This is the ideal destination for mixing city, nature and seaside pleasures, all in the warm climate of the South of France. To make the most of things as a family, here are the 10 things you can do together in Montpellier to be sure of keeping everyone happy!
Book a train ticket
Book a train ticket
Prepare your family weekend in Montpellier
- Daydream in the parc Botanique (botanical park)
- Cycle off to picnic on the beach
- Pull faces at the zoo’s howling black monkeys
- Visit Montpellier and look at the painted walls!
- Tour the Musée Fabre museum with the family
- Look at the fish or the stars at the Odysseum!
- Play at Royalty at the château de Flauverge
- Go down into a cave
- Takes breaks on the terraces
- Off to the theatre this evening (or this afternoon!)
Daydream in the parc Botanique (botanical park)
Perfect in spring and obviously very pleasant in the other seasons, the botanical garden in Montpellier Plant Garden is one of the oldest in Europe. It has 2,000 cultivated species on display, over 4 hectares. Some standout sights are the cactus house and the wishing tree, where visitors young and old can leave a piece of paper containing their dearest wish!
Cycle off to picnic on the beach
Hire bikes, get into the saddle and go off to the seaside! In Montpellier, it’s quite common to follow the banks of the Lez on the way, stopping at the Méjean Reserve to say hi to the horses and bulls, before a passing visit at the archaeological site of Lattes… Finally, you opt for the beach for a nice picnic; good spots are at Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone or Palavas-les-Flots.
Pull faces at the zoo’s howling black monkeys
Let’s go on a safari, from Amazonia to the Mediterranean scrublands and forests, passing by giraffes, rhino, the Atlas lion, the Syrian Brown Bear... And the other animals of the planet be they mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish... You can get to Lunaret Zoo on the “Saint-Eloi” tram (line 1), then you need to take the “La Navette” bus (line 13), heading to the Universités stop, and alight outside the entrance to the zoological park (the “zoo” stop).
A good deal: the guided tour allows you to learn about the workings of the zoo, what goes on behind the scenes, anecdotes... It’s free of charge (advance registration required). (Tel. 04 99 61 45 43). From September to May, it takes place on one Wednesday afternoon per month from 2 p.m. onwards. At 10 a.m. from June to August.
Visit Montpellier and look at the painted walls!
Here is a walk which is bound to please the whole family. At your own pace, the point of the game is to discover the frescoes and temporary street art works which appear on the walls of houses in the historic neighbourhood of l’Ecusson.
And then if the children don’t want to take another step, you can fall back on the little train which departs from place de la Comédie. That way you’ll get to the historic centre of Montpellier while saving your feet, and pass through the Saint Roch and Saint Anne neighbourhoods as well as promenade du Peyrou...
Tour the Musée Fabre museum with the family
The Musée Fabre museum is a must-see of the city. This museum of fine art boasts masterpieces by Reubens, Breughel, Corot, Millet, Delacroix, Ingres, Courbet, Monet, Manet, the Delaunays, Matisse, Vlaminck, Maillol, Poliakoff, Soulage, etc. But how can you make the most of all that with the children in tow? That should be possible, thanks to all the learning materials provided by the museum for families: booklets, visitor boxes, workshops and quiz sheets to use as a family... In addition, pushchairs are allowed in the display rooms and the Musée Fabre museum has baby-changing facilities at various points throughout the visitor route.
Some family visits are scheduled differently by age group. For 2 to 5-year-olds they start at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesdays, then run Wednesday to Friday during the school holidays, and start at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. For 6 to 12-year-olds they run during the school holidays from Tuesday to Saturday.
Look at the fish or the stars at the Odysseum!
A dive into the depths of the sea without getting wet is made possible at the Mare Nostrum aquarium. With 30,000 marine animals, it’ll feel authentic! Then there’s the sea-storm simulator, the 3D screen, meeting with the trainers... Something to delight the whole family.
Just next to it, you can explore the stars in the Planetarium!
Play at Royalty at the château de Flauverge
A seventeenth-century château always promises a brief insight into the lives of princes and princesses! The chateau is furnished and has superb gardens....
Château de Flaugergues - 1744, avenue Albert Einstein, 34000 Montpellier
Bus no. 9, heading to Grammont or Odysseum, the “Evariste Gallois” stop (200 m). By tram, the “Place de France” stop (1.5 km)
Go down into a cave
On the road to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, one of the most beautiful villages in France, you can visit the La Clamouse cave and show the stalactites and stalagmites to your kids. You can also visit other caves in the region...
Takes breaks on the terraces
In Montpellier, you won’t struggle to find a terrace to take a break... But certain establishments are particularly family-friendly.
Le Café Noisette is the ideal place for afternoon tea (or for a quick spot of lunch), as you will find a myriad of baked goods, all made from scratch on site. Children love the huge tea party area, the park, the little reading corner, and also the educational baking workshops (from 4 years to adult). On Wednesdays (from €20 to €45), and in English for teens, combining the useful and the enjoyable!
21, boulevard Pasteur, 06 38 16 49 20 From Tuesday to Friday from 10.30 a m to 6.30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch.
Patacrêpe is a restaurant on the banks of the Jacques-Coeur basin. To entertain the young and old, the speciality here is the pancake, but also burgers or salads for the very reasonable among us! Children get colouring books and leave with a balloon.
78, rue Galata, bassin Jacques-Coeur, 04 67 81 75 18. Open every day, all day. Brunch is on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Off to the theatre this evening (or this afternoon!)
Yes, you can go to the theatre with the family. Le Domaine d’O offers a family-orientated range of shows in its theatre and its open air amphitheatre, set within its 23 hectares of pleasure gardens.
178 rue de la Carriérasse - Tel 08 00 20 01 65
Kawa Théâtre puts on funny shows with children’s shows in the afternoons and often plays or one-man shows suitable for all audiences in the evening!
18 rue Fouques – Tel 04 67 58 15 45
L’Opéra de Montpellier has put together a programme of performances aimed at families: film concerts, music and song, etc.
11 boulevard Victor Hugo – Tel 04 67 601 999