Don't be a tourist, be a traveler, world in motion
EnglishUSDNewsletterWimup Videos ↗
Plan a trip
Monaco, top 10 things to do (Wimup travel guide)
▶ Video · Monaco on Foot
Video guide · 1:09:37
▶ Watch the guide
Top 10EuropeMonaco

Top 10 Things To Do in Monaco

Country
Monaco
Best months
Apr · May · Sep · Oct
Population
38,857
Language
French
Budget / day
€200–400
Quick answer

The best things to do in Monaco are the Casino de Monte-Carlo, the Oceanographic Museum on the cliff edge, the Prince's Palace and the 11.55 changing of the guard, the Exotic Garden with its observatory cave, and a walk round the Grand Prix circuit while it is still a public road. Two days covers all four quarters at a walking pace. A third buys Èze, La Turbie or Menton.

Monaco on Foot

▶ Video guide Open the film page (1:09:37) →

Monaco is a sovereign state of 38,857 people on 2.08 square kilometres, which makes it the second smallest country on Earth and the only capital you can cross on foot between lunch and dinner. Four quarters hold everything: the Rock, Monte-Carlo, La Condamine around Port Hercule, and reclaimed Fontvieille.

The 10 best things to do in Monaco

Casino de Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Monaco
1

Casino de Monte-Carlo

Landmark· Place du Casino, 98000 Monaco

Charles Garnier had a hand in the building, which is why the atrium is marble the whole way up. The morning is a heritage slot: the gaming rooms open with the tables closed. From the afternoon the casino is working, admission is separate, and an ID check is not negotiable. Monegasque nationals cannot join you at the tables: the law bars them.

Time1–2 hr
CostTicketed
Best atThe morning heritage slot
TipBring the passport or national ID you entered France with
Map↗ Website
Musée Océanographique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
2

Musée Océanographique de Monaco

Museum· Avenue Saint-Martin, Monaco-Ville, 98000 Monaco

Prince Albert I built it into the cliff below the palace and inaugurated it in 1910, and Jacques-Yves Cousteau ran it from 1957 to 1988. Both halves of that history are visible: an aquarium in the basement, and upstairs a collection from a prince's own expeditions. The facade drops straight to the sea.

Time2 hr
CostTicketed
Best atThe first hour after opening
TipIt closes on 25 December and across the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend
Map↗ Website
The Prince's Palace and the changing of the guard, Monaco, Monaco
3

The Prince's Palace and the changing of the guard

Landmark· Place du Palais, Monaco-Ville, 98000 Monaco

The Grimaldis have held this rock since 1297 and still live on it, so the State Apartments open to visitors only when the court is not using them. Inside are the Galerie d'Hercule frescoes and the throne room. Outside, the Carabiniers mount the changing of the guard at 11.55 every day, as they have since 1817.

Time1 hr
CostTicketed for the State Apartments
Best at11.55
TipThe State Apartments are reached by stairs only and are not wheelchair accessible
Map↗ Website
Jardin Exotique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco (Wimup)
4

Jardin Exotique de Monaco and the Observatory Cave

Garden· 62 boulevard du Jardin Exotique, 98000 Monaco

A succulent garden planted down a cliff face, on paths and small bridges that switchback above the whole Principality. The view runs from the Italian Riviera to the Estérel. Underneath it is the Grotte de l'Observatoire, visited on guided tours that leave hourly. The prehistory museum shares the site.

Time1.5 hr
CostTicketed
Best atLate afternoon
TipThe cave is a steep descent and a steeper return; the garden alone is fine on tired legs
Map↗ Website
Walk the Grand Prix circuit, Monaco, Monaco
5

Walk the Grand Prix circuit

Landmark· Circuit de Monaco, Boulevard Albert 1er, 98000 Monaco

For 51 weeks of the year the shortest track on the Formula 1 calendar is a set of public streets, and walking it is the best free thing to do in Monaco. The lap is 3.337 kilometres with 18 corners. Start at Sainte-Dévote, climb to Casino Square, drop to the hairpin, take the tunnel and follow the harbour. About an hour.

