Marseille Shore Excursion: City Sightseeing Tour of Marseille
Description
Discover the highlights of Marseille on this half-day guided tour. Begin with a visit to the Old Port and the historic city center, where Marseille’s rich past meets its vibrant present. Continue to the majestic Palais Longchamp, inaugurated in 1869 to celebrate the arrival of water from the Durance River. Its impressive architecture and lush gardens make it a must-see landmark. Next, ascend to the iconic Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde—affectionately known as La Bonne Mère. Built in 1864 in a striking Roman-Byzantine style, the basilica offers panoramic views over the city and coastline from its hilltop perch. End your tour with a scenic stop overlooking the legendary Château d’If, made famous by The Count of Monte Cristo, before returning to your cruise terminal or accommodation. Important Information: This tour is available for both small and large groups (1 to 40 people).
Tour Options
Itinerary
Notre-Dame de la Garde (literally: Our Lady of the Guard) is a Catholic basilica in Marseille, France, and the city's best-known symbol. The site of a popular Assumption Day pilgrimage, it is the most visited site in Marseille
The Palais Longchamp is a monument in the 4th arrondissement of Marseille, France. It houses the Musée des beaux-arts and Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille. The surrounding Longchamp Park (French: Parc Longchamp) is listed by the French Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France.
Monaster from the 5th center
The oldest bakery in Marseille 1781 to Learn about our local speciality Navette Biscuit
Porte d'Aix (also known as the Porte Royale) is a triumphal arch in Marseille, in the south of France, marking the old entry point to the city on the road from Aix-en-Provence.
Free Time ,explore by your own the city center of Marseille
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your tour departs from Association Marseillaise d'Accueil de Marins (AMAM)( Seaman's Club), located in front of the police station outside of the cruise ship pier. The walk to the meeting point takes approximately 5 to 7-minutes, depending on where your ship is docked. Upon disembarking, please follow the green line on the floor leading to the exit. Once outside, continue walking until you see a small gray building on the left. Your local representative, holding a Domitia Tours sign, will be waiting for you there. We kindly ask all guests to arrive at the designated departure location at least 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Please note : In case your ship docks at Esplanade J4, we will meet the group directly at the pier — there is no need to take a taxi, bus or a cab. Please note that Domitia Tours will not be responsible for any extra expenses if transportation is arranged independently.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
Reviews(362)
Interesting excursions. We were shown all the interesting place and the guide was knowledgeable. We had free time in Marseille to explore and have a coffee.
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the excursion, the places visited, and the explanations from our guide. We are also happy you had some free time in Marseille to relax and enjoy the city. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you again on another tour.
Not only was our tour time changed the night prior we did not visit the sights advertised. We only went to one of them and when I questioned the tour guide she said the bus could not get to one of the sights because it was too large. (Did they not know our itinerary?) We always returned to the bus on time however we left each stop 15-20 minutes after that time which was a waste of our tour time, thus again only seeing one of the advertised stops. All poor planning with this vendor. Others were thrown in however we booked this tour based on the places we could visit. I have used viator many times and have been happy with their service but this tour operator was terrible. I do not recommend this tour.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations. The tour time was adjusted due to operational and logistical constraints at the port, and we understand that a change the night before can be frustrating. Regarding the itinerary, some sites in Marseille can be difficult or restricted for larger vehicles, especially depending on traffic, port conditions, and local access rules. However, we understand your point that this should have been better anticipated and clearly explained. We also apologize if time was lost during the stops. Our goal is always to provide the best possible experience while ensuring all guests return safely and on time, but we regret that the organization felt disappointing on this occasion. Your comments are taken seriously, and we will review this tour with our team to improve communication, timing, and itinerary management for future guests.
Great bus tour. The bus was very comfortable. There wasn’t a ton of walking só it was great those who have difficulty. We got free time to shop as well. Paco’s narration was the best! Very informative without being boring. highly rexommend!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed the comfortable bus, the relaxed pace, and the free time to shop. Paco will be very happy to hear that his narration made the tour both informative and enjoyable. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Horrible experience. I booked the tour in Spanish and the guide told me it wasnt available. After he offered to translate but never did. Few information
Tu peux répondre comme ça, en anglais : We’re sorry for the misunderstanding. On that day, the majority of the group was English-speaking, so the tour had to be performed mainly in English. Our guide tried to assist when possible, but we understand that the Spanish translation did not meet your expectations. Your feedback will help us improve our language organization.
