Last Updated on 15th March 2024 by Charlotte
Set alongside the glittering French ‘Côte d’Azur,’ Monaco is a tiny principality defined by its rocky nature and miniature size. Best-known for being the home of the wealthy (around 30% of the population are millionaires), here’s your ultimate guide on how to spend one day in Monaco.
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Introducing Monaco
Monaco is not only a country in its own right, but also a city-state, meaning that the entirety of the autonomous state also lies within the city limits. Monaco is technically a principality, meaning that the head of State is a Prince. Prince Albert II is the current head of state and has been so since 2005.
Locals are known as Monégasques, and they even have their own Ligurian dialect, that of Monégasque. With this being said, it’s worth noting that the official language of Monaco is French (though you’ll easily get by with just English).
Many of the people who reside in Monaco choose to live there because there’s no income tax, though the Principality makes up for it with high corporation tax and steep VAT rates. The aquarium of the town was directed by Jacques Cousteau for no fewer than 17 years.
Is one day enough time to visit Monaco?
Monaco is one of the smallest countries in Europe, second only to the Vatican City in Rome. The territory is around 1 square mile in size and has a population of around 40,000 inhabitants.
As such, you can easily walk across the whole of the country in roughly an hour! One day in Monaco is more than enough time to explore all that this destination has to offer.
Monaco is also incredibly expensive, with many of the bars and bistros serving up food and drink at much higher rates than elsewhere along the French Riviera. For this reason alone, you might consider not spending more than a day exploring the country!
Suggested one day in Monaco Itinerary
Explore the Old Town
Of course, the true highlight of a trip to Monaco is the chance to wander around the pastel hued streets of the old town. This is one of the busiest parts of the Principality and so be sure to keep an eye on your valuables at all times!
I would personally opt to visit the old town in the morning as the afternoon gets very busy and so you’ll get more of the place to yourself if you opt to visit earlier in the day. The Old Town is also where most eateries are located.
Many of Monaco’s main attractions are hidden amongst the little pedestrianised streets of the old town and so you’ll want to set aside a good few hours in order to enjoy everything that Monaco Old Town has to offer.
Prince’s Palace of Monaco
Perched atop ‘Le Rocher’ (the rock), the old town’s crowning jewel is the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, which is the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco (surname Grimaldi) and began life in the 12th-century as a medieval fortress.
Today, Palace Guards stand outside of the Palace 24/7, and a Changing of the Guard (which you can watch for free) takes place every day at noon. You can visit the Palace on a daily basis for a small fee.
The centre of the square directly in front of the Palace boasts a late 20th-century bronze statue which celebrates François Grimaldi, a man who captured the area in the 13th-century after entering disguised as a monk, and whose descendants still rule the land to this day.
Monaco Cathedral
Monaco’s Cathedral is situated just a stone’s throw away from the Palace and is the final resting place for generation upon generation of Grimaldis. The Cathedral you see on site today is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and was constructed at the beginning of the 20th-century.
Monaco Cathedral is also the final resting place of Princess Grace of Monaco. Acclaimed Hollywood actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in a highly publicised publicised ceremony in the mid 1950s.
The wedding led to plenty more intrigue about Monaco and its royals after Kelly met the Prince while starring in a film set in Monaco. Tragically, Grace Kelly died in a car accident in the early 1980s.
Old Monaco Museum
For those who are even more intrigued about the history of Monaco and how the city state came to be, there’s a free to visit Old Monaco Museum which is open exclusively on Wednesday and Fridays from 11 AM to 4 PM between June and September.
There are a variety of exhibitions on display, including ceramics, clothing, and displays detailing what Monaco was like in times gone by. In French, the museum is known as Musée du Vieux Monaco.
Have lunch
After a morning exploring the Old Town, I would recommend staying on Le Rocher to grab a bite to eat for lunch. If there’s one thing you should know before visiting Monaco, it’s that almost everything is very expensive and a ‘reasonably priced meal’ can still be quite pricey.
