In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Monaco is 22 to 26 minutes from Nice-Ville by regional train, so go by train. The Prince’s Palace is closed until spring 2027, and the Oceanographic Museum’s Mediterranean aquariums have been shut since 1 September 2026 for about two years; the museum is €22.50. The Changing of the Guard is free at 11:55 every day. The Casino has two visits: a morning heritage visit at €20 and gaming rooms from 14:00 for over-18s, also €20, with a passport and a dress code. The Exotic Garden is €12. The one tour worth paying for is the 5-hour half-day trip with Èze, from €36. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Èze, Monaco and Monte-Carlo half-day tripad is from €36 and the guided half-day tourad from €69 (GetYourGuide).
Tickets and prices
Prices are the adult rate from each operator’s own page. The Palace has no price while it is closed.
| What | Price | Hours and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Prince’s Palace | Closed | Reopens in spring 2027; no date published |
| Changing of the Guard | Free | Every day at 11:55 on Place du Palais, about 10 minutes, not in rain |
| Oceanographic Museum | €22.50; student and ages 4 to 17 €14; under 4 free | October to March 10:00 to 18:00; April to June and September to 19:00; July and August 9:30 to 20:00. Closed 25 December and the Grand Prix weekend |
| Casino, morning visit | €20; ages 13 to 17 €15; ages 6 to 12 free | 10:00 to 13:00, last entry 12:15. T-shirts and trainers allowed |
| Casino, gaming rooms | €20 including €10 of credit | From 14:00. Over-18s with a passport or an EU national ID card; photocopies and digital ID refused |
| Casino Atrium | Free | All day |
| Exotic Garden | €12; €15 with the Observatory Cave or the Botanical Centre; €18 with both | January, November and December 9:00 to 17:00; February to April and October to 18:00; May to September to 19:00. Closed 19 November, 25 December and the Grand Prix |
| Cathedral | Free | Every day except during services. Shoulders covered |
Sources: the Prince’s Palace, Visit Monaco, the Casino and the Exotic Garden. Zou!‘s Côte d’Azur page lists €2 off the Oceanographic Museum with a valid Zou! train ticket, and the museum recommends booking online in school holidays and at weekends; its ticket office sells the rest. GetYourGuide lists a museum ticketad from €21, rated 4.5 from 2,128 reviews.
The Oceanographic Museum, built into the cliff above the sea. Photo: Uhooep, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Casino’s gaming rooms refuse shorts, trainers, sportswear, vest tops, beachwear, men’s flip-flops or sandals, and ripped jeans. Under-18s, uniformed military and anyone under the influence are not admitted.
The Casino de Monte-Carlo, seen from the gardens in front. Photo: Alexkom000, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Tours worth paying for
The train is the way to Monaco; a tour earns its price by adding Èze and a perfumery in half a day. The listings do not say whether entries are included.
Èze, Monaco and Monte-Carlo half-day trip
From €36 · 5 hours · 4.5 stars from 7,097 reviews
The tourad covers Èze, Monaco and Monte-Carlo, with a Fragonard perfumery stop and the Formula 1 circuit. The Èze page says what the village gives you on your own.
Guided and full-day tours
| Tour | Length | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monaco, Monte-Carlo and Èze Village guided tourad | 5 hours | €69 | 4.8 from 1,286 |
| Full-day Monaco, Monte-Carlo and Èze tourad | 8 hours | €112 | 4.8 from 1,085 |
| Monaco hop-on hop-off busad | 1 day | €26 | 4.4 from 3,047 |
| Formula 1 track, Monaco and Monte-Carlo night tourad | 5 hours | €65 | 4.4 from 338 |
The hop-on hop-off bus also loops the Formula 1 circuit. No tour can include the Palace interior while it is closed.
What to see
Monaco is small and the sights are in three places: Monte-Carlo, the Rock and the harbour. The station has exits for each, so choose the one that fits the order.
Port Hercule and the Rock, seen from the Exotic Garden hillside. Photo: Linedwell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The Casino and Place du Casino. The Atrium is free all day; the morning visit allows T-shirts and trainers, and the gaming rooms are for the afternoon. The Café de Paris is a landmark on the square.
- The Rock and Place du Palais. The Rock is Monaco-Ville, the old town on its headland. The Prince’s Palace stands on the square and is closed, but the square keeps the view over Port Hercule and the Changing of the Guard at 11:55. Be there early; the ceremony lasts about ten minutes.
- The Cathedral and the Jardins Saint-Martin. The Cathedral holds the tombs of Monaco’s princes and is free. The gardens lie between it and the Oceanographic Museum and were Monaco’s first public garden.
