How to Spend One Day in Monaco (on a budget!)

As the second smallest country in the world – home to the famous Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco Grand Prix, Princess Grace Kelly, mega yachts, designer shopping and some of the best views – it’s no wonder that people want to visit Monaco.

And since it’s just around the corner from France and Italy, Monaco makes for a convenient day trip!

But how do you spend one day in Monaco? And, perhaps more importantly, how do you do it without blowing your budget?

For a tiny country, Monaco packs a punch. There’s plenty to do to fill a day trip.

Monaco is also known for its glitz and glam, which comes at a price. The Lamborghinis and Louis Vuitton bags out front the most famous casino in the world don’t exactly scream budget-friendly!

Yes, Monaco is notoriously expensive. But spending a day there doesn’t have to be.

I first visited Monaco in 2012 and quickly fell for the impressive water views and colourful gardens. I revisited with my husband in winter 2024 and once again, Monaco charmed me.

Both times I visited Monaco, I did so on a budget. I had an amazing time exploring the small country and didn’t have to go into debt to do it!

Keep reading for my wallet-friendly one day in Monaco itinerary, including how to get there from nearby Nice!

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Morning: Explore the old town of Monaco-Ville

Most people visit Monaco from Nice on a day trip. The most affordable and efficient way to do that is by bus or train.

Check out my full Nice to Monaco transportation guide!

Once you’ve arrived in Monaco, make your way to the Old Town where you’ll be spending your morning.

Start by taking in the views, particularly from the Port of Fontvieille viewpoint (the feature image of this blog post is taken from this viewpoint).

In my opinion, this is one of the best views in Monaco and makes the climb up to Monaco-Ville worth it!

Tour the Prince’s Palace and watch the changing of the guard

Wander over to the Prince’s Palace. If it’s open (generally from April to October each year), you can tour the interior apartments. The 2025 entry cost is €10 ($10 USD) per adult.

I toured the apartments when I first visited Monaco in 2012 and remember being quite impressed. It’s no Versailles, but it’s worth a visit, and is one of the more affordable things to do in Monaco.

When my husband, Colin, and I revisited Monaco in 2024, the palace was closed for the season. However, you can still watch the daily changing of the guard year-round.

Best of all, it’s free!

The changing of the guard outside of the palace happens every day at 11:55 am. Get there early if you want a spot up front. Even when we visited in February, it got quite packed.

This isn’t the most remarkable ritual but it is cool to see and the music they play is fun. Plus, once again, it’s free!

Visit Grace Kelly’s tomb at Saint Nicholas Cathedral

Just down the street from the Prince’s Palace is the very impressive Saint Nicholas Cathedral, aka Cathédrale de Monaco.

This church, while beautiful in itself, is most famous for housing the tomb of beloved Princess Grace.

If you don’t know, Grace Kelly was a famous American actress in the 1950’s and then married to become the Princess of Monaco.

I enjoyed walking around the cathedral – European churches always impress me – and, of course, had to stop by Grace Kelly’s tomb. Her husband, Prince Rainier III, is also buried here.

You’ll know which tomb is Princess Grace’s because it’s always full of flowers!

Wander around Princess Grace Rose Garden and Jardins Saint-Martin

In the mood for more flowers or more Princess Grace? Monaco has you covered!

There are a number of public gardens in Monaco where you can check out beautiful plant life, all for the low cost of $0!

Right by the cathedral is Jardins Saint-Martin, a terraced garden featuring Mediterranean flora and sculptures, with gorgeous views out to sea.

You can also head down to the Fontvielle district of Monaco and visit the Princess Grace Rose Garden (Roseraie Princesse Grace).

My first stop in Monaco way back in 2012 was this rose garden. It was such a beautiful way to start my day trip!

If you don’t want to check out the gardens, you could instead stroll through the beautiful buildings, shops and restaurants in the Old Town.

(op) Check out the Oceanographic Museum

If you need one more thing to do in this part of Monaco, you can visit the Oceanographic Museum.

With over 6,500 square feet dedicated to marine life, Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum is said to be a hit with visitors of all ages. Families in particular may want to plan a visit.

Entrance to the museum is €19 ($19 USD) per adult as of Feb 2025 – so it’s not the cheapest activity in Monaco, but it’s also far from the most expensive.

