Shore excursion in Marseille

shore excursion in Marseille : how does it work ?

Marseille is a huge harbor. The cruise terminal can host up to 7 ships a day. Reading this article you will understand better what are the best shore excursions from Marseille.

Shore excursion in Marseille from a big cruise ship

All the middle size and big cruise ships (Princess, Royal Caribbean, MSC…) are docked at the “Mole Leon Gourret“. It represents around 97% of all the cruise ships docking in Marseille.

The Mole Leon Gourret is 4 miles away from the city center of Marseille which is the Old Port.

So when you arrive at Mole Leon Gourret, you will be very far from the center of Marseille. If you want to reach the Old Port we recommend to use the shuttle bus service organized by your cruise ship or to share a taxi (25 euros one way) to the center.

Be very careful with the free shuttle service offered by the Port of Marseille. It is often overcrowded and it will not take you to the Old Port but to the commercial center “Les terrasses du port”. From the commercial center you must take a subway, a tramway, or walk 20 to 30 minutes to reach the Old Port.

Also, do not think about taking a city bus from Mole Leon Gourret to the center. First you will have to walk 2 kilometers from your pier to the bus station. Second very few buses are scheduled and almost none during week ends.

Shore excursion in Marseille from a small cruise ship

The smallest cruise ships (Silver Sea, Azamara,…) are docked at the J4 in front of the MUCEM and just next to the Old Port.

If you arrive at J4 you can reach the Old Port within 5 minutes and you are right in front of the Cathedral. It is perfect if you want to walk around Marseille on your own.

What kind of shore excursion in Marseille do we offer ?

Marseille is the capital city of Provence and Provence is a large state. You can chose your tour among dozens of shore excursion options.

Private shore excursion in Marseille

Private shore excursions in Marseille are conducted withan minivans, suv or sedan cars. They can drive faster than minibuses and buses. They can also take smaller roads and shortcuts. That is why you can see more with a minivan tour than a bus tour.

Your guide will pick you up on the pier to start the tour.

If you would like a short experience we offer half-day tours lasting 4 to 5 hours. From Marseille port your options are Arles, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Cassis and Marseille panoramic tour.

If you want to see a lot and combine major cities and amazing landscapes see our Aix en Provence, Marseille and Cassis Tour.

If you prefer to enter to heart of Provence and its countryside please check our Provence Villages Tour. A shore excursion to the countryside also gives you the option to visit a winery, a chocolate factory or an olive oil farm.

From Marseille you are also close to outstanding UNESCO heritage beauties. The Popes Palace in Avignon is only one hour from your ship.
The city of Arles kept its Roman Empire monuments as much as the spirit of Vincent Van Gogh.
You can also combine those cities with the Pont du Gard, Saint Rémy de Provence or Les Baux de Provence.

If you prefer to spend a day by the coast we invite you to combine Cassis with Le Castellet and Bandol.

Bus and minibus shore excursions from Marseille

In Marseille, except from the buses booked by your proper cruise ship, no bus is authorized to access the pier, contrary to minivans. This is the policy of the port of Marseille which idea is, hand to hand with the cruise companies, to penalize groups booking shore excursions provided by local tour operators.

For you as a cruiser it means that you will have to walk 10 to 20 minutes in order to find your independent bus excursion. Independent buses cannot enter the cruise terminal.
Nevertheless your guide will meet you at the pier and walk with you to the bus.

Our best seller for group excursions from the port of Marseille is Aix en Provence, Marseille and Cassis Bus Tour. You can compare our offer to your cruise ship offer.

We also provide bus tours to the villages of Provence, Avignon, Arles, Les Baux and Saint Rémy.

Guided walking tour in Marseille

Finally, if you just want to explore Marseille walking and using public transport, we can provide a professional guide. The guide can meet you anywhere in the center of Marseille and will share the best of the city with you.

We hope this article can help you to prepare your call in Marseille.