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Bouches-du-Rhône · France
A harbor city founded more than 2,600 years ago, with the Calanques at its edge.
The Vieux-Port, where Greeks founded Massalia, is the heart of a day here: Notre-Dame de la Garde above it, the MuCEM beside it, a morning fish market on its quay and the Calanques coves along the coast.
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See Landmark
Marseille · 4 miles from the terminals
Bus 60 from the Vieux-Port quays stops at the foot of the steps, and the 505-foot hill gives a 360° view of the city and islands. Entry is free, daily from 7 AM to 6 PM.
Visit Notre-Dame de la Garde (opens a new tab)Unwind Beach
Marseille · a few minutes' walk from the Vieux-Port
The closest sandy beach to the city center, with a first-aid post and toilets; bus 83 stops at Les Catalans. It is open 8:30 AM to 8 PM from April to October and to 6 PM in winter.
See Marseille's Beaches (opens a new tab)Taste Market
Quai des Belges, Marseille
Local fishermen sell the morning catch on the Quai des Belges every day from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM, scorpionfish for bouillabaisse included. The stalls are by the Vieux-Port metro entrance.
Read About the Old Port (opens a new tab)Explore Museum
Marseille · 3 miles from the terminals
A footbridge joins the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations to Fort Saint-Jean, and a second one leads into Le Panier. Full price is €11; it is closed on Tuesdays.
Visit the MuCEM (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Ships dock about 3 miles from the Vieux-Port, so check whether a tour picks up at the terminal or meets in town.
Ships dock north of the city, so every route into town starts with the free shuttle or bus 35T to Place de la Joliette.
The terminals are at Cap Janet, north of the city center, reached through port Gate 4.
The MPCT car park has about 2,000 spaces, is guarded 24 hours and is less than 5 minutes' walk from the terminals. Cars, motorbikes and campervans pay €15 per 24 hours, with no height limit; 10 to 30 days cost €150. Stays of up to 45 minutes are free. Booking is optional: booking online, up to 15 minutes ahead, guarantees a space but not a set spot. Ferry passengers cannot use it.
If you do one thing here
The Calanques National Park runs about 12 miles along the coast from Marseille to La Ciotat, with 28 coves, 25 of them in Marseille, including Sugiton and Sormiou.
Only licensed boats, marked with a sticker and an orange flag, may carry passengers in the park; unmarked ones are illegal. On land, Sugiton needs a reservation, and from June 1 to September 30 the park closes on red fire-risk days. The park's Mes Calanques app shows what is open.
Calanques National Park (opens a new tab)Licensed Boat Tours (opens a new tab)Fire-Risk Closures (opens a new tab)
Recorded crime in Marseille is well above the French average, mostly theft and robbery.
Crime figures: SSMSI (French interior ministry), offenses recorded by police and gendarmerie in 2025, per 100,000 residents; France is metropolitan France. Weather: Météo-France, Marignane, 1991–2020.
Make it part of your voyage
Mediterranean cruises start, end and call here.
At cruise terminals A to F, run by Marseille Provence Cruise Terminal (MPCT) at Cap Janet, north of the city center. Your boarding pass or cruise line app shows your terminal.
Walk 5 to 12 minutes from the ship to the Gate 4 stop, then take the free shuttle or bus 35T to Place de la Joliette. From there the Vieux-Port is a 25-minute walk or a 10 to 15 minute ride on bus 55 or 82.
Shuttles and bus 35T stop at Place de la Joliette, not at the Vieux-Port. From there take bus 55 or 82, walk about 25 minutes, or take a taxi from the stand (about 10 minutes). The tourist office puts a taxi from Gate 4 to the Vieux-Port area at about €20.
Yes. The port runs a free shuttle to Place de la Joliette on days when ships call. The tourist office lists it from 9 AM to 5 PM, every 30 minutes.
The terminals are about 3.3 miles in a straight line from the Vieux-Port. Place de la Joliette, where the shuttle stops, is about 2.6 miles from the terminals.
From the Vieux-Port you can reach Notre-Dame de la Garde by bus 60, walk to the MuCEM and Le Panier, shop the morning fish market and swim at Plage des Catalans. Boats to the Château d'If leave from the Vieux-Port too.
Take the shuttle to Joliette and go to the Vieux-Port early: the fish market closes at 12:30 PM. Then pick the MuCEM (closed Tuesdays), the basilica (open 7 AM to 6 PM) or the Château d'If (€7 entry, boat extra).
The Calanques are the signature trip, by boat or on foot. Book only licensed boats, which carry a sticker and an orange flag; on land some coves, such as Sugiton, need a reservation.
Recorded theft and robbery are well above the French average. In 2025 Marseille had 2.1 times the national rate of thefts from people without violence and about 4 times the rate of street robbery without a weapon, per resident. The UK Foreign Office warns that pickpockets in France can work in gangs.
Plage des Catalans is the nearest sandy beach, a few minutes' walk from the Vieux-Port. The free Prado beaches stretch about 2 miles; take metro line 2 to Rond-Point du Prado, then walk about 20 minutes.
No public transport runs direct. A taxi is the fastest route. Otherwise take the airport shuttle bus to Saint-Charles, metro line 2 to Joliette, then bus 35T on cruise days.
Cars pay €15 per 24 hours in the MPCT car park by the terminals, or €150 for 10 to 30 days. Booking online is optional and guarantees a space.