Get your tickets to the Oceanographic Museum here!

Colin and I decided not to visit the Oceanographic Museum on our most recent visit to Monaco, as we were short on time. We also have a pretty awesome aquarium at home in Vancouver!

Lunch at Le Marché de la Condamine

One of my goals in putting together this budget day trip itinerary for Monaco was to find a place where you could eat well without spending a lot.

Often when you visit a fancy location and want to save money, you’re forced to eat at a grocery store or local bakery. And while those can be delicious options, I’ve found something even better for you in Monaco!

Head to Le Marché de la Condamine, an indoor/outdoor food hall located by Port Hercule. This market has tons of stalls serving local and international food, so there’s something for everyone.

I highly recommend getting in line at Maison des Pâtes Condamine. This food stall serves made-to-order pasta where you can choose your own noodles, sauce and toppings.

Not only is it a lot of fun to design your own meal but it’s fast, delicious and affordable! My yummy plate of ravioli was only €10 ($10 USD)!

The hardest part about eating at this market will be trying to secure a table amidst the crowd of hungry locals and tourists.

But if it’s a nice day, you can take your lunch to go and enjoy it out by the port!

Want to explore Monaco but don’t want to walk up all of the hills? Check out the affordable and convenient hop-on-hop-off bus!

Afternoon: Embrace modern La Condamine and Monte Carlo

After your fill of pasta – or whatever you choose to dine on at the market – it’s time to keep exploring the La Condamine district and make your way up to Monte Carlo.

Check out yachts and cars at Port Hercule

Walk along Port Hercule where you’ll see a ridiculous number of sailboats and luxury yachts parked in the ancient port.

While you probably can’t afford to sail away on any of them, it’s still fun to see how the other half live!

Also at the port is HSH The Prince of Monaco’s Vintage Car Collection. If you’re into vintage cars just like Prince Albert II, this is the stop for you!

Entrance to the car museum is €10 ($10 USD) per adult, as of Feb 2025. Not free, but still quite budget-friendly, and certainly much cheaper than renting a vintage car of your own!  

Visit the Monte Carlo Casino

Finally, it’s time to check out the main draw for most Monaco day trippers: the famous Monte Carlo Casino!

Make your way up the hill from Port Hercule until you reach Casino de Monte-Carlo. You’ll know you’ve found it because of all of the luxury cars – and selfie-snapping tourists – parked out front.

The cheapest way to experience the Monte Carlo Casino is to simply admire the exterior. Take in the Beaux-Arts building, gawk at the expensive cars and snap the requisite selfies.

If you do want to actually enter the casino, it’ll cost you. And I’m not just talking about losing money at the Black Jack table; it costs money to enter Monte Carlo Casino.

As of Feb 2025, entrance to the casino is €19 ($19 USD) per adult. You can enter in the morning to simply visit the casino and enjoy the audio tour or you can visit after 2pm if you want to gamble.

Entrance to the gaming rooms (slot machines and gaming tables) opens at 2pm, is restricted to adults over 18 years old, requires the €19 ($19 USD) entrance fee, requires your passport as ID, and has a dress code patrons must abide by.

For more info about visiting Monte Carlo Casino, click here.

Or, save yourself all of that hassle and just take a photo out front like we did!

See Monaco Grand Prix’s famous Fairmont Hairpin Turn

Besides the casino, Monaco is also famous for hosting the Grand Prix F1 car race every May/June.

This 78-lap race sees the fastest and most expensive Formula One cars race around the streets of Monte Carlo.

I’ll be honest – I am not a race car enthusiast. I don’t follow F1 or know any of the drivers. Heck, I don’t even have a driver’s licence!

But even I couldn’t resist checking out the famous Fairmont Hairpin Turn. As the name implies, this risky turn – known as a hairpin turn – is situated in front of the Fairmont hotel.

The turn is apparently a big part of the Grand Prix race. I can’t even imagine seeing people race around this bend as even watching local traffic weave around it seemed risky to me.

If you’re a Grand Prix fan, check out this Monaco Formula 1 Walking Tour where you get to walk the entire track while learning about the history of the race.

Wander around the Japanese Garden and Jardins de la Petite Afrique

Before you wrap up your day trip and head back to Nice, you can check out a few more free activities in Monaco.

