Before we get started, I want to give you my honest opinion about Marseille: I did not enjoy my time there. I found the French people extremely rude. I didn’t feel safe walking alone in the streets at night. There’s not a lot to do in this city, that’s why I find that 2 days in Marseille is plenty enough. However, I enjoyed the activities that I did. Overall, Marseille is just not on my list of great cities. Of course, this is my opinion, you might experience something different.
- Best way to enjoy your morning (breakfast)
- List of activities
- Best way to enjoy lunch & dinner
- How many nights you should spend in Marseille
Best way to enjoy your morning (breakfast)
If you arrived the night before, and you are starting your day early in Marseille, don’t waste any time. Get up and go walk around to find a little place to eat breakfast. France is known for its great croissants and “pain au chocolat”. Find a pastry shop and enjoy these little delicacies.
List of activities
Here is a list of activities I recommend doing. Since you are spending two days in Marseille, I wrote at the end of each activity how long it takes to experience them fully.
– Chill at the beach. Plage des Catalans is a great spot to get a tan and enjoy the water. I had a picnic there and it was very nice. Depending on your interest, it could take about 1 to 3 hours. As you can see in the video (only my feet though), it was very windy when I went the first time. The second day was much better!
– Walk around the port. The views are very nice. It’s a nice promenade. It should take about 2 hours if you take the time to enjoy the sun.
– Visit Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. This is definitely my favorite activity in Marseille. It’s totally free. It’s very beautiful inside as well as outside. + The view from the Basilique over the city is amazing. It should take you about 2 hours if you do this activity by foot from the port to the Basilique.
Best way to enjoy lunch & dinner
Lunch in France is normally at noon & dinner is around 8 p.m. Since I didn’t have a lot of time in this city, I only tried two restaurants. Here are my reviews of them:
Hippopotamus Steakhouse:
- Great view of the port.
- The staff was nice, but we waited a long time for our food.
- The food was excellent, but the portions were on the smaller side.
- The prices are reasonable for a restaurant, especially located directly at the port.
Overall, I would give this place a 4 ★.
Joker Burger:
- The burger was good for a late-night craving.
- The guy serving me was really nice.
- The prices are good: 7 euros (10$ CAD) for a double cheeseburger, a drink and fries.
- Located close to the port.
Overall, I would give this place a 4 ★.
How many nights you should spend in Marseille
Here are the 2 options I mainly recommend:
If you arrive late at night: In this option, when you get to Marseille, there’s not much you can do except for dinner and going out. That is why I would recommend waking up early the next morning and spending the next two days in Marseille. You can sleep one more night (3 in total) and leave in the morning.
If you arrive in the morning / the day: In this option, when you arrive in Marseille, you can start to explore the city on the day you get there. In the evening, have a nice dinner and go out at night. Sleep and enjoy one more day in this city. In total, you will spend 2 nights there. Pack your things and leave after the second night.
You have now had the perfect two full days in Marseille. You have, in my opinion, seen the best side of it. It is now time for you to start exploring the amazing other regions of France in the following days.
