Best time to visit Marseille

Q: When is the best time to visit Marseille?

August is the highest-scoring month (10/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 20–28°C (2 rainy days). The top three months by score are August, June, July.

Q: What is the worst time to visit Marseille?

December is the lowest-scoring month (7/10). Typical conditions: 7–12°C (9 rainy days).

Q: When are crowds lowest in Marseille?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Q: Which months in Marseille have good weather but fewer tourists?

June (climate 10/10, crowd index 12) and July (climate 10/10, crowd index 27) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

Q: What is the UV index in Marseille by month?

UV peaks at 8 (very high) in July and is lowest in January at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 2, Mar 4, Apr 5, May 6, Jun 7, Jul 8, Aug 7, Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 2, Dec 1. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Q: What is the UV index in Marseille in July?

July is the peak UV month in Marseille, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

Q: How high can UV get in Marseille on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 7 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 9 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, June, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Q: Is air quality in Marseille bad for travelers?

PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 4 months: January, February, March, December. The worst month is February with a typical-day mean of 11 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 20 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart recolours live for your heat & sea limits 27°C · sea 29°C

I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like

22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Sea feels bathtub at 29°C

26° strict 31° tolerant

Default 29 °C is the Beach Climate Index "bathtub" line (Morgan et al.) — where the sea stops being refreshing and starts feeling like a warm bath.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.

Sea temp cold <18° chilly 18–21° ideal 22–26° warm 27–28° bathtub 29–30° too warm ≥31°

Recent (2020-2024) 1991-2020 normal compare with the long-term normal

Recent · 2020-2024

Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)

Sea Nov 2022 – Dec 2024 (?)

Day · avg daily high (?)

Night · avg overnight low (?)

Tropical nights · nights/yr ≥20°C ETCCDI TR20 — sleep killer (?)

719196

UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)

124567875321

On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher

7986

PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)

9119779797889

On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher

172015111112111510141316

August 10/10 beach 9/10 urban feels 28°C · HCI 97/100

Day 28° · Night 20° · cools 8° at night 🌙 19 tropical nights/yr · peak 27 51% humidity 23 km/h wind 2 rain days (22h) 294h sun sea 23°C

Thermal 9

Sky 10

Rain 10

Wind 9

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

1991-2020 normal

Sea 1991-2020 normal monthly resolution

Day · avg daily high (?)

Night · avg overnight low (?)

August 10/10 beach 9/10 urban feels 28°C · HCI 96/100

Day 28° · Night 20° · cools 8° at night 54% humidity 20 km/h wind 3 rain days (27h) 298h sun sea 22°C

Thermal 9

Sky 10

Rain 10

Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Marseille

8 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Marseille).

1The wines of the Luberon, the Château de Lourmarin & Bastide du Laval olive oil5.00★ (3)8hfrom $587🔥 Selling fast
2Châteauneuf Du Pape intensive vineyard & fine wine experience4.92★ (36)from $587🔥 Selling fast
3Sailing cruise Chateau d'if and calanques du Frioul5.00★ (3)3hfrom $94🔥 Selling fast
4Marseille Guided Food Tour with 10 Locals Favorites Tastings5.00★ (2)3h 30mfrom $113🔥 Selling fast
5Private day: Aix en Provence, Cassis & the beautiful Calanques5.00★ (3)from $1014
6Pont du Gard, Avignon and Châteauneuf-du-Pape on a private day5.00★ (4)8hfrom $1066
7Avignon, Saint Remy and Baux de Provence private day5.00★ (3)from $1025
8Marseille Food Tour – Full Meal of Local Tastes by Do Eat Better4.81★ (565)3h 30mfrom $88

Last refreshed 2026-05-27.

Similar climatesNice95% · Cannes94% · Barcelona91%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Marseille (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Marseille's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month	Temp °C	Feels °C	Rain days	Rain h	Rain h/day	Humidity	Wind km/h	Sun h	UV	Interest	Score
Jan	5–12	8	5	68	13.6	70%	26	171	1	Quiet	7
Feb	7–13	10	6	67	11.2	68%	27	179	2	Quiet	8
Mar	8–15	11	4	62	15.5	63%	26	224	4	Quiet	9
Apr	10–17	14	6	66	11.0	58%	25	249	5	Quiet	9
May	14–21	19	6	75	12.5	63%	23	275	6	Quiet	9
Jun	18–25	25	5	45	9.0	59%	24	307	7	Quiet	10
Jul	20–29	28	1	10	10.0	51%	23	325	8	Quiet	10
Aug	20–28	28	2	22	11.0	51%	23	294	7	Peak	10
Sep	17–24	24	7	65	9.3	59%	24	242	5	Busy	9
Oct	14–21	19	8	83	10.4	66%	24	213	3	Moderate	9
Nov	10–16	13	9	81	9.0	69%	24	168	2	Busy	8
Dec	7–12	9	9	95	10.6	72%	26	161	1	Moderate	7

UV Index in Marseille by Month

UV index in Marseille peaks at 8 (very high) in July, dropping to 1 (low) in January. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

August

10/10

20–28°C · 2 rain days (22h) · 294 sun hours · 51% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)

June

10/10

18–25°C · 5 rain days (45h) · 307 sun hours · 59% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

July

10/10

20–29°C · 1 rain days (10h) · 325 sun hours · 51% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (very high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

January

7/10

5–12°C (feels 8°C) · 5 rain days (68h) · 171 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

February

8/10

7–13°C (feels 10°C) · 6 rain days (67h) · 179 sun hours · 68% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)

March

9/10

8–15°C (feels 11°C) · 4 rain days (62h) · 224 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)

April

9/10

10–17°C (feels 14°C) · 6 rain days (66h) · 249 sun hours · 58% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

May

9/10

14–21°C (feels 19°C) · 6 rain days (75h) · 275 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high)

September

9/10

17–24°C · 7 rain days (65h) · 242 sun hours · 59% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

October

9/10

14–21°C (feels 19°C) · 8 rain days (83h) · 213 sun hours · 66% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

November

8/10

10–16°C (feels 13°C) · 9 rain days (81h) · 168 sun hours · 69% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 2 (low)

December

7/10

7–12°C (feels 9°C) · 9 rain days (95h) · 161 sun hours · 72% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Marseille

When is the best time to visit Marseille?

August is the highest-scoring month (10/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 20–28°C (2 rainy days). The top three months by score are August, June, July.

What is the worst time to visit Marseille?

December is the lowest-scoring month (7/10). Typical conditions: 7–12°C (9 rainy days).

When are crowds lowest in Marseille?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Marseille have good weather but fewer tourists?

June (climate 10/10, crowd index 12) and July (climate 10/10, crowd index 27) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Marseille by month?

UV peaks at 8 (very high) in July and is lowest in January at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 2, Mar 4, Apr 5, May 6, Jun 7, Jul 8, Aug 7, Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 2, Dec 1. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Marseille in July?

July is the peak UV month in Marseille, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Marseille on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 7 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 9 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, June, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Is air quality in Marseille bad for travelers?

PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 4 months: January, February, March, December. The worst month is February with a typical-day mean of 11 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 20 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.