One day in Marseille

Day by day

1. Day 1: Notre-Dame de la Garde and Vieux-Port

   Notre-Dame de la Garde, Vieux-Port, Abbaye Saint-Victor and MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean, then Cours Julien in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Notre-Dame de la Garde

      Take bus 60 or the tourist train up from the Vieux-Port, then walk down through the quiet streets towards the Abbaye Saint-Victor. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Vieux-Port

      Come before about 10am to see the fish market at its liveliest, then ride the cross-harbour ferry for a few euros. Allow 1–2 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bouillabaisse

      Seafood restaurants around the Vallon des Auffes, the Corniche and the Vieux-Port; some ask you to order a day ahead.

   4. Afternoon

      Abbaye Saint-Victor

      Buy navettes at the historic bakery a few steps away, which has been baking them since the late 18th century. Allow 45 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean

      Even without a museum ticket, cross the footbridge to the fort for sunset views; the rooftop terrace has a café. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Cours Julien

      Explore the side streets such as Rue des Trois Rois and the stairs down to Rue d'Aubagne for the densest street art.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Vieille Charité (Le Panier): The courtyard and chapel are free to see; buy a museum ticket only if the archaeology collections interest you.
• Swap in Palais Longchamp (Longchamp): The fountain and gardens are free; the natural history museum is a good rainy-day stop with children.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–9 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Metro. Line M1 runs from Gare Saint-Charles to the Vieux-Port and Castellane, while line M2 runs from La Joliette through Gare Saint-Charles and Noailles to Castellane and Rond-Point du Prado.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Marseille
• 3 days in Marseille
• 5 days in Marseille

Questions travellers ask