One day in Montpellier: the perfect itinerary for your visit
Nestled in the heart of the south of France, Montpellier is a beautiful and captivating city. With a plethora of attractions, you can immerse yourself in the city’s vibrant culture, historic landmarks, and stunning architecture, even if you only have one day in Montpellier.
There’s a picturesque old town to stroll through with narrow medieval streets. You can also take in the vibe in the grand Place de la Comédie, a bustling square in the heart of the city, and wander up to city’s triumphal arch and Place Royale du Peyrou.
And if you’re an art enthusiast you can head to the Musée Fabre, while nature lovers can relax in the serene Jardin des Plantes, France’s oldest botanical garden.
We recently had a fabulous day in Montpellier before moving onto to visit other French cities, including Avignon, Nimes, and Arles. We walked between the main sights – many are close together and the historic heart of the city is quite compact.
Below you will find the walking route we followed and the sights to put on your Montpellier itinerary. This was perfect for discovering the city’s main highlights in just one day. At the end, I’ve answered some of the questions you might have about a trip here.
This post contains affiliate links
Where is Montpellier?
Montpellier is a French city in the south of France, around 11 kilometres from the Gulf of Lion and the Mediterranean Sea. It has a central location in this part of southern France which makes it an excellent hub for visiting other nearby cities. It is around 400 kilometres from the Spanish border.
Marseille is around an hour and half to the east by fast train; to the southwest is Perpignan (just under two hours by train), which is an ideal place to visit en route to northern Spain. Going inland are the Provencal cities of Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Arles.
Note that if you are travelling via train and need to maximise your time, there are different options you can book that vary by duration and cost. Often the high-speed TGV trains will be preferable to some of the more local trains, but they can be more expensive.
How to get around Montpellier
The centre of Montpellier is compact, making it a walkable city. Much of the historic centre is also pedestrianised which makes it a relaxing place to leisurely potter around, exploring the small little streets and squares.
There are, however, four interconnecting tramway lines that service the city. You will find that lines 1 and 2 stop in the Place de la Comédie, while lines 1, 2 and 3 stop outside Montpellier Gare St Roch.
However, if you are happy to walk – and you will undoubtedly see more – we recommend starting in Place de la Comédie and exploring the historic centre and its attractions on foot. You won’t need to rely on public transport to do this.
While you are spending one day in Montpellier, you may be tempted to get away from the city centre and relax on a beach; there are quite a few options to choose from.
However, if you do fancy venturing to the coast, bear in mind that this does take quite a bit of travelling time from the centre, partly because you must combine tramway lines with local buses. There are also quite a few beaches to choose from (see below).
We didn’t have time to check out the beaches out during our one day in Montpellier. However, we were so taken by the city that we plan to go back, so will head down there next time.
Is one day in Montpellier enough?
One day in Montpellier is enough time to get a flavour of the main attractions in the historic centre.
It is small enough to walk around, see the key sights and get a real feel for the city. That said, if you are lucky enough to spend longer here, you’ll no doubt enjoy it, and there are plenty of things to do. You could explore more of the historic old town, visit museums, take day trips, and go out to the nearby beaches.
Below you will find some ideas for other things to do in Montpellier if you have more time.
One day in Montpellier
Here is your Montpellier itinerary for a full day out, covering the best things to do on one day in Montpellier.
Alternatively you can book a walking tour with a local guide who will take you around the top sights.
Your one day in Montpellier itinerary
– Start in the Place de la Comédie to see the grand buildings and Opera House
– Head into Rue de L’Ancien Courrier and the old town; explore the area and see the Saint-Roch church
– Wander up to the Arc de Triomphe via Rue Foch
– Walk through the arch into the Place Royale du Peyrou; go up to the water tower and look over to the aqueduct
– Go down to Boulevard Henri VI and into the Jardin des Plantes
– Cross the road, walk past the Faculty of Medicine, and see Montpellier Cathedral
– Make your way back through some of the old town streets to the Musée Fabre
– Return to Place de La Comédie for a drink or head down to the nearby train station to depart
Start in the Place de la Comédie
The Place de la Comédie is a good place to start your day out in Montpellier. This is a grand square framed with beautiful buildings. It’s just a five-minute walk from Montpellier Gare St Roch if you’ve arrived via the central train station.
It also has a metro stop if you’re coming in from other places in the city. The tourist information office is also at one end of the square if you want to some information before you start sightseeing on your one day in Montpellier.
The Montpellier Tourist website describes the Place de la Comédie as the ‘beating heart of Montpellier’. When you visit you can see why. It’s a large open plaza surrounded by grand buildings. We thought it was gorgeous.
The square has a real buzzy vibe: there are lots of people milling about, street performers, and a fairground carousel. There are a few bars and restaurants with outside seating where you can look out at the ornate fountain (La Fontaine des Trois Graces) in front of the 18th century Opera House.
Explore Montpellier’s historic centre
From the Place de la Comédie, you can walk into the historic old town, Le Vieux Montpellier. You can go via several streets (e.g Rue de L’Ancien Courrier) and explore the different neighbourhood areas of the Quartier Saint-Roche, Quartier Courrier, and Écusson (the centre of the old town).
