Walking Monaco: Lifts, Stairs and Shoreline

October 20, 2026

The best walks in Monaco are separated less by distance than by terrain. The shoreline is flat, the Rock and the streets above the harbour are steep, and two longer routes lie just outside the border. This page groups the walks that way, so you can match them to your legs and the weather.

Getting levels right

The principality drops more than 160 m between the harbour and its upper streets. Public lifts, escalators and travelators join the levels, and the government counts 79 lifts, 35 escalators and 8 travelators, while the visitor office counts about 80, 37 and 8. Plan a route that goes downhill by lift and uphill only where you have to. The “Monaco Malin” map brochure shows the positions, and the government’s walking guide explains the network.

The underground Monaco-Monte-Carlo station has four exits. Use Pont Sainte-Dévote for Monte-Carlo, Parvis Sainte-Dévote for Port Hercule, allée Lazare Sauvaigo for La Condamine, and avenue du Prince Pierre for Fontvieille and the Rock.

Flat walks by the water

Fontvieille park and the Rose Garden. Fontvieille is land reclaimed from the sea, so the park is level, free and equipped for strollers and reduced mobility. The Princess Grace Rose Garden is open 24 hours and holds hundreds of rose varieties, a 1984 bronze of the princess by Kees Verkade and sculptures that include works by Arman and César. The nearest bus stop is “Roseraie” on lines 4 and 6, and the garden page has more.

Japanese Garden and Larvotto. The Japanese Garden is free and opens from about 9:00 until sunset, and the Larvotto promenade runs beside it to the public beach.

Steep walks in the old town and the streets

The Rock. Begin on Place du Palais for the free guard change at 11:55, then follow Rue Basse and Rue Émile de Loth, and end in the Saint-Martin Gardens above the sea. The gardens are free and hold a bronze statue of Prince Albert I. The cathedral on the route is a working church where Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace are buried, so enter quietly and dress modestly. The State Apartments inside the palace are seasonal, open roughly from spring to mid-October.

The Circuit de Monaco. The Formula 1 course is 3.337 km of ordinary streets, and you can follow it from Boulevard Albert 1er past Casino Square and the Fairmont Hairpin, through the tunnel and along the harbour front. Traffic shares the road, so cross at the lights. Barriers and grandstands go up weeks before the Grand Prix, which falls on 4 to 6 June in 2027, and they change what you can walk.

Beyond the border

Cap d’Ail. The coastal Sentier du Littoral links Plage Marquet, by the Monaco border, with Plage Mala over about 3.6 km. Take the train to Cap d’Ail station or bus line 100. The path is closed in bad weather.

Èze. The Nietzsche Path climbs about 2.1 km and 400 m from Èze-sur-Mer to the village, and takes about an hour uphill. It is free and open all year, but boots are advised, it is not for small children and the authorities close it in bad weather. Plan this one as a half day, and see the day trips page for the bus options.

Rules for walkers

Wearing swimwear, going shirtless or going barefoot away from the beaches and bathing areas can bring a fine, so change before you walk back to town. Carry water and sun protection on the exposed routes.

Guided walking tours can be compared on Viator .