Marseille City Pass 24, 48 or 72 Hours with Public Transport

The Old Port, the MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean

Marseille has gathered around the Vieux-Port for some 2,600 years, since Greek sailors from Phocaea founded the city. Today the harbour is the city's living room, with fishermen selling the morning catch on the quay, the mirrored canopy reflecting passers-by and boats leaving for the islands. Your pass makes the Old Port your base: metro, buses and the tourist train all start within a few minutes' walk.

At the harbour entrance stands the MuCEM, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, opened in 2013 in a cube wrapped in a lace of dark concrete and linked by a footbridge to the 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean. One entry is included with the pass; the museum is closed on Tuesdays, so plan accordingly. Its rooftop terrace and the fort's gardens give some of the best free views over the sea and the city.

Château d'If and the Frioul islands

Just offshore, the Château d'If is a 16th-century fortress built on a tiny limestone island to guard the harbour, later used as a state prison and made world-famous by a classic 19th-century adventure novel. Entry to the château is included with the pass; it depends on the weather and it is closed on Mondays in winter. The boat trip to reach it is part of the pass choice.

With the pass you choose either a return boat trip to the If island or to the Frioul islands, or entry to the Cosquer Méditerranée cave. The Frioul archipelago, ten minutes beyond If, has white rocks, small beaches, a little port and the old quarantine hospital on Ratonneau, ideal for a half-day walk and swim. Boats sail subject to weather, so check on the day you plan to go.

Notre-Dame de la Garde by tourist train and sightseeing bus

The basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, crowned by its golden statue of the Virgin and Child, watches over Marseille from its 150-metre hill and offers the finest panorama of the city, the islands and the coast. The little tourist train included with the pass climbs from the Old Port to the basilica, sparing you the steep walk, and is one of the easiest ways to get there with children.

The pass also includes a day on the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus, which links the main districts and the coastal Corniche with an audio guide on your smartphone; bring your own earphones or headphones. Between the train and the bus, you can see the Corniche, the Vallon des Auffes and the Palais du Pharo without worrying about the hills.

Cosquer Méditerranée cave

If you choose the cave instead of the island boat, you visit Cosquer Méditerranée, the faithful replica of a prehistoric painted cave discovered in 1985 in the Calanques, whose entrance lies 37 metres under the sea. Opened in 2022 in the Villa Méditerranée next to the MuCEM, it recreates the paintings and engravings of horses, bison, seals and penguins, and the hand stencils left more than 30,000 years ago.

Visitors travel through the replica seated in small exploration modules with an audio commentary, then continue into an exhibition about the cave, the ice age and rising sea levels. It is an excellent option on a windy day when the island boats may not sail, and a strong choice for families. Remember that using the boat cancels the cave choice, and the other way round.

Museums and the Citadelle

The Regards de Provence museum, in a former sanitary station facing the cathedral of La Major, presents art inspired by Provence and the sea; it is closed on Mondays. La Friche Belle de Mai, a huge former tobacco factory turned cultural centre, hosts exhibitions and has a vast rooftop with city views; it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Both are included once with the pass.

The pass also includes a guided visit of the Citadelle, the Fort Saint-Nicolas that faces Fort Saint-Jean across the harbour entrance, with a choice of three tours subject to availability. With the 72-hour pass you add one guided tour from the Tourist Office's programme, which you reserve at the Tourist Office desk.

Getting around Marseille with the pass

The pass gives unlimited travel on the city's two metro lines, its tram lines and its bus network for the whole validity period. A practical question is how to get from the Old Port to the beaches or the Calanques: buses run along the Corniche to the Prado beaches, and line B1 from Castellane reaches the Luminy entrance of the Calanques National Park.

The pass is valid for 24, 48 or 72 consecutive hours from first use, and you can use it within 12 months of purchase. Each visit is validated at the ticket office of the attraction, with no advance reservations, and one order can cover up to 9 people. Comfortable shoes are a must: Marseille is a city of hills and stairs.