Visiting the best villages near Nice is amazing if you're in France. There are gorgeous villages on the French Riviera you have to see!
Nice is a large city in France and going there is amazing. There are many things to do in Nice, such as seeing the castle of Nice and shopping. Even though there are many activities and sights, spending one day in Nice is perfect to see it all.
For that reason, when you're in Nice for a longer time, you can see even more! I'd definitely recommend seeing some gorgeous villages close to the city.
The amount of pretty little villages that are close to Nice will definitely surprise you!
As there are so many lovely villages, it can be hard to decide where to go. For that reason, I made this list of the best villages near Nice to help you out!
First, I'll give you some tips for visiting them. After that, you can find the list of the best villages. I also included information on how to get to all the villages.
Table of Contents
Tips for visiting the best villages near Nice
Visiting the best villages near Nice is a great experience that you'll enjoy for sure! But there are some ways to make your experience even better.
First, you can buy a day pass for the public transport in the city of Nice and its buses.
This can save you lots of money if you want to visit many places, such as these villages.
And this is especially so if you visit several villages in one day!
Second, when you are traveling all day, your phone may run out of battery.
In larger cities, there are lots of places where you can charge your phone. But in these small villages, there are almost no possibilities for that.
Thus, I recommend taking a battery pack with you. This allows you to travel all day without worrying about your phone running out of battery. It will make visiting the places much more convenient!
Best Villages Near Nice, France
Let's start the list! If you love beautiful villages with great things to do, I'm sure you will love these ones close to Nice.
Below, you can find the 25 best villages near Nice, France!
1. Èze
The first village is Èze. Èze is definitely one of the best villages near Nice. You can find this village about 8 miles (or 12.5 kilometers) from Nice.
What's great about the village is that it is on top of a hill. From there you have a wonderful view of the sea! This makes it a very popular day trip from Nice.
Also, because you can find the village on top of a hill, it looks great from afar!
Another great thing about the village is the Jardin Botanique d'Èze. Here you can see all kinds of cacti.
You can also find beautiful picturesque buildings in the village. Many of these are from Medieval times.
Also, the village of Èze is a very convenient place to go to as there are many facilities. For example, there are lots of restaurants, shops, and hotels.
How to get there?
To reach the village, you can take bus 82 to Plateau de la Justice. This is a direct bus and the journey takes about 30 minutes.
2. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is another village you should see. You can find this village on a peninsula to the southeast of the city of Nice.
One of the reasons why it belongs to the best villages near Nice is its history. The history of the village stretches back to the time of Ancient Greece.
One of the best things to do see here is Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. This is a beautiful villa, and the garden of the villa is one of the best gardens in France! Sind 1934 the villa is a public place, which is great!
Also, you can find beautiful beaches at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
How to get there?
To get to the village by public transport, you first need to take the train to Beaulieu-sur-Mer. From there, you can take bus 15 to the village!
3. Aspremont
The next one of the best villages near Nice is Aspremont.
From here you have a beautiful far view of the surrounding landscape.
The little streets of the village are wonderful to see and wander through. There are cobbled stone streets that look very picturesque.
Another great thing to see in this village is the pretty church with the bell tower.
How to get there?
To reach the village of Aspremont you can travel by public transportation. First, you need to take the L1 tram from Thiers Station to Comte de Falicon. From there you can take bus 76 towards Castagniers and you get off at the stop Village.
4. Cap-d’Ail
Another one of the best villages on the French Riviera is Cap-d'Ail. This is a beautiful village on the French Riviera that is close to the country of Monaco.
Cap-d'Ail is a resort village with many shops. This makes it a great place to go to if you like shopping!
Also, there are many great beaches at Cap-d'Ail. Mala Beach is a great one that looks beautiful. Also, the nature that surrounds this beach is stunning!
How to get there?
What's great is that it is very easy to reach this village. That's because there is a direct train connection from the city of Nice. This train journey takes about 20 minutes.
Besides that, you can also go to the village by car. This journey takes about 40 minutes, which is much longer than the journey by train. Thus, I recommend going by train!
5. St Paul de Vence
Another one of the best villages near Nice is St Paul de Vence. It is a great Medieval village on the French Riviera.
Another thing that makes this village special is the number of museums here. In particular, you can find here modern and contemporary art museums and galleries.
The combination of the old buildings in the village and the new art is amazing!
That's in part because many famous artists visited this village. Some of these artists include Picasso and Sartre.
How to get there?
You can get to the village of St Paul de Vence by car in about 30 minutes. The journey has a length of about 12 miles (or 20 kilometers).
6. Gourdon
Gourdon is also a great village near the city of Nice.
The best thing about this village is the wonderful views you can get here. That's because you can find Gourdon on top of a hill.
Another thing that is great about the village of Gourdon is the architecture you find here. There are lots of wonderful Medieval buildings and some of these date back to the 9th century.
