Marseille Bike Tours

Marseille is one of France's most comprehensive cities, but with the sheer number of attractions on offer and the vast distances the city is unreachable on foot, one of the best options is to tour it on a bike tour or on your own on a self-guided walking tour.

Among the best things to see and do in Marseille by bike you can visit the Mediterranean coast, take a tour from the old town to the Massif des Calanques, cycle up the demanding slope of Notre-Dame de la Garde and ride through the Parc Borély, which is one of the city's most beautiful parks and is often included in the best tours of Marseille.

The most popular of the Marseille bike tours, this half-day tour takes you around the main sights of Marseille, taking you through the picturesque Le Panier district, past the Cathedral of St. Mary Major, the Palais du Pharo and the Old Port.

On these tours, you can usually also cycle along the Corniche Kennedy, which is one of the city's most beautiful neighbourhoods and has a cycle path that runs parallel to the coast, so you can enjoy the Mediterranean Sea on your tour and the open views, especially if you plan to visit Marseille in June or during the summer months.

During the tour, with the assistance of an expert local guide, you can also learn about the history of the city, the richness of Marseille's commercial ports and also about the city's urban legends, which are closely related to the story of the Marquis de Sade and the Man in the Iron Mask.

These excursions can also be useful if you are planning a short stay in the city, as a half-day tour will allow you to see most of the main sites in a comfortable and fun way. If this is your case, here is a list of things to see and do to discover Marseille in 2 days.

Interesting details

• Price: the tour has an initial cost of approximately 74 euros per person, including safety elements and also the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be able to see the main sights of the city in a half day tour.
• Disadvantages of these tours: as it is a multi-site tour, you may not have enough time to take pictures and get to know some of the attractions in depth.

If you prefer to rent a bike and explore the sites on your own, then this option is ideal for you, as you will not have the assistance of a guide to show you the way , but you can choose the destinations of your visit. You can hire the bike in shifts starting from 2 hours and do a self-guided tour on your own.

These tours may be of interest to you if you plan to visit Marseille with children or a family, as you will be able to manage the timing of your tour and also do a group activity. You will also be able to focus on some areas of the city that are not usually included in bike tours.

Also note that, to make your self-guided bike tour more effective, it is best to organise an itinerary for your visit and divide the attractions you want to visit by neighbourhood to make it more effective.

You can also use the self-guided tour and skip all the stops, or check with the service provider if the itineraries cannot be improved or modified before taking the bike out. In any case, the better you plan your tour, the better you will be able to make the most of your bike rental time and not miss the main attractions.

Interesting details

• Price: the approximate initial cost is 22 euros for 2 hours of free bike hire.
• Duration: from 2 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be free to choose the places you want to visit and you will not be dependent on a pre-organised circuit.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: you must organise an itinerary, otherwise you won't get to see as many sites.

This tour will suit you if you're looking for an alternative that combines a city tour with an adventure activity, as these tours start from the city centre and go through some of the most visited sites and then continue on to the Calanques National Park, which has some of the best scenery in Provence and the most beautiful coves in France.

In the Calanques, these excursions also usually include a break where you can take a dip in the crystal-clear waters and consume, at extra cost, drinks and meals during the stopover. Throughout the tour you will be accompanied by an expert local guide and a small group of up to 8 people.

These tours last approximately 7 hours and cover a total distance of about 30 kilometres, although the electric bikes will keep you from feeling tired, especially if you plan to visit Marseille in summer, when temperatures in the city can reach a maximum of 30°C, although the wind, which is recurrent, will help to make the experience more enjoyable.

Useful details

• Price: the approximate initial cost is 79 euros per person, including safety equipment and the assistance of the expert local guide.
• Duration: approximately 7 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: the best alternative for an adventure bike tour in Marseille.
• Disadvantages of these tours: apart from the fact that they are electric bikes, they can be tiring in summer and are not suitable for children and the elderly.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde stands out because it is located on a peak 150 metres above sea level, giving you one of the clearest open views of the city from the top of the religious building. But the challenge of cycling to Notre-Dame is overcoming the complexity of the climb, which can be exhausting.

At Notre-Dame, which is located on the outskirts of the city centre, you can see the bell tower crowned by the golden figure of the Virgin Mary, which is one of the typical postcards of Marseille, as well as the construction of the basilica with its rock-hewn crypt and its Romanesque style with mosaics.

