3 Days in the South of France | Ultimate French Riviera Travel Guide (Nice, Èze, Monaco & more!)
From sun- soaked beaches to winding oldtown streets and breathtaking hilltop views, I’m going to show you how to make the most out of your trip to the French Riviera in just 3 days. Whether you’re here for food, culture, or just the views, this itinerary has a little bit of everything. Let’s get into it. Okay, so it’s our first day in Nice. Yes, sir. So, I’m staying at the H33 Hotel, which is in a super central location in Nice, and it’s going to serve as my home base for the next 3 days. I highly recommend anyone who’s visiting the south of France to stay there. It’s literally a 5-minute walk from place Msina and only a 10 to 15 minute walk from any other major attraction in Nice. Nice as a city is also close to nearby places like K or Monaco. So, it’s a great place to stay and take day trips from. First stop of the day is Cafe Bologange, which is this cute little place with waffles, creps, churros, and a big brunch menu. It’s breakfast time. We got a little cheese omelette sule. What did you get? Waffle, egg, avocado, and I already feasted. Yeah, we feeding. And then we got some healthy little salad here, which uh Alicia will be eating. Yeah. And we got this nice cold orange juice. Yo, the cafe is in the heart of Old Nice. And this area literally looks like a movie set. It’s super colorful, has lots of places to eat and shop, and is just very lively. 2 minutes away from the cafe is Kur Sala, which is Nice’s iconic market square. You’ll find the flower market and daily fruit and vegetable market most days with a flea market taking over on Mondays and a night market in the summer. The prices of this market are also not too expensive, so I’d say this is a great place to grab a healthy snack or even take some things home with you. There’s also this shop with literally every spice known to mankind, which I thought was super cool. [Music] This market is in Old Nice, which is the city’s historic core. It has narrow shaded streets with Italian influence, pastel houses, cozy squares, and it honestly feels like a time capsule. This neighborhood is full of lots of shopping, many different restaurants, and lots of European style chapels. Here we stopped at this famous ice cream shop called Finoio. And this place literally has the best ice cream in the world with so many flavors to choose from. Next, we want to see the Cathedral St. Raparat. I have no clue how to pronounce that, which is the cathedral that finished building in 1699, but we didn’t realize it closes midday, so we decided we’d come back to it later. The square around this cathedral was a great place to just sit and relax, though, and also had lots of food options. It was now time to walk up to Castle Hill, or Colin the Chateau in French. There’s no actual castle anymore because King Louis the 14th’s troops destroyed it in 1706. But in the 1800s, the city turned the hill into a landscaped park with romantic paths and an artificial waterfall. Just look at that amazing view. [Music] At the top of the hill, there’s also a beautiful cemetery that has 2800 graves. Now, I know some of you may be thinking, “How can a cemetery be beautiful?” But seriously, look at this place. It’s breathtaking. That is kind of tall. It’s like a whole family. [Music] Further up the hill is a magnificent waterfall and more great views of the city. This is the place where everyone takes those iconic South of France pictures that I’m sure many of you guys have seen, so be sure not to skip it. [Music] Oh my god. [Music] After climbing down the hill, we strolled the prominade de Zonglay, which is the 7 km walkway right in front of the sea. Nice sits on the bay deon, the bay of angels right on the coat desour, which is just another name for the French Riviera or the coast of South France. One thing to note is Nie’s beaches are rocky, not sandy, which actually helps keep the water clear. But if you have sensitive feet, consider water shoes or do what we did and rent loungers at a beach club and just chill there. There are several private beach club restaurants along the prominade where you can book sunbeds by the day. Just note though, the food and drinks at these places are quite expensive, so make sure you don’t plan to eat a big meal here if you want to save some money. This is also a perfect way to end the day for us. For the second day in the south of France, we decided to do a day trip to a small hilltop village called Ez that’s very close to Nice and then to Monaco as well. From Nice, we took around a 40minute bus ride in the morning to reach Ez sits high above the sea. It’s one of the Riviera’s classic perched villages. The stop drops you off at the base of stone lanes that twist up to the town. [Music] Ez is all honeycoled stone, vated passages, and tiny walkways. It’s honestly a cute little town that looks like it’s straight