Nice in 3 Days – A Slow Travel Story

Three days in Nice can feel rushed — or it can feel rich. We chose the latter.

For this short escape, we deliberately split our stay between two very different hotels: Hôtel Amour for two nights, followed by Hôtel du Couvent for one. A mix of edgy coolness and sober stillness. Contrast as a method of travel. It turned out to be the perfect way to experience more of the city in less time.

We travelled from Copenhagen Airport to Nice in the beginning of May, I travelled with my friend Emma — a journey that gave us something we rarely find in everyday life: uninterrupted time together. Long conversations, shared silence, laughter, and the luxury of moving slowly through a city without an agenda.

This is our guide to what to do in Nice in 3 days, shaped by light, walking, food, and atmosphere rather than checklists.

Day 1 Arrival, First Impressions & Old Town Wanders

After landing in Nice, we took the tram from the airport to a nearby stop close to our first hotel. From there, we walked — slowly — letting the city introduce itself.

Cafés spilled out onto sidewalks. Shop windows competed gently for attention. The rhythm of the city felt immediate yet unhurried. We passed the iconic Le Negresco, standing proudly along the Promenade des Anglais — an institution since 1913. With its pink dome and Belle Époque grandeur, the hotel feels less like accommodation and more like a living museum, quietly reminding you of Nice’s long-standing relationship with art, elegance, and the Riviera’s golden age.

But our focus was set on our first base.

Hôtel Amour, Nice

Our home for the first two nights was Hôtel Amour — and it delivered an instant wow-feeling.

Bold, playful, slightly rebellious, yet incredibly tasteful. Patterned walls, curated art, unexpected colour combinations, and a confidence that feels effortless rather than loud. Hôtel Amour doesn’t try to please everyone — and that’s exactly its strength. It attracts creatives, aesthetes, and travellers who value atmosphere as much as comfort.

The hotel perfectly supported the intention of this trip: to collect impressions rather than sights, to feel rather than rush.

Wandering Nice Old Town

After checking in, we headed straight back out. With no real plan, just curiosity.

We wandered neighbourhoods block by block as the sun softened the city. A park offered a pause — lush greenery, early summer blooms, and locals lingering on benches. From there, we drifted toward Nice Old Town (Vieux Nice).

Narrow alleys, café tables pressed close together, wine bars humming quietly, small boutiques, and parasols dancing gently in the warm May breeze. Pastels met patina. Life unfolded at street level. Old Town is a place you don’t conquer — you return to it, again and again. And we would.

As the travel day began to settle into our bodies, our steps naturally led us toward the water.

Promenade des Anglais & the Sea

The iconic blue-and-white parasols replaced the soft tones of the old streets. The Mediterranean Sea stretched out in front of us — calm, shimmering, impossibly blue. Still early in the season, yet deeply inviting. The kind of sea that doesn’t demand anything from you. Just presence.

We walked. We paused. We breathed.

Evening Back at Hotel Amour

Back at Hôtel Amour, we allowed ourselves a moment of rest before dinner. The atmosphere in the evening felt even more intimate — dimmed lights, soft music, conversations blending into one another.

Dinner at the hotel restaurant was effortless and refined. A menu that balances simplicity with confidence, where quality ingredients speak for themselves. The setting made us linger longer than planned — exactly as good evenings should.

Day one ended the way it began: unforced, warm, and full of promise for what was still to come.

Day 2 - The hunt for French breakfast

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up craving a real French breakfast. We had consciously chosen a hotel stay without breakfast included — knowing we wanted a reason to step straight out into the morning and let the city wake us up instead.

We set our sights on Brasserie Magenta, a classic corner brasserie with a timeless Parisian soul. The kind of place where mornings unfold slowly and no one rushes you along.

Here, we watched the city come to life — locals greeting one another, scooters passing by, chairs being arranged for the day ahead, and as a suprise a film production. Freshly baked bread, hot coffee poured generously, butter melting lazily in the sun. Simple pleasures, perfectly executed.

Cours Saleya & the Market Life

The sun melted more then the butter and our Scandinavian winter skin needed to find some shade. Soon, we found ourselves at Cours Saleya, the heart of Nice’s market life. Flower stalls overflowing with colour. Olives glistening in ceramic bowls. Straw hats, fruit crates, handwritten price signs.

This is where the city feels most alive — locals greeting one another, tourists slowing down, cameras lowered in favour of conversation. Even if you don’t buy much, the market is an experience in itself. A place to linger, observe, and absorb

One of the joys of aimless wandering is how shortcuts become detours — and sometimes those detours lead you to places you’ll remember long after the trip has ended. That’s exactly how we stumbled upon Clay, a café just off the beaten path that seemed to call our names. With its stylish yet relaxed setting and warm atmosphere, it was the perfect pause for two aesthetes like us. The coffee was superb, slow and rich, and here too we found ourselves simply watching everyday life in Nice unfold right before our eyes — a simple, sensory moment that stayed with us long after we walked out the door

Afternoon Pause by the Sea

By afternoon, the sea called us back. The Mediterranean looked even bluer now, sunlight dancing across its surface. We sat along the Promenade, shoes off, faces turned toward the warmth, strawberries from the market. Watching joggers, families, couples, seagulls — each moving through their own version of the day.

