5 days in Cannes

Day by day

1. Day 1: Boulevard de la Croisette and Palais des Festivals et des Congrès

   Boulevard de la Croisette, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and La Malmaison, then Vieux Port and Quai Saint-Pierre in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Boulevard de la Croisette

      Grab one of the free blue chairs along the promenade at sunset, when the light turns the Esterel hills across the bay red. (1–2 hours, free).

   2. Late morning

      Palais des Festivals et des Congrès

      Ask at the tourist office inside about guided tours of the Palais, which take you behind the scenes of the Lumière auditorium on certain dates. (30–60 minutes, free).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Socca

      Stalls around Marché Forville in the morning; eat it straight from the paper while it is hot.

   4. Afternoon

      La Malmaison

      Check what is showing before you go; it closes between exhibitions. (1 hour, low cost).

   5. Evening

      Vieux Port and Quai Saint-Pierre

      Watch the evening pétanque games on the Allées de la Liberté before dinner on the quay.

2. Day 2: Le Suquet old town and Musée des Explorations du Monde

   Le Suquet old town, Musée des Explorations du Monde and Marché Forville, then Rue du Docteur Monod and Forville in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Le Suquet old town

      Climb up via Rue Saint-Antoine and come down the stairways on the seaward side towards the Plage du Midi. (1–2 hours, free).

   2. Late morning

      Musée des Explorations du Monde

      Save the tower climb for the end of your visit and time it for late afternoon, when the bay is at its clearest. (1–1.5 hours, low cost).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pan bagnat

      Bakeries in the centre and around Marché Forville; buy one before catching the boat to the islands.

   4. Afternoon

      Marché Forville

      Go before 11am, when the fish stalls are at their fullest, and buy picnic supplies for an island trip. (1 hour, free).

   5. Evening

      Rue du Docteur Monod and Forville

      A strip of small bars beside Marché Forville that fills with a local crowd on summer evenings and spills onto the street.

3. Day 3: Île Sainte-Marguerite and Île Saint-Honorat and Lérins Abbey

   Île Sainte-Marguerite, Île Saint-Honorat and Lérins Abbey and Underwater eco-museum, then La Croisette in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Île Sainte-Marguerite

      Take a picnic and walk the shoreline path to the quieter southern coves facing Saint-Honorat. (Half a day, low cost).

   2. Late morning

      Île Saint-Honorat and Lérins Abbey

      Dress modestly and keep noise down; this is a working monastery, and the island is calmest on weekdays. (Half a day, low cost).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bouillabaisse

      Seafood restaurants on Quai Saint-Pierre and around the Vieux Port; ask whether it is made to order.

   4. Afternoon

      Underwater eco-museum

      Bring your own snorkel and water shoes; the shore is rocky and there is nowhere to hire equipment on the island. (1 hour, free).

   5. Evening

      La Croisette

      Palace-hotel bars, beach clubs with evening DJs and the Casino Barrière in the Palais des Festivals.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Antibes and Juan-les-Pins

   About 10–15 minutes by train each way. Getting there: TER train from Gare de Cannes.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Antibes and Juan-les-Pins

      About 10–15 minutes by train (TER train from Gare de Cannes); about 11 km.

   2. Day

      Antibes and Juan-les-Pins

      Antibes has ramparts above the sea, a morning Provençal market on Cours Masséna and the Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi, where Picasso worked in 1946. Best for culture, couples and beach.

   3. Evening

      Back in Cannes

      Dinner: try Pissaladière.

5. Day 5: Plage du Midi and Musée Bonnard

   Plage du Midi, Musée Bonnard and Russian Orthodox Church of Saint-Michel-Archange, then Pointe Croisette in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Plage du Midi

      Come in the late afternoon, when the sun sets over the Esterel directly in front of the beach. (Half a day, free).

   2. Late morning

      Musée Bonnard

      Combine it with a wander through the old streets of Le Cannet and lunch on Rue Saint-Sauveur. (1–1.5 hours, mid-priced).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pissaladière

      Bakeries and market stalls; a good choice for a picnic on Île Sainte-Marguerite.

   4. Afternoon

      Russian Orthodox Church of Saint-Michel-Archange

      Visitors are welcome outside services; cover shoulders and keep quiet inside. (30 minutes, free).

   5. Evening

      Pointe Croisette

      The Palm Beach casino and late-night venues on the headland by Port Pierre Canto.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 5 nights, La Croisette keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Le Suquet ($$$) suits couples, food lovers and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 18–25 hours of visiting over 5 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Cannes
• 2 days in Cannes
• 3 days in Cannes

Questions travellers ask