Things to do in Cannes – 10 tips on the French Riviera

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | What is there to see and do in Cannes on the French Riviera? We have visited the city three times and like the combination of luxury, beaches, film history and charming old quarters. Here, huge luxury yachts and exclusive hotels coexist with winding alleys, small restaurants and swimming pools in the middle of town. Here are our best tips for Cannes.

Cannes on the French Riviera

Cannes is primarily known for the film festival, the red carpet and all the celebrities that gather there every spring. French Riviera. But Cannes is much more than movie stars and glamour.

We have been here three times, in 2015, 2018 and 2025, and Cannes has become one of our favorite cities on the French Riviera.

The first time we came here was during the film festival. Three years later we returned and spent a few quieter days in the city, shopping, eating well and strolling around without any major hassles. In 2025 we came back after driving the spectacular coastal road through the Esterel Mountains. Cannes simply has many sides. And that's probably exactly what we like.

1. Stroll along La Croisette

Boulevard de la Croisette is the classic beach promenade in Cannes. Here you will find large hotels, exclusive shops and restaurants lined up with the Mediterranean right next to it. It is elegant, well-groomed and in places very luxurious.

But of course you don't have to stay in a five-star hotel or buy something in the designer stores to appreciate the environment. Above all, we enjoy walking here and watching the people. And the boats. And sometimes the people watching the boats.

2. See the Palais des Festivals and the red carpet

At one end of the Croisette is Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the building that is so strongly associated with the Cannes Film Festival. This is where we played celebrity photographers when we happened to end up in the middle of the festival in 2015.

The first Cannes Film Festival was held in 1946, but today's Palais des Festivals is much younger. The current building was inaugurated in 1982 and the following year the film festival was held here for the first time. Outside are the famous stairs and the red carpet where film stars are photographed during the festival. When the festival is not in progress, the atmosphere is much calmer.

3. Experience the Cannes Film Festival

Do you have the opportunity to visit Cannes during Cannes Film Festival you get to see a completely different side of the city. We did that in 2015.

There were posters, barriers, police, photographers, limousines and people in fantastic clothes everywhere. Ingrid Bergman graced this year's official festival poster and of course we crowded in with everyone else to try to catch a glimpse of a film star.

And of course we succeeded. Gérard Depardieu got caught in the picture. We didn't have any press accreditation. Nor the little ladders that the more professional celebrity photographers had brought with them. But we got the picture.

READ MORE: The Cannes Film Festival – what it was like to be there

The film festival dates back to the first edition in 1946 and has developed into one of the film world's most prestigious events.

4. See the luxury yachts in the Vieux Port

We have a certain weakness for walking around ports and looking at boats. In Old Port, the old port of Cannes, there is a lot to see.

Smaller boats and classic sailing ships mingle with huge luxury yachts. The port is also perfectly located between the Palais des Festivals and Le Suquet, so you almost automatically pass it when discovering central Cannes.

We usually stop for a while. It's fascinating to think about what life is like on board one of the largest ships. Then we move on.

5. Discover the old town of Le Suquet

This is one of the reasons we love Cannes so much. Behind all the glamour is Le Suquet, the oldest part of Cannes. The district climbs up the hill above the port and consists of narrow, steep alleys, colorful houses and small restaurants.

It’s almost hard to believe that you’re just a short walk from the luxury yachts and the Croisette. When we were here in 2018, we strolled through the alleys and saw restaurants set up on small outdoor terraces. Some tables had wine glasses ready and others had roses scattered around.

This is more our kind of Cannes. At the top is the church Our Lady of Hope and the area around Place de la Castre, from where you have views of the city, the bay and the Lérins Islands.

6. Visit Marché Forville

Below Le Suquet is Forville Market, the classic market hall and food market in Cannes.

Here you can find local produce and products and encounter a much more everyday side of the city than that seen along the Croisette. The market is only about a hundred meters from the Vieux Port. We haven't had time to visit the market properly yet, so it's on the list for next time.

7. Swim in the middle of Cannes

It's easy to forget that Cannes is actually a seaside resort too. The beaches are right in front of the city and are sandy, unlike the rocky beaches of Nice, for example.

When we were here in 2018, it was scorching hot and the sea looked very inviting. But we had other plans. We went shopping instead. Completely logical.

8. Shopping in Cannes

Cannes, of course, has plenty of exclusive fashion boutiques, but that doesn't mean all shopping is reserved for people with unlimited budgets.

