HISTORICAL WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MARSEILLE AND ARLES TOUR – APPROX. 4 HOURS

Vieux Port Marseille

Highlights of this tour

  • Outside visits:
  • Marseille:
    Villa Méditerranée
    Fort Saint-Jean
    MuCEM
    Vieux port
  • Arles:
    Vincent van Gogh
    Roman times and monuments

Accessibility information

  • Use of adapted vehicle for transportation
  • Step-free route
  • Mild cobblestones in the old town

What is included?

  • Private tour
  • Tour duration: 4 hours
  • Private licensed guide
  • Private adapted vehicle
  • Pick-up and drop-off at the cruise port or your hotel

What is not included?

  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Entrance tickets unless stated
Old port Marseille
Footbridge MuCEM Marseille
Fort Saint-Jean
Amphitheatre Arles

About the wheelchair accessible Marseille and Arles tour

This 4-hour accessible tour will give you more insight into two famous French cities, Marseille and Arles. The guide will tell you about their treasures and what makes them unique.

Your private guide, and driver will meet you at the cruise port or your accommodation. You head to the tour’s first stop with your private adapted vehicle.

Marseille

Villa Méditerranée

The Villa Méditerranée has been closed for a long time, since the beginning of 2018. They plan to reopen it as a museum by the end of 2022. The museum is dedicated to the Cosquer Cave, known for its prehistoric paintings that fascinate many people. Upon arrival, check out the unique architecture of the building.

Inside the museum, you find some spaces located below sea level and some above. The exhibition is split into ‘Beyond the horizon’ and ‘Time scales.’ Beyond the horizon represents the history of human and trade mobility in the Mediterranean, while ‘Time scales’ narrates the history of the Mediterranean basin.

Fort Saint-Jean & MuCEM

On this day, you will also see Fort Saint-Jean. It was built in 1660 to protect the port of Marseille. The fort was used till 1962. It is a special monument to the history of Marseille. Not only does the defense fill your mind with historical knowledge, but it also offers impressive views since it is located on the water.

The Fort is an integral part of the Museum of the Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem), connected by a footbridge. The museum’s doors only opened in 2013 and it has been famous ever since.

The heart of the MuCEM is located on the J4 harbor mole. There are two places of exhibitions on the harbor: one is dedicated to discovering Mediterranean civilizations, and the other focuses on temporary exhibitions.

Vieux Port

Of course, you cannot miss the most famous port of Marseille. For centuries, the port has been the city’s beating heart. It was the primary source of income for Marseille a long time ago. Vieux Port was a place where trade from the sea would come in.

Even though it is not used for its original purposes anymore, it is still as busy as it ever was. The old port is one of the most picturesque places in France, so do not forget to bring your cameras.

Arles

Do you love learning more about famous painters and where they find their inspiration? Or are you fascinated by the Roman times and their unique architectural style? Arles can offer you activities that contain both and more.

Vincent van Gogh

During this tour, you will learn more about the famous painter and the inspirational places he visited for his works. In February 1888, Vincent van Gogh arrived in Arles. According to his brother, Vincent would go to Arles to find his bearings, and then he was supposed to go to Marseille. However, the painter never arrived there. He fell in love with Arles at first sight. It was where he found the light in Arles that he saw in the Japanese prints he admired.

Stroll past several sites that were an inspiration to him. Check out panels representing his paintings and discover if you can see the light incidents as he did.

Roman times and monuments

Arles will teach you all about Roman times and the monuments you see in the city. A long time ago, Emperor Constantine loved the city so much that he named it ‘the capital of the Western Roman Empire.’ Present Arles is filled with Roman stories and many historical monuments. The entire Roman area is UNESCO World Heritage.

The first and most recognizable monument you see when entering the city is the Amphitheatre. It is located right in the middle of the city and will make you feel like you have entered a different century. The Amphitheatre can hold 20.000 people and is still used to this day, but as a theatre: it hosts plays and concerts that you can attend in the summer.

Another World Heritage site is the Theatre Antique. It is one of the oldest monuments that dates back to the first century.

After 4 hours of touring through these two historical cities, the driver and your licensed guide take you back to the meeting point.


Note: The order of the sites/visits may differ depending on the pick-up location.

Adapted vehicle

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