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Discover the top Nice family activities
Whatever you choose to do on your family holiday, you are sure to find a huge range of activities across Nice. There is something for everyone, every ability and every age. Check out the selection of things to do below for some holiday inspiration!
With some stunning beaches along the coastline you will not be at a loss for places to go and things do by the shore in Nice. From beach clubs to watersports, sailing and boat trips, to just sunbathing and enjoying the scenery there is something for everyone.
Explore the beautiful coastline around Nice on a boat. Many of these trips include stops for swimming in the crystalline Mediterranean waters, as well as snorkelling and even scuba diving. A trip along the coast to St Jean Cap Ferrat or the Cannes Lerins islands of Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat, off the southern tip of the Cap de la Croisette, offers a range of environments to explore, whether sailing round them or visiting them. The glamorous towns of Cannes or Saint Tropez are also a popular option, where you can enjoy anchoring just out of port or setting foot on land to explore a little deeper.
Kayaking is a fun watersport that can be enjoyed as a family. Unlike canoeing, paddlers face forward and have a double bladed paddle. It is a versatile sport that you can enjoy in the sea and especially in the calm waters of the Mediterranean. You can take your inflatable or plastic kayak and make your way around the coastline to explore hidden coves and hard to reach beaches. There are some watersports centres and adventure companies who can take you out for your kayaking experience.
A not-so-gentle but extremely refreshing summer activity is one way to describe canyoning! Plunge yourself into the mountain streams via a series of abseil descents, jumps and natural water slides – just make sure you choose a warm day!
You will make your way along rivers and rapids, using the river bed as a natural obstacle course. Not suitable for very young children, but anyone over the age of about 8 can take the (very cold) plunge and try canyoning. With the safety of a guide everyone can abseil down cascades, splash into pools and ride the river rapids. You can choose from short beginners’ routes or longer ones for the more adventurous.
The best area for this activity is the Verdon Gorge near Castellane. Although there are closer areas such as the Canyon Forest in Villeneuve-Loubet or in the Maritime Alpes at Breil-sur-Roya. A basic level of swimming ability is required for safety reasons.
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Enjoy a number of cycling trails and routes in Nice and what better way to explore Nice than on a bike when you can enjoy the beautiful scenery. Have a look at our cycling guide for more information and explore the cycling routes that are in the area. If you are in Nice without your biking gear there are a number of cycle hire shops in who rent and sell bikes, gear and more.
Dive into the beautiful waters of Nice and discover the world below. Anyone can go snorkelling and it is a great way to begin your underwater adventures without travelling too far away from the comfort of the waters’ surface. Many of the tourist shops sell snorkelling gear.
Scuba diving is a fantastic way to explore what lies below. If you are new to scuba diving, the diving schools in Nice that can teach you the ropes and get you started. For those more experienced there are plenty of excursions in Nice where you can dive into the beautiful blue waters and explore the depths below.
There’s some good deep sea fishing off the coast, with tuna, marlin, swordfish and sea bream, and there’s some good tour expeditions running out from major ports along the coast. Or of course you could just hang a line over the edge of your boat and sit back and wait for the bite, or fish off the rocks for a relaxing afternoon.
To enjoy a day out on a family fishing trip then we recommend speaking to some of the specialist companies who offer guided trips and excursions or yacht charters for coastal or deep sea fishing. You have a few options for fishing charters with a range of budgets, from 50 euro per person for a casual affair to 2800 for 10 people for the day for the charter of a luxury sportsfisher with professional fishermen. Most of the fishing excursions along this stretch of coast operate out of Golfe Juan or Mandelieu-la-Napoule, or in the other direction, out of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, a port between Nice and Monaco. There are also small local operators along the coast who don’t have websites- you’ll see their signs saying ‘Peche au Gros’ in the port.
Treat the family to a helicopter tour of the coastline and islands with one of the local helicopter tour operators. This is an exclusive experience which enables you to see aerial views of Nice, down to the neighbouring towns of Cannes and Antibes and on up to Monaco close to the border of Italy.
