When your Mediterranean cruise itinerary takes you to France’s southern port city of Marseille, shore excursions around the city and to the lovely areas in and around Provence are designed to delight.
See the sights of Old and New Marseille by old and new modes of transportation on shore excursions in Marseille, France. Whether you choose to tour the city on a double-decker, open-top bus with narrated audio, a guided motor coach, or riding atop a new-age Segway, you’ll see the most important and exciting sights Marseille has to offer. Highlights include Chateau d’If, the setting of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, a 150-year old cathedral at the city’s highest point filled with beautiful mosaics, exquisite artwork, and magnificent statues, and the Abbey of Saint Victor of Marseille. At the Old Port, once a notorious area now studded with waterfront restaurants, bars, and boutiques, you can still see fishermen bring in their catch of the day.
On an extended travel day from your cruise to Europe, enjoy Marseille shore excursions to Cassis, a celebrated seaside resort, to walk the quays, browse local shops, cafes, and restaurants, spend time at the beautiful natural beaches, and explore the calanques and jagged coves.
For Francophile foodies, there are Marseille shore excursions that take you to the culinary heart of Provence. Enjoy a day in the picture-perfect town of Aix, a popular option for time ashore. Relish a guided tour that takes you through local history and lets you experience authentic French food culture on visits to farmers markets, specialty shops, and restaurants. You can also drive through scenic olive groves on a visit to an olive farm and mill in Les Baux and see a cooking demonstration of olive oil specialties, like aioli (garlic mayonnaise, tapenade, and anchovy paste). Travel to the town of Arles, marveling at its Roman amphitheater and medieval village.
If you’re yearning for an outdoor adventure while on a cruise to Marseille, combine active exploration with a beachside picnic lunch as you paddle down the picturesque Côte Bleue in Provence on a kayak journey. Cycle your way through the Provençale countryside on winding roads, past fields of lavender, olive groves, and forests and see the light, shapes, and colors that Van Gogh captured on canvas.
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