Best Things To Do in Montpellier

The French city of Montpellier is a place with a lively atmosphere and impressive modern architecture that coexists with the important historic buildings of the old town. It is also home to interesting cultural, recreational and leisure attractions for all ages.

You can cycle around the city and explore it at your own pace. Visit the food markets to delight your palate with local flavours, delve into the region's wine culture at one of Montpellier's wine cellars, enjoy the art collections at the Fabre Museum, see wild animals at the zoo and much more.

Exploring Montpellier on two wheels is a popular and safe activity, with cycle paths all over the city. During your stay, you can rent an electric bike and reach every corner of this lively city. You'll discover the most emblematic destinations and get a different view of the surrounding area.

This is an exciting and environmentally friendly activity , perfect for those who don't want to drive around the city or explore its streets on foot. You will cycle at your own pace through the historic centre, taking in sights such as the Town Hall, the Place de la Comedie and Montpellier Cathedral. Discover the Antigone district and the Port-Marianne district, among other destinations.

It is important to know that when you rent an electric bike in Montpellier you will receive a safety helmet and you will have access to a series of downloadable routes on your mobile phone. This is quite convenient when you start your journey, as you won't have the fear of getting lost in the city. You will also find it easier to get to the places of interest.

Useful information

• Price: from €39 per bike.
• Duration: about 8 hours. Time may vary according to your needs.
• Advantage: you can explore the city at your own pace in a fun and environmentally friendly way.

The Castellane Market is one of the must-see stops during your visit to the city. In this quaint and cosy place you will enjoy the flavours and aromas of the authentic local gastronomy. Not only will you delight your palate, but you'll also get to see the everyday life of the locals up close and feel like one of them.

For this gastronomic tour of Montpellier, head to the Castellane Market in the heart of the city and immerse yourself in its vibrant atmosphere. You'll find stalls selling fruit, vegetables, herbs, seafood and more. There are also several cafés and bistros, where you will have the opportunity to try some popular dishes such as cassoulet (a bean and meat stew), squid and octopus pie, cuttlefish pasta, among other delicacies from the south of France.

You can do this type of tour of the Castellane Market on your own or hire a gastronomic tour. In the latter case, you will be accompanied by an expert culinary guide, who will tell you the history of each place visited and the dishes tasted, making the experience all the more enriching.

Useful information

• Price: Entrance to the market is free (you pay for what you eat). If you opt for a tour, it can cost around €89 per person (including tastings and culinary guide).
• Opening hours: open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 8pm. Sunday from 7:00 am to 1:30 pm.
• Advantage: either on your own or through a tour, you will delight your palate with the flavours of the local cuisine.

The Seaquarium in Grau-du-Roi Montpellier is another must-see attraction on your itinerary. You will be immersed in an impressive marine world with more than 300 species: sharks, sea turtles and more. You'll also enjoy interactive activities that allow you to get up close and personal with some of the ocean's inhabitants.

At the Seaquarium you'll have the opportunity to meet everything from small sea creatures to ocean predators. Through the huge windows, you'll see around 30 species of rays and sharks. You will see seals, sea turtles, a variety of tropical fish, sea bream, moonfish, as well as trout, carp and other freshwater fish.

When you buy tickets for the Seaquarium in Grau-du-Roi Montpellier, you can also enjoy some marine shows and interact directly with certain animals. For example, feed a sea lion or pet a stingray. Without a doubt, this is an experience that will allow you to create unique memories of your trip to the city, especially if you are travelling with children.

Useful information

• Price: 17€ per person is the average cost to access this attraction.
• Opening hours: The Seaquarium is open daily from 9.30am to 6.30pm.
• Benefit: You will enter the marine world, discovering its secrets and amazing inhabitants.

If you are a fan of the Saw films and you are in Montpellier, then you must visit an escape room inspired by this famous horror and gore franchise. This is an adrenaline-fuelled and suspenseful leisure activity in which you will test your mental skills and wits by solving twisted puzzles. So it's an adventure not to be missed.

Booking an escape room is very popular in Montpellier. Once you are in the game room, you will live an exciting adventure in which you will have to discover a series of hidden clues, solve mysterious riddles, put together challenging puzzles to complete the mission and, thus, escape before the clock reaches zero.

In this escape room in Montpellier you will have the feeling that you have really entered the Saw universe. The decorations, lighting and sounds of the rooms where you will have to escape recreate authentic scenes from the films, giving you a unique and intense experience.

Useful info

• Price: approximately €68 per person.
• Duration: the experience lasts approximately 1 hour.
• Advantage: you will test your mental skills and get your adrenaline pumping while having a fun time with your travel group.

This French city has many expanses of vineyards and wineries, so if you're interested in learning about the region's wine culture during your stay, you can connect with a guided tour of a vermouth and wine cellar in Montpellier. You will discover the entire production process of these two beverages.

Through this experience, you will explore a picturesque vineyard with several varieties of grapes and see how they are transformed into the delicious French classic drinks: vermouth and wine . Also, in the company of a cellar master, you will learn about the history of each of the vintages preserved in the barrels.

In addition, on this guided tour of a vermouth and wine cellar, you will be able to taste some of the drinks and enjoy their aromas and flavours. If after this experience you wish to continue exploring the wine culture and your itinerary allows it, consider booking a wine tour to Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup from the centre of Montpellier.