Nice has a pulse, but it also knows when to rest. And day two felt like learning that rhythm.

Evening Atmosphere

As evening approached, the city softened again. Lights came on. Conversations grew slower. We slowly returned toward our neighbourhood, stopping for a glass of wine before dinner, more fasades.

Back at Hôtel Amour, the atmosphere felt familiar now — like slipping into a favourite jacket. Dinner didn’t need ceremony. Just good food, shared stories, and the quiet joy of another full day lived slowly.

Day two was less about discovering something new — and more about letting Nice settle under the skin.

Day 3 - Stillness, Stone Walls & Hôtel du Couvent

We checked out from our stay at Hôtel Amour feeling deeply satisfied and ready for new impressions. Some places stay with you — and this was one of them.

Before moving on, we indulged in a favourite reprise: breakfast at Brasserie Magenta. Familiar now, comforting. Coffee poured just the way we liked it, morning life unfolding around us as we packed our bags mentally for a different kind of experience.

Suitcases rolling softly over the streets of Nice, we made our way toward something we knew would touch us from the inside — a place chosen with intention. Our final stop: Hôtel du Couvent.

On the way there, tiny pit stops to enjoy the city to the most made the walk truly joyful. A coffee to go at Café Fino, people watching and pretty fasades.

Hôtel du Couvent, Nice

Tucked away above the Old Town, Hôtel du Couvent is housed in a former 17th-century convent, carefully restored into one of the most distinctive luxury hotels in Nice. Stone walls, arched corridors, muted colours, and natural materials set the tone for a stay defined by calm rather than spectacle.

This is a hotel for travellers who seek quiet refinement — where architecture, history, and contemporary comfort exist in perfect balance. With its cloistered courtyards, gardens, spa spaces, and thoughtful gastronomy, Hôtel du Couvent offers an entirely different rhythm of Nice. One that invites you to slow down, breathe deeper, and stay present.

From the moment we stepped inside this almost monastic world, our shoulders dropped. Harmony, aesthetics, service — hello enjoyment.

The contrast to our previous stay was intentional and powerful. From edgy creativity to sober stillness. From playful boldness to grounded serenity. Together, they shaped a fuller understanding of the city.

We arrived before our room was ready and were met with the warmest of welcomes. There was no sense of waiting — only an invitation to begin.

We wandered through the hotel’s almost magical surroundings, letting one impression follow the next. Roses in bloom, shaded corners, open courtyards. Lunch enjoyed slowly, a cold drink in hand, time stretching gently as we allowed ourselves to simply be.

When our room was ready, it felt nothing short of storybook-perfect. Exactly as we had hoped. Soft, natural tones created an immediate sense of calm — a true oasis in the middle of the city. Stone staircases worn smooth by centuries of footsteps reminded us that this place carries time within its walls.

Here, you don’t just stay — you step into history. Walking the same paths as those before you, feeling the quiet dignity of age paired with thoughtful, modern comfort.

In every corner, something beautiful awaited us. A bundle of lavender. A carefully framed view. Light falling just right. Hôtel du Couvent is a place that rewards slowness — and gives back tenfold.

Day three wasn’t about seeing more of Nice.

It was about letting Nice settle — quietly, beautifully — within us.

Rested, unhurried — and not quite ready to leave — we eased into our final morning. Reality waited patiently in the background as we indulged in a breakfast de luxe, followed by a few quiet hours by the pool. From there, the view stretched out over the rooftops of Nice, warm and sunlit, the city breathing below us.

It was the kind of ending that doesn’t demand words. Just presence.

We left in agreement: Nice is more than a city. It’s a place, a rhythm, a state of mind — one we would gladly return to.

Let's wrap it up!

5 tips for a perfect visit in Nice Three days in Nice reminded us that travel isn’t measured in distance, but in presence. Between café mornings, sea air, and slow walks through side streets, the city taught us the value of contrast — of bold creativity and quiet restraint, of movement and pause.

Here are the things I want to carry with me, and the things I hope you’ll try:

May is a perfect month to experience Nice. Warm enough for light clothing, gentle enough to wander all day, with a soft sea breeze that follows you through the streets.

Let time be what it is. Sit at a café. Watch life unfold from a small distance. Order another coffee. We loved places like Magenta, Clay, and Cafe Fino — unpretentious spots where the city reveals itself naturally.

Wear comfortable shoes. Nice is a city made for walking. And between discoveries, don’t forget to dip your feet in the Mediterranean — a small ritual that grounds the day.

Choose more than one place to stay. The contrast between Hôtel Amour and Hôtel du Couvent gave us a richer experience of the city. Edgy creativity paired with quiet, historic calm. Checking out and in one extra time was more than worth it.

Finally, let the side streets guide you. This is where the most beautiful façades appear, where charming letterboxes catch your eye, and where everyday life quietly goes on.

Nice doesn’t ask to be rushed.

It asks to be felt.

Happy travel!