Just past the Fairmont Turn is the Japanese Garden (Le Jardin Japonais) where you’ll find Japanese-inspired landscaping, a pond and a teahouse. Entrance is free.

Or back towards the casino is Jardins de la Petite Afrique with exotic flora and a great view over Monte Carlo. Once again, entrance is free!

Also by Jardins de la Petite Afrique is the Monaco Tourism Office. This is a great place to learn more about Monaco, get directions and suggestions, and get a coveted Monaco passport stamp.

While Monaco is a separate country, you won’t go through border control or passport checks when coming from France or Italy.

But if you do want a Monaco stamp for your passport, simply bring your passport to the tourism office and they’ll give you one!

If you’re more into art than gardens, or looking for something to do indoors, you can visit the New National Museum of Monaco, a contemporary art museum just past the Japanese Garden.

Admission to the museum, as of Feb 2025, is only €6 ($6 USD) per adult or free if you’re under 26 years old. Entrance is also free for everyone on Sundays!

From Monte Carlo, you can finish up your Monaco day trip and head back to France or Italy. I recommend getting dinner and staying in Nice, rather than in Monaco, as it’ll be cheaper.

FAQs about visiting Monaco

How do you get from Nice to Monaco?

You can get from Nice to Monaco by bus, train, taxi/Uber, rental car or day tour. If you want to save time and money, I recommend the train.

Check out my full Nice to Monaco travel guide for all of the details!

When is the best time to visit Monaco?

Monaco boasts over 300 days of sunshine per year, so it’s hard to pick a bad time to visit. When we were there in February, it was bright and beautiful!

To avoid peak crowds and extra sweat as you climb up Monaco’s hills, I would not schedule your day trip for summer. I also would avoid the Grand Prix in May/June unless you have tickets.

Instead, opt for shoulder season (spring/fall) when most things will be open and crowds will be smaller.

Honestly, I’d even suggest visiting in winter, despite a few things (like the palace interiors) being closed. I truly believe Nice and the entire French Riviera is a great place to visit in the winter!

What is the best way to see Monaco?

The best way to see Monaco is on foot, but be warned that this tiny country is covered in hills!

You’ll work up a sweat climbing up to palaces and casinos, then down to ports and gardens, and back up again.

If walking isn’t accessible for you, you can take the CAM city bus. Bus lines connect all of the major attractions in Monaco. As of Feb 2025, a single fare is €2 and a day pass is €5.50.

You can learn more about Monaco’s city bus here.

Another option is the hop-on-hop-off bus which will take you to all of the country’s main sights and provide an engaging audio commentary along the way. It’s pricier than the city bus, but more tourist-friendly.

I would not recommend driving in Monaco. The small country is easily navigable by foot/bus, so a car isn’t necessary. Plus, parking is expensive and hard to come by.

How much time is enough for Monaco?

I think one day in Monaco is a great amount of time. A full day allows you to experience all of the highlights of the country, from Royal Palace to Casino Royale.

Monaco is a small place, so you don’t need a lot of time to see the highlights. You won’t waste time getting from attraction to attraction since everything is close.

There’s also enough to do in Monaco to fill a full day, so you won’t get bored. Just check out my busy day itinerary above!

If you’re on a budget, giving yourself one day in Monaco is a good way to save money. On a Monaco day trip, you don’t have to eat all of your meals in Monaco nor stay overnight, as hotels are pricy!

If you’re visiting both Nice and Monaco, figure out which one you should spend more time in with my handy post comparing the two.

Wrapping up: Is one day in Monaco worth it?

Absolutely! Monaco is one of my favourite day trips that I’ve ever been on. In my opinion, it’s a must on a French Riviera itinerary.

By spending one day in Monaco you get to visit another country, experience a unique culture and history, and take in all of the beautiful views.

Plus, you can witness the glitz and glam of the A-listers who frequent Monaco, while still sticking to a budget if you follow my itinerary above.

All that, and Monaco is an extremely easy day trip from Nice. So why not go?

I loved visiting Monaco in 2012 and again in 2024. Even if you don’t plan to gamble at the Monte Carlo Casino or shop at the luxury stores, this small country still has a ton to offer!

I’d love to know: Is Monaco on your travel bucket list?