Marseille in 1 Day: all you need to know

A large part of the best things to see and do in Marseille have to do with exploring the city as a tourist destination as well as enjoying its culture and gastronomy. Fortunately, it is also a city that allows you to explore a good part of its attractions in a very short time.

So the best thing you can do to ensure a successful visit to this part of the French Mediterranean is to keep reading this publication, as there are a series of plans and activities strategically organised for you to explore a good part of the city and get to know the things to see and do in Marseille.

The best thing you can do to speed up the process of getting from Marseille Airport to the city centre is to have decided on the transport you're going to take. There are buses that leave from the airport terminal and will take you directly to the Saint Charles train station or there is also a rail link that connects the two sites in about an hour.

Taking a taxi could also be a good option, but it will definitely be more expensive than the other two alternatives. At the same time, it can also present serious delays depending on the traffic on the road from the airport to the city centre of Marseille.

So a trip by public transport will always be the most economical and favourable alternative. At the same time, it is also important to familiarise yourself with the alternatives for getting out of Marseille, as understanding how to get from Marseille to Avignon is an excellent idea. Especially if this nearby community is the next destination of your trip in the South of France.

Keep in mind that Avignon may very well be a short stop of a few hours while you then take another train to another nearby town in the same region of Provence.

On the other hand, when you arrive in the city of Marseille, you will probably arrive at the train station or bus station, both of which are located in the same building known as Saint Charles station.

What I suggest is that you take a taxi, which should cost you no more than €10, and head straight to Le Panier, which is the oldest neighbourhood in the city and right in the tourist heart of Marseille. It's a neighbourhood with steep, narrow streets that boasts some of the city's greatest historical and architectural treasures, as well as a diverse and interesting gastronomic offer.

Its streets, both those near the Old Port Marina and the city's cathedral, are lined with cafés that offer you the experience of an authentic Marseille breakfast.

The best thing to do is to sit down for a coffee and a hearty breakfast and then take a stroll through the streets of this neighbourhood. If you are lucky enough to have a four-day trip to Marseille, you can enjoy a much more thorough tour of this area, which is full of historic buildings and commercial establishments.

You'll notice that this authentic neighbourhood is located right next to what is known as the old port of Marseille, in fact, it is part of that group of neighbourhoods that make up what is known as the old city of Marseille.

After wandering through the old streets you need to head towards the westernmost end of the port to visit the main sights of this part of the city. This is where most of the best boat tours of Marseille depart from .

Marseille has the peculiarity that several of its most important museums, as well as its most important historical buildings, are located in an area no more than a kilometre around. In fact, several of these sites are located next to each other and are connected by footbridges that make the visit easier for tourists.

Afterwards, leave the area and start to explore other neighbourhoods that are a little less flashy and less typical of visitors' itineraries. Which is exactly what you will do as soon as you have spent the last few hours of your morning with a quick visit to the following attractions.

The MuCEM

The MuCEM is the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. It stands out in the landscape of the old port of Marseille because it is a large semi-rectangular cube right next to a fortification that contrasts sharply with the modernity of this building.

You should know that it is one of the top 10 museums in Marseille and for many specialists it is one of the most important cultural institutions in France.

It has several permanent exhibitions and touring it in its entirety is something that won't take you more than an hour if you do it quickly.

• Prices: Tickets cost around 10 euros per person.
• Opening hours: open every day except Tuesdays from 10am to 6pm.

Fort Saint-Jean

Right next to the MuCEM is the Fort Saint-Jean, a fortification that stands in the old port of Marseille at the entrance to its marina, which today serves as a mooring for hundreds of sailing boats and catamarans.

At the time of its construction during the 16th century it was a building that served the purpose of ensuring the security of the port of Marseille, which historically has been one of the most prosperous and important on the south coast of France.

Today it is a site that you should not miss even on a short one-day visit to this city for the fact that it is one of the best things to do with children in Marseille. Moreover, it is completely free to enter the site and there is a 150 m long walkway that connects the MuCEM directly to the fort.

The Palais du Pharo

This palace from a certain point of view can be considered to be right next to Fort Saint-Jean. However, if you walk, you will have to go to the other end of the port and then return to the same side, just like walking a complete U.

Either way, this is a walk that will take you no more than 15 minutes and is ideal for you to enjoy the most touristic area of the city. When you have finished it, you will be in front of what was once a palace built by Napoleon Bonaparte and which has one of the most beautiful gardens in Marseille.