During our visit in 2018, we decided to have a day without any special commitments. We often collaborate with tourism organizations and collect material for various reports when we travel, so sometimes it's really nice to just do what we feel like.

For me, that meant a bikini and a long dress. Peter needed shorts. We found a store that sold almost nothing but shorts. Long shorts, short shorts, thin shorts, thick shorts, shorts with pockets and shorts without pockets. Perfect. Peter came out with two pairs of long pants, a shirt and a T-shirt. No shorts. ”I know what I want,” he said. It’s possible that the store is still looking for them.

9. Eat well in Cannes

Despite Cannes' exclusive reputation, it's definitely possible to find simpler restaurants. We did so in the old town, where we settled into a small place and ordered one of our recurring favorites on the French Riviera: Moules frites.

Mussels and fries may not be what you first associate with movie stars and red carpets. But we were very satisfied. For those who want to eat much more exclusively, there are of course also plenty of such opportunities in Cannes. The great thing is that you can choose.

10. Take the boat to Île Sainte-Marguerite

One of our favorite excursions from Cannes is Sainte-Marguerite Island, the largest of the Lérins Islands off the coast.

We took the boat here during our visit in 2018 and were greeted by a completely different world than inside Cannes. The island is green and peaceful, with pine trees, eucalyptus trees, small coves and clear Mediterranean water.

Here you can also find Fort Royal, known among other things for the fact that the mysterious prisoner who went down in history as the man in the iron mask was held here. It was over 30 degrees when we visited the island. Peter visited the fort. I didn't. You have to dare to refuse bail sometimes.

The Lérins Islands consist mainly of Sainte-Marguerite and the smaller Saint-Honorat and are one of the major excursion destinations from Cannes.

READ MORE: Île Sainte-Marguerite – excursion from Cannes to the Lérins Islands

Cannes by motorhome

We have come to Cannes by camper van on all three of our visits, but Cannes is not a city where we prefer to drive around the center with the camper van. Instead, we have stayed at a campsite outside and taken public transportation into the city.

During our visits in 2015 and 2018 we stayed at Camping Le Ranch. We really liked that campsite. It was quiet and green, the pitches were separated by hedges and in front of the entrance the bus went into the centre of Cannes. During our visit in 2018 we stayed for three nights.

When we returned in 2025 after our drive along the Corniche d'Or, we had planned to stay there again. But there was no longer any camping. The area had been rebuilt and seemed to have been given some kind of western theme. What the business actually consisted of was not entirely easy to understand, but we were not allowed to check in with any camper vans in any case.

We just had to keep driving. In the end we ended up at Camping Les Treilles outside Antibes instead, and we enjoyed ourselves there. Le Ranch will therefore live on as a very nice camping memory from our previous trips to Cannes, but not as a current camping tip.

How much time do you need in Cannes?

Central Cannes is relatively easy to explore on foot and in one day you can see the Croisette, the Palais des Festivals, the port and Le Suquet. But we would have liked to stay longer.

Med two or three days there is time to also swim, shop, go to the market and eat well without having to rush. Add another day if you want to take a boat trip to Île Sainte-Marguerite or Saint-Honorat. That's pretty much how we like Cannes best. Not as a checklist, but as a city where you can also let an afternoon disappear.

Is Cannes worth a visit?

For us, the answer is simple. Yes. Cannes is actually one of our favorite cities on the French Riviera. And maybe it's because of the contrasts. Here you'll find the gigantic luxury yachts, the exclusive hotels, the fashion boutiques, the movie stars and the red carpet.

But then you walk a few minutes and find yourself among the winding alleys of Le Suquet. You can sit down at a small restaurant, eat moules frites, walk along the beach or take the boat out to a green island.

We've visited Cannes three times in ten years. The first time we played paparazzi during the film festival. The second time we spent a whole day doing nothing and managed to go into a store full of shorts and come out without any shorts. The third time we discovered that our old favorite campsite had been transformed into some kind of western.

Apparently there's always something happening when we come to Cannes. And we'd love to come back.

See more around Cannes

If you're in Cannes and want to see more in the neighbourhood, there's plenty to discover! Here are our top tips:

• Things to do in Nice
• Le Lavandou
• Gorges du Verdon
• The Esterel Mountains and the Corniche d'Or
• Guide to the French Riviera