Time1 hr
CostFree
Best atEarly morning
TipWalk it downhill from Casino Square to the port and let the public lifts carry you back up
Map↗ Website
Mareterra, Monaco, Monaco (Wimup)
6

The Mareterra promenade

Waterfront· Anse du Portier, 98000 Monaco

Six hectares of Monaco did not exist before December 2024. Mareterra was built out into the sea between the Grimaldi Forum and the Grand Prix tunnel, and the seaward edge of it is a public promenade with commissioned artworks along the way. It runs from the new marina to the Forum, so it is the walk between the two.

Time45 min
CostFree
Best atThe last hour before sunset
TipPick it up at the Grimaldi Forum end and finish on Larvotto beach
Map↗ Website
7

Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Immaculée

Landmark· 4 rue Colonel Bellando de Castro, Monaco-Ville, 98000 Monaco

Built from 1875 in a Romanesque-Byzantine style, and the burial place of the Princes of Monaco. Grace and Rainier III lie in the ambulatory behind the high altar, which is why most visitors come; the reason to stay is the Louis Bréa altarpiece of about 1500 and the white Carrara marble altar.

Time20 min
CostFree
Best atSunday at 10
TipIt is a working cathedral, so visits pause for services and shoulders should be covered
Map↗ Website
8

Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco

Museum· 54 route de la Piscine, 98000 Monaco

Rainier III collected cars for decades and opened the collection to the public in 1993. It moved in 2022 into a purpose-built space on Port Hercule, which gave the cars room and daylight the old terraces never had. The range is the point: state cars, pre-war coachwork and Grand Prix machinery.

Time1 hr
CostTicketed
Best atAny hour
TipIt is on the port now
Map↗ Website
Port Hercule and the Quai Albert 1er, Monaco, Monaco
9

Port Hercule and the Quai Albert 1er

Waterfront· Quai Albert 1er, La Condamine, 98000 Monaco

The Principality's only deepwater harbour, and the hinge of the whole map: the Rock rises on one side, Monte-Carlo on the other, and the Grand Prix runs three of its most photographed corners along these quays. What you see changes with the calendar, from ordinary tenders to a hundred superyachts in September.

Time45 min
CostFree
Best atEarly evening
TipCAM's solar Bateau Bus crosses the harbour in a couple of minutes and saves the walk all the way round it
Map↗ Website
10

Jardin Japonais

Garden· Avenue Princesse Grace, 98000 Monaco

Seven thousand square metres laid out in 1994 at Rainier III's request, designed to the strict conventions of a Zen garden: a koi pond with lotus, islands and waterfalls, stone lanterns, a tea house and a raked garden. It sits between the Grimaldi Forum and the sea, and it is the quietest few minutes on the eastern seafront.

Time30 min
CostFree
Best atMorning
TipIt falls between the Mareterra promenade and Larvotto beach
Map↗ Website

8 of the 10, mapped

Monaco · 8 spots
AllLandmarksMuseumsFoodFree

Monaco travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Monaco?+
Two. One for the Rock (the palace and the changing of the guard, the cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum and the Saint-Martin gardens) and one for Monte-Carlo, the Grand Prix circuit on foot, the port and the seafront out to Mareterra and Larvotto. A third day buys Èze, La Turbie or Menton.
Do you need a passport or a visa for Monaco?+
Monaco is not in the European Union and is not a Schengen signatory, but there is no border control with France and a Schengen visa admits you. Carry the passport or national ID you entered France with anyway: the casino gaming rooms check it at the door.
Can you visit the Casino de Monte-Carlo without gambling?+
Yes. The morning is a heritage visit with the gaming rooms open and the tables closed. From the afternoon the casino is working and admission to the gaming rooms is a separate ticket. Both are ticketed and both check ID, and Monegasque nationals are barred from the gaming rooms by law.
What is the best way to get around Monaco?+
On foot, helped by the public lifts and escalators that remove the climbs. Two square kilometres means 10 to 20 minutes between almost any two places in this guide. The CAM bus network covers the rest with six urban lines reaching Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo, the station, Fontvieille and Larvotto.
How do you get from Nice airport to Monaco?+
By coach or by train. Airport express coaches run into the Principality from both terminals. The train is the other route: reach a Nice station by tram or shuttle, then take the TER along the coast to Monaco-Monte-Carlo, which is step-free from platform to exit. Helicopter transfers to the Fontvieille heliport are the third option.
After dark

