Chez Pipo, Socca by the Port
What to order: a socca to share fresh from the oven, with pepper, and a pissaladière; for dessert, the sweet tourte de blettes.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 43.70° N · 7.27° E
Nice in a day, from the flower market to the sea, without taking the car.
The flower market first thing, the view from Castle Hill, socca by the harbour, an hour's boat trip to Villefranche and dinner on a rock in the sea.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Niza fromBarcelona 1 h 15Madrid 2 hMálaga 2 h 15Tenerife Sur 4 h 15
Part of Nice
Add to my trip
Total time13 h
By car0 min each way
WalkingAbout 2 h in total
TransportOn foot; tram 2 to the airport
BookingBoat and dinner
DaysWednesday to Sunday, March to October
Cost€35–150 pp
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Nice 30 min by tram
tram 2 to the centre and a night at the hotel
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1
Cours Saleya Flower Market, in Vieux Nice
Tuesday to Sunday mornings · free
- 15 min on foot
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2
Nice Castle Hill: Park, Waterfall and Viewpoint over the Bay
by the steps or the free lift · opens at 8:30
- 15 min on foot
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3
Chez Pipo, Socca by the Port
no booking · Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30
13 rue Bavastro, 06300 Niza · +33 4 93 55 88 82
Restaurant €Book - 8 min on foot
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4
Boat Trip from Nice Port to Villefranche Bay
leaves at 15:00 from the quai Lunel · €24 · booking compulsory
+33 4 93 38 97 18
- 15 min on foot
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5
Le Plongeoir, the Restaurant on a Rock at the Harbour Mouth
book a terrace table for the sunset
60 boulevard Franck Pilatte, 06300 Niza · +33 4 93 26 53 02
Restaurant €€€€Book -
Back home 30 min by tram
tram 2 from Port Lympia to the centre
Approximate cost
About €95–160 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Cours Saleya Flower Market, in Vieux Nice
A first day in Nice without a car and without rushing: you start with the flowers of the Cours Saleya, climb the hill to see the whole bay, eat socca at the city's oldest house, see the coast from a boat and dine on a rock in the sea. Everything is on foot between the Vieux Nice and the harbour, on either side of Castle Hill.
How to get there
By air. There are direct flights to Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE) from Madrid and Barcelona, and the airport is by the sea, west of the city. Arrive the day before: tram 2 leaves from both terminals and drops you in the centre. Sleep near the Vieux Nice or place Masséna and the day starts on foot.
The day, hour by hour
9:00 · Cours Saleya market. From Tuesday to Sunday morning, the flower, fruit and vegetable stalls fill the promenade. Take a full turn before buying and have breakfast on a terrace.
10:30 · Castle Hill. At the end of the Cours Saleya the stairs begin; if you prefer, take the free lift on quai des États-Unis, which does not run in the rain. At the top, the view of the Baie des Anges, the 1885 waterfall and the harbour on the other side.
12:30 · Socca at Chez Pipo. Go down on the harbour side to rue Bavastro. The house has made socca since 1933 in a wood-fired oven; it does not take bookings, so arrive early. Order socca, a pissaladière and the sweet Swiss chard tart.
14:40 · Boat to the bay of Villefranche. Pick up tickets at quai Lunel. The Trans Côte d'Azur trip leaves at 15:00, lasts an hour and passes in front of Cap de Nice to the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. It costs €24 for adults and €20 for ages 4 to 10.
19:30 · Dinner at Le Plongeoir. Skirting the harbour towards the cape, on a rock six metres above the water. It is an expensive dinner: allow €87 to €103 per person without drinks. Ask for a table at sunset.
22:30 · Return. Tram 2 leaves from Port Lympia for the centre.
With children or in the rain
With children the plan works as it is: the hill has a play area and the boat costs €20 for ages 4 to 10 and nothing for under-4s. Swap the dinner for another socca or for Le Safari, which is open all day. In the rain, the hill lift does not run and the boat may not sail: replace the afternoon with the Chagall Museum.
Time1 h
Change the route
If it is Monday or Tuesday, when Chez Pipo closes: lunch at the Cours Saleya, open all day:
Le Safari, Niçois Cooking on the Cours Saleya
If it rains or it is winter and there is no boat: the Biblical Message, near the station:
Nice's Marc Chagall National Museum and the Biblical Message
If you prefer painting to the afternoon boat: in Cimiez, closed on Tuesdays:
Nice's Matisse Museum, in the Genoese Villa at Cimiez
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Le Safari, Niçois Cooking on the Cours Saleya
What to order: the Cascade Niçoise to try a bit of everything (farcis, poivrons, truccha, accras) and then the daube with home-made ravioli or the wood-fired lamb.
Le Plongeoir, the Restaurant on a Rock at the Harbour Mouth
What to order: a starter to share, such as the courgette flower fritters or the grilled octopus, and a fish of the day; book a terrace table at sunset.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Nice
From March to October, Wednesday to Sunday. The boat does not sail from November to early March or on Mondays, and Chez Pipo is closed Monday and Tuesday. May, June and September are the best months.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the boat and dinner before you go
The boat requires compulsory booking and Le Plongeoir fills at sunset.
- 2Do not do it on a Monday or Tuesday
Chez Pipo is closed those two days and on Monday there is neither a boat nor a flower market.
- 3Climb the hill in the morning
The light falls on the bay; in the afternoon the photo comes out backlit.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Between €35 and €45 per person with the boat and lunch at Chez Pipo; with dinner at Le Plongeoir, between €120 and €150, without drinks.
Can it be done in winter?
Without the boat, which does not sail from November to early March. Swap the afternoon for the Chagall or Matisse Museum.
Do I need a car?
No. Everything is on foot between the Vieux Nice and the harbour.
How do I get there from Spain?
By direct flight to Nice from Madrid or Barcelona, and by tram 2 to the centre.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/france/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/nice/itineraries/market-castle-hill-socca-and-boat-in-nice
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.