2 Days in Marseille: First-Timer Itinerary
Two days is the tight, first-timer version of Marseille: the Vieux-Port, Notre-Dame de la Garde, Le Panier, and the MuCEM, no Chateau d’If ferry or Calanques boat added on. Got a third day? Move up to our 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , or 7 day version instead.
Book these before you go
- Hotel near the Vieux-Port or Le Panier: compare rates on Booking.com
- MuCEM entry tickets: skip the line with GetYourGuide
- A bouillabaisse table for your Day 1 or 2 dinner: real kitchens need 24-48 hours notice, so call ahead the day you land
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival, the Vieux-Port, Notre-Dame de la Garde, dinner in Le Panier |
| Day 2 | MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean, the Corniche, dinner at the Vallon des Auffes |
Day 1: Arrival And The Vieux-Port
- Morning: Land at Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), then take the shuttle bus to Saint-Charles station, about 10 EUR one way and a 25 minute ride. Check into a hotel near the Vieux-Port or Le Panier and drop your bags
- Afternoon: Walk the Vieux-Port itself, a working harbor since antiquity, ringed by cafes and fishing boats. Cross it on the tiny ferry boat (0.50 EUR) instead of walking around, then climb to Notre-Dame de la Garde, on foot at least one way for the view, free entry either way
- Evening: Dinner in Le Panier, Marseille’s oldest quarter and the site of the original Greek settlement, then wander its lit-up lanes and street art after dark
Is 2 days enough for Marseille? For a first pass, yes. Two days covers the Vieux-Port, Notre-Dame de la Garde, Le Panier, and the MuCEM at a comfortable pace. It’s not enough for the Chateau d’If or a Calanques boat too, so pick a third day if either one matters to you, or save both for a return trip.
Day 2: MuCEM And The Corniche
- Morning: The MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations), 11 EUR for the indoor halls, though the J4 rooftop walkway, the footbridge to Fort Saint-Jean, and the fort’s own ramparts cost nothing
- Afternoon: Walk the Corniche south from the Vieux-Port, Marseille’s coastal promenade, with a stop at Plage des Catalans if the weather cooperates
- Evening: Dinner at the Vallon des Auffes, a small working fishing cove tucked below the Corniche, lined with real seafood addresses
Can you fit the Calanques into a 2 day trip? Not really, not properly. A short boat from the Vieux-Port exists, but squeezing it into two days means cutting the MuCEM or Le Panier to make room. If the Calanques are the actual draw, build a 4 day version instead, or treat Marseille as the base for a full Cassis day covered in our Marseille France itinerary.
Transportation
RTM runs the metro, tram, bus, and the Vieux-Port ferry boat on one fare, 1.70 EUR a single ride or 5.20 EUR for a day pass, full details on rtm.fr . The city is hillier than the map suggests, both Notre-Dame de la Garde and Le Panier sit on real slopes, so wear shoes that can handle stairs and inclines.
Tips And Essentials
- Book the Chateau d’If and any calanque boat ahead if you add either on, walk-up in summer often means sold out
- The tourist core, Vieux-Port, Le Panier, the Corniche, is genuinely safe with normal city caution; save the worry for crowded metro cars, not the neighborhood itself
- Currency is the euro, and cards work almost everywhere, no need to carry a lot of cash
Other Interests
- La Vieille Charite, a 17th century almshouse turned museum complex, if you’ve got an extra hour in Le Panier
- Savon de Marseille, the city’s traditional olive-oil soap, sold at shops throughout Le Panier and the Vieux-Port
- Full listings for current exhibitions and events sit on marseille-tourisme.com
Two days moves fast, so lock in the MuCEM tickets and your Vieux-Port hotel before you land, then let Le Panier’s lanes eat whatever time you have left over. If the Chateau d’If or the Calanques end up on your must-do list after all, our 3 day itinerary and the Marseille guide both build straight on top of this one.