One day in Monaco is an amazing experience. There are many things to do and to see in the country. If you follow this itinerary, you'll make the most out of your 24 hours in Monaco!
First, I'll tell you why you should spend a day in Monaco and I'll give you information on the best time to go there. After that, I'll tell you exactly how to spend a day in Monaco! Furthermore, I'll end this article with some information about Monaco.
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Why Spend One Day in Monaco?
Spending one day in Monaco is amazing. There are so many reasons to visit Monaco! An important reason why you should see it at least once is that there are magnificent viewpoints.
If you love beautiful destinations, then Monaco is incredible to visit. The city-state looks incredible which is also why you can find lots of photo spots in Monaco. So if you like photography, that's another reason to go there.
Besides that, Monaco is also a very interesting destination. That's because it's the second smallest country on earth! Only Vatican City is smaller. Also, Monaco is the country with the most citizens per square mile. And it's a sovereign city-state. This makes Monaco very unique which is definitely a reason to go there.
Moreover, the location is very convenient as it's in the French Riviera! So going there is easy if you're traveling through Europe.
But there are more reasons! The large number of yachts is incredible to see.
Furthermore, there is a wonderful casino that's very old. And the unique thing about the casino is that only tourists can go there. That's because there's a ban for those who live in the country.
Moreover, Monaco is well known because it's very luxurious which is also why it's a great place to see!
So now you know why you should go there. But why spend 24 hours in Monaco?
As Monaco is small, it's easy to see all highlights in one day. One day is the perfect amount of time to enjoy the views, see the famous sights and have a great time. For that reason, it's also very nice to do a day trip to Monaco from other places in France.
And if you follow this itinerary, you'll have the best time in Monaco for sure!
The Best Time to Spend One Day in Monaco
The best time to visit Monaco is between April and June, and in September and October.
Spending one day in Monaco during these months is the best experience. That's because it's not very busy then. For that reason, it feels a bit more as if you're a local if you're going there that time. In summer, it's much busier.
Besides that, the weather in Monaco is very pleasant then. It's not too hot and not too cold. So I'd recommend going to Monaco in April, May, June, September, or October!
Keep in mind that Monaco is also an incredible summer destination. So traveling there in July and August will definitely be a great experience too. That's especially the case if you want to swim at the beaches in Monaco.
One Day in Monaco Itinerary: What to Do During 24 Hours in Monaco
Let's start the itinerary! If you follow this itinerary for 24 hours in Monaco, you'll have an amazing time for sure! You're going to see the beauty of the country. Besides that, you will see amazing sights, architecture and have delicious food!
Start Your One Day in Monaco With Breakfast
It's the beginning of your one day in Monaco, so it's time to get some breakfast!
Luckily, there are many breakfast spots in Monaco, so you can choose whichever place you like most.
If you travel to Monaco by train, a great option is Gran Caffè. It lies next to the railway station of Monaco, so it's a very convenient place to go to.
They serve delicious coffee, good sandwiches, ice cream, and many other dishes.
If you want a place more in the city center, I recommend going to Emilie's Cookies. This is a place where you can get great bread, muffins, and cookies. Also, you can get here coffee of course!
Also, if you only want coffee for breakfast and you want something you are already familiar with, you can do so too! There's a Starbucks in the city center of Monaco that is exactly like all Starbucks in the world.
See the streets of the rock of Monaco
After breakfast, it's time to go to the next activity of this itinerary for 24 hours in Monaco. You can walk there in an easy way, although you have to climb some stairs to get there. Or if that's too difficult for you, you can also take the stairs.
The Rock of Monaco is one of the most recognizable landmarks of the country. You find here great sights that you are going to visit this morning if you follow this itinerary. Also, it's home to some great viewpoints that are definitely worth seeing.
The Rock of Monaco is where you find the oldest part of Monaco, Monaco-Ville. It's the place where Monaco started and in the past, this was all the land that belonged to Monaco. That's why you find here many of the country's official institutions.
Besides that, the Rock is home to many lovely streets that are great to wander through. The architecture of the buildings is great to see and many of the buildings are very picturesque. You should definitely have a look at the buildings during your one day in Monaco.
Also, you find many shops here, of which some are very luxurious. And there are some ice cream shops, where you can get delicious ice cream.
