Cannes in 5 days

Red-carpet glamour on the Cote d'Azur, with a working old town and beaches that outlast the festival crowds. Best time to visit: May-June and September. Average daily budget: $130 to $240 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: La Croisette, The palm-lined seafront of grand hotels, private beach clubs and the Palais des Festivals.

Morning: Ferry to Ile Sainte-Marguerite. Fifteen minutes offshore: pine forest, swimming coves and the fort that held the Man in the Iron Mask.

Afternoon: Explore La Croisette, The palm-lined seafront of grand hotels, private beach clubs and the Palais des Festivals.

Evening: Climb Le Suquet at sunset. Walk up to the Tour du Suquet for a view over the bay, the port and the whole Croisette.

Eat: Socca, the chickpea pancake shared across the Riviera

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Le Suquet, The old town on the hill: cobbled lanes, the castle museum and the best-value restaurants in town.

Morning: Marche Forville. Provencal produce, cheese and socca every morning except Monday.

Afternoon: Explore Le Suquet, The old town on the hill: cobbled lanes, the castle museum and the best-value restaurants in town.

Evening: Walk the Croisette. Do the full seafront promenade, then swim at the free public beach at Plage du Midi.

Eat: Bouillabaisse or grilled daurade at a Suquet terrace

Day 3, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Forville & Marche, Around the covered market, where locals shop and prices drop sharply.

Morning: Plage du Midi, the long free beach west of the port that most visitors never reach.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Forville & Marche, Around the covered market, where locals shop and prices drop sharply.

Evening: The Chemin de la Croix-des-Gardes, a hillside pine park with a panoramic view for free.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Pan bagnat from the Forville market stalls

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: La Bocca, The residential west end with long public beaches and much cheaper apartments.

Morning: Ile Saint-Honorat, where Cistercian monks make and sell their own wine.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore La Bocca, The residential west end with long public beaches and much cheaper apartments.

Evening: The tiny fishermen's bars around the Vieux Port that open early for coffee.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Rose from Provence, drunk very cold at lunch

Day 5, Slow finish

Base: La Croisette, The palm-lined seafront of grand hotels, private beach clubs and the Palais des Festivals.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in La Croisette, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore La Croisette, The palm-lined seafront of grand hotels, private beach clubs and the Palais des Festivals.

Evening: Dinner at Socca, the chickpea pancake shared across the Riviera, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in La Croisette.

Eat: Socca, the chickpea pancake shared across the Riviera

Hidden gems

Plage du Midi, the long free beach west of the port that most visitors never reach.
The Chemin de la Croix-des-Gardes, a hillside pine park with a panoramic view for free.
Ile Saint-Honorat, where Cistercian monks make and sell their own wine.
The tiny fishermen's bars around the Vieux Port that open early for coffee.

Getting around

Central Cannes is walkable end to end in about 30 minutes. The TER coastal train reaches Antibes in 15 minutes, Nice in 30 and Monaco in an hour, and it is far faster than driving. Ferries to the Lerins islands leave from the Vieux Port. Nice Airport is 30 minutes by bus 210 or by train with one change.

Safety

Cannes is safe and comfortable to walk at night, including for solo female travellers. The main risk is pickpocketing and bag snatching around the Croisette, the train station and during festival weeks. Do not leave anything visible in a parked car, and be wary of overpriced beach-club bills that add service twice.

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