French Riviera 9-day Itinerary
France
Where to go and what to see in the Cote d’Azur to get the most from your trip – a 9-day itinerary including Cannes, Monaco, Nice & Saint-Tropez from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
Bucket list experience:
This sumptuous, Baroque-style palace, built in the 17th century by the Counts Lascaris-Vintimille, is dedicated to preserving the art and music of the 17th and 18th centuries. It also offers a rare chance to see how the one percent lived back when Nice was Italian.
Alongside its grand staircase and quadratura (trompe l’oeil) paintings, its interiors are just as lush as you’d expect, bedecked in decorative and fine arts from the 17th and 18th centuries, including frescoed walls, tapestries, sculptures, and gilded picture frames.
The real surprise, though, is the small but fascinating music museum, with a collection of 500 musical instruments. There’s also a 17th-century pharmacy on the ground floor.
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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
France
Where to go and what to see in the Cote d’Azur to get the most from your trip – a 9-day itinerary including Cannes, Monaco, Nice & Saint-Tropez from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
France
Where to go and what to see in Nice to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
Located close to the cathedral, the museum is a few minutes’ walk from Cathedrale-Vieille Ville station. Allow around 90 minutes for your visit.
The museum is open all year round, Wednesday to Monday. Closed Tuesdays.
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.2 miles]
A charismatic and reasonably-priced boutique on the eastern end of Nice’s iconic Promenade des Anglais. It comes with panoramic sea views, handy parking, and access to a private beach club.
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Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.3 miles]
Contemporary suites and apartments set in an attractive 18th-century building, in a superb location in Old Nice. A great base for a few days in Nice.
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Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.5 miles]
Peaceful hotel next to Old Nice with to-die-for views over the ‘Bay of Angels’. The Cours Saleya market and Old Town are a few minutes’ walk away. Great for a first visit to the French Riviera.
Official star rating:
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[1 miles]
This fun, colourful and affordable design hotel channels this area’s beach clubs, just off Nice’s Promenade des Anglais.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Cote d'Azur, France
Money, glamour and bombshell looks: this beach-trimmed stretch of French coast offers decadent hotels, lounging in beach clubs, fine restaurants and world-class art.
Cote d'Azur, France
The buzzing, art-filled, foodie capital of the French Riviera, with a charming, Italian-influenced historic centre. The ideal base for a first-time visit to the Cote d’Azur, and home to the world-renowned Nice Carnival.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.3 miles]
Nice’s food and flower market, held along the pedestrianised Cours Saleya esplanade, is packed with all the vibrant, sensuous colours, flavours and scents of the south: lavender, marzipan, sugared almonds, spices, herbal teas, takeaway socca and pissaladiere snacks. Held Tuesday to Sunday, around 6.30am to 1.30pm.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.5 miles]
This superb late 20th- and 21st-century art collection features many artists associated with Nice and the French Riviera. Nice’s answer to Paris’ Pompidou Centre.
Best for ages: 18+ | £8
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[1.4 miles]
A spectacular train ride on a narrow-gauge railway through scenic French countryside, that you can ride from Nice on the Cote d’Azur to Annot in Haute Provence.
Best for ages: 4+ | £22 | 1 day
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[1.5 miles]
One of France’s most splendid Belle Epoque villas, donated to the city of Nice by the aristocratic Massena family, is now home to a compelling collection of art, furniture and artifacts that track Nice’s rich history.
Best for ages: 18+ | £12
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[2.3 miles]
This magnificent former private mansion – built by a Russian princess – contains a fine collection of paintings and sculptures from the 16th to 20th century, by artists who lived in the Cote D’Azur.
Best for ages: 18+ | £8
Villefranche-sur-Mer , Cote d'Azur, France[3.4 miles]
Tucked between chi-chi St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Nice, the charming Medieval village of Villefranche-sur-Mer is the relaxed, boho antidote to the moneybags Riviera. A kilometre of coarse, gently shelving golden sand and crystalline waters, it’s all free and open to the public.
Best for ages: Any | Free
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[3.8 miles]
A superb collection of art from France’s ‘Naive’ art movement, housed in a delightful pink mansion. Over 600 works from 27 countries.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[4.6 miles]
Built in 1908 in an ancient-Greek-style, this villa in a ravishing seaside garden setting features replica 2nd-century AD interiors typical of the island of Delos. The project of two scholars obsessed with the period.
Best for ages: 18+ | £8