How To Make The Most Of One Day In Marseille

If you’re visiting the South of France, one day in Marseille should definitely be added to your itinerary. Despite having a shaky past, Marseille has been on an upward trend since 2013. 

A day trip to Marseille is the best way to see the city. You’ll have enough time to learn about its history, fall in love with the spectacular views, and never feel unsafe for a second. 

You should leave wanting more, and a day in Marseille is the perfect way to do that!

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Day Trip To Marseille: How To Get There

Marseille France is very easy to get to because it’s accessible by car, train, bus, plane, and even some organized tours!

Depending on where you’re coming from in the South of France, a different mode of transportation might be best for you but I’ll go over each one…

By Car: Drive To Marseille One Day

I actually vote heavily against driving to Marseille. Even though you can technically drive to Marseille, doesn’t mean you should!

Our Airbnb hosts for our place in Aix had family in Marseille and they said they never drive to Marseille.

Let’s just say Aix doesn’t have great driving (I mean the city wasn’t exactly built for cars), and they said Marseille was even worse!

So we didn’t even attempt to rent a car and drive there.

But if you already have a car, and what to use it, I recommend parking outside the city and finding a different way to get into the city centre.

For example, park at the train station, from there you can walk to the city centre (about 20 minutes all the way to the Marseille old port).

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Taking The Train Or Bus On A Day Trip To Marseille

The train and bus station are both at Gare St Charles in Marseille. Both are great options for getting to Marseille (depending on where you’re coming from).

Typically taking the bus will be cheaper than the train and in our case it was even faster (the bus took only 30 minutes!).

We took the bus from Aix-en-Provence to Marseille and it could not have been easier. Buses left every 10 minutes during popular times so we didn’t have to worry too much about planning.

The one you choose will ultimately depend on accessibility of where you’re coming from. You can plan your route and find the best option through Rome2Rio.

Tips For Taking The Bus From Aix-en-Provence To Marseille One Day

Buses leave every 5-10 minutes, and take 30 to 50 minutes (traffic dependent). The departure times are also early and late enough so you have a good amount of time to explore the city.

They leave as early as 8:00 A.M from Aix and continue leaving consistently until 8:40 at night from Marseille.

You can buy your ticket on the bus, or in the bus station. Just make sure to buy a return ticket (ask for allez-retour) there’s a big discount when you buy them together.

Organized Day Trips To Marseille

One of the easiest (and more brainless) ways to go on a day trip to Marseille is on an organized tour.

Viator offers exceptional organized tours, which you can see the updated tours they’re offering now to Marseille.

One of the easiest day trips is to visit from Aix-en-Provence, book this half day tour with Viator to visit all the must-see of the city.

How To Get Around Marseille: Public Transit

Now that you’ve made it to Marseille, you have to get around in the city itself.

The main points of interest are all within walking distance of each other, except for two: the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde and Palais de Longchamp.

But don’t worry, they’re popular enough destinations that you can take public transit and still feel safe in Marseille.

Don’t worry the bus is really easy to use! You can buy a bus ticket directly from the driver for €2 (and don’t worry if you don’t have exact change, the driver will give you).

You can also buy a 24 hour City Pass, which includes unlimited public transport, and entrance to certain activities.

Suggested Itinerary For One Day In Marseille

One day in Marseille France is more than enough to see the main sights, and even visit a museum, or two!

Here’s my suggested itinerary for how to make the most of a day inMarseille.

Only A Day In Marseille: Spend The Morning On A Walking Tour

I recommend planning to arrive in the city no later than 9:00 A.M. Remember, you only have one day in Marseille, you want to have as much of that one day as possible!

Your morning on a day trip to Marseille France should be all about exploring the city centre and the Marseille Old Port. I find the the best way to explore any new city is through a walking tour.

A walking tour is the best way to see and learn the most about Marseille in the shortest amount of time. 

We’re big fans of free walking tours with the “tip what you want mentality”. We found Free Walking Tours Marseille and were not disappointed, you can also book this walking tour through Viator.

Your guide will take you everywhere important in the city and you can ask any questions about the city that you may have. I also like to use this as an opportunity to ask a local their favourite spots in the city.

A Day In Marseille: Explore The Old Port

The Old Port in Marseille is THE main spot to visit and hands down the best place in the entire city. I could have spend my entire day trip to Marseille just hanging out here.

It’s very calming to walk along the water, enjoying the view of the boats with the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde towering over in the background.

