How to Spend a Half-Day in Monaco’s Old Town

If you are short on time, or working to maximize your trip to the French Riviera, spending at least a half-day in Monaco’s Old Town is a must! The narrow streets lined with old, brightly colored buildings will whisk you away into a world completely different than the glitz and glam of Monte Carlo. The quiet parks will be an oasis as you overlook the harbor and the multi-million dollar yachts that inhabit it. And the area surrounding the Prince’s Palace will make you feel like you just transported to London. It truly has something for everyone and isn’t to be missed! Here is how to spend a half-day in Monaco’s Old Town!

How to Get Here

Getting to Monaco’s Old Town isn’t logistically difficult, but it can be challenging. The town is perched high on a cliff and is an uphill climb from the train or bus stops. If you’re traveling in from cities like Nice or Cannes, taking the train is the easiest and most direct route. Monaco’s train station is located here, and is about a 20-25 minute uphill walk to the Old Town. There are a couple of bus routes that service the old town, but they may require a walk or may take time with all of the stops.

By far, the easiest way to get to Old Monaco is with a tour group! I did a full-day tour of Èze and Monaco with Tour Azur. Our guide knew Monaco like the back of his hand and was able to drive right into the Old Town, knowing exactly where to go and park. He found the perfect spot in a garage right in the center of the action. The garage was clean and had elevators and escalators to bring us out right in front of the centrally located Oceanography Museum. It was so convenient, and I loved avoiding hiking up the steep cliffs!

Read More: Visiting Èze and Monaco from Nice with Tour Azur

Get Your Passport Stamped!

Passport stamps are the ultimate souvenir! The only place in the country that will stamp your passport is Monaco’s Town Hall (Mairie de Monaco). The building itself is stunningly beautiful, and there was even a wedding happening at the time when I visited! Simply walk in and go straight back to the desk in the main room. Show your passport and ask for a stamp, and they will do so free of charge. What a fun keepsake!

Note: this is the only place that will offer legitimate stamps in your actual passport. The tourism office in Monte Carlo will offer souvenir passport books with a token stamp, but will not stamp your actual book. Those are also free of charge if they interest you. However, I’ve heard accounts of them running out of stock during the summer high-tourism months.

Snag a Souvenir Postage Stamp

Next, make your way just across the street to the post office (La Poste Monaco). Here, you can snag a souvenir postage stamp! I’m not a stamp collector at all, but while planning my trip I read that this is often a souvenir snagged by visitors. After all, how cool is it that you’re in the second-smallest country in the world (second only to Vatican City)?! Getting an official, tangible souvenir is always great. It was small, cheap, and super unique, so I’m glad I grabbed one!

Prince’s Palace and Changing of the Guards

Keep an eye on the time, as you won’t want to miss this! Every day at 11:55 am (weather permitting), the changing of the guard ceremony takes place The Prince’s Palace. If you want a good viewing spot, I’d recommend arriving early! Even though there were not many tourists in town on the day that I visited (in late-March, technically Monaco’s “low season”), the crowds were dense when I arrived at about 11:40 am. Around 11:45 am, they start to close down roads to pedestrian traffic and you cannot cross. Make sure to be in your spot no later than then!

The ceremony started right on time, with a procession of guards parading down this street and up the walkway to the palace. Unfortunately I didn’t arrive early enough and I was only able to get a spot towards the back. Therefore I wasn’t able to see the actual ceremony. However, it only lasted about 15 minutes and then the streets opened back up to go back and explore the rest of the town.

Tip: in the event of inclement weather, the decision may be made to not do the procession. Instead, the ceremony will take place in the tunnel leading to the palace.

Wander the Streets

Since Monaco itself is less than one square mile, the Old Town is easy to explore on foot! Personally, I’d spend some time wandering and “getting lost” on the old streets. Of course, you never will never actually be “lost”, but try putting down your GPS and wander wherever your heart takes you. There are little alleyways and beautiful houses and buildings to admire that are in shades of orange, yellow, and pink. Even though I’m not a “car girl”, I also loved gawking at some of the insane cars that drove by. I saw brands like Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Ferrari (to name a few). So cool!

Grab a snack or sit-down meal

Again, Monaco’s Old Town is not that large, so even if you only have a half-day in Monaco’s Old Town, you’ll have plenty of time to eat! Since I went out to breakfast at a café before by tour with Tour Azur left in the morning, my hunger level wasn’t incredibly high. Therefore, I opted for a cone of chocolate cookie gelato from Candy Street Glaces. It hit the spot after a morning strolling around the Old Town and being out in the (surprisingly) hot sun.

Even though I personally didn’t have the chance to sit down for a full meal, there were a few sit-down restaurants that were recommended to me. La Tavernetta is an Italian restaurant that serves pasta dishes and pizzas, and L’Aurore is a classic French-style brasserie. While walking, I passed a restaurant with a stunning outdoor patio to sit in (pictured above) named L’Estragon. I don’t know much more about this restaurant, but I know that I wouldn’t mind sitting outside there with a glass of wine!

Take in the Scenic Overlooks

Monaco’s Old Town boasts some of the very best views in the country, and in the French Riviera as a whole! Right near the Prince’s Palace, this viewpoint will give you sights of the port, Monte Carlo, and the stunning mountains that surround it. Continue your way down Rue des Remparts for continued views and even some little turnouts (like pictured here) to take some pics without being in the way of the sidewalk or street.

Some of my favorite viewpoints however, were down toward the end of the peninsula. Getting a photo at the iconic frame photo point is a requirement for those spending a day in Monaco’s Old Town! Right near the frame are these small structures (I’m not sure what else to call them, pictured here) that have a short staircase to climb. Some of my favorite photos from my day in Monaco’s Old Town came from the top of these (like the photo at the top of this page!). Make your way to the other side of the peninsula for full-on views of the bright blue Mediterranean!

Bonus: Visit the Oceanography Museum

While you probably won’t have time to do everything mentioned above and go to the Oceanography Museum, it’s definitely an option if you have a few extra hours on your day in Monaco’s Old Town! If I had more time, it’s definitely something I would have liked to visit. Even admiring it from the outside was great, as the building is enormous and incredibly beautiful. The museum itself though, is world class. There are over 6,000 square feet of exhibits, including their famous Sea Turtle Odyssey that is an outdoor exhibit that also hosts stunning views of the Med below. Adding it to my list of things to hit when I get back to Monaco!

Thank you to Tour Azur for hosting me on this tour. As always, the content & opinions expressed here are entirely my own.