Last updated: July 21, 2023
Marseille France travel guide for a perfect trip this summer
Our Marseille, France travel guide covers everything you need to know to plan the ultimate trip to this bucket list destination. We provide information on how to get to Marseille, how to get around, and all the best things to see and do.
Marseille is the capital of the French Riviera and the oldest city in France. Marseille is a fantastic city trip to take in Europe due to the variety of options that make it a year round destination. From city beaches, to local attractions steeped in history and endless trendy and artistic neighbourhoods where you can stop for a mint tea or beer.
Marseille is a perfect stop any South of France travel itinerary. If you’re wondering where else you should visit, we have created an incredibly detailed 10 day South of France guide which includes Marseille. If you’re heading to Nice before of after Marseille (which you absolutely should if you have the time), we also have a detailed guide to Nice, and a guide on the best day trips from Nice. You’ll also find city guides to Menton, Cassis, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Monaco.
Tip: avoid the biggest mistake we made. If you ask for water at a restaurant they will give you bottled still or sparkling water. They will never bring you tap water. To save yourself the money, ask for a carafe of water by saying the following ‘carafe d’eau s’il vous plaît’.
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Vallon des Auffres at sunset
In this article
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Highlights map for MarseilleHighlights map for Marseille
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History of MarseilleHistory of Marseille
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What to see and doWhat to see and do
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Where to stay in MarseilleWhere to stay in Marseille
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How to get to MarseilleHow to get to Marseille
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Getting around MarseilleGetting around Marseille
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When to visit MarseilleWhen to visit Marseille
Highlights map for this Marseille, France Travel Guide
Marseille France travel guide - History of Marseille
Ships have been docking in Marseille’s old port for 3000 years, and it remains France’s largest commercial port to this day. Marseille is France’s second largest city and is known for its unique culture and cuisine including bouillabaisse, a garlic and saffron flavoured fish stew. Thanks to Marseille’s ongoing cultural initiatives, architecture and environment it became the European Capital of Culture in 2013, which led to even more investment in the city’s cultural attractions.
Marseille France travel guide - what to see and do
You will need two or three days in Marseille to be able to see the majority of tourist attractions. You could certainly extend your trip and spend more time exploring Cassis and Calanques National Park. Below we list off all the very best things to see and do while you’re in Marseille.
A good way to save some money while visiting Marseille is to pick up the CityPass. The CityPass covers a huge range of tourist attractions. It provides you with unlimited access to public transport, entrance the MUCEM, entrance to If Castle, the ferry to If Island or the Frioul Islands, tour on the tourist train (which takes you up to the basilica) and plenty more including guided tours and reduced rates for all participating partners. You can check out everything that is included online and purchase your pass here. The CityPass starts at €27 for 24 hours for an adult (€17 for kids). Given the ticket for MUCEM alone costs €11, and the ferry and entrance to If Castle will cost €16.80, the CityPass will have already paid for itself with just these two attractions. It’s certainly a good deal!
Marseille’s beautiful Old Port at sunset
The Old Port and Fort Saint-Jean
The Old Port is the central hub of activity in Marseille. This area is the starting point for many local excursions including walking tours, segway tours, or boat tours to nearby islands and the calanques. Take a stroll along the port towards Fort Saint-Jean where you will get beautiful views over the coast. It’s in this area that you’ll find the highest concentration of restaurants as well. Just avoid anything directly on the water as the food won’t be very good and it will be way more expensive. On a hot day you can find some reprieve in MUCEM, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisation, which is an architecturally interesting building on the water’s edge. MUCEM costs €11 and is open every day except for Tuesdays.
Left: Walking around Fort Saint-Jean, Right: MUCEM
Cathedral de la Major
After exploring Fort Saint-Jean, continue on foot to Marseille’s Cathedral. This impressive Romano-Byzantine Cathedral was strategically placed close to the port which was experiencing huge economic growth at the time. These days it’s quite trendy with many bars and cafes surrounding it.
Walk around Le Panier
Le Panier (Marseille’s old town) is definitely the prettiest and funkiest neighbourhood we saw in Marseille. There are plenty of narrow laneways filled with potted flowers with murals everywhere, lots of terrace restaurants and bars with a fun young ambience. Le Panier is the only area in Marseille that really looks historic as a lot of the city was bombed in WWII.
Another popular neighbourhood that is typically featured in a lot of blogs is Cours Julien, a very lively and creative part of the city with excellent restaurants and bars. We totally agree it’s worth a visit, but we would point out that you shouldn’t bother going to the insta famous Les Escaliers du Cours Julien. Previously there was a staircase here that was graffiti’d and very interesting to photograph. However when we visited in summer 2022, they were completely removing all of the paint and it was no longer a vibrant part of the neighbourhood.
Take a wine tour in Provence
If you’re visiting Marseille by public transport, there are still opportunities to take wine tours around Provence such as this one for €125 per person. You’ll discover the beautiful Provence countryside and be guided between multiple vineyards and wine tastings. The best time to book a wine tour is between May and June for fewer crowds and temperate weather or September to October during the harvest.