If there’s anything going on in the city when you’re visiting, this is also most likely where it will be. When we visited In December, this is where they hold their annual Christmas market and set up a fair.

There are also restaurants here, which makes it a good spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (again with some of the best views in the entire city!).

Discover Greek Archeological Ruins In Marseille France

This is one of the coolest and most out of place things you’ll see in Marseille France.

There’s an Old Greek archeological site in front of the new Marseille History Museum. You can see these ruins for free as it’s part of the Museums permanent collection!

But what’s so crazy about these ruins is that they only discovered they were discovered underneath an old parking lot!

See The Oldest Building In Marseille: Hôtel de Cabres

A somewhat hidden gem is the Hôtel de Cabre, and should definitely not be missed on a day in Marseille.

Hôtel de Cabre is actually the oldest building in the Marseille, dating back to the 1500s.

It’s actually been moved from its original location after WWII due to the expansion of the road. In order to preserve the building, it was moved up one block and even rotated 90 degrees.

You can see proof of the move by looking at the street signs on the building. There should be an old and a new street sign for rue de la Bonneterie.

It’s a bit of a shame though because this historical building isn’t used for much now except for a hair salon on the firs floor… 

Visit Le Panier (& Place des Moulins) Neighbourhood

One of the main things to do during one day in Marseille is to walk through Le Panier neighbourhood and go to Place des Moulins.

Nowadays, Le Panier is a well regarded neighbourhood in Marseille as an artist hub with local galleries and shops. It’s a favourite amongst Instagramers for the colourful homes and graffiti to photograph.

But this wasn’t always the case…

Places des Moulins (windmill place) in Le Panier actually had 15 windmills in the square. When they tore down the windmills, they built the homes you see today and it was the poorest part of the city.

In those homes, locals made heroine and supplied 85% of the United States market. Fun stuff right!?

This neighbourhood was still a bit on the run down side for me, but still worth a walk through to see. This is also a good place to go shopping for a Provence souvenir.

Visit The Marseille New Port: Cathedral La Major, Mucem, & Fort Saint-Jean

Yes, Marseille actually has two ports: the Old Port and the New Port (which isn’t that new either!).

Although the views from the New Port are nowhere near as good as those from the Marseille Old Port it’s still worth visiting.

At the Marseille New Port you’ll find the Cathedral La Major, Mucem, and Fort Saint-Jean.

Cathedral La Major is one of the largest churches in France, and that’s probably because at one point it was two separate churches. The size actually rivals that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. You can enter the Cathedral for free to admire the architecture and impressive materials used to make this majestic Cathedral.

If you walk a bit further you’ll reach Mucem and Fort Saint-Jean. Mucem is the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean.

Just after the museum is Fort Saint-Jean, the old fortification walls of Marseille, they actually signal the start of the Marseille Old Port (and you’ll get some great views from here!). You can enter the Fort Saint-Jean as a part of Mucem.

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Visiting The Basilica Notre Dame De La Garde: A Day In Marseille

Even though the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde is a bit more difficult to get to, it’s a must-do on a day trip to Marseille, even if you aren’t interested in the church itself (I wasn’t!).

The Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde is the building you see towering over the Marseille Old Port on top of the mountain.

So needless to say, the views from the top are pretty spectacular, and that’s why you need to come here! You can enjoy almost 360-degree views of Marseille, seeing all the way around the city, to the island d’If, and the surrounding mountains.

Side note: I was happy to see that there are free bathrooms to use at the top as well, in case you were worried!

How To Get From Marseille To The Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde

You have two options for getting from the Marseille city centre to the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde.

Your first option is to walk uphill for about 30 minutes, but it’s not the nicest walk and it can get quite steep.

Instead, your second option (which I recommend, especially if you’re tight for time with only a day in Marseille) is to take the bus (the 60) to the top and then walk back down (or take the bus back down).

Of course, you can also take a taxi to the top and back.

The 60 bus in Marseille comes every 15 minutes, there are stops all along the port that you can get on at. You’re getting off at the last stop so the ride will take about 15 minutes.

The bus costs about €2 and you can buy a ticket from the driver. Don’t worry if you don’t have exact change, they’ll give you.

The Walk Back Down From Basilica Notre Dame De La Garde (Optional)

Of course, you can take the same bus (the 60) back down the hill but I recommend walking back down to the Marseille Old Port through Vallons Des Auffres.

If you’re up for it, it’s a 30-minute walk downhill and then another 30 minutes to get back to the Marseille Old Port. You can also skip a bulk of the walk downhill by taking the 80 bus if you’d rather.

