Three days buys Monaco itself, unhurried, plus a genuine Riviera day trip, all without ever renting a car. The country only takes a determined day to cover, so this plan spends two on Le Rocher and Monte-Carlo before crossing to Eze, the perched village next door. Anyone with just a weekend should look at the 2-day plan instead; anyone with a full week should see the 7-day version , which folds this exact spine into a longer Riviera loop.

Two days is enough to walk the whole of Monaco slowly: Le Rocher on day one, Monte-Carlo and the port on day two, without ever needing a bus. Honestly, that’s more Monaco than most visitors need, since the country is barely 2 square kilometers and a single determined day covers the postcard sights. If a second day feels like padding, swap it for the 3-day plan ’s addition instead, a 7-minute train out to Eze.

Everyone photographs the Casino de Monte-Carlo from the same angle and calls it Monaco. What most visitors never find is that the country is barely 2 square kilometers, small enough that a free public lift network beats every hill in it, the changing of the guard costs nothing at 11:55am, and a cliffside cave only reopened to the public in March 2026 after six years shut. The seven picks below sit a few streets from the postcard shot, still genuinely Monaco, just not what turns up first in a search for the Grand Prix or the gaming rooms.

Four days is Monaco itself plus two short looks at the neighbors: Eze’s perched village and Nice’s actual city, the region’s real hub. This builds directly on the 3-day plan , adding a day in Nice rather than reinventing the first three; anyone with more time should see the 5-day version , which adds Menton next. Day Focus Travel time from Monaco 1 Le Rocher, the Palace, the Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum none, on foot 2 Monte-Carlo, the Casino, the Jardin Exotique, the port none, on foot 3 Eze, the perched village, the free Fragonard perfumery 7 min train to Eze-sur-Mer, plus a slow bus or a 20-30 min climb 4 Nice, the old town, the Promenade des Anglais 20-25 min direct train Book these before you go

Five days keeps the 4-day plan ’s spine, Monaco, Eze and Nice, and adds Menton, the last French town before Italy and the flattest of the three day trips. This is the point where the Riviera stops feeling like an add-on and starts feeling like the actual trip, with Monaco itself as the anchor rather than the whole itinerary. Day Focus Travel time from Monaco 1 Le Rocher, the Palace, the Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum none, on foot 2 Monte-Carlo, the Casino, the Jardin Exotique, the port none, on foot 3 Eze, the perched village, the free Fragonard perfumery 7 min train to Eze-sur-Mer, plus a slow bus or a 20-30 min climb 4 Nice, the old town, the Promenade des Anglais 20-25 min direct train 5 Menton, the Belle Epoque seafront, the lemon-themed old town 11-12 min direct train Book these before you go

Six days keeps the 5-day plan ’s spine, Monaco, Eze, Nice and Menton, and adds a day across the Italian border for Ventimiglia’s Friday market. That one condition matters: this day only works if it actually lands on a Friday, so check your dates before locking this plan in over the 7-day version . Day Focus Travel time from Monaco 1 Le Rocher, the Palace, the Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum none, on foot 2 Monte-Carlo, the Casino, the Jardin Exotique, the port none, on foot 3 Eze, the perched village, the free Fragonard perfumery 7 min train to Eze-sur-Mer, plus a slow bus or a 20-30 min climb 4 Nice, the old town, the Promenade des Anglais 20-25 min direct train 5 Menton, the Belle Epoque seafront, the lemon-themed old town 11-12 min direct train 6 Ventimiglia, Italy, the Friday market 25-30 min direct train (Fridays only) Book these before you go

Most Monaco write-ups rank sights by fame: the Casino first, the Palace second, the Oceanographic Museum third, in that order, every time. Ranked by what actually earns the walk, the order looks different, and the free things beat several of the paid ones outright. The table below covers all seven, by quartier (Monaco has four, not one interchangeable “Monaco/Monte-Carlo” blob), with the cost most sources still get wrong. Sight Quartier Why go Cost Casino de Monte-Carlo, the Atrium Monte-Carlo Free belle-epoque lobby, no ticket, no age limit Free Changing of the guard Monaco-Ville Free daily ceremony at 11:55am, no booking Free Oceanographic Museum Monaco-Ville Founded 1910, built into the cliff, Cousteau’s old post EUR 22.

A full week keeps the 6-day plan ’s spine, Monaco, Eze, Nice, Menton and Ventimiglia, and closes with a flexible last day: Cannes and Antibes if a bigger train ride still appeals, or the Grande Corniche’s scenic drive if six days of train schedules is enough. For a shorter version of this same trip, see the 4-day plan ; for the guide behind every stop, see the hidden gems guide .