Free things to do · Cannes · France
10 free things to do in Cannes
Cannes without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: И. Максим Массалитин, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
You can fill at least 3 days in Cannes without paying an entry fee: Boulevard de la Croisette, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Le Suquet old town and Marché Forville are all free. Avoid the film festival and big trade-fair weeks, when hotel prices can multiply several times.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 10
- Low-cost extras
- 4
- Cost level
- Expensive
- Lowest hotel prices
- January and November
Free sights and experiences
Street · La Croisette
1.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.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Photo spot
Landmark · La Croisette
2.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.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Le Suquet
3.Le Suquet old town
Climb up via Rue Saint-Antoine and come down the stairways on the seaward side towards the Plage du Midi.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Market · Le Suquet
4.Marché Forville
Go before 11am, when the fish stalls are at their fullest, and buy picnic supplies for an island trip.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
Experience · Lérins Islands
5.Underwater eco-museum
Bring your own snorkel and water shoes; the shore is rocky and there is nowhere to hire equipment on the island.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Active
- Art
- Outdoors
- Kids
Waterfront · Le Suquet
6.Vieux Port and Quai Saint-Pierre
Watch the evening pétanque games on the Allées de la Liberté before dinner on the quay.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- After dark
- Photo spot
Beach · La Bocca
7.Plage du Midi
Come in the late afternoon, when the sun sets over the Esterel directly in front of the beach.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Religious site · La Californie
8.Russian Orthodox Church of Saint-Michel-Archange
Visitors are welcome outside services; cover shoulders and keep quiet inside.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Street · Centre and Rue d'Antibes
9.Rue Meynadier
Pick up fresh pasta and Provençal olive oil here to take home.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Free
Experience · Centre and Rue d'Antibes
10.Cinema murals walk
Pick up the mural map at the tourist office in the Palais and walk the central section in about an hour.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
- Kids
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| La Croisette | Boulevard de la Croisette and Palais des Festivals et des Congrès | 1–2 hours + 30–60 minutes |
| Le Suquet | Le Suquet old town, Marché Forville and Vieux Port and Quai Saint-Pierre | 1–2 hours + 1 hour + 1 hour |
| Lérins Islands | Underwater eco-museum | 1 hour |
| La Bocca | Plage du Midi | Half a day |
| La Californie | Russian Orthodox Church of Saint-Michel-Archange | 30 minutes |
| Centre and Rue d'Antibes | Rue Meynadier and Cinema murals walk | 45 minutes + 1–2 hours |
Worth a small ticket
Museum · Le Suquet
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.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
- Art
Island · Lérins Islands
Île Sainte-Marguerite
Take a picnic and walk the shoreline path to the quieter southern coves facing Saint-Honorat.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
- Nature
Religious site · Lérins Islands
Île Saint-Honorat and Lérins Abbey
Dress modestly and keep noise down; this is a working monastery, and the island is calmest on weekdays.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Nature
Gallery · La Croisette
La Malmaison
Check what is showing before you go; it closes between exhibitions.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
More ways to save
- Avoid the film festival and big trade-fair weeks, when hotel prices can multiply several times.
- Stay in the centre near the station, in La Bocca or in Le Cannet for much lower hotel prices than on the Croisette.
- Use the free public beaches (Plage du Midi, Plage Macé, Plage Gazagnaire) instead of paying for a sunbed.
- Picnic from Marché Forville and the bakeries of Rue Meynadier rather than eating on the seafront.
- Take the train for day trips; it is quicker and cheaper than parking in Nice or Monaco.
- Eat your main meal at lunchtime, when set menus cost far less than dinner.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Cannes expensive to visit?
Cannes is expensive for most visitors, but 10 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Cannes?
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.