Tour started an hour and a half late. Joe stated that we would be back to the ship on time prior to leaving. All stops cut short on time. Ok tour at best.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry that the tour started later than expected and that this affected the time spent at each stop. As this is a shared shore excursion, we must make sure that all guests are present before departure, and most importantly, we must also ensure that everyone returns to the ship on time. On cruise days, managing the schedule can sometimes be challenging due to delayed guests, port logistics, traffic, and the strict return time required by the ship. Joe did his best to keep the tour running while making sure that no guest would miss the ship, which is always our top priority. We understand that the shorter stops made the experience feel rushed, and we sincerely regret that the tour did not fully meet your expectations. Your feedback is important and will help us improve the organization of our shared tours.
At the location indicated on the map, there is no office or information about the tour with Viator, and we could not take the tour; it is a SCAM.
Lamentamos saber que no pudieron participar en el tour. Sin embargo, queremos aclarar que nuestra empresa recibe cada año a clientes de todas partes del mundo, de más de 200 países, con muchos comentarios positivos y clientes satisfechos con nuestro servicio. Por este motivo, no podemos aceptar que nuestra actividad sea calificada como una “estafa”. La información del punto de encuentro está indicada en la reserva de Viator, y nuestro equipo está disponible por teléfono, mensaje o correo electrónico en caso de dificultad para encontrar el lugar de encuentro. Lamentablemente, si no se contacta con nuestro equipo ni con el soporte de la plataforma en el momento del problema, resulta muy difícil poder ayudarles en el lugar. Siempre estamos disponibles para ayudar a nuestros clientes a encontrar al guía o aclarar el punto de encuentro, pero es importante contactarnos inmediatamente en caso de duda.
Very accommodating with us on adjusting our pickup time due to the time our ship came into port. Informative and plenty of time to walk around on our own.
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are glad to hear that we were able to adjust the pickup time according to your ship’s arrival and that everything worked well for you. On cruise days, we always do our best to remain flexible while making sure our guests enjoy the tour and return to the ship on time. We are also happy that you found the tour informative and that you had enough free time to explore on your own. It was a pleasure welcoming you, and we hope to see you again in Marseille.
This is a great way to see some of the main things in Marseille when you only have a short day. Laurent did a great job of executing and explaining everything as well as managing the time. Every place you see is very pretty!
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour of Marseille and that Laurent helped make the experience informative and well organized. Marseille has so many beautiful places to discover, especially when time is limited during a cruise stop, and we are happy that you were able to enjoy the main highlights. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future.
Joe was an excellent guide. He made the tour fun and informative. He was very accommodating and great communication!
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Joe. It is wonderful to know that he made the experience both fun and informative, while also being accommodating and easy to communicate with. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in Marseille in the future.
The tour is done by taxi, which is actually a good idea. It is also full of information by a driver who loves his city, Marseille. The stops are great, especially the fountain. The only downfall was it felt a bit rushed. We did not stay long enough at each stop. And there is a stop at the fish market that seems like it could be removed to have more time at other stops. Tour ad says 4 hours but it was closer to 3. But all that being said, we enjoyed the tour and saw some amazing things
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed discovering Marseille. The vehicle used for the tour is a taxi, but the driver conducting the visit is also a confirmed tour guide who is passionate about Marseille and its history. We are also glad that you enjoyed the stops, especially the fountain. Your comments about the timing are very helpful. We understand that the tour may have felt a little rushed, and we will take this into consideration to better balance the time at each stop. We will also review the stop at the fish market to see if adjustments can be made in order to allow more time at the main highlights. Regarding the duration, our tour is planned for approximately 4 hours, but timing can sometimes vary depending on traffic, port access, and operational conditions on the day. That being said, your feedback is important to us, and we will use it to improve the experience for future guests. Thank you again for choosing our tour. We are pleased that you still enjoyed your visit and discovered some of the amazing sights of Marseille.