Today it is the headquarters of a university, but this does not detract from the fact that it is one of the most imposing and important buildings in the city.

And the privileged views it offers of the bay and the port are a must-see before you start exploring other areas of the city with the other plans I've prepared for you.

• Prices: Touring the university campus, the area around the palace and its respective park is completely free.
• Opening hours: The area usually receives visitors every day of the week from 7am to 7pm.

By the time you have finished your visit to the Palais du Pharo, it will probably be 1pm or a little after midday. It is therefore an excellent idea to take a taxi, which will take no more than 10 minutes to take you right to the centre of the Prefecture district. This is a central neighbourhood named after the building that was built for the prefecture of the city during the second Napoleonic empire.

The area is full of buildings dating from the second half of the 19th century and the palace of the Prefecture of the Bouches-du-Rhône is the real star of the streets. Exploring the area is an excellent idea, especially as it can show you the best of the architecture that developed throughout the city in the century of Marseille's modernisation.

You can stroll through the bohemian and eclectic Noailles district, less than two streets away from this palace. Its narrow, cobbled alleyways are one of the best examples of the identity of 21st century Marseille. So you can't miss it to understand why people who visit this city are fascinated by its culture and its gastronomy.

In fact, a tour of these two areas is one of the best things to do in Marseille in summer because it is an area that comes alive from a commercial and touristic point of view at this time of the year. This makes it even more interesting for those who take on the task of investigating which corners contain the true essence of what Marseille is for its inhabitants.

Take the opportunity to have lunch at Cours Julien

Knowing that you are in Noailles at a time of day when the Marseillais usually have lunch, I can't help but recommend that you visit the most important public square for the local gastronomic scene. This is the Cours Julien and is located right in the heart of this neighbourhood.

This is a long street that opens onto a square with a small public park and is lined with cafés, restaurants, galleries and bars, which create a very interesting and bustling atmosphere throughout the day.

Most of Marseille' s best food tours usually stop in this area. So don't hesitate to try some of the local gastronomy in one of these charming establishments.

Marseille' s metro is pretty decent for a city with less than 1 million inhabitants, so on your one-day visit to the city you can't miss it to move between must-see tourist destinations.

If you're on Cours Julian you'll only have to walk a couple of metres to Notre-Dame Du Mont station and from there you'll travel to Calletane station where you'll change from the red line to the blue line. That's to travel in the direction of Cinq Avenues Longchamp station.

This metro journey will take you less than 20 minutes in total and means that by about 3:30 or 4pm you could be at the Palais Longchamp.

This site is one of the most important attractions in the city. It was built during the 19th century as a water palace that served as the main headquarters of Marseille's public water supply centre.

Visit the Museum of Fine Arts of Marseille

Today the palace is home to the city's Museum of Fine Arts as well as the Museum of Natural History and either can be the next activity on your sightseeing itinerary. Entry to both sites is completely free and the best thing about it is that touring them won't take you too long, thus completing your visit to the palace.

Also, note that around these museums is the palace park, which offers you the ideal opportunity to rest for a couple of minutes under the shade of the trees before continuing with the rest of your sightseeing itinerary.

When you have finished visiting the Longchamp Palace and its museums, you will still have a couple of hours of sunshine left. The next plan I suggest is to take a taxi directly to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, which is a religious building that stands on the highest point of the city and offers incredible panoramic views of the whole city.

It is a site that is always part of the best tours of Marseille and for this reason you should not miss it even if you have a visit of less than 48 hours to the city.

In fact, if you find yourself at the top or on one of the steps leading up to it at sunset, you are one of the lucky ones of your day's sightseeing in Marseille.

Depending on who your companions are, as well as the amount of energy you have available, you will probably still be interested in enjoying the Marseille night. At the same time, the fact that you are in the basilica for the evening is quite convenient. The Saint Victor district is located right next to it.

This extends from the slopes of the hill to the old port of the city and has a wide variety of restaurants with an excellent culinary offer. It is particularly noted for having several bars and nightclubs with one of the best nightlife scenes in Marseille.

The area in general is one of the favourite places for both tourists and Marseille locals to enjoy themselves at night. Best of all, there are several accommodation options in and around the neighbourhood to help you sleep and recharge your batteries before your next trip the following day.

At this point it would be wise to consider some of the best Provence excursions from Marseille. Even more so knowing that this region of France still has a lot to offer you with its characteristic natural and architectural beauty.