Are you planning a visit to Marseille in the south of France? Are you wondering what to see in Marseille? You are in the right place. We spent two days in this vibrant city, and I will tell you all about it in this post and the next one.
We had a fabulous two days in Lyon, but it was time to move on. Our next stop will be Marseille. Check out the Lyon Day 1 and Lyon Day 2 posts on the France page.
We were travelling independently in France with a car as we are confident travellers and speak a bit of the language. However, if you prefer to be part of a tour and to have everything organised for you, I advise you to book a complete tour with Tourradar.
Tourradar has different kinds of tours that will fit your time and budget. If you book it via my links you can get a discount by using this code: RoseG50.
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After breakfast, we checked out of Hotelo Lyon Charité and headed towards Marseille. We drove via the A7, and it took us about three and a half hours to get there. Our hotel in Marseille was Hotel Hèrmes on the Vieux Port.
The Hotel is in an excellent location but has no garage. On arrival, we first unloaded our luggage, and they guided us to a parking garage nearby. The hotel’s communal area, the staff and the breakfast were great, but the room we stayed in was tiny and uncomfortable.
However, it was very good value for money compared with the other hotels in the same location. We were unhappy with the accommodation, but it was not that bad to change hotels at the last minute.
At the end of the day, we would only use the hotel for sleeping as we would be out all the time, so not a major problem.
After check-in, we went out straight away, but before telling you about it, let me tell you …
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MARSEILLE
Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille is the second-most populated city in France after Paris. Marseille was founded by the Greeks in 600 BC, making it the oldest city in France.
Marseille managed to keep its independence for a long time but in 49 BC it lost its independence during Caesar’s Civil War and the Gallo-Roman culture started.
Marseille was an important maritime trading hub throughout the centuries and the Port of Marseille (Vieux Port) has been at the heart of Marseille’s identity and development for over 2,600 years.
Its history is deeply intertwined with the city’s role as a vital hub for trade, exploration, and cultural exchange, making it one of the most historically significant ports in Europe.
Marseille strategic location made it a centre for trade and cultural exchange throughout its history, attracting influences from Greece, Rome, and beyond. Today, this multicultural heritage is reflected in the city’s architecture, cuisine, and vibrant local traditions.
In recent years, Marseille has undergone significant revitalisation. The city now boasts a mix of ancient charm and modern infrastructure, with thriving arts, music, and sports scenes.
VISITING MARSEILLE
It was lunchtime, and we were feeling hungry, so we walked through the centre streets looking for the Epicerie L’Ideal on Rue d’Aubagne.
Below is a map showing the places we visited on our first day in Marseille:
This road is full of restaurants and shops. I read very good reviews about this “Epicerie” (grocery store) that also served lunch in the form of small dishes. It is an Italian deli, and all produce is fresh, prepared on-site and on the day.
We had the most delicious lunch there, and it was good to eat well after having a few disappointments in the last few days.
After lunch, we walked to the Vieux Port again to catch Bus 60 at Quai du Port, which would take us to Notre-Dame de La Garde Basilica on the top of a hill.
The Basilica can be seen from everywhere in the city and sits majestically, watching over all the people of Marseille. From the top of the hill, there are 360-degree panoramic views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Basilica is the most visited monument in Marseille. You can reach the basilica by taking Bus no. 60 like we did, or you can take the “Little Tourist Train”. If you have the stamina and the time, you can also hike to the top.
There is an Urban Hiking Tour that will take you to Notre-Dame de la Garde and other points in the city. You will be with a local guide that will tell you about the history, culture and heritage of Marseille. Book it HERE.
Or you can have a City Highlights Guided Half-Day E-Bike Tour that also includes the Notre-Dame de la Garde. Book this one HERE.
Notre Dame de la Garde (also known as the “Good Mother”) was built on top of an ancient fort. The construction started in 1853 and lasted for 40 years.
It was built in a Roman-Byzantine style and resulted in a beautiful building of important architectural interest. Besides the Neo-Byzantine mosaics, the basilica also has a bell tower with an 11.2-metre statue of the Madonna and Child gilded with gold on top.
There is also a museum within the basilica where you can learn the history of the hill, the basilica and the city of Marseille. There is a lot of information, documents, photos and objects dating back to the time the basilica was constructed.
We admired the outside of the Basilica and the Madonna on top of the tower. We visited the inside and saw the mosaics and other interesting pieces of architecture, such as the crypt and the nave.
After seeing everything, we left and took Bus 60 again in the direction of “Palais du Pharo”.
Palais du Pharo is a building built by Napoleon III for the Empress Eugenie. Built as a “U” shaped building in stone, it refers to classical architecture with its semi-circular windows on the ground floor and arched ones on the upper floors.
Built on a land that dominates the port and offers panoramic views of the coast, the site was perfect for a palace. Nowadays, the palace belongs to the city of Marseille and is used as a venue for congresses and other events.
It is not possible to visit the palace, only its vast 5.7-hectare public garden called Émile Duclaux.
