Marseille Highlights Bike Tour

• Day tours by bike
• France
• Marseille

All the icons of unmissable Marseille

Never miss a moment on this spectacular sightseeing tour of Marseille, with the added benefit of bike rental! The Marseille Highlights Bike Tour takes in the Panier district, Major Cathedral, Mucem Esplanade, Old Port, Pharo Palace, Malmousque, Auffes Valley, Corniche Kennedy, Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, and the Abbey of St. Victor. In half a day, make everlasting memories of Marseille on a fascinating, family-friendly tour.

Pushing off in the hilly, picturesque district of Panier, discover a vibrant network of quaint streets adorned with colorful murals. Here you’ll find the Cathédral La Major, a colossal cathedral built in the Byzantine and Roman Revival styles. The scale and beauty of this landmark is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and the gleaming white exterior shines magnificently in the French sunlight.

Your bicycle tour moves on the Mucem Esplanade, home to the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. Enjoy a leisurely ride along the harbor and marvel at the museum’s eccentric architecture - the outer shell is intricately latticed, evoking the architect's vision of a museum built ‘of stone, water, and wind’. Pedal over to the Old Port for a more traditional view and to discover where Greek settlers first came ashore in 600 BC. As the jewel in Marseille’s crown, the Old Port is a picture-perfect seaside cityscape, with the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde watching protectively overhead.

Your guided day tour takes you on to the phenomenal Palais du Pharo, built in 1858 by Emperor Napoleon III to please Empress Eugénie. Situated right at the entrance to the Old Port, it's a simple cycle to this staggering sightseeing spot. Moving on to Malmousque, you’ll discover a sublime seaside village guaranteed to take your breath away with its natural coastal beauty. Clear water basins glimmer in the sunshine as you gaze out to the Endoume archipelago and Degaby Island, over shorelines dotted with brightly colored fishing boats.

Just nearby is another gorgeous fishing village known as Vallon des Auffes, filled with fishermen’s cabins and traditional ‘pointu’ boats. You’re riding in the area of the Corniche Kennedy, a region of spectacular viewpoints named in honor of the assassinated US President. Bike on to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, the most famous symbol of Marseille. Built on the foundations of the highest natural point in the city, the basilica, known affectionately by locals as La Bonne Mère (‘The Good Mother’), watches earnestly over the city beneath. The upper church, built in the Neo-Byzantine style, is richly decorated with mosaics, and features a tower 41m high, supporting a 12.5m belfry, topped with a 11.2m copper statue of the Madonna and Child in glinting gold leaf! An unmissable, awe-inspiring icon of magical Marseille. Your day tour winds down with a stop at the Abbaye Saint-Victor, an emblem of Marseille’s religious history dating back to the late Roman period.

View more photos

Highlights

Panier district, Major Cathedral/Marseille Cathedral, Mucem Esplanade, Old Port, Pharo Palace, Malmousque, Auffes Valley, Corniche Kennedy, Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, Abbey of St. Victor

What’s included

• E-bike and helmet rental
• English-speaking guide

Meeting place & directions

Théâtre de la Criée / Café des Arts - 30 Quai de Rive Neuve, 13007 Marseille, France