Best casinos and nightlife in Monaco

Two casinos and the rooms that are still going after they close.
Casino de Monte-Carlo
ID checked
Monte-Carlo

Casino de Monte-Carlo

Table games, heritage visits

The Belle Époque rooms, French roulette and a dress code that stiffens as you move inwards. Mornings are a heritage visit; play starts in the afternoon.

Map↗ Website
Place du Casino

Casino Café de Paris

360 slot machines, open 24 hours

The informal counterweight across the square: slot machines rather than ceremony, two outdoor terraces, and the only gaming room in Monaco open around the clock.

Map↗ Website
Jimmy'z Monte-Carlo
Late
Larvotto

Jimmy'z Monte-Carlo

Club, international DJs

The club Monaco is measured against, running since the 1970s and still the room the season ends up in. Late, loud and dressed.

Map↗ Website
Hôtel de Paris

Le Bar Américain

Cocktails, live music

A 1920s bar off the lobby of the Hôtel de Paris, with live music most evenings. The civilised option between dinner and whatever follows it.

Map↗ Website
Buddha-Bar Monte-CarloPlace du Casino

Buddha-Bar Monte-Carlo

Lounge, Asian fusion

Under the casino terraces, in what was the Salle Garnier's old atrium. A lounge first and a restaurant second, with a DJ from late evening.

Map↗ Website
Avenue Princesse Grace

Sass Café

Italian dinner, then dancing

Dinner that turns into a dance floor without anyone changing tables. A Monaco institution for that reason rather than for the cooking.

Map
Where to eat

Best restaurants in Monaco

Six kitchens, from a three-star dining room on Place du Casino to the market counters at La Condamine.
Book ahead
Place du Casino

Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris

Mediterranean, three Michelin stars

It opened in 1987 and became the first hotel restaurant anywhere to hold three Michelin stars. Still three, and still built on Riviera produce.

Map↗ Website
Book ahead
Hôtel Métropole

Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac

French, two Michelin stars

Cussac trained with Robuchon and took two stars here within nine months of opening. Classical French technique, and an award-winning dining room.

Map↗ Website
40 avenue Princesse Grace

Blue Bay Marcel Ravin

Caribbean and Mediterranean, two Michelin stars

Ravin cooks his Martinican childhood through Mediterranean produce, which is a genuinely unusual thing to find in Monaco. Two stars since 2022.

Map↗ Website
Hôtel de Paris

Le Grill

Grill, one Michelin star

Eighth floor of the Hôtel de Paris, with a roof that opens and a view over the port to the Rock. Fish and meat over fire, and the least fussy of the starred rooms.

Map↗ Website
Monte-Carlo Beach

Elsa

Organic Mediterranean, one Michelin star

The first fully organic restaurant to take a Michelin star. It sits at Monte-Carlo Beach, over the border, fifteen minutes from Larvotto.

Map↗ Website
Place d'Armes

Marché de la Condamine

Covered market, food counters

The cheap, good lunch in a country with almost none. Counters under the roof do socca, barbagiuan and fresh pasta, and it runs every morning below the Rock.