The old town is a lovely part of the city with narrow streets and small little squares to wander through. There are also bars and restaurants along the way if you want to stop off, some of which have outdoor areas.
In this area you’ll find the église Saint-Roch de Montpellier. This is an impressive neo-gothic church that was constructed in the 19th century and named after one of the city’s patron saints. It stands overlooking a small square lined with a few bars and eateries.
We briefly popped our head in the door when we visited but there was a service on so we unfortunately weren’t able to explore inside.
A short walk away from the church and tucked in a tiny square, is the Gallerie Saint-Ravy exhibition space. This displays work produced by local artists.
We briefly popped in – it was free to enter – and checked out the artwork on display. Although it won’t take you long to do this, if you are in the area, you might find it of interest.
Wander up to the city’s Arc de Triomphe
From the church head up one of the side streets to join Rue Foch and take a left. You can then walk up to the Arc de Triomphe (Porte du Peyrou), the city’s triumphal arch with its coat of arms above the arch. It dates from the late 17th century. Just before this is the city’s Palais de Justice, a 19th century Roman style neoclassical building.
If you have time, you can climb the 90 steps to the top of the arch to get panoramic views across the city. If you purchase the Montpellier City Card (which you can do for a 24 hour period), you can visit this landmark as part of a guided tour.
Move onto the Place Royale du Peyrou
Go through the Arc de Triomphe, and you’ll almost immediately come to one of Montpellier’s main landmarks, the Place Royal du Peyrou, with the Promenade du Peyrou. This a large open park framed by treelined walkways on either side and where you’ll find a small flea market on Sundays.
Soon after going through the gates, you’ll enter the royal square (Place Royale du Peyrou), at the centre of which is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. Behind that is another 18th century monument called the Chateau d’Eau (water tower), with a small pool of water in front of it.
If you climb up the stairs on either side of the tower, you can get great views of the Aqueduc Saint-Clement that stretches over 14 km to the Saint-Clement spring.
We spent time strolling around this area before wandering the short distance to the botanical garden (head to Boulevard Henri IV).
Stroll through France’s oldest botanical garden
Montpellier’s 16th century Jardin des Plantes is France’s oldest botanical garden. Given it was created by a doctor who intended it to be a medicinal garden, and that Montpellier is a university city, it is not surprising that it is situated by the city’s Faculty of Medicine.
Although the garden spans around 4.5 hectares, it seems quite small when you walk in. But there are various sections that you can explore, including an English garden, arboretum, small bamboo ‘forest’, greenhouse with succulents, orangery, and a lake with fish. Apparently, there are almost 2,700 plant species within it.
It’s a real oasis of calm inside, and a relaxing place to get some peace away from the hustle and bustle of the central city area. There are lots of shady parts if you need to get out of the sun during the hot summer months.
It is free to go into the Jardin des Plantes and is open from 12 pm to 8 pm over the summer (in other months the hours are 11 am to 6 pm). Note that the garden is shut every Monday.
If you’re not walking to the garden, you can catch the tram here (Line 1) or the bus (numbers 6, 7 or 16).
See Montpellier’s cathedral
After visiting the botanical garden, cross the road and walk down Rue de L’Ecole de Medicine to Montpellier Cathedral (there are a couple of attractive cafes and restaurants opposite the garden if you want to stop off before continuing your sightseeing).
Unsurprisingly, given its name, you’ll go past the Faculty of Medicine as you walk down this street. Based in a former monastery, this boasts fame as being the oldest medical school in the west that is still functioning.
You’ll then come to the gothic Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier. This dates from the 14th century and became a cathedral two centuries later.
This is a striking and unique building. It has a massive porch on the front with two large pillars. These are over 4.5 metres in diameter and are apparently the only parts that remain after the extensive damage the building suffered during the War of Religions in the second half of the 16th century.
The inside of the cathedral displays ‘The Fall of Simon the Magician’ by Sebastien Bourdon, who was born in the city.
The cathedral is open every day and is free to enter.
View the art in the Musée Fabre
Montpellier has several museums that you could spend some time in during the afternoon of your trip here.
Top of the list is the highly recommended Musée Fabre. If you’re walking from the cathedral, you can go via one of the streets at the back of the complex, Rue Abbe Marcel Montels, which meets Rue L’Ecole Mage, Rue du Refuge, and Rue de Berger. You can then go into the end of Rue de L’Ecole de Pharmacie, into Rue Bocard, and down Rue de la Salle L’Eveque.
Art lovers should consider putting aside some time to explore the collection in the museum, which showcases artwork from the Renaissance up to the present time. It was founded by Francois-Xavier Fabre, a local artist. As well as seeing some of his work, you can view an incredible set of art work, notably from Flemish and Dutch artists from the 17th century.
The museum is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm, except for Mondays. If you have the Montpellier Card you can go in for free.
