Flight time
2h 00m
Best season
April–June & September–October
Budget
Budget to mid-range
Best for
Seafood, Calanques, MuCEM, multicultural energy
Overview
Why Marseille for a city break?
Marseille is France's most misunderstood city and, once understood, one of its most compelling. The oldest city in France (founded by the Greeks around 600 BC), the largest port in the Mediterranean, and the most genuinely multicultural city in the country — Marseille is raw, proud and extraordinarily alive. The Calanques (the dramatic limestone fjords beginning immediately outside the city) are among the finest landscapes on the Mediterranean coast. The MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) is one of the finest new museum buildings in Europe. And the bouillabaisse — the Marseille fish stew that is the original and definitive version — is extraordinary.
From London it's two hours — direct flights from several UK airports. Marseille Provence Airport is 30km from the centre (shuttle bus, €10, 25 minutes). The city is best from April to June and September to October: warm enough to swim in the Calanques, cool enough to walk the Corniche, and free of the intense summer heat that arrives in July. The city can feel overwhelming on first encounter; persist, and it will reveal itself to be one of the most rewarding cities in France.
Where to stay & explore
Marseille's best neighbourhoods
Le Panier
The oldest neighbourhood in Marseille — the former Greek settlement on the hill above the Vieux-Port, with a labyrinthine network of lanes, street art, independent boutiques and the finest view of the harbour.
Vieux-Port & the Corniche
The old harbour — the daily fish market, the MuCEM, the Fort Saint-Jean and the coastal road (Corniche Kennedy) running along the cliffs to the Calanques.
Cours Julien & Noailles
Marseille's creative and multicultural heart — the street art of Cours Julien, the North African market of Noailles (the "belly of Marseille"), the finest independent restaurants.
Things to do
What to see in Marseille
1
MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations)
One of the finest museum buildings of the 21st century — Rudy Ricciotti's extraordinary lace-like concrete structure connected by aerial walkway to the medieval Fort Saint-Jean, housing a permanent collection covering the shared civilisations of the Mediterranean world from prehistoric times to the present. The roof terrace and the walkway over the sea give extraordinary views of the Vieux-Port and the Calanques coast. Book online.
2
The Calanques
The Calanques National Park begins 10km from the city centre — a 20km stretch of dramatic limestone cliffs, hidden coves and turquoise sea that is the finest coastal landscape on the French Mediterranean coast. The most accessible by public transport: Calanque de Sormiou (bus 23 from Marseille) and Calanque de Morgiou (bus 22). In summer, vehicle access is restricted — walk from the park entrance (45 minutes each way) or take a boat tour from the Vieux-Port. Swimming in the clear water of the calanques in May or September is extraordinary.
3
Vieux-Port fish market & Notre-Dame de la Garde
The Vieux-Port fish market runs every morning (7–11am) along the Quai des Belges — the fishermen sell directly from their boats: sea bass, mullet, rascasse, cigales de mer (flat lobster). Buy, eat, repeat. Notre-Dame de la Garde — the neo-Byzantine basilica on its 154-metre hill — is a 30-minute walk or bus from the Vieux-Port and gives the finest panorama of Marseille, the islands and the Calanques coast. Free; open daily.
4
Le Panier neighbourhood & the Friche Belle de Mai
Le Panier — the oldest neighbourhood in France — is a maze of narrow lanes rising above the Vieux-Port, with street art (the walls of Le Panier have been painted by major artists for decades), independent boutiques and the extraordinary Centre de la Vieille Charité (a 17th-century poorhouse converted into a museum and cultural centre). The Friche Belle de Mai (a former tobacco factory converted into a massive arts complex) in the north of the city is the finest creative space in Marseille.
Food & drink
Where to eat in Marseille
Chez Fonfon
Bouillabaisse / Vallon des Auffes
The most famous bouillabaisse in Marseille — in the extraordinary little fishing port of the Vallon des Auffes (a tiny harbour tucked under the Corniche, unchanged for a century), Chez Fonfon has been serving the definitive Marseille fish stew since 1952. The rouille on toast, the fennel-scented broth, the fresh Mediterranean fish. A complete bouillabaisse costs around €60 per person — the correct amount for the most important fish dish in France. Book well ahead.
Le Café des Épices
Modern Provençal / Vieux-Port
The finest modern restaurant in central Marseille — Arnaud Carton de Grammont's cooking takes the extraordinary produce of Provence (Camargue rice, Mediterranean fish, Provençal herbs and olive oil) and applies a lightness and creativity that has earned a loyal following. The lunch menu is exceptional value. Book ahead.
Noailles market & souk
North African street food / market
The Noailles neighbourhood — Marseille's "Orient" — is centred on a covered market and the surrounding streets selling North African produce, spices, pastries and street food. The merguez sandwiches, the brik à l'œuf (North African fried egg pastry), the mint tea and the msemmen (pan-fried flatbread) eaten at the market's standing bars are the finest and cheapest lunch in Marseille.
Itinerary
3 days in Marseille — a suggested itinerary
Day 1
Vieux-Port, MuCEM, Le Panier, Vallon des Auffes
Shuttle bus from Marseille Provence Airport to Saint-Charles station (€10, 25 minutes), then Metro to Vieux-Port (5 minutes). The fish market on the Quai des Belges in the morning (go before 10am). MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean (timed entry booked online) — the permanent collection, the aerial walkway, the roof terrace view. Le Panier for the afternoon: the Vieille Charité, the street art, the lanes. Walk south along the Corniche Kennedy to the Vallon des Auffes — the tiny fishing harbour under the Corniche bridge, the most atmospheric corner of Marseille. Chez Fonfon for dinner (booked weeks ahead): bouillabaisse.
Day 2
Calanques by boat or foot, Notre-Dame, Cours Julien
Calanques boat tour from the Vieux-Port at 9am (several operators run 3-hour tours visiting 4–5 calanques, around €30) — the sea view of the limestone cliffs is spectacular. Alternatively: bus 23 to Calanque de Sormiou for the walk down to the cove (45 minutes each way) and a swim in the turquoise water. Return to the city for Notre-Dame de la Garde at 4pm — the panoramic view of Marseille from the basilica terrace at golden hour. Cours Julien in the evening — the street art neighbourhood's independent restaurants and bars. Le Café des Épices if booked.
Day 3
Noailles market, Château d'If, one last pastis
Noailles market in the morning — the North African souk at its best, the merguez sandwich for breakfast, the spice market. Château d'If ferry from the Vieux-Port (€12 return, 15 minutes) — the island fortress where Alexandre Dumas imprisoned Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Cristo, with extraordinary views back to the Marseille skyline. The Frioul archipelago nearby has excellent swimming (combined ticket available). Return to the Vieux-Port for a final pastis (the anise-based aperitif that is Marseille's signature drink) at one of the quayside bars — a pastis with water, the correct ratio, watching the fishing boats and the Bonne Mère basilica above the city. Airport shuttle from Saint-Charles.
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