Map↗ Website
Collections

Best museums in Monaco

Six museums inside two square kilometres, most of them built around a reigning prince's own obsession.
Musée Océanographique de MonacoMonaco-Ville

Musée Océanographique de Monaco

Aquarium, marine science

Albert I's institution of 1910, cut into the cliff, with the aquarium below and the expedition collections above. Cousteau directed it for 31 years.

Map↗ Website
Boulevard du Jardin Exotique

Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, Villa Paloma

Contemporary art, temporary shows

Monaco's contemporary art museum runs on temporary exhibitions in a hillside villa. Its second site, Villa Sauber, is closed for renovation.

Map↗ Website
Port Hercule

Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco

Historic and Grand Prix cars

Rainier III's cars, public since 1993 and rehoused in 2022 beside the nautical stadium. State limousines, pre-war coachwork and racing machinery.

Map↗ Website
Terrasses de Fontvieille

Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies

Philately and coinage

Opened in 1996 around Rainier III's own collection, and it holds every proof and document behind Monegasque stamps since the first Charles III issue of 1885.

Map↗ Website
Terrasses de Fontvieille

Musée Naval

Ship models

More than 180 ship models across every era, on the same terrace as the stamp museum. Half an hour, and a good one in bad weather.

Map↗ Website
Jardin Exotique

Musée d'Anthropologie Préhistorique

Regional prehistory

Founded by Albert I in 1902 to hold what was dug up in the Principality, and installed at the Exotic Garden in 1959. Included with the garden.

Map↗ Website
Green and high up

Best gardens and viewpoints in Monaco

The Principality is vertical, so most of its gardens double as viewpoints.
Les Moneghetti

Jardin Exotique de Monaco

Succulents, cliff terraces, cave

Planted down a cliff on switchbacks and small bridges, with the Observatory Cave underneath and the widest view in the country from the top.

Map↗ Website
Larvotto

Jardin Japonais

Zen garden, koi pond

Seven thousand square metres by Yasuo Beppu, laid out in 1994 to strict Zen convention. Free, and the calmest corner of the eastern seafront.

Map↗ Website
Roseraie Princesse GraceParc Paysager de Fontvieille

Roseraie Princesse Grace

Around 450 rose varieties

Inaugurated in 1984 in memory of Princess Grace and replanted since, with some 450 varieties from around the world. Level, shaded and free.

Map↗ Website
Jardins Saint-MartinMonaco-Ville

Jardins Saint-Martin

Cliff path, sea views

A path along the seaward face of the Rock between the cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum, past the statue of Albert I. The quietest way to walk the old town.

Map↗ Website
Monte-Carlo

Jardins des Boulingrins

Formal garden, casino view

The formal garden facing the Casino, and the view every photograph of Place du Casino is taken from. Two minutes from the station lifts.

Map↗ Website
Fontvieille

Parc Paysager de Fontvieille

Lake, sculpture, shade

One of the Principality's green lungs, wrapped around a lake with sculpture through it, and the least visited park in the country.

Map↗ Website
On the water

Best waterfront and beaches in Monaco

One public beach, two ports and the newest six hectares in the country.
LarvottoLarvotto

Larvotto

Public beach, seafront restaurants

Monaco's public beach, on the eastern edge, with the promenade and its restaurants behind. Free to use, and the only sand the country has.

Map↗ Website
Anse du Portier

Mareterra promenade

Coastal walk, public art

The seaward edge of the district inaugurated on 4 December 2024, running from the new marina to the Grimaldi Forum with commissioned works along it.

Map↗ Website
Port HerculeLa Condamine

Port Hercule

Deepwater harbour, level quays

The main harbour and the centre of the map, with the Rock on one side and Monte-Carlo on the other. Three Grand Prix corners run along its quays.

Map↗ Website
Port de FontvieilleFontvieille

Port de Fontvieille

Marina, quieter quays

The second port, built with the quarter around it on reclaimed land. Smaller boats, restaurants priced for residents, and a park behind.

