Monaco, despite being the size of a postage stamp, packs a punch and throws in some surprises as well. It boasts a beautiful royal house, a famous casino, an old town perched on a rocky outcrop, and a harbour filled with luxurious yachts.
After Vatican City, this is the world’s second-tiniest country. Its image was built on a fancy Belle Époque casino, and it was solidified when a Grimaldi prince married an American movie star. People still want to visit Monaco due to its high-class lifestyle, rich history of motor racing, Michelin-starred restaurants, and unique sights, such as the Musée Océanographique.
Things to do in Monaco still have a lot of glitz, but there are now more affordable local experiences and tastes that reveal the country’s true character and culture. Here are the eight best things to do in Monaco, a beautiful French seaside town on the Mediterranean.
Why Visit Monaco?
Monaco is a must-see for Riviera visitors, even if you don’t like it. Locals and visitors visit to discover a way of life and style from another time. Monaco is so unique that your first visit is worth it only to discover it. This sunny city that seems to be clinging to the coast and stretching further out toward the sea every year will appear at the bend in the road as you drive along one of the coastal roads that wind up the mountainside toward Italy.
You feel different as you cross the border. The modest, stylish buildings, clean streets, and tranquility that contrast with big cities give you a sense that you’ve reached a new realm. Once you’re here, you’ll want to explore more: the citadel on its rock and the many pedestrianised streets with shops and restaurants will make you want to wander for hours.
Best Things to Do in Monaco
Discover the Prince’s Palace’s hidden gems
⚪ Since the late 13th century, the Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco from their beautiful residence in Monaco Ville (or Le Rocher, as some residents refer to Monaco’s oldest suburb).
⚪ Look for steps that wind uphill through groomed gardens on the western side of the bay to reach the Palais Princier de Monaco. The grandest, the paved Rampe Major, takes you to the palace doorstep.
⚪ Only the Grand Appartements (staterooms) of the royal family’s official mansion are open to the public.
⚪ Princely interiors feature rich draperies, gold-leaf panelling, and baroque paintings by Orazio de Ferrari.
⚪ The discovery of intriguing Renaissance murals of Hercules, Odysseus, and Europa, concealed for centuries under paint, has enhanced the experience. Natural solvents and eco-friendly solutions are slowly restoring walls and ceilings.
⚪ Planning tip: The Palace is only open from April to October, and guests use an audio guide to view the royal chambers. Time your visit to coincide with the regular 11:55 am guard change.
Eat in lively Marché de la Condamine
⚪ Monaco’s fine dining doesn’t require a loan. The lively Marché de la Condamine, located at Place d’Armes, is the perfect spot for affordable, delicious food.
⚪ A stone’s throw from Port Hercules in the Condamine area, this lively square is filled with fresh flowers, fruit, and vegetables in the morning.
⚪ The food hall hums late in the morning as workers from surrounding workplaces come for lunch, but shutters rise earlier for breakfast.
⚪ If you need a morning caffeine fix, Le Comptoir has great Italian coffee and fresh-baked focaccia. The lunch throng visits La Maison des Pâtes for fresh tagliatelle and ravioli.
⚪ Also well-represented is regional street food. Chez Roger’s socca and pissaladière are so popular that locals rarely order anything else. For Monaco’s national cuisine, barbajuan, fried ravioli, visit Roca.
⚪ Many stands at Marché de la Condamine close after lunch; however, Bar Le Zinc serves Monaco’s cheapest wine in the evening.
⚪ On the other hand, Monaco’s Michelin-starred restaurants are legendary. If you can afford it, book a three-Michelin-star lunch or supper at Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris in advance.
Experience the glitter and glamour of the Monte Carlo Casino
⚪ Monaco natives are not permitted to play at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, the Belle Époque masterpiece that made the Principality famous in the 1860s. Gaming begins at 2 pm for everyone else.
⚪ For free, you can view the beautiful marble and gold-leaf-clad salons privés from 10 am to 1 pm (last admittance at 12:15 pm). Take your time studying the beautiful detailing—even the fixtures are art.
⚪ Eight sparkling Bohemian glass chandeliers illuminate roulette wheels in Salle Europe, the oldest gaming room.
⚪ The Salle Blanche, a private gaming room with a Mediterranean-facing terrace, has mosaics and caryatids.
⚪ Bond films Never Say Never Again (1983) and Golden Eye (1995) were filmed in the Empire-style Salle Médecin.
⚪ Planning tip: Monaco’s casino has a traditional restaurant. The luxurious Le Train Bleu serves modern French cuisine in a golden period railway dining car reconstructed in the gaming area.
⚪ The casino only admits individuals over 18 and has a strict dress code (no trainers, sandals, shorts, damaged garments, athletic wear, beachwear, or sleeveless shirts).
Visit the Musée Océanographique to study marine life
⚪ The Musée Océanographique de Monaco is hard to miss, as its cream-coloured neoclassical entrance, built in 1910, stands out against the edge of the Old Town on a rocky cliff.