Vallon des Auffres
In the evening head to Vallon des Auffres, a beautiful fishing port that makes for a great dinner spot. It’s a 30 minute walk from the Old Port in Marseille, or a 15 minute bus (line 83, €1.70 each way). Try to arrive for sunset, it’s the perfect spot for a sundowner cocktail. There are a couple of bars right on the water (but beware they’re a little pricey).
If you’d like a fancy dinner, eat at Michelin starred L’Epuisette, famous for bouillabaisse. We ate at L’Avant Cour, which is set back behind the port and we absolutely loved it. It’s a little bit expensive but the food is absolutely incredible with great service and a festive atmosphere.
Visit the Frioul Islands
The Frioul Islands are a 15 minute ferry from the Old Port in Marseille. Frioul’s archipelago offers a change of pace and a breath of fresh air from the busy port city of Marseille. The Frioul Islands maritime park protects the unique cultural heritage of the area.
The Frioul archipelago consists of the Island of Frioul and the Island of If. Frioul consists of two islands, Ratonneau and Pomègues. It attracts visitors for its natural beauty with water sports, swimming, fishing, walking and snorkeling being popular activities. On the Island of If you can visit the fortress of Château d’If. Château d’If is known for its prison, where the famous Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned in the Alexandre Dumas novel.
Entrance to Château d’If costs €6 and tickets can be bought online here (ferry not included). You will be left on the island for 1 hour as arrival and departure times are dictated by the ferry transfers. The ferry crossing is very fast, lasting only 15 minutes and runs every two hours between 1.45pm and 8.30pm. If you’d only like to visit one island (Island of Frioul or Island of If) then a round trip will cost you €10.80. For a combined trip to both islands, it will cost €16.20 return. More information on prices can be found here. You will also see a large ticket booth at the Old Port where you can purchase tickets for the ferries.
Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde
The basilica is one of the most iconic landmarks in Marseille and offers panoramic views of the city that can’t be beat. Try to get there before 10am which is when the crowds start pouring in. It’s free to visit and opens between 7am and 7pm year round. We have seen stunning photos from here at sunset as well. You can walk from the old port in 20 minutes. Or you can also take the tourist train from the port, “Petit train du Panier” which costs €7 for an adult or €4 for children.
Left: View of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde from Marseille’s Old Port, Right: View over the coastline from the Basilica
Palais Longchamp
On the opposite side of town from Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde is Palais Longchamp. There’s a restaurant called Longchamp Palace, and if you put this into maps it will direct you to the restaurant and not the palace. If you’re going to see anything in Marseille make sure it’s this. The palace and gardens are absolutely beautiful. It’s free to visit but there are a couple of exhibits on either side of the fountain that you will need to pay to enter. The palace was built as a monument marking the completion of a city wide potable water canal project. To get to the palace from the basilica, you can either catch a bus or walk back towards the port. From there you can take the metro to Cinq Avenues Longchamp.
Go to the beach
Regardless of Marseille being such a large city, there are still plenty of opportunities to sunbathe and relax next to the azure Meditteranean waters along the Cote d’Azur. You can head to Plage du Prophète or Plage des Catalans, take a stroll along La Corniche or head to Les Thermes Marins Promicea for a soak in the hot springs. A little further afield is Les Goudes, a gorgeous seaside fishing village. However, without a car it’s a bit of a pain to get to (over an hour on public transport).
Take a day trip to Cassis
A day trip to Cassis and the calanques was actually the reason we visited Marseille in the first place. The calanques are located within a national park but are surprisingly easy to access. A calanque is a natural inlet surrounded by steep rocky outcrops. The calanques at Cassis have impressive limestone jutting out over turquoise water. It is one of the most beautiful landscapes we saw while visiting the south of France.
How to get there
You will need to take the train from Marseille St-Charles to Cassis which takes 24 minutes and will cost €6.50 for an adult each way. Once you arrive at Cassis station there are shuttle buses to the town centre which takes 15 minutes and will cost you €2 each way (you pay the driver when you hop on). You can walk if you want to but it will take you 45 minutes and will be along narrow windy roads. You will get a walk in later, so we suggest you take the bus!
What to do in Cassis
Walk around the town and port
The bus will drop you off in town and it’s worth taking some time to look around this beautiful village. If you’re prepared to do the extra bit of travel from Marseille, we actually suggest you stay in Cassis instead of Marseille. For two nights we think it’s worth the extra time. Cassis is so much more charming than Marseille. If you’re visiting on a Wednesday or a Friday there will be a quaint little market in the centre of town between 8.00am and 1:00pm. Be sure to pick up some lunch from a bakery here before you start to walk out towards the calanques.
Go for a swim at Plage du Bestouan
This beach has the easiest access to the water in the area. Further up the calanques, the coast is mostly rocky with no real beaches. We made the mistake of stopping at Same Same Beach Bar. This was without a doubt the most expensive Aperol Spritz of my life. We would suggest you skip it and just spend some time on the pretty little public beach here, Plage du Bestouan. This tiny pebble beach is very beautiful with a great atmosphere.