Also, there are beautiful gardens in the village!
How to get there?
The easiest way to get to Gourdon is by car. The journey takes about 50 minutes and has a length of about 25 miles (or 40 kilometers).
7. Sainte-Agnès
Sainte-Agnès is a beautiful village near the city of Nice.
You can find the village on top of a hill. From there you have a wonderful view of the town of Menton and the sea!
Furthermore, many mountains surround the village, which is stunning too! That's also why Sainte-Agnès belongs to the best villages near Nice.
Also, the buildings of the village are lovely and very picturesque.
How to get there?
To reach the village of Sainte-Agnès, the fastest route is by car. The time it takes to do this trip from Nice is about 45 minutes.
Furthermore, if you want to travel by public transport, you can do so too! From Nice, you can first take a train to the town of Menton and then take a bus.
8. Peillon
The next one of the gorgeous villages on the French Riviera is Peillon.
You can find the village surrounded by lots of mountains. It is a cluster of houses on a hill and this looks amazing!
What's unique about the village is that there are no roads leading up to the village. There are only stairs!
How to get there?
You can get to the village of Peillon by public transport. For this, you first need to take bus 14 towards Les Chênes Verts and then get out at La Chaumière. From there, you can take bus 66 to La Turbie and stop at Le Téléphérigue. From there, you have to walk for about 30 minutes.
But the fastest way to get to the village is by car. This journey takes about 26 minutes.
9. La Turbie
Another one of the best villages on the French Riviera is La Turbie. It is also close to the country of Monaco, which you can see from the village.
This is a village with a long history that started during the Roman Empire, which is very interesting!
You can find here the Trophy of Augustus, which is a large monument from that time. This monument celebrated the victory of Augustus over the tribes of Liguria.
This monument explains the name of La Turbie, which looks like the word for the trophy in Latin.
How to get there?
Getting to La Turbie by public transport is easy. You can take bus 66 from Pont Michel to La Turbie. This is a direct connection, which takes about 30 minutes.
The fastest way to get to the village is by car. This journey takes about 25 minutes.
10. Tourrettes-sur-Loup
Tourrettes-sur-Loup is another one of the best villages near Nice.
You can find here lots of medieval buildings that look amazing.
Furthermore, the village has a great history!
How to get there?
To reach the village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, the best way is by car. This journey takes about 50 minutes.
11. Castagniers
There is a lot to do and see in the village Castagniers.
For example, there are many hiking trails. This allows you to walk through the nature that surrounds the village.
Another great sight in the village is Castagniers Abbey, which is great to see!
Also, there are lots of beautiful buildings in the village!
How to get there?
From Gare de Nice St Augustin in the city of Nice, you can travel to the village of Castagniers by public transport. This journey takes about 1 hour.
First, you need to take tram L2 to CADAM Centre Administratif. From there you can take bus 59 to the village of Castagniers.
It is also possible to go there by car. This journey takes about 30 minutes.
12. Courmes
Courmes is another one of the best villages near Nice and a great village on the French Riviera.
One of the best things to do in Courmes is visiting the Waterfall of Courmes . This is a very impressive waterfall to see that has a height of more than 40 meters.
Another great thing in the village is seeing the houses that are from Medieval times. The architecture in the village is great to see!
Also, if you love hiking then this village is great for you. There are lots of hiking trails that take you through the surroundings of the village.
How to get there?
The best way to reach the village of Courmes is by car. From Nice, the journey takes about 1 hour and the length of the journey is 25 miles (or 40 kilometers).
13. La Colle-sur-Loup
La Colle-sur-Loup is another village that I recommend visiting when you are in the city of Nice.
One of the best things to do in the village is to visit the castle. This is a beautiful castle that is from the Middle Ages. Much of the castle is still left, which is amazing!
Also, the streets of the village are great! What I like very much is that there are lots of trees that look great with the architecture of the houses.
For example, there are palm trees everywhere!
How to get there?
The easiest way to get to the village is by car. This journey takes about 30 minutes.
14. Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Beaulieu-sur-Mer is a very small village that is definitely worth visiting!
The gardens in the village are great. Nature there is beautiful to see and it makes the gardens a very relaxing place.
Besides that, the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer looks very charming. It features a beautiful color of blue and lots of small boats.
Also, the buildings in this village are great! The architecture looks very pretty and very stylish.
How to get there?
Beaulieu-sur-Mer is one of the villages that is closest to the city of Nice. Because of that, it is very easy to reach it. From the center of the city, you can take a direct train to Beaulieu-sur-Mer. This journey takes a bit more than 10 minutes.
Also, you can drive there by car, which takes a bit more time. This journey takes about 25 minutes, so I recommend going by train instead!
15. Villeneuve-Loubet
Villeneuve-Loubet is one of the best villages near Nice on the French Riviera.
The old village is great to see. It is a very picturesque place with lots of beautiful small houses.
