Monaco
A palace on its rock above the harbour, the casino and the opera house side by side across the water, and Nice airport seven minutes away by helicopter.
- Arrival
- Nice Côte d'Azur · NCE
- To the city
- About 7 minutes by helicopter from Nice
- Private jets
- Into Nice, then helicopter or car
- Best time
- June to September
The city
The Rock and Monte-Carlo.
On the Rock, the Prince's Palace stands where a Genoese fortress once stood, with the Oceanographic Museum on the cliff at the other end of the old town. Across Port Hercule, Monte-Carlo gathers the casino, the Hôtel de Paris and the Salle Garnier, the opera house Charles Garnier built beside the gaming rooms.
From June to September the days reach the low to mid-twenties and the sea warms to 23 or 24 °C in high summer. Spring and late autumn are calmer, and October and November bring the most rain.
Arriving
By jet to Nice, by rotor to the Rock.
The Principality has no runway. Every flight lands at Nice Côte d'Azur, and the last stretch is by helicopter to the heliport at Fontvieille, or by road along the coast.
- Geneva 45 min
- Barcelona 1 h 00
- Cairo 3 h 40
- Abidjan 6 h 00
- Miami 10 h 30 long-range jet
When to go
June to September.
Mediterranean, a degree or so cooler by day than Nice in these averages. June to September is warm and mostly dry, with July the driest month. Winters are mild; the autumn rains peak in October and November.
- 10° J 77 14°
- 10° F 79 13°
- 12° M 75 13°
- 14° A 69 14°
- 18° M 65 17°
- 21° J 49 20°
- 25° J 23 23°
- 25° A 46 24°
- 22° S 65 22°
- 18° O 102 20°
- 13° N 99 17°
- 11° D 76 15°
What to see and do
Days in and around Monaco.
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Landmark
The Prince's Palace
Built from 1215 on the ruins of a Genoese fortress; the Carabiniers change the guard on the square every day at 11.55.
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Landmark
Oceanographic Museum
Founded by Prince Albert I and opened in 1910, on a cliff 85 metres above the sea.
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Landmark
Salle Garnier
The opera house of Monte-Carlo, by the architect of the Paris Opera, next door to the casino.
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Culture
Nouveau Musée National de Monaco
Monaco's national art museum stages its temporary exhibitions in two villas, Villa Paloma by the Exotic Garden and Villa Sauber on Avenue Princesse Grace.
Official site -
Nature
Jardin Exotique de Monaco
Reopened on 30 March 2026 after six years of works, the garden on its rock face holds succulents and cacti from all over the world.
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Opera & music
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
With Nathalie Stutzmann on the podium, the principality's orchestra plays its 2026/27 season from 13 September 2026 to 4 July 2027.
Official site -
Culture
Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco
Prince Rainier III began collecting in the late 1950s, and about a hundred of his cars now fill a 3,500 square metre hall at Port Hercule.
Official site -
Golf
Monte-Carlo Golf Club
Laid out at about 900 metres on Mont Agel above the principality, the 18 hole course plays to par 71 over 6,004 metres.
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Culture
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild built this Belle Époque villa on Cap Ferrat among nine gardens, Spanish, Florentine, Japanese and Provençal among them.
Official site -
Nature
Chemin de Nietzsche
Nietzsche composed part of Thus Spoke Zarathustra on this path, which climbs from Èze-sur-Mer to Èze village in an hour or so.
On the calendar
Dates to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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3–4 Nov 2026
Real estate
MAPIC
International professional event for retail real estate, bringing together investors, developers, landlords and retailers in Cannes.
Palais des Festivals, Cannes, about 39 km away
In 5 days
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21–24 Jan 2027
Motor racing
Rallye Monte-Carlo
Opening round of the 2027 FIA World Rally Championship, organised by the Automobile Club de Monaco.
Monte Carlo
In 3 months
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15–19 Mar 2027
Real estate
MIPIM
Annual international property market held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes for investors, developers and cities.
Palais des Festivals, Cannes, about 39 km away
In 5 months
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3–11 Apr 2027
Tennis
Monte-Carlo Masters
ATP Masters 1000 clay court tournament played at the Monte-Carlo Country Club overlooking the Mediterranean.
Monte-Carlo Country Club
In 5 months
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11–22 May 2027
Film
Cannes Film Festival
The 80th edition of the international film festival held each May at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
Palais des Festivals, Cannes, about 39 km away
In 6 months
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4–6 Jun 2027
Formula 1
Monaco Grand Prix
Round 8 of the 24-round 2027 Formula 1 World Championship, held at Circuit de Monaco with a Sprint race.
Circuit de Monaco
In 7 months
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21–25 Jun 2027
Technology & AI
Cannes Lions
Annual international festival of creativity for the advertising and marketing industry at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes, about 39 km away
In 8 months
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7–12 Sep 2027
Yachting
Cannes Yachting Festival
Annual in water boat show across the Vieux Port and Port Canto in Cannes, covering motor yachts, sailing boats and brokerage.
Vieux Port and Port Canto, Cannes, about 39 km away
In 10 months
Where to stay
Around the Casino and up in the hills.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo Three Keys beside the casino, with Le Louis XV and Le Grill under one roof.
- Château de la Chèvre d'Or In the medieval village of Èze, promoted to three Keys in 2026.
- Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo Home to Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac, with two Michelin stars.
- The Maybourne Riviera Two Keys just east of the Principality, on the French side of the border.
- Château Eza Fourteen rooms and suites at the top of Èze, some 400 metres above the sea.
- Hermitage Monte-Carlo New to the Keys in 2026, with L'Abysse and Pavyllon in the house.
Where to dine
Nine starred tables in the Principality.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris Three Michelin stars Mediterranean €€€€ Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo
- Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac Two Michelin stars Mediterranean €€€€ Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo
- Blue Bay Marcel Ravin Two Michelin stars Creative €€€€ Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort
- L'Abysse Monte-Carlo Two Michelin stars Japanese €€€€ Hermitage Monte-Carlo
- Le Grill One Michelin star Classic French €€€€ Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo
- Pavyllon Monte-Carlo, un restaurant de Yannick Alléno One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Hermitage, Square Beaumarchais
- Robuchon Monaco One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Esplanade du Portier
- Elsa Marcel Ravin One Michelin star Mediterranean €€€€ Monte-Carlo Beach
- La Table d'Antonio Salvatore au Rampoldi One Michelin star Italian €€€€ Avenue des Spélugues
Elsewhere in France
More reasons to come.
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Paris
The Louvre, the Left Bank, and the couture houses of the Avenue Montaigne.
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Nice
The pastel façades of Vieux-Nice, and the flower market of the Cours Saleya.
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Cannes
The Croisette in festival season, with its own business airport at Mandelieu.
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Saint-Tropez
A former fishing village, best reached by helicopter from Nice.
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Courchevel
Ski-in chalets at 1850, and more Michelin stars than most cities.
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Megève
Horse-drawn sleighs, a medieval square, and Geneva an hour away.
- Bordeaux The wine capital, between the Médoc and Saint-Émilion.
- Biarritz Belle Époque villas, surf and the Basque coast.
Flying to Monaco?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.