Map↗ Website
Stade Nautique Rainier IIIPort Hercule

Stade Nautique Rainier III

Seawater pool, ice rink in winter

An open-air seawater pool on the quay through the summer, converted to a public ice rink for the winter season. The car collection is next door.

Map↗ Website
Where to shop

Best shopping in Monaco

One luxury quarter, two malls and the market that feeds the port.
Around Place du Casino

Carré d'Or

Luxury boutiques

The few hundred metres around Place du Casino where most of the world's luxury houses keep a Monaco address. Windows are free; nothing else is.

Map↗ Website
Métropole Shopping Monte-CarloCarré d'Or

Métropole Shopping Monte-Carlo

Mall under the Hôtel Métropole

Shops and restaurants under Carrara marble and Bohemian crystal chandeliers, in the basement of the Hôtel Métropole. The one indoor option in the Carré d'Or.

Map↗ Website
One Monte-CarloAvenue Princesse Alice

One Monte-Carlo

24 boutiques, opened 2019

The newest piece of the Carré d'Or, built as boutiques, offices and residences around a covered walk between Place du Casino and the gardens.

Map↗ Website
Place d'Armes

Marché de la Condamine

Covered food market

Produce and prepared food every morning on Place d'Armes, at the foot of the ramp up to the Rock. Where the Principality actually buys lunch.

Map↗ Website
Fontvieille

Centre Commercial de Fontvieille

Everyday shops, supermarket

The unglamorous one, and useful for it: a supermarket, a pharmacy and ordinary chains, five minutes from the stamp and naval museums.

Map↗ Website
Out of the Principality

Best day trips in Monaco

Six trips within an hour, most of them on the coastal bus or the TER.
Èze villageWest, on the Moyenne Corniche

Èze village

Medieval village, exotic garden

A village stacked on a cone of rock with a terraced cactus garden at the summit, 400 metres above the sea. Go early; the lanes are narrow.

Map↗ Website
Directly above Monaco

La Turbie and the Trophy of Augustus

Roman trophy, 500 m up

The only Roman trophy still standing in France, raised to Augustus's victory over the Alpine tribes. The village looks straight down on the Principality.

Map↗ Website
MentonEast, 10 minutes by train

Menton

Old town, citrus groves

The last French town before Italy, painted in citrus colours, with a medieval old town and the best gardens on this coast.

Map↗ Website
Villefranche-sur-MerWest, on the TER line

Villefranche-sur-Mer

Deep bay, Rue Obscure

One of the deepest natural harbours on the Mediterranean, with an ochre old town and the covered Rue Obscure running under the houses.

Map↗ Website
NiceWest, about 25 minutes by train

Nice

Old town, Promenade des Anglais

The regional capital and the reason the airport is where it is. Vieux Nice, the Cours Saleya market, the Matisse and Chagall museums.

Map
Roquebrune-Cap-MartinEast, adjoining Monaco

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

Castle keep, coastal path

The village keeps a tenth-century castle, and the cape below carries a coastal path past Le Corbusier's Cabanon. Walkable from Monaco.

Map↗ Website
What's on

Festivals & annual events in Monaco (2026)

Time your trip around the city's biggest dates.
Jan

Rallye Monte-Carlo

The opening round of the World Rally Championship, run since 1911 and started and finished on Quai Albert 1er.

Jan

Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo

Created by Rainier III in 1974 to give circus performers a competition of their own. Still the most serious prize.

Jan

Fête de Sainte Dévote

The patron saint's feast in late January. A boat is set alight on the quay before her church by the princely family.

Apr

Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters

The clay-court Masters 1000, played at the Monte-Carlo Country Club just over the border, with the sea behind the court.

Apr

Grand Prix de Monaco Historique

Held every two years on the full street circuit, for the Grand Prix cars of earlier eras.

Jun

Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco

The race the streets were closed for since 1929. From 2026 it runs in early June, and grandstands sell out months ahead.

