The top 10 things to do in Saint-Tropez

Saint-Tropez is small enough to walk across in fifteen minutes and dense enough to fill a week. Most visitors do the harbour, a terrace and a beach club, and leave without having seen half of it. These are the ten things we tell friends to do, with the practical details for 2026: hours, prices, the days to avoid and the hour each one is at its best.

What are the best things to do in Saint-Tropez?

Climb to the Citadelle for the view over the gulf, walk the coastal path to the coves, take the bay cruise past the villas, browse the Place des Lices market on a Tuesday or Saturday morning, see the paintings of the harbour at the Musée de l'Annonciade, visit the Gendarmerie and Cinema museum, spend a morning on Pampelonne, drive up to Gassin and Ramatuelle, sit on the port at golden hour, and time your trip for Les Voiles or the Bravades.

1. Climb to the Citadelle

The seventeenth-century citadel above the village has the best view in Saint-Tropez, over the rooftops, the harbour and the whole gulf. Inside the keep, the maritime history museum tells the story of the town's sailors, from the Bailli de Suffren to the long-distance voyages. It costs €5, free for under-12s, and opens from 10:00 to 18:30 from April to September, with shorter hours in the low season; the 2026 leaflet announces a closure for works from 2 November to 18 December. Go at opening, when the ramparts are empty.

2. Walk the coastal path

The sentier du littoral runs from the village around the peninsula, past Les Graniers, the Baie des Canebiers and a string of rocky coves. The most popular stretch, from Les Canebiers to the Plage des Salins, is about 5 km one way, around two hours, more with swims. The path rises and falls constantly and the granite gets slippery after rain: proper shoes, water and an early start. Our guide to the hidden coves near Saint-Tropez covers the best stops.

3. Take the bay cruise past the villas

Les Bateaux Verts, running since 1961, sail from the Vieux Port on a cruise around the bay and its famous villas: €15 for adults and €8 for children aged 4 to 11 in 2026, around 50 minutes. It is the easiest way to see the village from the water, the way it was meant to be seen. The same company runs the 20-minute shuttle to Sainte-Maxime, €9.20 one way.

4. Browse the Place des Lices market

Every Tuesday and Saturday morning, all year, from 8:00 to 13:00, the plane trees of the Place des Lices shelter the market: produce, cheese, linen, baskets and antiques. Go early, before the heat and the crowd. The rest of the week the square belongs to pétanque players and café terraces.

5. See the harbour through painters' eyes at the Annonciade

Created in 1922 in a former chapel by the port, the Musée de l'Annonciade holds paintings from 1890 to 1950, pointillists, Nabis and Fauves, many of them painted in Saint-Tropez itself. Admission is €5 to €6 depending on the exhibition, €3.50 reduced, free under 12. It is the perfect place for the middle of a summer day.

6. Visit the Gendarmerie and Cinema museum

The former gendarmerie made famous by the Louis de Funès comedies became a museum in June 2016, devoted to the gendarmes and to the many films shot in Saint-Tropez. It is open daily, €5, and runs an exhibition for its tenth anniversary until 31 December 2026.

7. Spend a morning on Pampelonne

Four and a half kilometres of fine sand on the Ramatuelle side of the peninsula, a protected natural area since 2002, with beach clubs set back behind the dunes. Come early: the official Gulf tourism site lists Pampelonne as a sunrise spot, the beach is empty at first light, and the car parks are free before 11:00. Our guide to a sunrise at Pampelonne explains how to plan it.

8. Drive up to Gassin and Ramatuelle

Two hilltop villages a short drive from the port. Gassin, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, sits at about 200 metres with the whole gulf and its vineyards below. Ramatuelle, wrapped around its hill, hosts a theatre festival every summer, created in 1985 in tribute to Gérard Philipe. Both are at their best in the late afternoon. More in our guide to the most beautiful places within 30 minutes of Saint-Tropez.

9. Sit on the port at golden hour, with a tarte tropézienne

The harbour faces north-west and catches the last warm light of the day on its ochre facades. That is the moment to walk the Quai Jean-Jaurès, or take a seat on a terrace. Bring a tarte tropézienne: according to the brand, Alexandre Micka opened his bakery in Saint-Tropez in 1955, and it was Brigitte Bardot, on the set of And God Created Woman, who suggested the name.

10. Time your trip for Les Voiles or the Bravades

Two moments when the village becomes something else. Les Bravades, held every May since 1558 from the 16th to the 18th, fill the streets with processions in red and white and musket salutes. Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, at the end of September and the beginning of October, bring classic and modern yachts into the harbour, free to watch from the quays. Our guides to the Bravades and Les Voiles have the details.

When is the best time to visit Saint-Tropez?

Late May to June, and September to mid-October: warm sea, open venues, and a village that is not overrun. In July and August the Tourism Office warns of very heavy visitor numbers and full car parks, and advises arriving before 8:30. One more thing to plan around: the Chapelle Sainte-Anne, built from 1618 to 1628 after the village was spared by the plague, opens only from April to early November, five afternoons a week.

Want photographs of all this?

Most of these places are also where we photograph couples, families and friends in Saint-Tropez. Our guide to the best photo spots in Saint-Tropez maps them by hour.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Saint-Tropez?

Climb to the Citadelle, walk the coastal path to the coves, take the bay cruise past the villas, browse the Place des Lices market on Tuesday or Saturday morning, visit the Annonciade and the Gendarmerie and Cinema museum, spend a morning on Pampelonne, drive up to Gassin and Ramatuelle, and watch the light on the port at golden hour.

How much does the Citadelle of Saint-Tropez cost?

€5, free for children under 12. It opens from 10:00 to 18:30 from April to September, with shorter low-season hours, and the 2026 leaflet announces a closure for works from 2 November to 18 December 2026.

When is the market in Saint-Tropez?

Every Tuesday and Saturday morning, all year, from 8:00 to 13:00 on the Place des Lices.

How much is the boat trip around the bay of Saint-Tropez?

With Les Bateaux Verts, the bay and celebrity villas cruise costs €15 for adults and €8 for children aged 4 to 11 in 2026, around 50 minutes from the Vieux Port.

When is the best time to visit Saint-Tropez?

Late May to June and September to mid-October. July and August bring very heavy crowds and full car parks, according to the Tourism Office.

More reading: the best photo spots in Saint-Tropez, the hidden coves near Saint-Tropez, and the Saint-Tropez photographer guide.