Best time to visit Nice

Nice in January is mild and bright, with 13°C / 55°F days and the Baie des Anges glittering in the low winter sun.

On 1 January, hundreds of hardy swimmers plunge into the Baie des Anges for the traditional New Year's Day dip (bravado optional).

Socca, the chickpea pancake baked in roaring wood ovens in the old town, is the ideal winter snack, eaten scalding hot with lots of black pepper.

Beach restaurants are mostly closed and evenings can be chilly, so pack a proper coat.

Winter sun at 13°C / 55°F, and the city's biggest party of the year.

Nice Carnival's night parades light up Place Masséna with illuminated floats, confetti and a very giddy crowd.

Carnival ends with the Carnival King burned on the beach and fireworks bursting over the bay.

Chagall's vast biblical paintings glow sapphire blue at the Musée National Marc Chagall, a calm escape from the Carnival crowds.

Carnival fortnight pushes up hotel prices, and some central streets are ticketed and fenced off.

Spring stirs at 15°C / 59°F, with blossom in the olive groves of Cimiez and the odd downpour.

The Fête des Cougourdons in the Cimiez gardens, usually on a Sunday in late March, celebrates the humble gourd with carved crafts and folk dancing. ★ Climb Castle Hill for sweeping views over the terracotta rooftop

Climb Castle Hill for sweeping views over the terracotta rooftops of Vieux Nice and the long curve of the bay.

Hotel rates stay low until Easter, making March a canny time for a sea-view room on the Promenade.

Nice in April is fresh and sunny at 17°C / 63°F, with café terraces spilling onto the Cours Saleya.

The Cours Saleya flower market is at its most fragrant in spring, piled with peonies, ranunculus and bundles of herbs.

Wander Vieux Nice's lanes in the soft spring light, where ochre and saffron facades frame tiny Baroque chapels.

Walk or cycle the 7 km Promenade des Anglais, with the sea on one side and Belle Époque palaces on the other.

Nice in May is warm and lively at 21°C / 70°F, with the sea warming to 18°C / 64°F and long, golden evenings.

May is one of the best months to visit Nice: warm, green and lively, without summer's heat and crowds.

Beach clubs along the Promenade reopen, so you can claim a sunlounger on the pebbles.

Pan bagnat, Nice's tuna-and-vegetable sandwich soaked in olive oil, is made for May picnics on the beach.

Cannes film festival overflow fills Nice's hotels in mid-May, so book early.

Nice in June is sunny and warm at 25°C / 77°F, with the sea at 21°C / 70°F and light lingering past 9pm.

Swimming season begins in earnest, and the pebble beaches below the Promenade are pleasantly uncrowded before July.

Sunset drinks on the Promenade's rooftop bars, as the sky turns tangerine over the bay, are a June must.

Monaco Grand Prix weekend in early June fills Nice's hotels, as many fans stay here.

Nice Jazz Fest brings big-name acts to the Théâtre de Verdure and Place Masséna in late July.

On 14 July, fireworks burst over the Baie des Anges, best watched from Castle Hill or the pebbles below.

Late night ice cream from Fenocchio in the old town comes in flavours from lavender to tomato-basil.

It's hot and crowded, the beaches are all pebbles (pack water shoes) and prices peak.

The hottest month, with 28°C / 82°F days, humid nights and the sea at 25°C / 77°F.

The sea is at its warmest, and an evening swim as the sun sets behind Cap d'Antibes is a very Niçois ritual.

Expect humid heat, packed beaches and peak prices.

September is one of the best times to visit Nice, with 25°C / 77°F days and the sea still at 23°C / 73°F.

Harvest arrives in Bellet, one of France's smallest appellations, on the hills above the city, and its rare white wines are worth seeking out.

The summer crowds thin, but the sea stays warm enough for long, lazy swims.

Walk the coastal path from the port around Cap de Nice, with the water still inviting at every cove.

Late-summer storms can be sudden and heavy.

Mellow and golden at 21°C / 70°F, but October is Nice's wettest month.

Rainy days suit the Musée des Beaux-Arts, housed in a Belle Époque villa built for a Ukrainian princess.

Rates fall after mid-October, and sea-view rooms become far more affordable.

The Cours Saleya fills with autumn produce: chestnuts, wild mushrooms and squash.

Nice in November is mild at 17°C / 63°F, with regular rain and bright spells.

The Nice-Cannes Marathon traces the coast in November, one of the most scenic races in Europe.

Prices are low, and museums and old-town bistros belong to the locals.

Bistros serve daube niçoise with ravioli, the city's hearty cold-weather classic.

Mild and festive at 14°C / 57°F, with crisp blue skies and snow on the Alps behind the city.

Nice's Christmas village fills the city centre with chalets, an ice rink and a big wheel.

Nice has been a winter resort since the 1800s (UNESCO-listed as such since 2021), and December shows why.

Hotel prices stay reasonable outside Christmas week.

Evenings turn chilly once the sun drops, so bring a coat for dinner in the old town.