We crossed the garden and walked around the palace until the edge with the sea, where there is a metal sculpture listed as a historical monument called “Monument to the Heroes and Victims of the Sea”.
We sat on one of the benches facing the Old Port, admiring the beautiful views.
Strolling back via the garden, we caught Bus no. 81 and got off at St Victor’s stop. We wanted to visit St Victor Abbey.
St Victor Abbey is a former abbey from the Roman period. The name is after a local soldier, saint and martyr, Victor of Marseille. The site of the Abbey was originally a quarry during the Greek period and a necropolis from 2 BC until the Christian times.
All that remains from the abbey today is the Church of St Victor, rebuilt in 1200, making it an interesting building to visit. Once we were done with the visit, we took Bus 55 back to the Old Port.
Once at the Old Port, we went to the ticket office for tickets to the Île d’If the next day. However, they told us that they were not selling any tickets because the sea was very rough and not in condition for sailing.
We should pop in the next day and see if conditions had improved. Tickets would be suspended until sailing conditions were back to normal. We went to our hotel for some rest and a shower before going out again for dinner.
There is an interesting tour that will take you to the most photogenic spots of Marseille with a local guide. A must for those Instagramable shoots! Book it HERE.
We didn’t have any restaurants booked for that evening and thought about picking up a nice restaurant at the “Vieux Port” as there are plenty of them facing the harbour.
After walking up and down the road looking for a restaurant that we liked, everything seemed very touristy and didn’t inspire a lot of confidence.
We saw one that seemed a bit posh and expensive, but that one was quite busy, and looking at their menu at the door, it had a lot of choices that we liked. So, decided to try this one. It was called “Miramar”. They had bouillabaisse and other local dishes as well as fresh seafood.
My husband doesn’t like bouillabaisse, and I thought it would be too much to order only for me even though they serve per person as well, so I ordered myself the Truffle Risotto and my husband ordered the fish of the day.
My husband’s fish was very good but nothing special, and my risotto, well, was not what I was expecting. It was served with too many truffles on top, very creamy, which made it sickening. I could not eat all of it. We still ordered some desserts, which were fine, but in general, the dinner was very expensive and not worth the money.
As always, the wine was perfect, and we can never go wrong with it when in France.
Below are two reels from The Travelling Surveyor Instagram account with more photos of Marseille. Check it out and follow me on Instagram.
We were very close to our hotel, and soon we were at our room getting ready for bed as the next day was promising to be another exciting day exploring Marseille.
I hope this post will give you some idea of what can be done in a day in Marseille and will help you plan your own visit there.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP
Below you will find a list of what to visit, where to stay and where to eat in Marseille. I classified each place as follows:
BOLD – Visited, tried and recommended
NOT BOLD – Not visited or tried, but planning to visit or try and heard very good reviews
RED – Visited and tried but do not recommend, avoid or be cautious
*** – Excellent
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** – Good
* – OK
£££ – Expensive
££ – Fair and affordable
£ – Cheap
PLEASE NOTE: Every hotel, restaurants and attractions I mention on my blogs are not sponsored reviews and we always paid the full price when visiting. We give our own opinion of the place and detail our experience, good or bad.
WHAT TO SEE
ATTRACTIONS
1 – The “Vieaux Port” – ***
2 – Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde – ***
3 – Palais du Pharo – ***
4 – St Victor Abbey – ***
WHERE TO STAY
ACCOMMODATION
1 – Hôtel Hèrmes – 2* – £
2 – Hotel Marsiho by Happyculture – 3* – ££
3 – Maisons du Monde Hôtel & Suites – 4* – £££
4 – New Hotel Le Quay – 4* – £££
5 – InterContinental Marseille – Hotel Dieu – 5* – £££
6 – Sofitel Marseille Vieux-Port – 5* – £££
If you prefer to look for your own accommodation, search and book via the below widget:
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WHERE TO EAT
RESTAURANTS
1 – Epicerie L’Ideal – *** – £
2 – Miramar – * – £££
3 – Aux Antipodes – ££
4 – Bistro l’Horloge – ££
5 – Une Table au Sud – £££
6 – Restaurant L’Inattendu – ££
If you tried any of my recommendations above, please send me a message and tell me about your experience good or bad, so I can update the list accordingly. Thanks!
If you enjoyed reading this post you might also like to read:
On this trip to France:
1 – Lyon – Day 1
2 – Lyon – Day 2
3 – Marseille – Day 1
4 – Marseille – Day 2 – Coming Soon
5 – Porquerolles Island – Coming Soon
6 – Saint-Tropez/PortGrimaud/Grimaud – Coming Soon
7 – Cannes – Coming Soon
8 – Monaco – Coming Soon
9 – Aix-en-Provence – Coming Soon
10 – Arles – Coming Soon
11 – Camargue – Coming Soon
12 – Avignon – Coming Soon
13 – Dijon – Coming Soon
14 – Fontainebleau – Coming Soon
15 – Paris – Day 1 – Coming Soon
16 – Paris – Day 2 – Coming Soon
17 – Paris – Day 3 – Coming Soon
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