Our study is devoted to the thermophysical properties of solid and liquid nickel in the vicinity of the melting point. For this purpose, we use a first-principles calculation method based on quantum molecular dynamics and experimental measurements with a pulse heating technique. We provide experimental and calculated data on thermal expansion, molar enthalpy, sound velocity, resistivity, and normal spectral emissivity and analyze them together with available experimental and reference data on solid and liquid Ni. We confirm experimentally and computationally the strong temperature dependence of Ni density observed in several experiments. Our fusion enthalpy measurements are in good agreement with the recommended literature data, and the calculation predicts a slightly smaller change in enthalpy. The experimental measurements of nickel resistivity in the solid and liquid states agree with previous experimental data that take into account its correction for thermal expansion. At the same time, our calculation of the resistivity in the solid phase shows a systematic shift. For liquid nickel, we report a weak nonlinear temperature dependence of the normal spectral emissivity. Thus, taking advantage of experimental and ab initio computational approaches, we present consistent data on the thermophysical properties of solid and liquid Ni.