One of a handful of touristy spots to check out in Monaco - in a country this small this palace is considerably large! It is located on the elevated old city walled part of town (or really country), you really can't miss it since coming up the pedestrian walkway this imposing, regal building sprawls across the north side of a large cobblestone square. During certain times of the year (end March to mid-October) it's open to tourists for tours, but the months are fairly limited since it's very much the living and working quarters of the Monaco monarchy. Appears there are beautiful frescoes and grand staterooms you can view inside. If you happen to be there during those months tickets are €6 for adults and €3 for children, with combo tickets possible if you want to visit both the palace and the prince's royal car collection (€17 and €8 respectively, I guess someone has to pay for the upkeep of those cars and that's the tourists). Otherwise for the rest of the year you can catch a glimpse of the daily changing on the guard in front of the palace at noon.
Nice views of Monte Carlo and the harbor along the old city walls by the palace. read more
The palace is in easy walking distance from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate where Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly were married and buried. It is also near the Musei Oceanographique made famous by Jacque Cousteau. At the top of the rock the palace sits in a large public square surrounded by apartments of the rich. Formula 1 race car drivers and others. From the palace you can see the yachts of the rich and famous docked in the bay. At 12 pm there is a changing of the guard which always attracts a crowd.
Admission to the palace is 8 Euros and comes with an audio-guide. You can purchase a ticket online or at the entrance. Tickets are fee on some Sundays.The guide takes you through lavishly decorated state rooms that are strategically focused on photos of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainer, their marriage and life together. The architecture and history of the family is also mentioned. Many of the photos where taken by the media and government promotional releases. Grace Kelly is much loved in Monaco. The guide also elaborates upon the key features of the palace which are ornate and house fine furniture and artwork. I liked the armory and Throne room. The dress that Grace Kelly wore at her civil marriage in the palace is on display. as are correspondences and extracts from newspapers and film. Photos of the interior are not allowed. The entire tour takes less than an hour. read more
You will get an amazing view of the French Riviera from here, there are great shops scattered along the little alleys, the building itself is amazing (I believe it used to belong to a princess?) It just provides a great spot if you're on a tour and traveling through Monaco, seeing all of it was amazing and the little food shops are also very good. read more
Everyday at noon, the guard will change their shift. New guards come from the opposite side of the square, so the street is blocked. It is better to get a spot around 11:55 next to the castle entrance if you want to nice view.
On the left, there is a small museum with a short waiting line to enter. read more
This museum in the palace is not well kept-up and we got there in time for the last tour with 30 minutes before closing. Unfortunately, the audio guide took far longer than they were willing to let us walk around for. After about 15 minutes they started shooing us into the exit! What a rip off! I can only imagine how long the lines normally take people to weave in and out of the 6 rooms total that the public gets to view. Overall we were not impressed. Save your money and your time and just walk through the gardens and enjoy the serenity of the palace. read more