Walk to Calanque de Port-Miou
It’s only a 25 minute walk from Cassis to the beginning of Calanque de Port-Miou. From here you can hire kayaks or canoes from Destination Calanques Kayak Marseille Cassis from €40 for a half day trip (either 9am to 12pm or 1pm to 4pm). If you’re keen to keep walking, continue along the Sentier du Petit Prince which will take you to the end of the calanque to where there is a nudist beach. If you would rather not do the walk then you can book a boat tour from Marseille (such as this one for €75). But be warned you will need to book in advance for this if you’re visiting in the summer! We left this decision to the last moment and missed out.
Marseille France travel guide - Where to stay in Marseille
Try and find accommodation in the 1st, 2nd, 6th or 7th arrondissement close to the old port. It’s the area around the old port that is the safest, and it’s also where the majority of tourist sites are. As you’re only going to be here for a couple of days it’s worth being central!
The 1st arrondissement near the old port is best for those looking to stay in the heart of the city. It is probably the best location for those visiting Marseille for the first time. There’s so much happening in this area that you won’t have to venture too far out if you don’t want to and there’s no chance of you running out of things to do.
The 2nd arrondissement (but still close to the port) is the most convenient location for those most interested in museums and history. It’s also closer to the train station than the 1st arrondissement. Marseille is the oldest city in France and one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city is located in the 2nd arr., Le Panier.
For those looking for a bit of nightlife then the 6th arr. is perfect. The area of Notre Dame du Mont, and Jean Jaures Square in particular, is where you should head to experience the nightlife of Marseille.
The 7th arr. is best for those more interested in visiting the city beaches. Located on the coastline just south of Marseille, it’s still very close to the city but with sweeping views and in close proximity to Calanques National Park.
Vallon des Auffres
Marseille France travel guide - How to get to Marseille
From Nice
We visited Marseille as part of a 10 day south of France trip where we made Nice our home base and did day trips. We caught the train to Marseille where we stayed for two nights. In our opinion this was the perfect amount of time. From Nice it’s a 3 hour train ride. We used the Trainline app to book our tickets and suggest you do the same to check times that suit you best and book ahead. Prices between Nice and Marseille vary a lot between €25 and €45 each way. There are buses as well that are cheaper. However, they leave from the airport and will add another half an hour at least to your journey each way. You’ll find options for the buses on the Trainline app too.
From elsewhere in Europe
A major plus is that Marseille is very connected to the rest of Europe by rail. There are overland connections from all over Europe. For example it only takes 3.5 hours to reach Marseille from Paris.
From outside of the EU
Marseille has an international airport that is serviced by over half a dozen airlines, though primarily these airlines only service Europe. If you’re flying in from outside of Europe you will likely need a flight connection in either London or Paris.
By car
We would suggest that you avoid driving into Marseille if you can. Parking can cost up to €30 a day in the city centre. And frankly you just don’t need a car to explore the city and nearby areas anyway. The only exception would be more remote areas such as Les Goudes, or if you’re planning a bigger trip through Provence. But if you’re only looking at traveling along the coast of the Cote d’Azur you will be able to get around exclusively by train. Often much quicker than what driving would take you.
Palais Longchamp
Marseille France travel guide - Getting around Marseille
Most of the tourist attractions are quite close together and so getting around on foot is very doable. Just be sure to plan out your route each day so that you’re not going from one side of the city to the other. For example, Palais Longchamp is a 50 minute walk to Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde which you obviously want to avoid. Instead, group attractions together depending on where they’re located. We provided a map earlier in this guide that covers all of the highlights of the city. You can use this to plan out your days in Marseille.
In cases where you can’t avoid it and you need to cover longer distances, there are also the metro and tram lines. The metro costs €1.50 for a single trip or €4.80 for a family of 4. You can find all ticket prices and routes here. It will cost you €24 for a 24 hour city pass. We strongly suggest that you don’t pay this. Chances are you won’t get your money’s worth considering how close most attractions are.
There are also city bikes you can hire for SO CHEAP at €1 a week from any of the 130 bike stations located across the city.
Marseille France travel guide - When to visit
We visited in August and honestly I wouldn’t suggest it. It’s very hot and France isn’t made for the heat. Between the hot trains, the beaches without shade and all of the outdoor eateries, Marseille would be much nicer in June or September. There are obviously crowds in summer, but we didn’t find them so bad. In fact, the crowds create a great atmosphere in Marseille and add to the European summer vibe. Some of the trains got a bit uncomfortably packed but we didn’t struggle with anything else.
If you are visiting in the summer be sure to book restaurants ahead of time, like you would for anywhere in Europe. Between November and May a lot of tour operators, beach clubs and some restaurants will be closed. The weather will still be pleasant though, you will just have a quieter time and will have to plan ahead more to make sure what you want to do is possible.
Thanks for stopping by!
We hope we’ve inspired you to plan a visit to Marseille in the south of France this summer! Marseille is a perfect stop any South of France travel itinerary. We have also created an incredibly detailed 10 day South of France guide which includes Marseille. If you’re heading to Nice before of after Marseille (which you absolutely should if you have the time), we also have a detailed guide to Nice, and a guide on the best day trips from Nice.
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