Stories · France
5 days in Marseille
The story I wish I had read before going.
Marseille is my city, so I tell it the way you talk about home: with its flaws, its light, and the way the sea manages to be everywhere. You come for the Old Port and you stay for the Corniche at the hour the sun drops behind the Frioul islands. Bring walking shoes and a swimsuit in your bag, always.
Day 1 · Museums and culture
In the morning, meet me at Château d'If. Twenty minutes by boat from the Old Port and the prison of Monte Cristo rises on its rock. You look at Marseille from the sea, and the city becomes the backdrop. 4.6 out of 5 across 5,719 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Late morning, head to Fort de Ratonneau. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (438 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or go through Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
After lunch, I make my way to Calanque du Cap Debié. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Marseille is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 2 · Museums and culture
To start, it’s Fort Saint-Jean. The footbridge between the fort and the concrete lace, the hanging garden, the sea all around. Even without entering the exhibitions, the place is a walk in itself. 4.7 out of 5 across 1,654 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or go through Tiqets.
Around noon, head to Cosquer Méditerranée. The kids will still be talking about it weeks later. So will the adults, though they admit it less. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (7,717 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise go through Tiqets.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, head to Place d'Armes. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. 4.6 out of 5 across 523 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or compare on Tiqets.
To end the day, Stade Vélodrome: An OM match on a weeknight is a lesson in anthropology; otherwise the stadium tour explains very well why this city breathes football. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or also check Tiqets.
Day 3 · Day trip
Early in the morning, it’s La Couronne beaches. West of the city, towards Martigues, clear sandy family beaches an hour by train from Saint-Charles. The perfect plan B when the calanques are overrun. Practical: the public-transport route · travellers’ reviews.
Then, head to Calanques of Cassis. From Cassis, the walk to Port-Miou, Port-Pin then En-Vau, or the boat trip if the heat is too much. The water is a colour that exists nowhere else. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Day 4 · Fresh air
In the morning, head to Vue panoramique de Notre-Dame de la Garde. The “Good Mother” watches over everyone here, believers or not. Walk up from the Old Port through the Pierre-Puget garden; the view over the bay, the islands and the rooftops is worth every step. Getting there: here is the route by public transport. To get a feel for it: what visitors say.
Around noon, meet me at Abbaye Saint-Victor. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. 4.6 out of 5 across 3,932 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise also check Tiqets.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
In the afternoon, I make my way to Place Castellane. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise also check Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Marseille does the rest.
Day 5 · With the family
To start, I make my way to Parc national des Calanques. The kids will still be talking about it weeks later. So will the adults, though they admit it less. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (21,210 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Around noon, head to Parc Borély. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. 4.5 out of 5 across 14,261 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
After lunch, meet me at Escaliers du Cours Julien. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or go through Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Marseille does the rest.
If you’re still hungry
Other places I wish I could have fitted in: Le Panier, Marseille Cathedral, Corniche Kennedy, Old Port (Vieux-Port), Palais Longchamp and Parc Émile Duclaux. Slip them in wherever a day feels light.
My advice
The sea shuttle and the little ferry are public transport: use them like a bus.
Bouillabaisse is ordered the day before at the restaurants that take it seriously; otherwise, panisses and pastis at the Vallon des Auffes.
The mistral makes the skies blue and the sea cool: that is not bad news.
And if you go, tell me what you loved. Marseille changes, and so do I.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.