There are over 2.5 million people doing geocaching around the world and some of them (perhaps surprisingly) are right here in Nice! It’s a relatively new craze that started taking the world by storm in May 2000 after a computer geek decided that GPS could be “really exciting”. He hid some treasure at his home in Portland, America, for people to find, broadcast the GPS coordinates and said, “Come and get it”. His only rule: “Take some stuff, leave some stuff”. And that’s exactly what Geocaching is…you go in search of treasure by using the GPS system on your mobile device – once you’ve found it, you write your name in a logbook and replace the treasure you decide to take. It’s pretty simple really and means, as a family, you can be adventurers together. You won’t usually find anything quite as precious as gold, silver and diamonds but nevertheless it’s quite exciting!
Horse ride through the nature reserves, gorges, vineyards and mountain top towns and the beautiful coastline of the French Riviera is the perfect way to explore the area. Nice and the surrounding area is an attractive destination for horse riding, trekking & lessons.
There is a bowling alley in Nice to the north of the old town on Esplanade J-F Kennedy. It is a good place keep you entertained on bad weather days, or if you're looking for something to do with a group.
Karting is a popular activity for people of all ages. At the karting circuit in Bar-sur-Loup, to the west of Nice, you can enjoy lessons, grand prix and more. Feel the adrenaline rush and race to beat the rest of the family!
There are a wealth of art, natural history and archaeological museums in the city of Nice and each one has its own appeal and activities for families and kids. The Marc Chagall National Museum houses one of the largest collections of works by the Russian painter and is one of Nice's most popular museums. If art is not your thing then the Cote d'Azur Observatory offers an astronomical option and is great fun for kids.
Heading to a nature reserve you can explore all the beautiful wildlife and soak up all the beautiful scenery. There are a number of wonderful nature reserves in Nice that you can explore, including the Gorges du Loup to the west of Nice, with its spectacular waterfalls and natural gorges.
Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a popular global sport these days, often described as a cross between surfing and kayaking. It is also a fun way to explore the immediate coastline. Whether going solo or with the whole family, you will find paddle boards to hire on various beaches around the coast, usually rented out by the hour. No previous experience is needed, just hop on the board and start paddling.
With plenty of coastline to explore you would be silly not to hire a boat, charter a yacht or join one of the many boat trips up and down the French Riviera to some of France's best beauty spots.
If you'd like to take a dip outdoors or indoors, you'll be able to find somewhere to go for a swim in Nice. Most hotels have their own swimming facilities, however there are also municipal swimming baths that you can visit. In summer and winter, you should be able to find somewhere to take a dip, so don't forget your towel and your swimming costume or shorts.
With its warm climate and dry months, tennis is very popular across the region. Significant investment in the sport means that there many tennis clubs and courts available for the enthusiast or the amateur. The courts are generally clay or hard courts, and you can book courts as a non-member at most of the clubs.
Try an adventure playground or a theme park for a day of family fun. There are a number of adventure playground and theme parks, where both adults and children can play for hours.
Swing through the trees high above the forest floor on a circuit of zip lines, monkey bridges, ladders and ropes. You can travel through the forest without touching the floor, safely strapped into a harness and attached to a secure safety line. These eco-friendly adventure parks are created around the trees without damaging them in any way and can be dismantled if necessary, leaving the forest as though untouched.
Tree-top adventures can be fun for both adults and kids and with most courses having a few options of varying difficulty anyone can participate in the tree swinging fun.
Hikes in the Alpes-Maritime region can generally be split into two categories: coastal and mountain. The coastal routes are all very accessible and mostly very easy, more like strolls than hikes, but still worth doing for the unbeatable views of the coastline and access to fabulous beaches along the way. The mountain trails take a little more effort to get to, but many can be reached by bus or train. They are a great way to explore the terrain behind Nice and the many medieval villages that are dotted around the countryside.
Splash around on a water slide & enjoy hours of fun, waterparks are hugely popular with both adults and children! Enjoy hours of fun splashing around in the waterpark and tackle some of the fun rides and slides.
Nice is perfect for water sports with its warm summers, gentle breezes and interesting coastline. There are plenty of watersports centres where you can learn to sail or enjoy thrilling rides in speedboats, and everything in between.
Whilst many visitors to the French Riviera seek a leisurely vacation of wining, dining, and sunbathing, we know that some of you seek something a bit more daring during your break than sneaking in a cheeky glass of rosé before midday.
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