Bike tours to Notre-Dame, which also usually start from the old town and go through part of the city, last about 3 hours and are usually done in the morning, so you can combine this activity with others in the same day, such as taking one of Marseille's best gastronomic tours or visiting one of the city's museums.

Interesting details

• Price: these tours have an initial cost of approximately 35 euros per person, including safety equipment and the assistance of a local guide.
• Duration: approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be able to take a tour that breaks away from the traditional tours of Marseille.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: during the tour you can only see the Notre-Dame basilica, while the other options are more varied.

If you want an adventurous tour that combines some of the best natural areas without having to travel to the outskirts of the city, then you can opt for this tour, which will start in the old town and take you around the Borély Park, which is the largest green lung of the city.

Borély Park is notable for the Botanical Garden, the endless paths, the ponds and the miniature replica of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Garde. As soon as you arrive by bike you will have some free time to cycle around and also a rest period, to enjoy the park, especially if you plan to visit Marseille in April or during the spring months, when the park's flower beds are in bloom and the site is at its best.

After finishing your tour of the Parc Borély, you and your group should return to the starting point, which is usually in the historic centre or in an area close to the tourist service provider's office.

Some tour companies also rent bicycles at the entrances to the parks, but this does not apply to Borély, as it is an intercity park and does not encourage mass tourism.

Interesting details

• Price: entrance to the park is free of charge.
• Duration: approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to combine an adventure tour with a relaxing one in a relatively close area of the city.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: the time to rest in Borély can be very short.

You can book the tours in advance online by contacting the tour provider, or you can book the tour in the city once you are there.

If you are planning to visit Marseille in August or during the summer months, remember that these dates coincide with the city's peak season, so if you don't book in advance you may run out of places or face last-minute price increases.

The answer will depend on the tour you choose, but on average tours last between 3 and 7 hours, although most of them are midday tours, so they are compatible with other activities such as a boat trip or visiting some of Marseille's best museums.

Also note that if you want an approximate duration, you can opt for free bike tours, which can be booked for as long as you wish, but with a minimum of 2 hours.

On these tours you will see the main sites of the city such as the Cathedral, the districts of Le Panier and Saint Victor, Port Antique, the Marseille Opera House, Notre-Dame de la Garde, La Plaine Market, the Old Port and the Parc Borély.

You can also visit the Calanques Massif and the coast of Marseille, which offers one of the best European viewpoints overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The Calanques National Park also offers some of the best coves in France with crystal-clear waters and beautiful scenery.

You can also enjoy the city's climate by bike, especially if you plan to visit Marseille during the summer months when temperatures are pleasant, even on the hottest days, as the average temperature rarely exceeds 29°C (79°F).

If you plan to travel in winter, a cycling tour is also a good option, as the average temperature rarely drops below 14°C in the city. Just be aware that some days can be rainy, so I recommend that you take a rain jacket with you.

If you are planning to visit Marseille in the summer I advise you to book well in advance, especially to avoid last-minute price increases or a sell-out on the specific date you are planning to visit if you are going for a short time. If this is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to get to know Marseille in 3 days.

Also, if you are planning to do the free bike tour, I advise you to organise a suitable itinerary in advance of your visit with all the places you are going to visit to avoid that when you hire the tour the route is not the best and you end up wasting your time.

Marseille is a very big city with many attractions to discover, so if you only walk around it, you will get too tired and that will be detrimental for the following days of your trip. So a bike tour could prove to be a comfortable and effective option, especially for the historic city centre sites.

A cycling tour will also help you to optimise your time and get the most out of your visit to the city without having to use the hop-on-hop-off tourist buses in the city.

First of all, if you take a guided tour you will be able to discover places you had not originally planned to visit and also learn more about the most important places in the city, even the ones you visited during your trip or plan to visit, such as the Cathedral, the Oratory and the Museo dell'Opera Metropolitano, because those who share the tours with the visitors are also expert local guides.

Also note that if you opt for the adventure tours, such as the one to the Calanques Massif, the local guide will be of vital importance to recommend the best coves and the most interesting places to jump into the water and take a swim. He or she will also guide you to some of the best views of the city so you can see a different side of Marseille.