Monaco on Sundays and bank holidays, what's open and what isn't

In Monaco nearly everything opens nearly all the time, which is exactly why it stings to find a museum shut. It happens at three moments above all, the country’s own holidays, Christmas Day and Grand Prix week. Here’s the 2026 calendar, what changes on a Sunday and how I’d plan around it so you don’t miss anything.

Monaco’s public holidays in 2026

The Principality has twelve legal public holidays, set by Law no. 798 of 1966. Several will look familiar to a British traveller, such as New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, 1 May, Whit Monday and Christmas Day, alongside Catholic feasts like Ascension, Assumption, All Saints and the Immaculate Conception. The three that tend to catch people out are Sainte Dévote on 27 January, the patron saint’s day, Corpus Christi, a Thursday in 2026 on 4 June, and the Prince’s day on 19 November, which is National Day. There’s no Boxing Day, by the way, so 26 December is a normal working day.

One rule I find handy. If New Year’s Day, 1 May, Assumption, All Saints, 19 November or Christmas Day fall on a Sunday, the next Monday becomes the holiday. In 2026 that applies to All Saints, so Monday 2 November is a day off. The Immaculate Conception has its own rule and moves to the 9th if the 8th is a Sunday. The full list is in the table.

What closes, and when

Almost every sight opens daily, Sundays and most holidays included. The trouble comes on specific dates. On 19 November the Exotic Garden, the Prince’s car collection and the New National Museum close, which I go into in Monaco National Day. On 25 December the Oceanographic Museum and the Exotic Garden close. And during the Grand Prix the Exotic Garden and the New National Museum shut, while the Oceanographic Museum closes on race weekend.

The palace is a separate case, governed by season rather than holidays. In 2026 its State Apartments open from 30 March to 15 October, so in winter you only see it from outside. The changing of the guard, on the other hand, happens every day at 11:55, rain or holiday. More in the Prince’s Palace.

What’s open in Monaco on a Sunday?

More than you’d expect. The Rock, the cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum, the Casino’s morning visit and the Condamine market all keep their usual hours. What changes is shopping. The Métropole shopping centre closes on Sundays, as do plenty of smaller shops, though each sets its own hours.

The practical lifesaver is the Carrefour in the Fontvieille shopping centre, open on Sundays from 08:00 to 19:00 and until 21:30 on weekdays. If you’re travelling with children or fancy a picnic in the gardens, that’s where to go. Everything else on shopping is in shopping in Monaco.

Hours worth keeping to hand

My reference hours for autumn 2026 are in the second table. The cathedral opens from 08:15 to 18:00, though you can’t wander round during services. The Casino visit runs from 10:00 to 13:00, last entry 12:15, and from 14:00 the gaming starts and the entrance rules change. The Exotic Garden drops to 09:00-17:00 in November and December, and the Oceanographic Museum opens 10:00 to 18:00 until the end of the year.

For help on the ground, the tourist board runs information points beyond its main office. The one at the station opens daily from 09:00 to 17:30, the Exotic Garden kiosk from 09:00 to 17:00 and the solar kiosk outside the cathedral from 10:00 to 18:00. On cruise days there’s also a desk at the terminal from 09:00 to 12:00.

How I’d plan it

If my trip lands on a holiday, I put museums before or after and keep the day itself for the streets, because that’s usually when there’s the most atmosphere. On a Sunday, the Rock in the morning with the changing of the guard and an afternoon in the gardens or down by the harbour. And if I’m not going to the Grand Prix, I avoid its dates without a second thought, because on top of the closures hotel prices shoot up.

To pick your season with all this in mind, see my comparison in the best time to visit Monaco. And if you’re curious why the country has its own feasts like Sainte Dévote, it’s all in Monaco’s traditions and festivals.