Visiting Monaco's Galleries: Walks, Appointments and Buying Art

Monaco's galleries are close together and free, but they keep office hours rather than shop hours. Many close on Saturday, almost all close on Sunday, and some of the best-known work by appointment only. This page explains how to plan a visit around that. Addresses, phones and hours for each gallery are in the gallery and auction-house directory. The museum and the year's events are in art in Monaco.

A gallery walk in three parts

All three areas can be done on foot. Start in the Condamine so the climb comes early.

1. Condamine and the port. NM Contemporary (17 rue de la Turbie) shows Italian contemporary art. Then go down to the quai Antoine-Ier, where the Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo shows its lots before each sale. Then walk up avenue d'Ostende to the Casino, or take a bus.

2. Monte-Carlo, the core. This is the main stretch:

• Palais de la Scala, 1 avenue Henry Dunant: Opera Gallery, Elisabeth Lillo-Renner and YellowKorner/HOFA are open to walk-in visitors. M.F. Toninelli, in the same building, needs an appointment.
• Avenue de la Costa: Almine Rech at no. 20, Moretti's Old Masters at no. 27. Sotheby's, also at no. 20, is appointment-only.
• Hauser & Wirth, in the One Monte-Carlo complex on the Place du Casino.
• Galerie Adriano Ribolzi, 7 avenue de l'Hermitage, and Artcurial, boulevard des Moulins. Artcurial's outdoor sculptures stand in the Petite Afrique gardens and Square Beaumarchais from April to September.

3. Larvotto. Walk down avenue Princesse Grace to Kamil Art Gallery at no. 3, opposite Mareterra. The Grimaldi Forum is further along. Villa Sauber, the NMNM's seaside villa, is closed for renovation in 2026; the museum's exhibitions are at Villa Paloma, above Fontvieille (visitor guide).

When to go

• Tuesday to Friday is the only time when nearly everything is open. On Saturdays, Opera Gallery, Ribolzi, Hauser & Wirth and YellowKorner stay open. On Sundays only YellowKorner/HOFA opens, from 11:00 to 16:00.
• Avoid lunchtime. Ribolzi, Christie's, Artcurial and the Hôtel des Ventes close from around 12:30–13:00 until 14:00–15:00.
• Monaco Art Week (late April; 27 April–1 May in 2026) is the best week for a first visit. Each participating gallery and auction house puts on a special show, opening hours are extended, and there is a late opening on the Monday evening. See Monaco Art Week.
• August is quiet: some project spaces close, and Grand Prix week (late May or June) blocks the streets around the Carré d'Or.

Auction viewings: Monaco's free exhibitions

Each auction house shows every lot in public before a sale. You need no invitation or catalogue, and there is no obligation to bid.

• Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo (quai Antoine-Ier) holds sales throughout the year: paintings, furniture, jewellery and watches, wine, vintage fashion. For example, its spring 2026 sale of 19th-century and modern painting was on view for three days during Art Week.
• Artcurial holds its Monaco sales in summer at the Hôtel Hermitage, including the Monaco Sculptures auction.
• Sotheby's and Christie's mostly run valuation days in Monaco and send works to sales elsewhere. Contact them to have a piece valued.

For how bidding, buyer's premiums and payment work, see art auctions in Monaco.

Buying art in Monaco

• Ask for the paperwork. A serious gallery gives you an invoice that describes the work (artist, title, date, medium, dimensions) and a certificate or provenance file. This matters when you resell, insure or export the work.
• VAT works as in France. Monaco is in the French VAT area, so French VAT rules apply to gallery sales and buyer's premiums. If you are taking a work outside the EU, ask the gallery about export paperwork before you pay.
• Insurance and storage. Collectors with larger collections use specialist insurers and climate-controlled storage. See art storage and freeports and art as an investment in Monaco.
• Cash is capped at €30,000 in Monaco. Art dealers and auction houses must also check buyers' identity under anti-money-laundering rules, so bring ID for a large purchase.

Where to go next

• Directory of galleries and auction houses
• Art in Monaco: museums, fairs and the calendar
• Contemporary art scene
• Public art installations