Things to Do in Monaco: Casino, Gardens and the Grand Prix
Monaco is barely two square kilometres, and I mention that not to put you off but to set expectations. You can walk the whole country in a day and still have energy left for dinner. On my first visit I crossed it end to end expecting to be underwhelmed, and instead I kept stopping, because this principality crams more into a single square mile than most cities manage across their whole footprint. The whole place runs on spectacle, from the golden casino terrace to the tunnel where racing cars scream past, and the trick is pacing yourself so the spectacle does not blur into one gilded blur.
Start at the Monte Carlo Casino
The casino is the obvious first stop, so let me get the obvious bit out of the way. You do not need to gamble to appreciate it. The Belle Epoque facade, the gilded foyer, the sheer theatricality of the atrium, all of it is worth walking through on its own. I paid for a guided tour rather than a seat at a table, and I was glad I did, because the story of how this tiny state built itself on a handful of gambling houses is more interesting than the gambling itself. Dress codes apply, so I wore a jacket and left my trainers at the hotel, and the doorman let me through without a second look. Stand on the terrace in front of it when the light starts to fade and you feel the whole weight of its history, every fortune that has passed through those doors since the first table was laid. Behind the casino sits the opera house, designed by the same Garnier who did the Paris opera, and on many nights you can get a ticket for a fraction of what that one costs, which makes it one of the quiet best-value treats in the whole principality.
Wander the Old Town on the Rock
Above the cliff called the Rock rises the old town, Monaco-Ville, and it feels a world away from the casino district. Here are the cathedral where Grace Kelly married and now rests, the royal palace with its guard change at 11.55 each morning, and narrow lanes that climb away from the port. I reached the palace square at midday with everyone else, but a twenty minute wander off the main route left me alone with views across the harbour. The palace opens its state apartments in the summer months, and the summer crowds are the very reason to arrive at first opening rather than after lunch. Look for the quiet gardens on the far side of the square, where the crowds thin out to almost nothing and the whole sweep of the bay opens below you. It is the closest the country comes to an ordinary town, and in my hours there I saw more locals than all the other districts combined.
Head Up to the Exotic Gardens
The Jardin Exotique hangs off a clifftop in the west of the country, and it was the surprise of my trip. Cacti and succulents from deserts all over the world sit along terraces that give straight down to the sea. The walk up is steep, but the reward is a panorama across all of Monaco and down the coast toward Italy on a clear day. Take your time on the terraces rather than rushing to the viewpoint, because the plants themselves, some of them the size of small cars, are quietly fascinating up close, with flowering spikes you would never expect from the dry ground they grow in. There is also a grotto, a cave system you can descend into on a guided tour, which I nearly skipped and am glad I did not. Wear shoes you can manage stairs in, and carry water, because the climb sneaks up on you faster than the sea breeze suggests.
Walk the Grand Prix Circuit
The Grand Prix runs through the actual streets of the principality, so even on an ordinary Tuesday you can follow a stretch of the track. I walked from the famous Loews hairpin up through the tunnel toward the harbour, and it felt strange seeing racing lines painted where normal traffic usually flows. The full experience means coming back in May for race week, when grandstands pack the port and the sound bounces off the high-rises, engines echoing through the canyon of masonry in a way no television conveys. Off season, the Automobile Club tells the story of every corner, and the view of the tunnel entrance from outside is worth a stop on its own. Stand where the drivers brake for the hairpin and you finally understand how tight it all is, and how much nerve that one corner demands at full speed.
Where to Spend the Rest of the Day
After the big three, the quiet pleasures take over. The Princess Grace Rose Garden and the terraced green spaces around the Jardin Exotique give the place unexpected breathing room, and the Rock’s oceanographic museum, built on the cliff edge, is worth a slow hour, especially if you are travelling with children. For food, I ate well in the old town lanes for far less than the starred restaurants on the port cost, and the difference between the two could fund a small part of the trip. On my last evening I sat by the harbour as the sun dropped behind the casino and watched the yachts come in, which felt like the whole point of the place. Give Monaco one full day and you will cover all of it, give it two and you will actually relax, and that second day is where the country finally lets you in.
