Best time to visit Marseille
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart recolours live for your heat & sea limits 27°C · sea 29°C
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.
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.
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
30 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Marseille).
- 1
Full-day Wine Tour around Bandol & Cassis from Marseille - 2
Small Group Marseille Shore Excursion: Marseille and Aix-en-Provence - 3
Marseille Food Tour – Full Meal of Local Tastes by Do Eat Better - 4
Marseille Guided Food Tour with 10 Locals Favorites Tastings - 5
Shore Excursion: Drive a Convertible to Cassis & Calanques - 6
Aix-en-Provence, Cassis, Marseille - Private Tour From Marseille - 7
The magnificent hilltop villages of the Luberon on a private day - 8
Private Tour Aix Cassis Marseille - 9
Marseille : 2-Hour Sidecar Sightseeing Tour - 10
Beautiful boat tour in the Calanques with swimming - 11
Private Marseille Shore excursion Aix en Provence Cassis Tour - 12
Private tour in Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and Cassis! - 13
Provence : Aix en Provence, Cassis and Marseille Private Tour - 14
Sightseeing Tour of Marseille with a Private Driver - 15
Marseille Private Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour) - 16
Cassis, the beautifull Calanques & Marseille hightlights - 17
Marseille: Tailored Wine Tasting Experience in a Top Wine Shop - 18
Marseille Guided Tour for 4 Hours with a Bilingual Local Guide - 19
Boat Tour in the Blue Coast Streams - 20
Marseille Shore Excursion: Half Day Tour of Marseille by Electric Bike - 21
Calanques Panorama e-bike tour in Marseille - National Park - 22
Hiking in the Calanques National Park from Marseille - 23
Sormiou Calanques National Park Electric Bike Tour from Marseille - 24
Marseille Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems - 25
Provence Day Trip from Marseille : Baux, Pont du Gard, Avignon - 26
Marseille Shore Excursion: City Sightseeing Tour of Marseille - 27
Cassis and Aix en Provence Sightseeing Tour from Marseille - 28
Guided kayak excursion in creeks - 29
Small Group Marseille Shore Excursion: Marseille and Cassis Tour - 30
Private French Pastry Class in Marseille
Last refreshed 2026-10-18.
Similar climatesCassis96% · Saint-Tropez95% · Monaco95%
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 | Moderate | 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 | Moderate | 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 | Busy | 10 |
| Sep | 17–24 | 24 | 7 | 65 | 9.3 | 59% | 24 | 242 | 5 | Peak | 9 |
| Oct | 14–21 | 19 | 8 | 83 | 10.4 | 66% | 24 | 213 | 3 | Busy | 9 |
| Nov | 10–16 | 13 | 9 | 81 | 9.0 | 69% | 24 | 168 | 2 | Quiet | 8 |
| Dec | 7–12 | 9 | 9 | 95 | 10.6 | 72% | 26 | 161 | 1 | Quiet | 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
10/1020–28°C · 2 rain days (22h) · 294 sun hours · 51% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)
June
10/1018–25°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
10/1020–29°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
7/105–12°C (feels 8°C) · 5 rain days (68h) · 171 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
February
8/107–13°C (feels 10°C) · 6 rain days (67h) · 179 sun hours · 68% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 2 (low)
March
9/108–15°C (feels 11°C) · 4 rain days (62h) · 224 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
April
9/1010–17°C (feels 14°C) · 6 rain days (66h) · 249 sun hours · 58% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
May
9/1014–21°C (feels 19°C) · 6 rain days (75h) · 275 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high)
September
9/1017–24°C · 7 rain days (65h) · 242 sun hours · 59% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
October
9/1014–21°C (feels 19°C) · 8 rain days (83h) · 213 sun hours · 66% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
November
8/1010–16°C (feels 13°C) · 9 rain days (81h) · 168 sun hours · 69% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
December
7/107–12°C (feels 9°C) · 9 rain days (95h) · 161 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet 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 December and peaks in September. 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 17) and July (climate 10/10, crowd index 35) — 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.