Nice · Month comparison

January vs July

July ranks #1 overall vs January at #12. Peak Riviera — Nice Jazz Festival, Bastille Day fireworks and absolute maximum crowds

Nice Promenade des Anglais quiet in winter with mountains behind

January

#12 of 12 months

Worth considering

The Riviera in hibernation — budget prices, empty promenades and the occasional winter sun day

  • ↑Hotel rates at their annual floor; Promenade des Anglais is yours alone on a weekday morning
  • ↑Vieux-Nice's morning market (Cours Saleya) at its most authentic — just locals buying flowers and cheese
Nice beach packed with sunbathers and the turquoise Baie des Anges in July

July

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Peak Riviera — Nice Jazz Festival, Bastille Day fireworks and absolute maximum crowds

  • ↑Nice Jazz Festival (mid-July, 10 days) at Cimiez Amphitheatre — world-class artists in a Roman garden
  • ↑Bastille Day (July 14) fireworks over the Baie des Anges are among the most spectacular in France
FactorJanuaryJuly
Weather score
4
9
Value score
8
3
Crowd score
2
9
Events score
3
8
Atmosphere
4
8
Avg high temp12°C29°C
Monthly rain64mm17mm
Daily sunshine5.3hrs13hrs

January trade-offs

  • ↓Cool and sometimes wet (8–12°C); the beach is not a realistic activity in January
  • ↓Many restaurants and beach clubs on the Promenade close for the season

July trade-offs

  • ↓Absolute peak crowds — the Promenade and Old Town are wall-to-wall tourists in July
  • ↓Hotel rates at their annual maximum; booking last-minute is essentially impossible
See all 12 months for Nice →January in detail →July in detail →
Scores compare months within Nice. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →