Discover Marseille in 2 days
Are you leaving soon, but you don't know what to do in Marseille? That's good, I wrote a complete article to help you organize your visit 🙂
In general, you will come to visit Marseille for a weekend of two or three days. So it is better to know what to do in Marseille so as not to waste time there!
I therefore suggest that you visit Marseille with my 2 to 3 day itinerary. Let's go !
Where to sleep in Marseille?
To begin this article, if you only stay one night in Marseille, I advise you to stay in the Vieux-Port district.
The place is pleasant in the evening and there are good restaurants.
I recommend two establishments for sleeping in Marseille:
*. If you have the budget, I definitely recommend “La Résidence du Vieux-Port” which is a fabulous hotel. The view and the location are amazing and it is probably the best possible choice if you have 200€ for one night.
*. If your budget is a little tighter, there is also the Staycity Aparthotels Center Vieux Port which is nice. For 130€ per night, you will be quite close to the Old Port and you will have a small studio.
Otherwise if Marseille is only a stopover, you have the option of camping in Martigues, near Marseille for those who only want to go to Marseille for a few days while discovering the region on other days. It is ideal for enjoying the beach, but also Marseille. Martigues is the Venice of Provence with its canal and its colorful houses.
Visit Marseille and its essentials
I suggest you focus on the must-sees of the city to start. If this is your first time in Marseille, it would be really unthinkable to miss it.
Day 1 in Marseilles
If you come by train, I advise you to take advantage of the view around the Saint-Charles station, the large staircase of the station is also very nice to take a picture of and from the terrace of the Saint-Charles station you will have a very beautiful panoramic view.
As you will have understood, the visit to Marseille begins directly!
Then head to the Old Port to see the fishermen selling the fresh fish they caught overnight. It's really nice in the early morning, it plunges you directly into the atmosphere of the south and Marseille. There are a lot of locals in the fish market and if you want to buy fresh fish this is the perfect place.
Take advantage of the fresh sea air to stroll among the boats and don't forget to take a photo under the large mirror in the square.
After this getaway to the Old Port, head towards Marseille's most emblematic museum, the MuCEM. It's about a 20-minute walk from the Old Port, so you can walk there leisurely.
The advantage of this museum is that there are really beautiful things to discover. I'm not a big fan of museums in general, but the MuCEM is really nice!
Among other things, you will have the opportunity to discover a reconstruction of the city of Marseille in Antiquity, but also part of the Berlin Wall.
But above all there are very interesting temporary exhibitions.
For lunch, head to the Panier district. It is the oldest district of Marseille and it is a really nice district with its small narrow streets and colorful facades of buildings. Former fishermen's district, there is no shortage of good restaurants in this picturesque district, do not hesitate to stroll through the alleys to discover all the charm of the Panier by going to the Place des Pistoles.
I advise you to find a restaurant on this square, it is the ideal place to eat.
For the record, the Mistral district of the “Plus Belle la Vie” series is directly inspired by the Panier district. 🙂
Visiting Marseille without going through the Panier district is UNTHINKABLE!
Moreover, after the meal, head to the “Les Shuttles des Accoules” shop in the same district to discover the typically Marseille biscuits, the shuttles.
Then head to one of the most emblematic monuments of Marseille, the Cathedral of the Major. Even if you are only going to see it from the outside, I advise you to discover this monument if you do not know what to do in Marseille.
Then return to the Old Port to take bus no. 60, towards the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde.
I often recommend going to discover the basilica dedicated to Mary at the end of the day. The colors are really very pleasant and you can enjoy the view at the end of the day.
The interior of the basilica is to be discovered (the visit is free) and you can admire beautiful Byzantine-style mosaics as well as the statue of Mary at the top.
Notre-Dame de la Garde is called the “Good Mother” by the locals and it is an essential monument of your visit to Marseille. I really love the place for this 360° view of the whole city. It is truly MAGICAL at sunset.
For me it is the most beautiful panorama of the city so do not forget your camera!
For the return, take the same bus and eat in one of the restaurants in the Old Port.
Day 2 in Marseilles
For the second day in Marseille, I advise you to take your small backpack with plenty of water, but also a picnic and good shoes.
You see what I mean ? Direction the creeks of Marseille for a day of exploration and discovery.
For example, you can easily go by bus to the Calanque de Sugiton from the center of Marseille (you will have to take bus 21 to the terminus from the Prado roundabout). You can find more information on this article.
From here you will have several possible hiking routes.
The landscapes are incredible and you can take advantage of it to take magnificent photos, discover nature and above all swim in the creeks. The water is clear blue… It’s magic!
I recommend that you go there for the day fairly early in the morning so that you can return to Marseille at the end of the afternoon around 4:00 p.m. to enjoy the city a little more.
For me, visiting the creeks is a must if you don't know what to do in Marseille in two days. You will enjoy a day to discover the city and a day to discover nature in the creeks.
Jour 3 Ã Marseille
Si vous restez une journée de plus, je vous conseille quelques activités insolites 🙂
Faire du surf à Marseille : saviez-vous qu’il était possible de faire du surf à Marseille ? Il y a quelques spots intéressants comme la plage de Bonneveine (Plage du Prado) mais aussi le spot de « La Pointe Rouge » où il y a des vagues de bord qui pourront être surfées par tous les niveaux.
Pour les plus expérimentés, il y a de belles vagues mais assez techniques sur la plage de la Verrerie.
Vous trouverez plus d’informations sur le guide des destinations surf.
Découvrir Marseille en Segway : voilà une façon originale de découvrir la ville et notamment le quartier du Panier.
Day 3 in Marseilles
If you stay an extra day, I recommend some unusual activities 🙂
Surfing in Marseille: did you know that it was possible to go surfing in Marseille? There are some interesting spots like the beach of Bonneveine (Plage du Prado) but also the spot of "La Pointe Rouge" where there are waves on board that can be surfed by all levels.
For the more experienced, there are beautiful but quite technical waves on the Verrerie beach.
You will find more information on the surf destination guide.
Discover Marseille by Segway: this is an original way to discover the city and in particular the Panier district.
It's really fun and if you've never done it, this is the perfect opportunity!
Discover the district of artists: if you like street art, THE perfect district to discover this art in Marseille is the Cours Julien district. Bohemian atmosphere, artists' shops and many works in the streets. The neighborhood is really nice to discover.
