Explore Monte Carlo - An Exclusive Guide

A perfect day in... Monte Carlo, Monaco

The principality of Monaco is the world’s second smallest country after the Vatican City, a tiny pocket of super-wealth that sits on the breathtakingly beautiful Côte D’Azur. Celebrated for its casino, the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Grimaldi dynasty, Monte Carlo, the heart of Monaco, offers world-class dining, designer shopping – and fantastic people-watching.

What to see in Monte Carlo

This tax-free seaside town is where the super rich come to play, and as such, it is both hugely glamorous and endlessly entertaining. There are the fancy shops and superyachts, the shiny concrete-and-glass designer apartments and luxury hotels that line the port and climb the surrounding hills. But there is also the charming, fortified old town of Le Rocher, sitting to the south of the main port, offering a different view of this moneyed town.

The highlight of the calendar is of course the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix, and if you can time your visit right in May, watching the F1 teams roar around the tight, snaking roads and lanes of Monte Carlo is completely exhilarating.

What to do in Monte Carlo

The jewel in the crown is the Casino de Monte Carlo, a belle époque wedding cake of a building dating back to 1863, with a beautiful glass atrium, theatre and casino. There are guided tours in the mornings, and over 18s can hit the tables from the afternoons onwards.

It’s a 10-minute stroll from here to the main harbor, usually busy with superyachts, and another fifteen minutes to the old town, Le Rocher, also known as The Rock, Climb up the 16th-century Rampe Majeure, which leads to the fortified town (do pause on your way up for the fabulous harbor views). At the top, you’ll discover pretty, mediaeval alleyways and old squares, and the Place du Palais, where the changing of the guard happens every day at 11:55am. You’ll also find the cathedral and the graves of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace (aka Grace Kelly).

What to eat in Monte Carlo

This is Monte Carlo, which means fine dining comes as standard and Michelin stars are everywhere. For award-winning contemporary Japanese, head to Yoshi at the Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo, or classic Nobu with lovely vistas over the sea at the Fairmont.

The best Casino views can be found at buzzing, 150-year-old Café de Paris, a socialite hot spot serving classic French brasserie fare. This is part of the famous Hôtel de Paris, where not one but two Bond films have been filmed. You’ll find the local outpost of the Cipriani in the Mirabeau building, serving excellent Italian to a celebrity crowd.

For more information, visit visitmonaco.com