Other things to do if you have more than one day in Montpellier
Go to the beach
Should you be planning your one day in Montpellier during the summer months, you may want to consider a visit to one of the sandy beaches dotted along the Meditteranean coast, not far from the city centre. There are lots of different activities you can do here and it’s a great place to put on your list.
The Montpellier Tourism website provides much more detail on the different beach options you can choose from, and how to get to each one by public transport.
Whichever beach you choose, you’ll likely need to combine taking the tram line and a bus. So factor this into your planning, especially if you have limited time here.
Check out the Marché du Lez
The Montpellier Tourist Office calls this creative ‘village’, that is situated on an old industrial site, an ‘innovative, artistic, cultural and gastronomic playground’. There are loads of eateries, second-hand stalls, and flea markets with plenty of bargains on offer.
The Halles du Lez, a ‘temple of gastronomy’ is also here, and is open every day except Monday. It has food courts, restaurants, shops, and bars.
If you fancy going and checking this out, catch the Line 3 tram.
Take a day trip
Montpellier is an ideal location to base yourself in if you want to go on some great day trips. From Montpellier Gare St Roch, you can easily take the train to some amazing sights and towns in neighbouring Provence.
Avignon
We arrived in Montpellier and spent a nighs here before moving on to the walled city of Avignon, famous for being the City of the Popes and home to the monumental Papal Palace. It’s about an hour by train from Montpellier.
Nimes
On the way to Avignon from Montpellier, you pass through the old Roman city of Nimes. This is home to an amazingly well-preserved amphitheatre, among other sights.
There is less to see and do here than in Avignon but it makes for a great day trip from Montpellier, especially as it is closer by train. The journey time is less than 30 minutes.
The Pont du Gard
Depending on whether you want to make your day trip from Montpellier a long day or not, you could also consider visiting a stunning local landmark that also dates from the Roman period – the incredible Pont Du Gard aqueduct.
You’ll need to get a bus from either Nimes or Avignon to get there, unless you hire a car and drive. Buses aren’t that regular so plan your journey carefully to ensure you can get back to Montpellier by train by a reasonable time.
Arles
A final option for a day trip from Montpellier by train, but highly recommended, is Arles. Fans of the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, who lived here for a while, will particularly enjoy a day out here. Aside from a superb museum dedicated to Van Gogh and a Roman amphitheatre, it’s a picturesque town with many beautiful squares. Direct trains take just over an hour.
Guided tours
If you don’t fancy doing day trips independently, there are a range of tours you can book while in the city and that cater to different interests.
This gourmet foodie tour combines a walking tour with stops in markets and shops to sample some of the local food and drink.
You can also book wine tasting tours that will take you to nearby vineyards and wineries.
You can also go kayaking and bird watching, and even try your luck in the city’s escape room!
Practical information for your one day in Montpellier
How to get to Montpellier
Montpellier has its own airport (Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport), situated around 18 kilometres outside the city centre. If you’re planning a longer trip to the south of France, you could fly into Montpellier, spend a day there, and then move on.
If you are coming from the airport, you can pick up the Montpellier Airport Shuttle (line 620) to take you into the city centre. This can be found outside the arrivals hall.
The bus runs every 30 minutes between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm. This bus stops outside Montpellier Gare Sud de France en route to the city centre, and terminates at Place de L’Europe tramway station. It takes around 25 minutes.
From here you pick up tramway Line 1 in the direction of Mosson. This will drop you in Place de la Comédie.
If you’re already in France and fancy spending one day in Montpellier, then it’s easy to get here by public transportation. Trains run into two railway stations: Montpellier Gare St Roch (central station) and Montpellier Gare Sud de France.
Montpellier Gare St Roch is the best one for the city centre: it’s literally about a five-minute walk to Place de la Comédie along one main street.
Is Montpellier a walkable city?
Yes, Montpellier is great for exploring on foot. This will allow you to explore the maze of narrow medieval streets in the old part of the city, and then wander up to some of the attractions that are close by.
The city’s pedestrian-friendly layout is a bonus in this respect.
You can also combine a walking tour around the main centre with using the city’s modern tram system to explore beyond the centre.
Is Montpellier worth visiting?
Absolutely, a visit to Montpellier, France, is well worth it!
With its sunny climate, excellent cuisine, and many cultural sights, Montpellier is a perfect place to visit. Whether you’re interested in history, art, or simply enjoying a vibrant city, Montpellier is a must-visit destination.
How much time is needed in Montpellier?
You might be wondering how many days in Montpellier are needed.
I’d say one day in Montpellier is a decent amount of time. You can walk around the historic centre and take in all the main landmarks during the day.
But to do the city justice, and build in time to visit the beaches, we recommend going for a long weekend or a few days if you can.
Other ideas for short breaks and day trips in Europe
If you’re looking for more ideas for short breaks and day trips in Europe, you can get some here.
In particular, if you’re in Montpellier and fancy a day trip to Avignon, you can find out all the best things to do in my recent post.
I have also written about Bordeaux in France, as well as Lyon, Menton, the Loire Valley, and the 11 best day trips from Nice.
Written by Emma Marshall