Monaco is the crown jewel of both Formula One and the Mediterranean. With the most luxurious stores, expensive cars, and beautiful coastline, Monaco is a destination most people dream of visiting. While in Monaco, there are two types of things you can do, no matter the season, F1 related or unrelated activities! Here is a master list of activities that you can do and enjoy in Monaco no matter the season or weather!
Things To Do In Monaco – Car and F1 related Activities
Walk the Monaco F1 track
Monaco is well known, and probably best known for the Formula One race that happens here. While it’s something I want to see during my lifetime, it’s a bit out of my price range currently and the busiest time of year to visit! So if you’re like me, the next best bet is a walk around this historic track.
It’s about two miles around, and you can easily make your way by following the red and white track curbs or an online map. You can walk around, unfortunately at a fraction of the speed of the cars, and see each iconic turn. Even though I went in November, quite far from grand prix time in May, it was nice to walk around the Monaco F1 track at my own pace. Since there weren’t many people, there’s no rush. I saw some beautiful cars as I wandered through.
Take a picture at the Fairmont Turn
The Fairmont Turn is probably one of, if not the most, famous turn of all time. It’s unimaginable to think of going as fast as an F1 car in general, but seeing this turn in real life makes it a whole other level of incomprehensible! This is the most iconic part of the Monaco F1 Track that you should take a minute to look at while there. At this turn, the drivers go about 30 miles per hour, or 48 kilometers per hour, but then a few turns later they are on one of the faster turns of any race track, going 160 mph or 240 kp/h.
Visit Prince’s car collection
In Port Hercule lies the Prince’s car collection. It’s 10 euros per person to enter to see the selection. The Prince’s private collection was started in the 1950s and has around 100 vintage cars. There are Monaco race winning F1 cars as well as beautifully made cars that anyone can enjoy. There are some legendary F1 cars that you can see, like Charles Leclerc’s 2019 Ferrari as well as Nico Rosberg’s championship winning Mercedes.
People and car watch
One of the most interesting things to do, especially to pass the time, is to pick a spot and observe. You can pick any spot really to see some cool cars and potentially some well known people. I sat for 15 minutes by the Japanese gardens and saw three different Ferraris drive by. If you situate yourself by the casino, you may see a familiar face since many F1 drivers live in Monaco and many celebrities visit here. If you are an F1 fan, check out this blog post all about the specific F1 activities you must do while in Monaco!
Things To Do In Monaco – Other Fun Activities
Hang out by and go in the casino
The most recognizable spot by far, and best photo opp, in Monaco is the Monte Carlo Casino. The times I have walked by, there is always a sleek and expensive car parked out front. While the casino wasn’t open when I was there, if you have the chance you should definitely check out the inside and gamble a little to say you have (if that’s your thing)! The casino is right in between restaurants and some of the most expensive stores around. While here, you can also do some shopping, or simply window shop which is what I did.
Explore the marina
Port Hercule is one of the most beautiful spots in Monaco. With views of the track, the city, and all the yachts, what better place to spend some time exploring! During the Grand Prix, the harbor is filled to the brim with the biggest boats you’ve ever seen. When I visited during Monaco’s off season, there were still tons of boats. I had a great time walking through the marina and deciding which boat I would buy if I won the lottery!
Visit the Japanese Gardens
If you are craving a peaceful spot to sit and relax, then make your way over to the Japanese Gardens. Here you can find your zen, as you sit by the pond and watch the waterfall or the koi fish swim. There are paths to walk around that take you to a traditional tea house. Princess Grace loved Japan, so this was built in her honor and to bridge the two countries together. After hours of walking, this was a great place to relax for a bit before exploring more.
Go into the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
Monaco is one of the most iconic oceanfront countries in the world! In this museum, they culminate all the marine science knowledge that the country has. If you enjoy aquariums, boats, marine life, and our impact on the environment, you should stop by! The museum is in both French and English and takes about 1 hour to walk through. It costs about $20 to get in and enjoy. While I didn’t get to do this, I wish I did!
Princess Grace Rose Gardens
Another place I WISH I went, was to the Rose Gardens. Right next to the football stadium is Princess Grace’s rose garden, which has 315 varieties of roses and 6,000 bushes! Until 2025, you can take a free guided tour of the gardens on Wednesdays at 10am. The garden is free to enter and occasionally hosts classes, to teach you how to prune roses and repot flowers. I went in November, so unfortunately the flowers weren’t in season then. If you are in Monaco when it’s warmer out, you should visit!
Tour the Prince’s Palace of Monaco
Another place that was closed when I visited, was the Palace of Monaco! Open from April to October, these $11 tickets allow you to tour this palace. Incredibly, it was built in 1215 and has been where each Prince of Monaco has lived since 1297. You can see beautifully colored marble, unique frescos, and Italian renaissance design in each room as you walk through. The palace was built on a cliffside, which offers beautiful views down the shore and out to the ocean.
Other things you can do while in Monaco is to see an AS Monaco football match or to visit to the Monaco cathedral.
Where To Stay
For me personally, it was more affordable to stay outside of Monaco, then spend a few euros on a train ticket. I stayed in a cheap hostel for about 30 euros a night in Nice, not too far from the train station. I was in Nice for a long weekend, got to spend two days in Monaco, and the other two exploring other parts of the French Riviera. With how affordable the train is, you can visit many towns for relatively inexpensive.
How To Get To Monaco
Getting to Monaco first depends on what airport you fly into. Most people fly into Nice, then either stay in Nice and take the train over, or get a car to take you from the airport to whatever town your accommodation is in. If you take the train in from Nice, know that when you arrive, going left and up the stairs will take you higher up into town above the Casino. Going right and down the stairs will take you down to the Port Hercule marina.