⚪ This marine museum is the best in the world. It features multimedia shows, a 6-meter-deep (19 feet) lagoon, and water tanks housing 450 Mediterranean and tropical species.
⚪ You can take your kids with you, and they will enjoy the light show in the Whale Skeleton Room, the turtle tank outside, and the main aquarium, where you can get close to the sharks. You can get a great view of Monaco from the rooftop patio and cafe.
⚪ If you want to save money, buy a ticket that lets you enter both the Musée Océanographique and the Prince’s Palace on the same day.
Feel the thrill of the Monaco Grand Prix’s racing action firsthand
⚪ You will either love or hate Monaco in May, depending on how you feel about cars racing in loops.
⚪ A lot of people leave Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco race every year, but if you like racing, there’s no better place to be.
⚪ Every building can be heard shaking with the roar of race cars, and the excitement grows as each famous driver shows up at the fan zone on Place d’Armes.
⚪ There are many places to watch the race live so that you won’t miss any of the Grand Prix excitement.
⚪ It’s almost impossible to find a free place to watch the track these days, unless you bring strong binoculars and go up to the Moyenne Corniche in Beausoleil, the French town that borders Monaco.
⚪ Ticket sales for the four days of racing start on the official Grand Prix booking website about six months before the race.
⚪ A seat at the practice sessions on Thursday costs as little as €30 (US$32), but even the cheapest seats for the race on Sunday will cost over €100.
⚪ If you’d rather see old classic cars than new ones, the Grand Prix Historique de Monaco is held every other year, two weeks before the Formula One race. It uses old race cars.
La Distillerie de Monaco offers native spirits
⚪ Prior to the Grimaldi family ceding 95% of their land to France in the 1800s, Monaco’s economy was primarily based on farming.
⚪ There are still signs of this country’s past if you look closely. For example, the 600 bitter orange trees that line some of the Principality’s main streets (especially rue Grimaldi behind Port Hercules) show this.
⚪ La Distillerie de Monaco doesn’t discard these sour oranges; instead, they produce L’Orangeraie, a potent orange liqueur. Recently, two more drinks that are uniquely Monacon have been added to the spirit cabinet.
⚪ These are Carruba, a rich, velvety chocolate liquor made from the beans of the carob tree, which is Monaco’s national tree, and Gin aux Agrumes, a seven-citrus gin.
⚪ On the way back, you can see La Maison du Limoncello, located in Le Rocher, where they produce bright yellow limoncello in bottles.
⚪ Beer lovers should take note of the lively Brasserie de Monaco, which serves organic pale ales and wheat beers brewed in a shiny brewhouse on-site.
See Monaco’s beautiful Saint Nicholas Cathedral
⚪ One of the most famous places in Monaco is the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, located in the Old Town, close to the Prince’s Palace.
⚪ The church was built in 1875 and has a beautiful Romanesque-Byzantine front. In 1956, Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly got married there.
⚪ In 1982, Grace Kelly died in a car accident, and in 2005, Prince Rainier died of illness.
⚪ Both of them were buried at the church. Inside the church choir, you can see the graves of the royal couple, which are decorated with flowers.
⚪ In the Fontvieille neighbourhood, below the church, there is a garden called the Roseraie Princesse Grace.
⚪ Every spring, 6,000 rose bushes bloom in this peaceful English-style garden.
Visit F1 landmarks in Monaco
⚪ Travelling to Monaco outside the Grand Prix? You may still see city racing spots. The Grand Prix starting grid is marked outside 17 Boulevard Albert 1er by Port Hercules.
⚪ At number 23, the members-only Automobile Club de Monaco displays racing artefacts. Behind you is a chic racing souvenir shop on rue Grimaldi.
⚪ Hairpin Bend, F1’s slowest bend, is marked with a plaque outside the Fairmont Monte-Carlo near Place du Casino.
⚪ Prince Rainier III’s vehicle collection, the Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco, contains an entire floor of F1 and rally cars in a new location on the Route de la Piscine.
FAQS for Things to Do in Monaco
Monaco is renowned for its wealth, style, and luxury, yet it appears to exist in its own secluded world. There’s no question that you should visit that place at least once in your life. Although Monaco is a destination for the rich and famous, anyone is welcome there.
Two days in Monaco for first-timers. One of the fanciest parts of the Côte d’Azur is Monaco, and two days is just the right amount of time to see all of its main sights and more of its luxurious side.
When is the ideal time to go to Monaco? In the spring or fall. Tennis is in April, the Grand Prix is in May, and the Yacht Show is in September. From November to March, this fancy holiday spot loses some of its shine, but you can save money on lodging if you go during these cooler off-season months.
Monaco is only 2 square kilometres in size and has a population of less than 39,000 people. However, it gets over 340,000 tourists every year, many of whom are drawn by its glitz, casinos, and F1 excitement. A luxury is space.
Residents and tourists can walk around at night without worrying about their safety, as the Principality is known for being a very safe place. It is easy to get around Monaco, even at night, thanks to its well-maintained and well-lit walking paths, lifts, escalators, accessible rides, and moving walkways.
