The Office du Tourisme (tel: (04) 9113 8900; www.marseille-tourisme.com) organises guided walking tours of ‘Marseille Insolite' focusing on anecdotes and local stories. They also organise tours in the Calanques and to l'Estaque, with a special focus on the many painters (Cézanne, Renoir, Braque to name but a few) who stayed in this picturesque part of the city over the years. French only. Call for details.

The Histobus offers 3-hour guided tours that take in the main sights. Commentary in French and English. Daily July to September, Sunday only rest of the year (tel: (04) 9113 8900). Marseille le Grand Tour (tel: (04) 9191 0582; www.marseillelegrandtour.com) provides a hop on, hop off service on an open top double-decker that takes in 16 stops, including le Vieux Port, la Corniche, Stade Vel and the Bonne Mère. Recorded commentary in several languages, including English. Available year round. Tours take about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The pass is valid for one or two days.

The Office du Tourisme has the timetable of the Petit Train de la Bonne Mère. Taxi Tourisme Marseille offers four daily tours, lasting from 90 minutes to 4 hours, for sightseeing in the comfort of your own taxi. More information from the tourist office.