Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Cannes?
Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Cannes?
Many visitors spend two to four days in Cannes during their visit. If you're not sure how much time you might need here, we have the answers because there's so much to see and do. This resort city offers a number of attractions to explore, including the restaurant scene, the live music, the quaint shops, and the beaches.
Cannes is a famous resort town in the French Riviera that is popular with celebrities. It's a glamourous and ritzy destination that hosts the world famous international film festival. The city has many nice beaches, particularly along the Boulevard de la Croisette. This is also where you'll find many luxury hotels.
Do you have one or two days to visit Cannes? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.
Is one day enough time in Cannes?
With only one day, you might feel a bit pressed for time to enjoy the beach and the other activities in this resort city. After all, Cannes is home to a multitude of sights and attractions, making it an extremely popular destination for tourists. To fully embrace Cannes, a longer visit is better. Most travelers tend to allocate two to four days to enjoy a meal at a restaurant, enjoy the live music scene, browse the shops, and relax at the beach. Nevertheless, if your schedule is limited, we can provide some suggestions to maximize your visit.
How to spend a day in Cannes
Shopping in Cannes is very popular, and it's easy to see why. Spend time exploring the many shops and boutiques to find the perfect gift, souvenir, or outfit. With its many affluent visitors, the shopping scene in town is filled with luxury brands and posh boutiques. Perfume and porcelain are both popular things to buy in the area.
The culinary scene in Cannes is world famous, and draws visitors from around the globe. Make sure you spend time enjoying breakfast, lunch, and dinner at some of this resort city's best restaurants. And consider a food tour, too. Many are either a half day or just a few hours, so you can fit one into your schedule easily. The city is known for its fresh seafood and produce, local markets, and innovative chefs. There are also a number of traditional dishes that you should try in town including bouillabaisse, daube, and farcis niçois.
A few tour suggestions include:
- St Paul de Vence, Antibes & Wine Tasting from Cannes ($130)
Cannes is a walkable city and easy to explore on foot. With only a day in the resort city, you'll have no trouble seeing the local sights. Many areas are easily explored on foot including the historic areas and the coastline.
Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Cannes?
Cannes is a small resort city that is extremely popular with tourists due to the many sights and attractions. A weekend is probably not enough time to enjoy the beach and other activities. You will likely feel rushed to see the restaurant scene, the live music, the quaint shops, and the beaches. To thoroughly enjoy your trip, you'd need more time, as most vacationers schedule two to four days to fully experience the opulent resort city. Nevertheless, if time is of the essence, we have some nice suggestions for your visit.
The Port of Cannes, France
How to spend 2 days in Cannes
With a weekend (two to three days) in Cannes, you'll have a bit more time to enjoy everything that the resort city has to offer.
Don't miss Boulevard de la Croisette during your trip to Cannes, as it's one of this destination's most well-known attractions. You should make sure to set aside enough time to see it.
Live music is very popular in Cannes, so make sure you spend the evening exploring some of the more popular venues. The city is famous for its music festivals, but there are also many bands, DJs, and performers who visit year round.
The public transit in Cannes is fast and efficient. Over the course of a few days, you should be able to explore the resort city quite easily and affordably. There are buses that travel around the city.
More Info
If you're looking for more information about Cannes, we have even more advice to help you plan your journey.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.