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Bucket list experience:

Large, concrete and glass exterior of modern art museum
Last updated: 08 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Conceived as Nice’s answer to Paris’s Pompidou Centre, MAMAC’s twin towers – connected by a sculptural glass facade – contain a core collection of intriguing art from the 1950s to the present.

Stroll through some 1,400 bold, edgy works by the likes of Ben, Yves Klein, Christo, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Dine, Warhol, Oldenburg, Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, Tiguely and Kelly, framed by luminous white-cube rooms – and don’t miss the striking public art on your way in. MAMAC also holds frequent, excellent temporary exhibitions.

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Price from: £8
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Take the local tram to Garibaldi, or there is parking at Promenade des Arts and Marshall.

You can see the collection online on the website – worth a browse before you go. One-hour guided tours are available in French and English on Saturdays (for a small additional fee). No need to book, you can buy a ticket for it at the entrance. Allow around two hours for your visit.

If you’re visiting a few art museums in Nice, it’s worth buying the French Riviera Pass which gets you into several for free.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on Monday.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Palais Saleya

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.6 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.

Official star rating:

Hotel Suisse

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.6 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.

Official star rating:

Hotel La Perouse

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.9 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:

Deck Hotel

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[1.2 miles]

This fun, colourful and affordable design hotel channels this area’s beach clubs, just off Nice’s Promenade des Anglais.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

French Riviera

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.

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Nice

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.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Lascaris Palace

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.5 miles]

An opulent Baroque palace from the 17th century, containing lavish interiors, 17th and 18th-century decorative and fine arts collections, and a collection of 500 musical instruments.

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View looking down from above to the busy market of Cours Saleya in the centre of Nice City
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Cours Saleya Food and Flower Market

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.8 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

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Marc Chagall National Museum

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[1.2 miles]

This modern museum showcases Chagall’s joyful series of artworks inspired by the Bible – an explosion of colour and light. It’s the biggest public collection of works by one of the greatest 20th-century artists.

Best for ages: 18+ | £8

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Villa Kerylos

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