5-Day Family Travel In Marseille France - Top 7 Photo Spots
We flew from Turkey to France during week 13 of our Europe trip, and landed in Marseille with some hiccups. Both kids were sick, but miraculously they just recovered as fast as my eyes could blink. Perhaps it's because we were right outside their favorite playground, Prado Beach being 2 minutes by walk. Or perhaps I kept them going, as this city got so much for us to explore, everyday!
Photo Statistics:
I took a total of 2022 photos in the Marseille/Aix en Provence trip in France, among which
1896 was taken by Canon R5
the rest of only 126 by Sony A7IV
Among the 1896 photos taken by Canon R5:
895 was taken by Canon RF24-70mm f2.8
1001 were taken by Canon RF70-200mm f2.8
It’s the first time I’ve used the telephoto 70-200mm lens more than my mid zoom 24-70mm lens in any country we’ve traveled in Europe over the past 13 weeks, partly because there was more open view in my favorite photo spots (see below).
If you’d like to know which mirrorless camera is right for you, please watch my free video guide Mirrorless Camera Ultimate Buying Guide.
If you’d like to know which lens is worth your investment, check out my lens portfolio.
Here are some of my favorite photo spots you may not want to miss if you will also travel to Marseille.
1️⃣ Notre-Dame de la Garde
Reach the highest point in Marseille for breathtaking panoramic shots.
Notre-Dame de la Garde in sunset
We saw it the first day when we went to the Old Port, but didn’t go all the way up until the second last day. Oh boy, what a spectacular view of Marseille!
In fact, Notre-Dame de la Garde was already closed when we arrived, but the sunset view outside was the main draw of the crowd. We have stayed for 50 minutes. By the time we left after sunset, there were still a good number of people sitting on the hill.
If you are into landscape photography using wide angle lens, it might be a bit challenging to get a clean shot with the crowd. You need to arrive early and find a good vantage point that no one else can walk past in your front.
I didn’t bring my tripod (while traveling alone with two kids), so simply used my telephoto lens in handheld position. It was not my preferred way to photograph landscape (or cityscape) but was the best I could do to capture the beautiful moment.
ISO250, 77mm, f/10, 1/400sec
If you are into photographing people, telephoto lens is always an easy solution given the open view and distance, and certainly could help you get some clean shot without strangers in the frame.
2️⃣ Old Port (Vieux-Port)
Iconic views and colorful boats make for the perfect family photo backdrop.
There are many bus and metro stations around the Old Port, so be prepared for the crowd.
The easiest shot would be on the north side of the Old Port facing Notre-Dame de la Garde. You’ll find some interesting M structures, or simply use sailboats as the mid ground and the church on the hill as background.
Good thing is that you’ll have lots of composition options, bad thing is that you’ll easily get distracted and don’t know what shall be your main subject. 😂
3️⃣ Parc Borély
Enjoy a serene day amidst lush gardens and fountains. If you are lucky, play with otter, peacocks instead of just hanging out at playground
4️⃣ Le Panier
Explore Marseille’s oldest district for charming streets and colorful facades.
Sunrise at Dreamyacht marina, Pozzuoli, Italy
It’s also right next to the city’s major landmark Cathédrale Basilique Sainte-Marie-Majeure.
5️⃣ Prado Beach
This was shot on the first evening when we landed in Marseille. Even our kids were sick, they were excited to see the beach, so we took a short walk.
Without tripod, I just set my camera on a beach rock. Of course, composition will be limited as I couldn’t raise the camera position higher for a long exposure. Nevertheless, the goal was not to be perfect, but to capture the unforgettable experience.
Prado Beach in blue hour
Prado Beach is the longest beach in Marseille that stretches over 2 kilometers. Although it is a pebble and gravel beach, not the most comfortable type to walk on with bare feet, it was right outside our Airbnb within 2 minute walk.
There were restaurants, exercise area for adults, and kids playground directly on the beach, and more restaurants, bakery and even grocery stores across the road from the beach. How could we resist going back there again and again?
6️⃣ Grande Roue de Marseille
The second tallest Ferris wheel in France. Best time to go up? My answer is of course during sunset.
Snap some Marseille skylines or beach sunset photos during the golden or even blue hour while you are up in one of the 42 gondola cabins. Both you and kids would love the ride.
Our last ferris wheel ride was in Brussels, Belgium. We took it at midday as my kids couldn’t wait till the sunset hours. I learned the lesson this time and managed their expectation up front. The photo experience was a notch up for sure in the sunset colors.
7️⃣ Aix-en-Provence
It was only 30-minute ride via bus 50. I spent a day in this charming town with my two little boys and it wasn’t enough!
From the enchanting Cours Mirabeau to the historic Paroisse Cathédrale Saint Sauveur, this town has completely stolen my heart.
What can I say? Each and every corner is worth a click. If I have to choose a place to live in France, perhaps this is it...
I originally planned to come to Marseille briefly as our major stop was Marrakesh in Morocco. Right before I purchased the flight, the earthquake happened, so we had to change our plan and made a longer stay in Marseille. We eventually made it to Morocco in November, one and a half months afterwards.
Our 5 days in Marseille was relaxing. After that, we flew to Dubrovnik, Croatia in week 14 of our Europe trip.
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