Enjoy the spring half-term holidays in Monaco!

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES:

Rainier III's Zoological Garden , home to some 300 animals representing around 60 different species (birds, tortoises, hippos and more), will be your wild oasis in the heart of the vibrant Principality. Your children will love getting up close to some of the animals and can enjoy a playground within the park.

The Botanical Centre of the Exotic Garden houses the world’s largest collection of cacti and succulents, with over 10,500 plants, nearly 85% of which are protected species. A lovely opportunity to escape and explore, to be shared with the whole family.

The changing of the guard , held every day at 11.55 am on Place du Palais by the Prince’s carabiniers, is a solemn ritual not to be missed during your stay in the Principality. Enjoy the opportunity to admire the two viewpoints, to the right and left of the Palace, which offer magnificent panoramic views of the Port of Fontvieille and Port Hercule.

The Collection of Cars of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco : take a stroll amongst around a hundred legendary cars that have left their mark on their era and the history of the princely family.

Playgrounds near the many parks and gardens.

Parc Princesse Antoinette , located in the Exotic Garden district, offers lovely play areas including a multi-sports pitch, playgrounds, table tennis tables, a mini farm with goats, rabbits and chickens, and an 18-hole clay-surface mini-golf course.

Make getting around town fun! Explore Monaco in a different way by using its eco-friendly transport options:

  • Monaco le Grand Tour , this red double-decker bus will take you past the Principality’s iconic sites. You can hop on and off at its many stops, allowing you to enjoy the various sights at your own pace.
  • Bateau Bus offers a short trip amongst the yachts, connecting Port Hercule from one end to the other. A chance to see Monaco from a different angle.
  • Monaco Tours is the classic choice! The city tour on the little train always goes down a treat with the little ones and offers parents a moment’s respite. The tour starts and ends opposite the Oceanographic Museum.

Captain Game

Captain’Game ! This fun outdoor trail is designed to raise public awareness of the environment whilst uncovering the site’s secrets. With family or friends, this original trail lets you (re)discover the Fontvieille district and its harbour via a 2.5 km route featuring 10 checkpoints to find and answers to stamp.

Monaco Museum of Anthropology

Take a step back in time and experience the Lascaux cave as if you were there with the Monaco Museum of Anthropology’s temporary exhibition “Lascaux in Monaco”, running from 19 April to 21 November 2024. On the programme is an exceptional immersive experience thanks to an original exhibition design featuring facsimiles and the use of virtual reality, hyper-realistic reconstructions of Cro-Magnon people, a 1/10th scale model of the cave and much more. For younger visitors, two workshops are sure to delight their inner archaeologists from 2pm to 3.30pm:

  • Tuesday 26 April (ages 5–6) – ‘THE STORY OF PREHISTORIC ANIMALS’ / ‘PREHISTORIC POTTERY’
  • Tuesday 30 April (ages 7 and over) – “ROLE PLAY” / “STARTING A FIRE”

HERE.

New National Museum of Monaco

New National Museum of Monaco.

  • 1st workshop: “Traces of the Garden”: Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th April (ages 6–9) from 2pm to 4pm. On the programme: exploring the gardens of Villa Sauber, studying plant traces and imprints for a creative workshop to make an “explorer’s notebook”.
  • 2nd workshop: “Behind the scenes at the museum”: Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 April (ages 4–8) – 2 pm–4 pm or Thursday 2 and Friday 3 May (ages 8–12) – 2.00 pm – 4.30 pm. On the programme: Using fabrics, embroidery, headdresses and accessories from The Opéra de Monte-Carlo’s costume collection, children will discover ‘the travelling collection’.

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And don’t miss the NMNM’s “Family Weekends”:

  • Family workshops: Every Saturday at 3pm during exhibition periods, suitable for children aged 7 to 12.
  • Treasure hunts in the Villa gardens: Every weekend during exhibition periods, set off with your family on a treasure hunt to discover the works on display in the gardens of Villa Paloma and Villa Sauber. A self-guided activity, suitable for children aged 7 to 12.

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Bosio Pavilion

HERE.

Oceanographic Museum

The Oceanographic Museum is a must-see when visiting the Principality, so you simply can’t miss it!

‘The Giants of the Ice’ by Michel Bassompierre, who is exhibiting his monumental sculptures, in which polar bears and emperor penguins take centre stage. Through this exhibition, the Oceanographic Museum and the artist aim to move and raise visitors’ awareness of the major challenges facing the polar regions (available from 10 April to 6 October 2024).

“The Prince and the Mediterranean” , launched as part of the Rainier III centenary, celebrating the unbreakable bond that united Prince Rainier III with the ocean, and particularly with the Mediterranean.

“Polar Mission” remains open until January 2025. A five-stage immersive experience awaits you in the heart of the Arctic and Antarctic, notably thanks to the “Immersion” room, which offers 650m² of interactive projection to the utter delight of the little ones.

  • In addition to these three refreshing exhibitions, the museum also offers:
  • an escape game ,
  • ImmerSEAve 360° for an exploration of the marine world using virtual reality headsets,
  • aquariums in four different environments, from the Mediterranean Sea to tropical seas.
  • “Oceanomania” , the world’s largest cabinet of curiosities dedicated to the marine world.
  • 'Animals by the Sea ': with family or friends, enjoy a magical encounter with the animals of the Mediterranean coast. They are familiar to us, but do you really know their unique characteristics? Young and old alike, let your senses guide you and discover the unique characteristics of each marine species (duration: 30 mins, during school holidays only).
  • “Club Oceano”: during the school holidays, it welcomes your budding explorers for a whole week! This discovery course is the perfect opportunity to spark your children’s curiosity, fuel their thirst for discovery and nurture future passions and vocations.

Théâtre des Muses

Don’t improvise your holidays! Give your children the chance to take to the stage at the Théâtre des Muses, which offers improvisation courses on the theme of ‘Youth Heroes’. On the programme: theatrical improvisation (solo, in pairs or in groups), fun warm-up exercises, spontaneous acting, developing the imagination, working on emotions and much more, all in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Your little performers will put on a short show at the end of the course. Perhaps you’ll discover a new talent?

HERE.

Médiathèque de Monaco

The Médiathèque de Monaco offers a wide range of activities that are sure to delight young visitors. On the programme:

A storytelling session on astronomy.

Picnic Music - every Tuesday from 12 noon to 2 pm

Meet at the Video and Audio Library for a lunch break with a concert. Don’t forget your packed lunch! Set off into the stars with Salim and enter the world of astronomy with Naos, the star-gatherer.

Haiku on pebbles (for children aged 7 and over, and open to parents), 24 April from 10.00 am to 11.30 am

Get into the Japanese spirit and try your hand at reading and writing haiku, short collaborative poems from traditional Japanese literature. The workshop will cover several aspects of composing this type of poem, all in a fun setting that encourages creative expression. The choice of pebbles as a medium reflects one of the pillars of haiku: communion with the environment.

Water sports are back!

Stade Nautique Rainier III (from 29 April). Its Olympic-sized pool, heated and filtered seawater, water slide and views of Port Hercule, the Rock and the F1 circuit make it a ‘must-do’. The Principality’s other open-air Olympic-sized swimming pool will also be ready to welcome your finest dives at the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel , nestled between the pine forest and the Mediterranean Sea. In early May, the more adventurous can try their hand at water sports from the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel’s water sports centre (motorised activities, jet-skis, parasailing, etc.).

Have a great holiday!!