Sep

Monaco Yacht Show

Four days at the end of September when Port Hercule fills with superyachts moored stern-to. The quays are ticketed.

Nov

Fête Nationale monégasque

The Sovereign Prince's Day, 19 November: a Te Deum, a parade in Place du Palais, honours and fireworks over the port.

Getting around

Monaco transport & airports

How to arrive and move around the city.
NCE

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport

The nearest airport, about 30 kilometres west along the coast. Airport express coaches run into Monaco from both terminals; the alternative is a train from Nice along the coast.

Map↗ Website
TER

Monaco-Monte-Carlo station

The station is underground, cut into the rock, and step-free from platform to exit. TER services put Nice about 25 minutes west and Menton about 10 minutes east.

Map↗ Website
Bus

CAM buses and the public lifts

Six urban bus lines cover Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo, the station and Larvotto. The other half of the network is vertical: public lifts that carry you between levels for nothing.

Map↗ Website
Taxi

Taxis and the Bateau Bus

Taxis work from ranks at the station, the casino and the port rather than being flagged down. The solar Bateau Bus shuttles between the two sides of Port Hercule in minutes.

Map↗ Website
Traditional food

Must-try dishes in Monaco

The classics to order before you leave.
Barbagiuan, Monaco (Wimup travel guide)

Barbagiuan

The national dish: a pastry turnover of chard, rice, leek and onion, fried or baked. Eaten on 19 November.

Socca, Monaco (Wimup travel guide)

Socca

A thin pancake of chickpea flour and olive oil, baked hot and eaten with pepper and nothing else.

Tourte de blettes, Monaco (Wimup travel guide)

Tourte de blettes

A double-crust chard pie with parmesan, parsley, egg and rice. A sweet version turns it into a dessert.

Stocafi

Dried cod rehydrated and stewed in tomato with garlic, olives, rosemary and white wine. The Sunday dish.

Brandamincium

Salt cod pounded with garlic, oil and cream and served with cardoons in a white sauce. The winter one.

Fougasse monégasque

A sweet flat loaf scented with orange flower and anise, scattered with nuts and sugared aniseed.

Pissaladière

Bread dough under slow-cooked onions, anchovy and small black olives. The local version adds tomato.

Beignets de fleurs de courgette

Courgette flowers in a light batter, fried and salted, sold by the piece in summer. A market snack.

Monaco fact sheet

Monaco at a glance

The essentials worth knowing before you go.
Country
Monaco (sovereign principality)
Region
French Riviera, Mediterranean coast
Population
38,857 (IMSEE, 31 December 2025)
Founded
Genoese fortress on the Rock, 1215; Grimaldi rule dates from 1297
Nickname
The Rock
Language
French (official); Monégasque is taught in schools
Currency
Euro (€)
Time zone
CET (UTC+1), CEST in summer
Calling code
+377
Airports
Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE), 30 km west; Monaco heliport in Fontvieille
Power
Type C and E, 230 V
Emergency
112; 17 police, 18 fire and ambulance
Ideal length
2 days
Getting around
On foot, with CAM buses and the public lifts
Tourism board
Official site

Interesting facts

  • Monaco is the second smallest sovereign state on Earth after the Vatican, and Mareterra added six hectares in December 2024.
  • Monegasque nationals may not gamble in the Principality. A 1987 law bars them, and state employees, from its gaming houses.
  • The Oceanographic Museum was inaugurated by Prince Albert I in 1910, and Jacques-Yves Cousteau was its director from 1957 to 1988.
  • The Circuit de Monaco is 3.337 kilometres with 18 corners, the shortest on the calendar, and its hairpin is the slowest in the sport.
  • The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince has guarded the palace since 1817. Each watch begins at 11.55 in Place du Palais.

Headed to Monaco?

Get our one-page Monaco cheat sheet plus a fresh destination every Thursday.

Photo credits (15)