Take a tour to Marseille departing from the Aix-en-Provence tourist office on a Sunday morning or Friday afternoon. Marseille is the second largest city in France after Paris and the oldest city in France having been founded in 600 BC.

• Tour days: Year round on Sunday and Thursday from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Included: See la Canebière, La Major, Panier Hill,  Palais Longchamp, le Vieux Port (longer pause), Notre Dame de la Garde (longer pause), drive the Corniche to the Vallon des Auffes (longer pause)
• Vehicle: Air-conditioned minibus that seats 8 passengers

You will visit La Canebière a street which is the hub of Marseille in Le Vieux Port, the old port. The name comes from the French word canabé, the hemp that once grew there for the rope-making trade for this bustling port.

The Cathedral La Major will be another place you'll see. Built from 1852-1896, the Byzantine-Roman style cathedral is an impressive structure.  Panier Hill is the oldest part of of Marseille, an area which suffered phenomenal destruction by the Nazis in 1943.  Palais Longchamp is a monument which you'll also see. It houses the museum of fine arts and the natural history museum and has beautiful fountains, sculptures, and gardens. 

Then you will go to Notre Dame de la Garde. This basilica is located at the highest natural point in Marseille, with the most beautiful view of Marseille harbor and the Fort Saint-Jean and Saint-Nicolas (built by Louis XIV in 1660). The tour will then go down towards the Corniche and eventually to the Vallon des Auffes, a tiny fishing port which is well preserved after its long history.