Furthermore, there are lots of flowers in the village, which is beautiful.
Another great thing to see is the Saint-Christophe church. This is a beautiful church with a belltower!
How to get there?
You can reach Villeneuve-Loubet by first taking a train to Saint-Laurent-du-var. From there, you have to take bus 9 towards Routière de l'Ara and get off at La Grange Rimade. This stop is near the village of Villeneuve-Loubet.
16. Colomars
Colomars is also one of the best villages on the French Riviera.
It is a small village with lots of beautiful nature that surrounds it. There is a variety of trees here, including olive trees.
Nature makes the village a very relaxing place to go. It is great for hiking or for wandering around!
Another great thing to do in Colomars is visiting the fortress. This is a fortress from the end of the 19th century that is very interesting.
How to get there?
The village of Colomars is very close to the city of Nice. From there you can reach the village within about 15 minutes by car.
Besides that, you can also get to the village by public transport. But this takes a lot longer, so I wouldn't recommend that!
17. Roquefort-les-Pins
Roquefort-les-Pins is another great village near the city of Nice. You find here lots of great houses that are wonderful to see. Moreover, there are lots of villas in the village of Roquefort-les-Pins.
Also, it is a very relaxing place to be because of the nature of the village. This makes wandering around here great.
How to get there?
The easiest way to reach the village of Roquefort-les-Pins is by car. This journey takes about 40 minutes, but depending on traffic, it can be 10 minutes less or more. Moreover, the length of the journey is 15 miles (or 25 kilometers).
18. Le Broc
Another one of the best villages near Nice is Le Broc.
What's great about Le Broc is that there are lots of charming little streets in the village.
Also, there are lots of old houses made of stone that look wonderful.
Strolling through the streets of the village of Le Broc is a great experience. And that's especially true in spring and summer, as then there are many flowers in the village!
How to get there?
Reaching the village of Le Broc by public transport isn't very convenient. That's because the fastest journey takes more than 2 hours.
Instead, I recommend visiting the village by car. The journey by car takes about 50 minutes and the length of the journey is 17 miles (or 27 kilometers).
19. Saint-Jeannet
Saint-Jeannet is another one of the best villages on the French Riviera. It is on top of a hill, which means that you have a wonderful view from up there.
You can see here lots of medieval houses, which is incredible. This makes it great if you like history. Moreover, there are lots of small alleys that are great to walk through.
How to get there?
By car, the journey takes about 40 minutes.
Besides that, you can go to the village by public transport and this journey takes about 1 hour.
20. La Gaude
Another one of the best villages on the French Riviera is La Gaude.
There are many lovely streets in this village that are great for wandering around.
Furthermore, there are beautiful churches in the village of La Gaude. These are wonderful to see!
How to get there?
Getting to the village of La Gaude is easy by public transport. You first need to take a train to Saint-Laurent-du-Var. From there, there is a direct bus connection to La Gaude. For this, you need to take bus 73 to Médiathèque and get off at Maoupas.
21. Carros
Carros is also one of the best villages near Nice. You can find the village on top of a hill.
Because of that, you have a wonderful view of the surrounding area. This includes the mountains near the village and the sea.
Also, it is great to wander around the medieval center of the village. Moreover, there are lots of wonderful medieval buildings in the small streets!
How to get there?
The fastest way to get to the village of Carros is by car. Moreover, this journey takes about 40 minutes.
Besides that, you can travel by public transport. For this, you can take tram L2 to CADAM Centre Administratif. Then you can take bus 22 to the village of Carros.
22. Le Bar sur Loup
You should also definitely visit Le Bar sur Loup when you are in Nice.
One of the best things to see in this village is the old castle.
Another interesting sight is the church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur that looks amazing!
How to get there?
The most convenient way to go to Le Bar sur Loup is by car. The journey by car takes about 1 hour.
23. Gréolières
Gréolières is another one of the best villages on the French Riviera.
Mountains surround this village, which looks amazing. Especially during winter, this looks beautiful because of the snow on the mountains. But it's also beautiful during the other seasons.
Also, the buildings of the village look very pretty!
How to get there?
You can reach the village of Gréolières by car in a bit more than 1 hour.
24. Mougins
The village of Mougins is also a great village to visit near the city of Nice.
It is a very pretty village, which is one of the reasons Picasso and other artists stayed here. That's also why Mougins belongs to the best villages near Nice!
Furthermore, you can find here a lot of medieval architecture.
How to get there?
The fastest way to reach the village of Mougins is by car. This journey takes about 40 minutes.
25. Biot
Biot is also a great village close to the city of Nice.
This is a beautiful medieval village on top of a hill. Because of that, you have a wonderful view from here.
Furthermore, Biot is famous for its art museum dedicated to cubism with art by Fernand Leger. This is one of the reasons why people visit Biot.
How to get there?
The best way to get to the village of Biot is by car. This journey takes about 40 minutes.
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