Marseille Attractions: Tickets and Hours
Marseille Attractions: Tickets and Hours
Marseille’s best paid attractions sit within a ten-minute walk of each other along the waterfront, and two of them are free to enter in part. Knowing which parts are free saves money before you buy anything.
MuCEM and the free outdoor areas
The MuCEM, the museum of Mediterranean civilisations, is a black lattice cube by Rudy Ricciotti and Roland Carta on the esplanade of the J4. The exhibition galleries cost €11, or €7.50 reduced, and they are open 10:00 to 19:00 and closed on Tuesdays. The J4 terrace, the footbridge to Fort Saint-Jean and the fort grounds are free, so the building can be enjoyed without a ticket. Check prices and exhibitions on mucem.org .
Cosquer Méditerranée
In 1985 a diver found a cave entrance 37 metres below sea level near Cap Morgiou, with more than 500 Paleolithic paintings dating from 27,000 to 19,000 years ago. Cosquer Méditerranée, in the Villa Méditerranée beside the MuCEM, is a full-scale replica that visitors tour in small automated pods with audio guides.
Tickets are €18 for adults, €11 for ages 10 to 17 and €6 for ages 6 to 9. Hours are 09:30 to 18:00 on weekdays outside holidays and 09:30 to 19:30 on weekends and holidays. Booking ahead is sensible, through grotte-cosquer.com .
Musée d’Histoire de Marseille
Behind the Vieux-Port, next to the Centre Bourse, the museum shows the excavated Greek and Roman port of Massalia, including the remains of a Roman merchant ship. Permanent collections are free, and temporary exhibitions cost roughly €6 to €12. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 18:00.
Palais Longchamp
The 1869 palace celebrates the arrival of Durance river water in the city, with colonnades, cascades and sculpture. The gardens and fountains are free. The Beaux-Arts and Natural History museums in the two wings cost about €5 each, with a combined ticket at about €9, so confirm on site.
Is a City Pass worth it?
The Marseille City Pass starts from €36 for 24 hours, with higher prices for 48 and 72 hours that vary by seller. It bundles RTM transport, MuCEM entry, the tourist train or bus, and one boat trip to an island or one Cosquer entry, but not both. Add up what you plan to use. Visitors who will do the MuCEM, Cosquer and several bus rides in a day come out ahead, and slower travellers usually do not. Prices and inclusions are on the Marseille tourist office site , and you can compare Marseille attraction tickets on GetYourGuide for combined options.
Ordering your days
Pair the MuCEM and Cosquer on one day, since they share the waterfront esplanade. Give Palais Longchamp its own half-day, reached by metro line M1 to Cinq Avenues Longchamp, and slot the history museum in on the way to or from the Vieux-Port.
For city landmarks to fit between tickets, see the sightseeing page and the 3-day Marseille itinerary . Pickpockets work crowded queues and the metro, so keep your phone and wallet zipped away while you wait.
Tip: book Cosquer for the first slot of the day, then walk the J4 footbridge to the fort while the queues for the MuCEM galleries are still short.