out of a Disney movie. And I’d highly recommend anyone going to the south of France to check it out cuz it’s really unique. [Music] From as we rode the bus onward to Monaco, which is the world’s second smallest country tucked between France and the Mediterranean. Our first stop was this amazing pasta place that I don’t even know how to pronounce, but it was right near where the bus dropped us off, and you guys should definitely try it out if you ever visit. After we finished eating, it was a quick 15-minute walk to get to the main district of Monte Carlo. [Music] The modern Monte Carlo district was developed in the 1860s when Prince Charles III enlisted entrepreneur France Blanc to create a resort around a grand casino. An idea that was eventually transformed into a luxury icon. Everywhere you look here, you see super expensive cars, designer stores, and just a lot of richl lookinging people. It’s all super cool to look at, but personally, I found it kind of superficial. Of course, our first stop here was the iconic Monte Carlo Casino, which you may have seen in movies like Oceans 12 or Madagascar 3. For the casino, the atrium and cafe are casual clothing, but gaming rooms require something a bit more formal. ID is also checked before you enter the casino. And there’s usually an admission fee for table rooms, so make sure you’re prepped if you actually want to go gamble. Right outside the casino are many more luxury designer brands that I can’t afford to buy. So instead, we just stared at all the nice things inside while we walked around. [Music] Finally, the last stop of the day is the Fairmont Hairpin, which is turn six of the Monaco Grand Prix. circuit and the slowest corner in Formula 1. It’s one of the most recognizable parts of an F1 track and super cool to see. [Music] For the ride back to Nice, you can take a quick 20-minute train that runs quite frequently for just a couple. Now, for our last day in the south of France, we were thinking of going to K, but we were so tired from all the traveling and we’re still recovering from our jet lag. So, we decided to just have a chill day in Nice. In the morning, we walked around Place Msina, the city’s main square since the 1840s, recognizable by its black and white checkerboard paving and the big sun fountain with Apollo in the middle. For lunch, we had these delicious €7 sandwiches from the original FA, which is this Italian sandwich shop right beside the place Msina. Afterwards, we walked around Old Nice again, but this time going into more souvenir shops. They had lots of cheap little things here like tote bags, shirts, magnets, and decorations. [Music] Along the way, we found this super nice church as well. Nice actually has quite a significant Catholic path, so there are many churches around the city in very close proximity. This also reminded us that we need to revisit the St. Rapard Cathedral that was closed last time. So, we headed there next. [Music] Now, while you’re here, also be sure to try so, which is a savory, thin pancake made from chickpea flour and is a local food originating from Nice. Finally, after strolling through the city for many hours and soaking it all in, for dinner, we stopped at this pizza place and I couldn’t think of a better way to end this amazing trip in the south of France. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you guys on my next adventure.
Dreaming of the French Riviera? ☀️ In this video, I’ll take you through our 3-day adventure in the South of France—from strolling the vibrant squares of Nice, to exploring medieval hilltop villages, to experiencing the glamour of Monaco. This itinerary blends local food, culture, history, and epic views, giving you everything you need to make the most out of a long weekend on the Côte d’Azur.
Perfect if you’re planning a trip to the south of France or just looking for inspiration for your next European getaway. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow along for more travel guides!
Feel free to connect with me through any of the socials linked below:
==========================================================
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodoldayss24
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodoldayss24
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodoldayss24
==========================================================
Music:
Romantic Lyrical Jazz In French Case – AndyWarner
Timestamps:
0:00 – 3 Days in the South of France
0:15 – Day 1
1:20 – Day 1: Cours Saleya
2:15 – Day 1: Old Town
3:28 – Day 1: Castle Hill Park
4:52 – Day 1: Promenade des Anglais
5:41 – Day 2
6:04 – Day 2: Èze
7:31 – Day 2: Monaco
10:10 – Day 3
10:21 – Day 3: Place Masséna
10:43 – Day 3: Old Town Shopping
11:18 – Day 3: Sainte-Réparate Cathedral
11:40 – Day 3: Socca
11:46 – Day 3: Dinner
11:56 – Subscribe!!!
#frenchriviera #travel #southoffrance #nice #monaco #vlogs #europe #itinerary