Useful information

• Price: 18€ per person is the average cost of this guided tour.
• Duration: the tour usually lasts about one (1) hour.
• Benefit: you will learn the history and secrets of two important French drinks, vermouth and wine.

The Fabre Museum is another of the city's major tourist attractions and, without a doubt, a must for lovers of European art. In its rooms you will enjoy a rich collection of 20th century works. In addition, the building has an imposing stage design with an impressive glass ceiling. Both are worth seeing.

In the rooms you will have the chance to see masterpieces by great artists such as the French painter and lithographer, Eugène Delacroix; one of the pioneers of Romantic painting, Théodore Géricault, the Italian Paolo Véronèse, representative of Venetian Mannerism, the French painter, engraver and sculptor, Pierre Soulages, among others.

You will see more than 800 works of art. All of them are distributed over an area of some 9,200 square metres. In addition, the Musée Fabre's collections include approximately 900 engravings and around 3,500 designs, reflecting its rich artistic diversity. In addition to the permanent collections, the rooms feature a number of temporary exhibitions that vary throughout the year.

Useful information

• Admission: the price starts at around €19 per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays.
• Advantage: You will be able to see a wide collection of 20th century European works of art.

Montrepiller has a beautiful botanical garden, which is worth a visit during your stay in the city. This is the Jardin des Plantes, an important green lung established since 1593, where you can get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy the natural freshness provided by its arboretum and more than 2,500 species of plants.

In the garden you can take a leisurely stroll, discovering incredible and very well-kept natural spaces as you go. For example:

• The lotus pond, which depending on the season of the year is populated by frogs.
• The garden of the senses, which contains a large number of aromatic plants.
• The greenhouse, with various species of cactus.

There is also a fascinating bamboo forest, an arboretum with orange trees, a hundred-year-old hackberry tree and other woody species. In addition, in the Jardin des Plantes you will see the broad-leaved laburnum, a tree with imposing foliage known locally for granting wishes - don't leave without hanging your request on its branches!

Useful information

• Price: free of charge.
• Opening hours: from June to September from 12:00 to 20:00, and from October to May from 11:00 to 18:00. Closed every Monday of the year.
• Advantage: you will enjoy a series of incredible natural spaces in one of the most important green lungs of the city.

In the centre of Montpellier you will find an important religious monument: Saint Peter's Cathedral. Visit this monumental and ancient building dating from the 14th century and be amazed by its peculiar architecture, which resembles a medieval fortress.

Contemplate the works of art and decorations inside. You will find large stone arches and vaulted ceilings. Your gaze will be lost in the colourful stained glass windows showing biblical representations, as well as in the sculptures and frescoes in the chapels. For example, you will see a work by the French painter Sébastien Bourdon entitled The Fall of Simon Magus.

You can also take a look at an ancient organ dating from 1776. This remarkable instrument is known for its sound quality and is a central element in liturgical celebrations. In fact, if your visit to Montpellier coincides with any Saturday from June to September, you will have the chance to enjoy a free concert with national musicians.

Useful information

• Admission: free.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10.30am to 11.45am and from 2.30pm to 6pm, and Saturday from 2.30pm to 6pm. Closed on Sundays.
• Advantage: you will get to know one of the architectural jewels of the city and the sacred art it houses inside.

If you like the animal world, then Montpellier Zoo is another must-see in the city. You will see a number of wild animals roaming freely : lions, rhinoceroses, leopards, bears and so on. You'll feel like you're in a safari park.

When you arrive at the zoo you'll receive a map with the route you'll need to follow to explore the place on your own. Throughout the park you will find some 1,104 animals belonging to at least 120 different species of arthropods, amphibians, snakes, birds, mammals, etc. You will be able to see Buffon's macaws, Grévy's zebras, southern white rhinoceroses, Iberian wolves, reticulated giraffes, among many others.

In addition, in this zoo you will find an area of approximately 2,600 square metres, which recreates the climatic conditions of the Amazon, known as the Amazonian Greenhouse. There, you will discover hundreds of tropical plants and ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals such as tarantulas, piranhas, anacondas, caimans, etc.

Useful information

• Admission: free of charge.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• Advantage: You will see amazing wild animals and lush tropical plants.

If you have a day to spare in your itinerary, you can take a trip to the small medieval village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. In this French commune located about 40 minutes from Mantpellier, you'll find an idyllic natural scene, as well as some historically significant buildings and sites . You'll feel like you've travelled back in time.

For this experience, it's best to book an excursion to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert from Montpellier. You will travel to the town accompanied by a guide and you will discover impressive destinations such as the Abbey of Gellone, a Benedictine monastery whose history dates back to 804; the Devil's Bridge over the river Hérault, an iconic construction representative of Romanesque art.

On this excursion to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert from Montpellier you will also discover unique natural spaces. Such is the case of the Cirque de Mourèze, an impressive formation of limestone rocks sculpted by erosion over the years. Likewise, the artificial lake Salagou, which stretches for some 7 kilometres and will dazzle you with its fascinating contrast of blue waters, red mountains and surrounding green forests.

Useful information

• Price: this type of excursion costs approximately €72 per person.
• Duration: 8 hours is the average time for this tour.
• Advantage: You will discover interesting medieval monuments and idyllic natural areas.