In short, walking through the Rock of Monaco is a great activity to start your morning with.
See the Saint-Martin gardens and see the view
Now it's time to go to the Saint-Martin gardens! Seeing the Saint-Martin Gardens is one of the best free things to do in Monaco. There are many great things to see in the gardens!
First, it's the perfect place to admire nature. Besides that, you can find one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Monaco in the gardens. From the gardens, you have a gorgeous view of Port de Fontvieille. This is also one of the most famous viewpoints in the country.
If you love photography, you should take some pictures here for sure. The water is so blue and the port looks amazing, which is very photogenic.
Moreover, you can find the statue of Prince Albert I in the gardens. That's an interesting statue to see. From the end of the 19th century, he was the prince of the country.
Visiting the gardens is definitely one of the most relaxing things to do during your one day in Monaco.
Monaco Cathedral
After seeing the beautiful Saint-Martin gardens, you can go to the Monaco Cathedral! This is a very beautiful cathedral that's a must-see when you're in the country. If you're 24 hours in Monaco, you should definitely see it.
The construction of the cathedral started in 1875 and in 1903 it was ready. So the construction took almost 30 years!
Especially those who like architecture will love this activity on the itinerary. The architecture of the Monaco Cathedral is Charles Lenormand. Admiring the architecture of Monaco Cathedral is incredible!
Moreover, the Monaco Cathedral is also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate. And some people call it the Saint Nicholas Cathedral.
A Must-See During 24 Hours in Monaco: The Prince’s Palace
After visiting the cathedral it's time to see another interesting place on the Rock of Monaco. The Prince's Palace is the official house of the Prince of Monaco.
Monaco is a principality where the Prince of Monaco is the head of state. Furthermore, the royal family is the House of Grimaldi, who rule over Monaco for about 700 years.
This makes going to the Prince's Palace one of the most interesting things to do.
Furthermore, you can see here the changing of the guard ceremony that takes place every day at 11:55 AM. During this ceremony, the guards on duty switch with other guards.
The building itself is also very interesting. It dates back to the 12th century when it functioned as a fortress of the Republic of Genoa.
Over the years, many powers attacked and took over the castle. And the castle was always at risk of an attack
That's why there are many fortifications at the building. Moreover, that's especially true in comparison to other royal palaces in Europe.
After visiting this place, there is another great site you should visit: the Museum of Old Monaco.
Visit the Museum of Old Monaco
Another great activity this morning is to visit the Museum of Old Monaco. This is a great museum that is all about the identity of Monaco. The purpose of the museum is to preserve that what makes Monaco Monaco. This is one of the most interesting activities during your one day in Monaco.
You find here paintings, furniture, ceramics, and more. All types of objects relate to the history of and life in Monaco. Together the items tell the story of Monaco.
What's great is that some of the objects are very old. For example, there is a letter from the king of France that is almost 400 years old. Another interesting object at the museum is a statue of Henry IV.
I recommend having only a quick visit to the museum to get a brief sense of the history and traditions of Monaco. It makes the country much more interesting. After that should explore more of wonderful Monaco!
Lunch at the Middle of Your 24 Hours in Monaco
Now it's time for lunch. There are lots of places where you can have the most delicious lunch! So there's definitely a place you'll love during your 24 hours in Monaco.
I recommend having lunch near Port Hercules in the city center. That's because this location is the most convenient for this itinerary.
A great place for lunch is Woo Monaco. They serve delicious food.
You can get here salads, bruschetta, sandwiches, focaccia, and much more. So there's a lot to choose from! Also, there are many vegan options! In short, it's a great place when you want to have lunch in Monaco.
Go to Port Hercules and admire yachts
When you finished lunch, you can go to Port Hercules! Port Hercules is the largest port of Monaco. Furthermore, it's the only deep-water port in the country.
The modern port is there since 1929, but in ancient times, there was already a port here. So that's very unique! Moreover, it's very large. Port Hercules covers almost 40 acres (160,000 m2).
At Port Hercules, you can find many magnificent yachts. The yachts are so large and luxurious and it's amazing to see them. So I'd recommend wandering around the port and admiring all the beautiful yachts. It's so impressive to see!
