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Things to Do in Monaco

From the Monte Carlo Casino to the Prince's Palace - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.

Travel guide - last updated September 2026

Monaco is the world's second-smallest country, small enough to walk end to end in under an hour, and packs a Belle Époque casino, a working royal palace and a Formula 1 street circuit into that space. Most visitors see it as a day trip from Nice, easily reached by train along the French Riviera. Here are 6 places worth building a trip around.

Top attractions

The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.

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Monte Carlo Casino

A Belle Époque casino opened in 1863, whose gambling revenue historically allowed Monaco to abolish income tax for its citizens. The main gaming rooms require formal dress and an entry fee for non-guests; the grand atrium is free to view.

📍 Monte Carlo

🚉 Nearest station: Monaco-Monte-Carlo, five minutes' walk through the covered passages, with frequent TER trains from Nice taking about 20 minutes.

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Prince's Palace

The official residence of Monaco's ruling Grimaldi family, with a changing of the guard ceremony at 11:55am daily, and state apartments open to the public part of the year.

📍 Monaco-Ville

🚉 Bus 1 or 2 climbs to the Monaco-Ville stop on the Rock; on foot it is a steep 15-minute walk from the port, and the changing of the guard is at 11.55am daily.

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Monaco Grand Prix Circuit

The public streets of Monaco double as a Formula 1 circuit each May, one of the sport's oldest and most prestigious races - the route is walkable year-round even outside race week.

📍 Monte Carlo & La Condamine

🚉 The circuit is the city's own streets: walk it from Monaco-Monte-Carlo station past the casino, down to Portier and through the tunnel to the harbour chicane.

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Oceanographic Museum

Founded by Prince Albert I in 1910 and later directed by Jacques Cousteau, with a large aquarium and a rooftop terrace giving one of Monaco's best coastal views.

📍 Monaco-Ville

🚉 Bus 1 or 2 to Monaco-Ville, then a short walk along the cliff to the museum, which stands on the rock face above the sea.

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Jardin Exotique

A garden of cacti and succulents built into a cliffside, with a cave (Grotte de l'Observatoire) beneath it and sweeping views over the principality and the Mediterranean.

📍 Monaco-Ville

🚉 Bus 2 runs up to the Jardin Exotique terminus from the centre, about 15 minutes - the garden clings to the cliff and the entry includes the observatory cave beneath it.

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Port Hercules

Monaco's harbor, lined with some of the world's largest private yachts - a free and simple way to take in the principality's wealth without spending anything at all.

📍 La Condamine

🚉 Nearest station: Monaco-Monte-Carlo, then the public lift down to the harbour - the port is the middle of everything and the ring of restaurants around it is where the Grand Prix crowds gather.

Mark Monaco, get the stamp

🇲🇨MONACOVISITED

🇲🇨MONACOLIVED

🇲🇨MONACOWISHLIST

In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.

Open MyPassportStory

Planning questions

How many days do you need in Monaco?

A single day covers Monaco's main sights well, and it's most commonly visited as a day trip from Nice or elsewhere on the French Riviera rather than a standalone multi-day stay.

What's the best time to visit Monaco?

April-October has the warmest weather for the harbor and gardens. The Monaco Grand Prix (May) brings large crowds and considerably higher hotel prices to the whole principality that week.

Is Monaco good for a first-time visit?

Yes - it's tiny, walkable, and directly connected to Nice by a short train ride, making it an easy add-on rather than requiring its own dedicated trip.

Do I need a visa to visit Monaco?

Monaco maintains open borders with France and is treated as part of the Schengen Area in practice for most travel purposes; citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, matching Schengen rules. Check the official visa information for your nationality: en.gouv.mc.

What are some things to do in Monaco on a tight budget?

Walking Port Hercules and viewing the Grand Prix circuit costs nothing, the Monte Carlo Casino's grand atrium can be viewed for free without gambling, and the Prince's Palace's changing of the guard ceremony is a free daily spectacle.

Can I rent a car in Monaco, and what licence do I need?

You can, but there is little point: the principality is two square kilometres, its public lifts and buses cover the height difference, and the train from Nice takes 20 minutes. Parking is expensive and largely underground. If you do drive, EU and EEA licences are valid as issued, other visitors need an International Driving Permit alongside a non-European licence, and the minimum age is generally 21 to 25 - though the exotic-car hire firms set their own, much higher, limits. Most rentals are actually collected in Nice, since French and Monegasque traffic rules align. Official information is published by the government at gouv.mc.