The Urban Hike of Marseille
Description
You want to understand all about Marseille and its secrets? Come with me, I'll tell you everything by walking you through the heart of the city. In doing sports as well as visiting, in nourishing body & soul! Follow me for a sunny and sporty 10-kilometer hike, accessible to everyone and I will make you discover and enjoy the city differently: - Reveal its History and Geography, heritage and treasures, funny stories and true historical facts. - Let's go find the quiet spots of Marseille, reveal hidden beauties, stride along narrow streets only known by inhabitants. - Unearth various and surprising architectural patterns of housing, which are contemporary milestones of a deep and complex History. - Climb stairs up to be offered amazing views, make some nice detours to beat the crowds, find the right spots to get global points of view which help us understand the structure of the city. Let's go to all the secret spots which are almost impossible to find by yourself, and which are unreachable by car or by bus. One and only mode of transport: our feet! If you like to contemplate, if you appreciate the beauty of simple things, if you want to do sport, then you will be delighted by this 5-star sporty guided tour in the heart of our beautiful 2600-year-old city!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Heatwave? I lower the temperature: - 8 water points on our route - slow rythm without time pressure - time slots early morning or end of afternoon - sea breeze and numerous zones in the shade - breaks in wooded parks - sun cream at your disposal
The Old Port is the meeting point and destination of our great visit to Marseille. We start here with an introduction at this wonderful hike. Who I am, what are we going to do, what surprises I have for you in my backpack, and what are your expectations for this tour. And then, the Old Port signs the foundation of Marseille. From antiquity to Louis XIV, the city developed around this emblematic space. This is an opportunity for us to retrace this history, but also to understand the concepts of Marseille's culture: the relationship between the city and sea, the importance of the port, the importance of the Mediterranean see and the Orient in the life of Marseille's people.
The Vallon ds Auffes is a jewel of Marseille. The most photographed place in the city finds its beauty in the preservation of fisherman houses through centuries. We admire the typical habitat of fishermens, and we take the opportunity to understand how the city was able, during its immense development, to spare this place and preserve it.
Walking along the Corniche Kennedy offers a distant horizon on the sea, an understanding of how Marseille pays homage to Mediterranean culture.
Pharo palace & place offers a moment of greenery and magnificent views of the Old Port and the Grand Port of Marseille. In addition, the history of this palace, erected by Napoleon the 3rd, will allow us to understand the considerable influence of this emperor on the development of Marseille. The Marseille of today is truly born from the Second Empire, and we will take the opportunity to study this through a map of the city, by retracing urban development from that time.
The visit of the park and the Villa Valmer is an opportunity to take in a large bowl of greenery. We go from the big blue to the big green, in this forest, typically Mediterranean. Through the history of this place, we will understand all the evolution of Marseille's economic past, from the olive oil trade in the 19th century to the current tourism industry.
This mythical path will be an opportunity for us to get away from the sea and visit the district of Bompard. The evolution of the habitat, the beautiful bastides of the 20th century. This path will lead us to quietly reach Notre Dame de la Garde, and it will be an opportunity for me to tell you the long History of this place and its influence on Marseille's culture.
Wlak through the district of Malmousque, its cove and its port, is a delight for everyone. What a calm place! What an art of living! What a beauty! This district with Greek accents reveals all the beauties of Marseille: the importance of its history, the epic of galloping urban development of the last 2 centuries, the beauty of the buildings and the fishermen's habitat, and also, how the people of Marseille takesadvantage of leavin nearby the seaside.
The way to go back at the Old Port is steep, but fascinating. From above, the view is superb, then we progressively and litterally enter in it, as we enter the city center. Loaded with funny anecdotes, the steepest boulevard in Marseille is absolutely charming. It is also revealing of the culture of Marseille through its very particular habitat, it will be an opportunity for us to take stock of this very particular architecture which forges the buildings of the city center.
Notre Dame de la Garde is the highlight fo the tour: the building is magnificent, the square offers breathtaking views of the city. A visit to the Basilica will be an opportunity to see all the wealth of Marseille, and to understand how the people of Marseille "live" in this so special place. The square will offer us a 360° view on the city, and we will retrace the urban evolution, understand the Marseille of today, see the structure of the city, its monuments, its major points of interest, its spatial extension.
We end our urban hike in the Old Port. We done sports, we visited incredible places, and we learned the history, the geography, the culture of Marseille. We end with smiles, and it is surely the opportunity to drink a beer or a hot chocolate on the terrace of the many cafes of the Cours Estienne d'Orves!
