nice, Castle Hill and the port are all linked by the seafront.
The Promenade des Anglais
Seven kilometres of seafront, blue chairs, the Hôtel Negresco and the Baie des Anges.
Old Nice
Narrow lanes with ochre façades, the Palais Lascaris, and the Cours Saleya with its flower market.
Castle Hill
A view over the whole bay, Port Lympia on one side and the Promenade on the other; a lift saves you the climb.
Place Masséna
The red façades, the Promenade du Paillon and its water features: the heart of the city centre.
For these sights, a driver is there to get you in and out: the transfer from the airport to your hotel, then the rest on foot. The car comes into its own as soon as you leave the centre.
The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, a sight apart
The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Nice, consecrated in 1912, is one of the city’s most visited sights, away from the seafront, in the station district.
It bears witness to the Russian colony that wintered in Nice in the 19th century — the same story the UNESCO listing tells. Its onion domes can be seen from afar; you can walk there from Nice-Ville station, or drive there at the start of a loop up to Cimiez.
With Thierry, the cathedral and Cimiez hill fit into one morning: the museums of Nice page covers Matisse, Chagall and the Roman arena.
The eastern loop: Villefranche, Èze, Monaco, Menton
East of Nice, three corniche roads follow the coast to Menton and the Italian border; in a single day you can take in the bay of Villefranche, the village of Èze, the Rock of Monaco and Menton’s old town.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
The bay, the citadel and the colourful houses of the harbour, a few kilometres from Nice.
Èze village
A car-free village perched above the sea, with an exotic garden at the top; the car stays at the entrance.
Monaco
The Rock, the Prince’s Palace, the Oceanographic Museum, Port Hercule. Thierry worked there for twenty years.
Menton
The Basilica of Saint-Michel, the gardens, and Italy just beyond the edge of town. See VTC in Menton.
This loop fits into an 8-hour day with a driver (€600, 200 km included); on a half day, you stop at Monaco.
The western loop: Cagnes, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence, Antibes
West of Nice, the loop combines the perched villages of the hinterland with the coast: Haut-de-Cagnes, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Vence, then Antibes on the way back.
Haut-de-Cagnes
The medieval village and the Château Grimaldi above Cagnes-sur-Mer. See VTC in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
The artists’ fortified village, and the Fondation Maeght among the pines.
Vence
The medieval town, Place du Peyra and Matisse’s Rosary Chapel.
Antibes
The ramparts, Port Vauban and the Picasso Museum. See VTC in Antibes.
Villefranche-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Just east of Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer and the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula are the first stops on the eastern loop, a few kilometres from Port Lympia.
In Villefranche, the old town tumbles down to the bay, one of the deepest in the Mediterranean; on the harbour, the little Chapelle Saint-Pierre was decorated by Jean Cocteau in 1957. In Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its themed gardens look out over both sides of the peninsula.
Both are reached by the Basse Corniche, where parking is scarce in summer. With a driver, you stop in Villefranche in the morning and at the Villa Ephrussi in late morning, then carry on to Èze for lunch.
Further afield: Grasse, Gourdon and the Gorges du Loup
To the north-west, at the edge of the area Thierry covers from Nice, Grasse and its perfumeries, the perched village of Gourdon and the Gorges du Loup make a day’s drive of their own.
Since 2018, the perfume-making skills of the Pays de Grasse have been on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage: you can visit perfumeries and the International Perfume Museum. Gourdon, perched above the Gorges du Loup, offers one of the widest views over the coast.
These places are not easy to reach by public transport. On a day with a driver, you leave Nice via Vence or via Grasse and come back by the other road; the 200 kilometres included are usually enough.
Mont Boron and Cap de Nice, a stone’s throw from the port
East of Port Lympia, Mont Boron is a wooded hill separating Nice from Villefranche: a forest park, Belle Époque villas and the finest views over the bay of Villefranche.
The Mont Boron forest park can be explored on foot along paths under the pines, with the Fort du Mont Alban at the top. Below, the Boulevard du Cap de Nice follows the sea out to the point, beneath the villas.
Buses go up there, but a car lets you spend an hour there in late morning before carrying on to Villefranche and the eastern loop. It is also a possible detour on a transfer to Monaco, if you ask for it when you book.
From the Mont Boron viewpoint, you see the whole Baie des Anges as far as Cap d’Antibes on one side, and the bay of Villefranche and Cap Ferrat on the other: the best place to get your bearings on the Riviera before setting out to explore it.
The real problem with perched villages: parking
Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Haut-de-Cagnes are car-free perched villages, with car parks at the foot of the ramparts that are often full in season.
It is a familiar story: you circle looking for a space, find one a long way off, walk up along the road, and head back down when the parking ticket says so rather than when you feel like it. With a driver, you are dropped at the entrance to the village and picked up there too.
The same goes for Monaco, where parking means paid car parks, and for Villefranche in summer. Parking is included in the Driver, Let’s Go! hourly hire options.
- Èze: car-free village, car park at the entrance, on the Moyenne Corniche.
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence: pedestrian ramparts, car parks at the foot of the village.
- Haut-de-Cagnes: narrow, steep lanes, best explored on foot.
- Monaco: paid public car parks, drop-off right outside the sights.
Sightseeing with children
With children, a day of sightseeing works best if you see fewer places and keep time for a break outdoors: Castle Hill, the Promenade du Paillon, a beach.
The Castle Hill park, the water mirror on the Promenade du Paillon and the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco all make good outings with children. A child seat or booster is fitted in the Tesla on request, and ideas for children’s outings are what Thierry is asked for most.
For a family staying in the hinterland or in Villeneuve-Loubet, a four-hour half day (€320) is often enough for one sight and lunch.
Visiting the sights around Nice: your questions
The questions visitors ask before booking a driver for the sights of the Riviera.
Can I do Èze and Monaco in the same half day?
Yes, from Nice, by the corniche roads. A 4-hour half day with Driver, Let’s Go! costs €320, tolls and parking included.
Which sights around Nice really need a car?
The centre is easy on foot. The perched villages — Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Gourdon — and a loop taking in several sights in one day are better by car.
Is Nice a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Yes, since 2021, as “Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera”.
Is Thierry a tour guide?
No: he is a VTC chauffeur and a former hotel concierge in Monaco. He advises you on the order of visits and how much time to allow, in English, French or Italian.
Can a sightseeing day start at the airport?
Yes: hourly hire can start at the airport, with your luggage in the car, and finish at your hotel.
How much is a full day of sightseeing?
€600 for an 8-hour day with 200 km included, or €540 if booked more than 30 days ahead. Beyond the kilometres included, it is €1.50 per kilometre.
Can I see Castle Hill without walking up?
Yes, a lift goes up from the seafront, at the end of the Quai des États-Unis. By car, Thierry can also drop you as close as possible on the port side, for a visit followed by a drive east.
Read next
The towns on the two loops, and what goes well with a day of sightseeing.
- VTC in MentonThe end of the eastern loop, and Italy.Read the page
VTC in VenceThe medieval town, the Rosary Chapel, Saint-Paul.Read the page 
The museums of NiceCimiez, the centre and the painters’ museums.Read the page 
Going out to eatLunch between two sights, with no parking to find.Read the page - All servicesThe five ways to book Thierry in Nice.Read the page
Choose your sights, Thierry does the driving.
A half day to Èze and Monaco, a full day in the hinterland: you get the price before you book.
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