Villefranche-sur-Mer is the main cruise anchorage for Nice. Passengers come ashore by tender and head for Monaco, Cannes, Grasse or the mountain villages. Another option is to spend the day in Villefranche itself, which climbs up the steep hill behind the bay. It is a warren of shops, art galleries, museums, bars and restaurants, so there is plenty to see and do without losing sight of the ship! Look for the Rue Obscure, an atmospheric passage behind the seafront, originally a cobbled lane for troops defending the town to move supplies and ammunition, but now covered in and hidden by subsequent buildings!
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Nice, France – A Cruise Port Guide
The iconic image of Nice is its wide sweeping bay and beach, overlooked by large imposing hotels. Although some smaller ships dock nearby at the Port de Nice, most cruise ships will dock further along the coast towards Italy. Villefranche-sur-Mer in the next bay, is the main cruise anchorage, where passengers come ashore by tender. From there the ships tours visit Monaco, Cannes, Grasse or the mountain villages but to be honest you really could spend a lovely day without heading far from the ship at all – there are so many things to see and do in the area that you will probably want to come back on another cruise or maybe four!