See the Japanese Garden
After visiting the busy port of Monaco, you might be in the mood for some relaxation. If you're 24 hours in Monaco, this activity is the best way to relax!
That's great because the next stop of this itinerary is the Japanese Garden of Monaco.
This is a beautiful public garden that you can visit from 9:00 AM till about 6:00 PM.
It is a beautiful award-winning garden that is great to wander through. After visiting this place, you'll be much more relaxed for sure!
What's great is that the garden follows the design principles of Zen design. This makes the garden look very much like those found in Japan.
Moreover, there are many great things in the garden. There is a pond, a waterfall, a tea house, and a Zen garden where you can meditate. In the pond, you can see koi carps, which is wonderful!
Relax at Larvotto Beach in the Afternoon of Your One Day in Monaco
Monaco has some very beautiful beaches. So if you're spending one day in Monaco, you should definitely visit one of the beaches as well! That's why it's now time to go to Larvotto Beach.
Larvotto Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Monaco. It's very pretty because of the beautiful blue water. Furthermore, you have an amazing view of some buildings in Monaco from Larvotto Beach.
If it's summer, I'd definitely recommend going for a swim! Swimming at Larvotto Beach is very pleasant. But if it’s not warm enough to swim, it’s still very nice to visit the beach.
Moreover, it's very easy to get to Larvotto Beach. That's because it's close to the center of Monaco. Also, it's free to enter the beach as it's a public beach.
Dinner in the Evening of Your 24 Hours in Monaco
After doing so much during this one day in Monaco, you most likely want to have dinner!
For this, I recommend going back to the area surrounding the main port or the area of Monte Carlo.
One of the best restaurants in Monaco is Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse. The restaurant has three Michelin stars, which means the food here is phenomenal.
Every dish features products, aromas, and colors inspired by the French Riviera. Furthermore, the food is very contemporary.
Also, the restaurant's interior is very elegant, making the experience even better.
So if you are looking for an incredible dining experience, I recommend going here.
Although, keep in mind that it is also very expensive to have dinner here. The main dishes start at 95 euros.
If that's too expensive, you have plenty of other options at the port of Monaco.
Have fun at the Monte Carlo Casino: The End of Your One Day in Monaco
Now it's time to go to the Monte Carlo Casino! The Monte Carlo Casino is one of the most popular places to visit for tourists. And that isn't for no reason! The casino is very old, as it's from 1863. This makes the place also very interesting if you like history.
At the Monte Carlo Casino, there's a lot of entertainment and many people gamble here.
A very interesting fact about the casino is that those who live in Monaco cannot go there. This means they can neither gamble nor work there. So only foreigners can enter Monte Carlo Casino.
Also interesting to know is that the owner of the Monte Carlo Casino is a public company. And the royal family that rules the country has a large interest in that public company.
Moreover, if you're going to the casino, don't forget to have a look at the outside as well! It looks very pretty.
How To Get To Monaco
It is very easy to reach the country of Monaco. You can do so by train, car, helicopter or boat.
The railway station of Monaco lies in the city center of the country. There are many direct connections to places in France and Italy. For example, the train journey from Nice to Monaco takes about 30 minutes.
Besides that, you can go to Monaco by car. There are roads leading to the country, making this a great option too. Furthermore, you can take a taxi.
One of the best (and most expensive) ways to reach Monaco is by helicopter. There are many connections between other places on the French Riviera and Monaco. For example, you can get to Monaco from Cannes.
Also, there is a direct helicopter flight between Monaco and the airport of Nice.
The last way to reach Monaco is by boat. Many cruises go to Monaco, and there are some ferries too. For example, there is a ferry from Nice to Monaco.
How to Get Around During 24 Hours in Monaco
Monaco is a small country. In fact, it is one of the smallest countries in the world.
So to move around the country you don't need anything, most of the time you can walk everywhere. Moreover, for this itinerary for one day in Monaco, it is easy to walk to all the stops.
But there are some ways that make it easier to get everywhere.
First, there are escalators and moving walkways (those you find at airports) in the country. This makes it much faster to get around.
Second, there are buses that serve many parts of Monaco.
Third, you can find bike-sharing stations throughout the country. You can rent an electric bike here for a very low price.
Fourth, you can hail a taxi everywhere in the city. This is a very convenient way to move around 24 hours per day!
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