Monaco when to go

• Essentials
  • Overview
  • Basics
  • Getting there
  • Getting around
• City sights
  • Top sights
  • Tourist trail
  • Nearby trips
  • Grand Prix
• Things to do
  • Eating out
  • Cafe bars
  • Shopping
  • Nightlife
• Planning
  • When to go
  • Where to stay
  • Find a hotel

Monaco weather

Monaco sits on a narrow coastal strip with steep cliffs that rise almost vertically around the Jardin Exotique. Fresh breezes help moderate the summer temperatures making Monaco a very pleasant destination at all times of the year.

July will typically see 11hrs of sunshine and Monaco temperatures averaging 26°C. There will be very few days with rain.

Contrast this with Monaco in January, which has an average of only 5hrs sunshine and typical temperatures of 13°C, with cool nights. Monaco winter weather is moderate but it is probably too cold for swimming or for lying on the beach.

The mountains inland of Monaco protect it from cold northerly winds, like the Mistral, which cause so much havoc further west along the French coast.

When to go to Monaco

Monaco enjoys a typical mild Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and warm wet winters. There's rarely a frost or snow and most months of the year will have many sunny days.

Monaco has more than 300 days a year without a cloud and only an average 60 days rain a year. Spring and autumn are pleasant, although October is one of the wettest months of the year.

Many choose April to May and September to October to visit Monaco, when temperatures are pleasantly warm and the crowds thinner - at least until the end of May and the Monaco Grand Prix takes over the Principality.

Check out Monaco When To Go on Weather2Travel.com

Events in Monaco

January: The Monte-Carlo rally will have travelled from the north across the Alps before finishing in Monte-Carlo. The end of January sees the international circus festival. At the end of the month it's the Festival of Ste-Dévote.

February: The hotels in Monaco can be busy as it's the International Television Festival when executives from all over the world talk about, well, TV.

April: This is a busy Monaco month with the Spring Arts Festival and the International Tennis Tournament.

May: The Monaco Grand Prix is at the end of May and the whole area is packed. There's plenty of disruption before and afterwards as the grandstands and racing paraphernalia take six weeks to build and another three to dismantle after the race.
The Flower Festival runs throughout the month and is well worth a visit.

June: The Monte-Carlo Golf Open, although Monaco is too small to have its own golf course, so it's played over the border in France.

July and August: Music concerts are held in the Monaco Palace courtyard. Also the Fireworks Festival lights up the evening sky.

November: It's Monaco's National Festival on the 19th.