- The Oceanographic Museum. Allow about 2 hours for the aquariums, the shark lagoon, the Sea Turtle Odyssey and the roof terrace. The Mediterranean section is closed for an estimated two years from 1 September 2026.
- Port Hercule and La Condamine. The Collection of Cars of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco, nearly a hundred cars on Port Hercule, is open 10:00 to 18:00 with the last entry at 17:00, and to 19:00 in July and August. The market hall in La Condamine is closed for refurbishment for 13 months from 15 January 2026, and the traders are on Place d’Armes.
- The Exotic Garden. A cliffside garden of cacti and succulents reopened on 30 March 2026 after six years of works. Allow 2 hours, plus 45 minutes for the guided tour of the Observatory Cave, which starts every hour from 10:00 and goes down more than 300 steps. Buses 2, X1 and X2 stop at the entrance, and prams are left at the gate.
The Prince’s Palace from Place du Palais. Photo: Jorge Franganillo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
The order that works: Place du Palais before 11:55, the Cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum after, then down to the harbour. What to skip: the Casino’s gaming rooms unless you will play, since €20 buys €10 of credit.
Practical information
- By train: Monaco-Monte-Carlo takes 22 to 26 minutes from Nice-Ville. The station’s exits are “Monte Carlo” for the Casino, “Le Port/Condamine” for the harbour and the car collection, and “Fontvieille” for the closest walk to Monaco-Ville. Day trips from Nice has the passes. Check the last train before an evening in Monaco.
- By bus: Zou! 600 leaves from the port and takes the sea road; Zou! 602 leaves from Nice Vauban and takes the Middle Corniche via Èze. Both are €2.20 on Zou!‘s June 2026 fare leaflet, and a Pass Sud Azur Explore covers them. The airport’s express bus 80 to Monaco and Menton is €21.40 one way (niceairportxpress.com).
- By boat: Trans Côte d’Azur’s Nice to Monaco boat sails on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to 31 October 2026, leaving Nice at 9:30, with 10:15 to 17:00 ashore and the return reaching Nice at 18:00, for €49.50, or €41.50 for ages 4 to 10. GetYourGuide resells it from €54. The 2027 dates are not published.
- In Monaco: CAM buses are €1.50 on board and a day pass is €5.50, including the water bus across Port Hercule; Monabike is €1 per 30 minutes or €3 for 24 hours (Visit Monaco). Monaco has no left luggage, for security reasons, according to Visit Monaco.
- Documents: Monaco uses the euro and French immigration rules, so you need the same documents as for France. Mobile data is often unavailable in the Principality, per Visit Monaco.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: going on the Grand Prix weekend, 3 to 6 June 2027, when the Oceanographic Museum and the Exotic Garden close. The Monaco Grand Prix 2027 has the dates and the train.
Day trips from Nice compares every trip, and Èze village is the bus 82 stop on the way. Menton is 35 to 40 minutes on the same line. What to book in Nice has the closed days in the city, and Nice public transport has the fares. Where to stay in Nice compares the areas.
Common questions
How do I get from Nice to Monaco?
By regional train from Nice-Ville to Monaco-Monte-Carlo in 22 to 26 minutes. Zou! buses 600 (from the port) and 602 (from Nice Vauban, via Èze) are €2.20, and the airport's express bus 80 is €21.40 one way. The Nice to Monaco boat sails to 31 October 2026.
Is the Prince's Palace of Monaco open?
No. The palace's own tours site says visits are closed and that it reopens in spring 2027, with no date given. The Changing of the Guard still takes place on Place du Palais every day at 11:55 except in rain or exceptional circumstances.
How much is the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco?
€22.50 for an adult, €14 for a student or a child aged 4 to 17, and free under 4. The Mediterranean section of the aquariums, which holds the jellyfish, has been closed since 1 September 2026 for an estimated two years.
Can I go into the Monte-Carlo Casino?
Yes, in two ways. A morning heritage visit, 10:00 to 13:00, is €20 and allows T-shirts and trainers. The gaming rooms open from 14:00 to over-18s with a passport or EU national ID card, cost €20 with €10 of credit, and have a dress code. The Atrium is free all day.
Is a Monaco tour from Nice worth it?
The half-day Èze, Monaco and Monte-Carlo tour is from €36 on GetYourGuide and takes 5 hours. Monaco alone is easier by train; the tour earns its price by adding Èze and a perfumery stop.
Do I need a passport for Monaco?
Monaco uses the euro and French immigration rules, so carry the same documents as for France. Visit Monaco warns that mobile data is often unavailable, so check your roaming settings before you cross.