The walk will start at the front of the church where you’ll find stairs alongside the rocks of the mountainside.

Then you’ll be walking through the suburbs of Marseille, you want to end up at La Corniche street. It’s a bigger shopping street that turns into a coastal walk that will lead you to Vallons des Auffres…

Visit Vallons Des Auffres Marseille

Vallons des Aufres is a small fishing village just outside the city centre in Marseille France.

This can either be a quick photo op stop (on the bridge where you’ll see the Basilica towering above the town) or you can go down into the village itself. 

Across the street, you might also notice stone gates. It’s a monument for French Soldiers that died in North Africa and Indochina.

Continuing Your Walk From The Basilica Back To The Marseille Old port

After Vallons des Auffres, you’ll continue to walk along La Corniche which turns into Blvd Charles Livon and will take you all way back to the Marseille Old Port.

Along your walk back, you’ll walk by the beach, the University, Fort Saint-Nicolas, and Abbaye Saint-Victor. So keep an eye out for those points of interest!

If you’re feeling a bit peckish at any point there are a few places you can stop at.

If you want a meal overlooking the water,  stop at Le Petit Pavillon. Otherwise, if you want a fast pick me up, stop for coffee and pastry at the Welcome Cafe, or Boulangerie Patisserie Du Pharo.

If you were looking to bring back some Marseille Navettes, there’s no better place to pick them up than at Four des Navettes along your route.

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What To do In Marseille For One Day: Enjoy Apéritif Time

When you’re only spending one day in Marseille, enjoy an aperitif, and then head back to your base city. This way, you don’t have to stay too late in Marseille. And don’t worry, this is very normal to do in France.

In France, people eat dinner later, I’m talking only sitting down at around 8:00 P.M. (it took us a long time to get used to this… if we ever really adapted!).

So before dinner, sit down with some wine and a cheese or charcuterie board!

Because you’re only spending one day in Marseille, go for an apéritif somewhere with a view to watch the sunset. 

We went to Le Cavarolle inside the Hotel Bellevue. The restaurant was delightful with a nautical theme. You’ll want to make sure to get there relatively early to get a good seat (like one of the limited seats on the balcony, or by the window).

What You’ll Want To Try For Apéritif in Marseille?

You can order wine from Provence, or try Marseille’s local Apérol (anise flavoured): Pastis de Marseille.

Pastis de Marseille is definitely an acquired taste, and I’ll warn you tastes like a sweeter black liquorice in liquid form. My partner liked it considering he doesn’t usually like liquorice, but I still didn’t.

Should You Visit Château d’If On A Day Trip To Marseille?

You may have heard of Château d’If when researching what to to do in Marseille for one day.

Château d’If is a chateau on the Île d’If just off the coast of Marseille.

It may be worth visiting depending on your interests and the time if year that you’re visiting.

We were visiting Marseille in November, so the island wasn’t recommended to visit by our tour guide because it takes the entire afternoon and Château d’If, in her mind, wasn’t worth it at this time of year.

She said the best part about If Island are the beaches. That’s because they’re a lot less accessible (you need a ferry to get there) which means there a lot less crowded compared to the beaches on the mainland.

Find out more information about Château d’If.

Need A Place To Stay In Marseille? Hotel Recommendations

I went back to my Airbnb in Aix-en-Provence for the night, so I didn’t stay at a hotel in Marseille. But, if you want to enjoy some of the nightlife in Marseille here are some places I would recommend.

Highly Rated Hotel: Maisons du Monde Hôtel & Suites is a beautiful modern and trendy hotel in Marseille’s Old Port. Make sure to book one of the rooms with an incredible view of the port! See room rates & availability.

Balcony Apartment: Opt for a more local stay in Marseille at the Tout le Vélodrome Apartment. It comes with a fully equipped kitchen, and can sleep up to 4 guests. But the real reason to book is for the incredible balcony. See room rates & availability.

Budget Friendly: Hôtel Hermès offers affordable accommodation in Marseille. The real benefit to booking here is the rooftop terrace guests have access to. Plus every room has a partial view of the Old Port! See room rates & availability.

See more Marseille accommodation options on Booking.com or Plum Guide.

My France Day Trip Essentials

Related Posts

• Guide To Driving Through Provence
• Discover Aix-en-Provence: The South of France Hidden Gem
• Why Spend One Day At The Pont du Gard [Road Trip From Aix]

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