We pass between the Palais de Justice and the Commerce Court. Emblematic buildings of the Second Empire, strongly marking the power of the French judicial system, they will be an opportunity for us to understand how Marseille has always had, through the ages, a great history of calling into question the central power, the Justice, and the process of law-making.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(42)
Very clean city! We have everything by pedes visited and then ate at the port! Many restaurants and very good cuisine! In the evening we went back to Cannes. The station is very clean and the people are very friendly! I can only recommend Marseille, despite the 2 million. Residents!
Hello Klaudia, Thanks for your review ! It was a pleasure to meet you ! Hope to see you again soon in Marseille ! Olivier
We booked a private tour and asked Olivier to take us through the modern history of Marseille and introduce us to the Marseille way-of-life. He made us fall in love with the city.
A well versed pilot running the streets of one of the oldest cities in France with straight passion. The guide’s love for the city shows, in sheerly how he speaks of it.a true master of his Marsellian turf..
This hike is very pleasant, informative, it makes us appreciate Marseille, its history, its past, its rhythm, its buildings ... In short, Olivier is inexhaustible on all Marseille subjects. He knows how to adapt to physical differences in the same group, because let's not forget, it's a sports hike! Throughout the journey you will discover Marseille differently, its villages neighborhoods, its breathtaking views, almost as much as the elevation gain to reach the forecourt of "Notre Bonne Mère". Thank you Olivier for everything and bravo!! Corinne x Yannick
The hike in Marseille with Olivier was great! He shared his love of the city. He made us discover a part of Marseille over the neighborhoods in good humor. A real pleasure! Thank you, Olivier!
Guide in Marseille: Olivier Duvallet / Urban Hike Ascension weekend 2025 To love Marseille – this hive in which he grew up –, to pass on his past and present history, to reveal his villages that have become neighborhoods; to know the streets, each passage, each staircase; to prefer the circuitous paths to the straight lines; to tell us about the facades of buildings and their various architectures; to tell us about some old shops; to give us his impressions on the “street-art” by passing through certain neighborhoods, to make us discover little known points of view.... We live this way throughout these four hours that the hike lasts listening to Olivier so much he loves his city. He transmits his vibrations to us and our eyes tremble with his pedagogy and his words. He always has a simple and often graphic answer to our questions. We had chosen two urban hikes over two days with him: the one named “Sea and Summit” in the morning on the first day, then the “Urban Puzzles” on the second day, always in the morning. A group voluntarily reduced to a maximum of eight people to establish a cordial relationship. We didn’t see these four hours of intense pleasure for each of these two hikes and the lively rhythm of these urban hikes is like this hectic, intense and so endearing city... France 3 was not mistaken in devoting a documentary to you on 19 August 2021: “a real Swiss knife of skills” Merci Olivier. Sandra & Claude
Urban Hike Marseille - Ascension Weekend 2025 To love Marseille – this hive in which he grew up –, to pass on his past and present history, to reveal his villages that have become neighborhoods; to know the streets, each passage, each staircase; to prefer the circuitous paths to the straight lines; to tell us about the facades of buildings and their various architectures; to tell us about some old shops; to give us his impressions on the “street-art” by passing through certain neighborhoods, to make us discover little known points of view.... We live this way throughout these four hours that the hike lasts listening to Olivier so much he loves his city. He transmits his vibrations to us and our eyes tremble with his pedagogy and his words. He always has a simple and often graphic answer to our questions. We had chosen two urban hikes over two days with him: the one named “Sea and Summit” in the morning on the first day, then the “Urban Puzzles” on the second day, always in the morning. A group voluntarily reduced to a maximum of eight people to establish a cordial relationship. We didn’t see these four hours of intense pleasure for each of these two hikes and the lively rhythm of these urban hikes is like this hectic, intense and so endearing city... France 3 was not mistaken in dedicating a documentary to you on 19 August 2021: “a real Swiss knife of skills” Merci Olivier. Sandra & Claude
This was an excellent half day trip. Our guide, Olivier, was humorous and knowledgeable. We learned alot about the history of Marseille and the distinct characteristics of this diverse city. We visited a number of the districts and there were lots of excellent photo spots - would definitely recommend this trip!
It was a beautiful day in Marseille. We had an excellent trip, with the knowledge of our guide Olivier. He was friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, and gave us great historical and cultural information. He even recommended a great spot for lunch! I would recommend this trip highly. One tip… Wear good walking shoes!
Very great city walk, with places that you would not find as a tourist alone, and gives a feeling for how Marseille ticks