Le Rocher has the greatest concentration of bars and restaurants and will stand you in good stead for visiting the rest of Monaco. Some of the best lunch spot recommendations include La Tavernetta, Maison des Pâtes Condamine, and Le Petit Bar Monaco.
Sainte-Dévote Chapel
After leaving Le Rocher area, be sure to pay a visit to the Sainte-Dévote Chapel. There has been a chapel on site in some form or another since 1070, though the place of worship was heavily restored during the 16th-century. Today, visitors can see the small church which is close to the port.
Visit the F1 race track
Just a stone’s throw away from the Sainte-Devoté Chapel, visitors can see a statue that depicts one of the first race cars which participated in the Grand Prix. The bronze sculpture is one of several such dedicated to the Grand Prix in the city state.
Those with a particular penchant for cars will likely know that Monaco is well-known for hosting the Grand Prix. Well, since there is no actual dedicated race track, you can actually walk the route of the Grand Prix on foot since it’s just various streets of the city. Find a detailed map here.
Walk around the Ports
As I mentioned, Monaco is fairly tiny and compact, meaning that you can see almost all of the territory as soon as you arrive. One of the main attractions in the state are the ports. Monaco has two ports; Port Hercule and Port Fontvieille.
Port Hercule is a natural port located at the base of Le Rocher (the natural elevated rock upon which the old town was built) and is the best port to explore while in the city. You can easily meander along the docks, soak up the sun, and marvel at all of the different boats and yachts moored at the port.
Meanwhile, the other port in Monaco is Fontvieille, which is in an area of the city which was quite literally reclaimed from the sea. This area of the city is more residential and boasts a plethora of high rise luxury residences. This is also where most cruise ships dock close to.
See the Monte Carlo Casino
While I am not a fan of gambling myself, I would say that the exterior of the Monte Carlo Casino is a must-see while in Monaco, particularly because it has served as a filming location for many top movies and TV shows over the years.
Monte Carlo is an administrative region of Monaco and it is largely centred around the casino, hence why the Casino is named Monte Carlo. The Casino was constructed after Monaco lost much of its territory to neighbouring France during the 1860s.
In order to continue drawing in crowds, the Prince of Monaco of the time commissioned a Casino. Today, rather curiously, it’s actually illegal for residents of Monaco to gamble in the Casino- use of the Casino is only reserved for visitors!
Enjoy sunset at the Tête de Chien
Though not technically within the confines of Monaco itself, end your day the right way by heading to the Tête de Chien for sunset. The viewpoint is perched atop of a 550 metres high rock in Southern France.
Unfortunately the viewpoint can only be reached via car and so if you’re not renting a car during your French Riviera trip then you won’t be able to enjoy the view. It is the highest point on the Grande Corniche road and offers views over the entirety of Monaco.
How to get to Monaco
Easy to visit as a day trip from Nice, I would personally not bring a car to visit the city state, particularly considering that parking is often between €20 – €30 for a day. Instead, train connections to nearby cities such as Nice and Cannes could not be easier and so I personally would recommend taking the train to and from the city state.
French Riviera Tips
The French Riviera (including the principal of Monaco) is in the South of France. France and Monaco use the Euro (€)
The French Riviera is best explored over the course of several days, preferably longer. Check here for our suggested French Riviera itinerary.
The main language spoken in France is French. Though you can get by with English in the more popular places along the French Riviera, it’s always a good idea to learn some of the local language. Bring along a simple phrasebook like this one to help make your travels easier.
France uses plug types, types C and E. As such, if you’re travelling from the UK, USA, Canada, and many other destinations, you’ll need to buy an adapter. I recommend buying a universal travel adapter that you can use for multiple destinations (rather than buying a new adaptor for each place you visit).
As one of the most popular destinations in the world, you should always consider booking your accommodation well ahead of time. Check out this website for price comparison details and detailed reviews.
Be careful with your belongings. I also highly advise to avoid wearing a backpack and to instead opt for a crossbody bag like these ones. I personally use a crossbody bag by this brand and love its shape, size, and versatility.
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Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.