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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 03 December, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Set on a low hill, this is the biggest and one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in France, where 20,000 would come to watch gladiators fight to the death. Built in the late 1st century AD, it was inspired by Rome’s Coliseum, which had been built a decade earlier – and was later converted into a fortress in the Middle Ages (an era from which three towers still survive). Originally the amphitheatre had a third level of arcades, but even now there are lovely views over the rosy tile rooms of Arles from the top level.

A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s now used an arena again, it’s used for bullfights during Arles’ Easter and September festivals, as well as the bloodless Courses Camarguaises bullfights, and occasional gladiatorial re-enactments.

Be sure to visit the ancient theatre, too, which is included in the ticket – built in the century before the amphitheatre, it’s not as well-preserved, but still used for performances.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price from: £8
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Located right in the centre of town. There are no guided tours, but there are information boards in English.

When to do it

The amphitheatre is open all year round, seven days a week – except on days when it’s not hosting modern-day spectacles. Go early or late in the day when the shadows in the arcades are at their most evocative.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Arles and Camargue Small-Group Half-Day Tour from Avignon

Arles and Camargue Small-Group Half-Day Tour from Avignon

Avignon

Enjoy a small-group tour from Avignon to discover Arles and Camargues with an experienced guide. During this half day tour you will visit Ar...

€75 | Rating 4.82 / 5 [29 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Arles, Les Baux and Saint Remy de Provence from Marseille

Arles, Les Baux and Saint Remy de Provence from Marseille

Marseille

This tour from Marseille will take you through the Plain of the Crau, to the ancient city of Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Les Baux d...

€135 | Rating 4.47 / 5 [17 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Grand Hotel Nord Pinus

Arles, Provence, France[0.3 miles]

A stylish, storied hotel full of character and charm in the historic heart of Arles. Rich in local history, and a favourite of visiting bullfighters.

Official star rating:

Hotel Particulier Arles

Arles, Provence, France[0.6 miles]

Arles’s most luxurious boutique hotel occupies an elegant townhouse dating back to 1824; centrally located, opulently romantic and with a spa, garden and pool.

Official star rating:

Hotel B Design & Spa

Paradou, Provence, France[14.3 miles]

An intimate retreat: ultra-contemporary, minimalist hotel secluded in the olive groves under the Alpilles. Expect high design luxury suites, a spa and a gourmet restaurant tucked under the Les Baux-en-Provence castle.

Official star rating:

Baumaniere Hotel

Les Baux-de-Provence, Provence, France[14.4 miles]

Legendary country hotel and three-star Michelin restaurant, in a magical setting just below Les-Baux-en-Provence.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Provence

Provence, France

Gorgeous landscapes peppered with beautiful villages, sunflowers and lavender, art-filled towns, lively cultural festivals and exquisite food and wine. Provence is everything you imagined it would be.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Courses Camarguaises

Arles, Provence, France[0 miles]

Provence’s bloodless bullfights are one of the region’s most exciting and best-loved sports, a cultural phenomenon held in the magnificent Roman amphitheatre of Arles.

Best for ages: 8+ | £8 | 1+ hours

Arles Museum of Antiquity

Arles, Provence, France[1.3 miles]

An archaeology museum housing a fascinating collection of sculptures, mosaics and much more from the ancient Arles region – artifacts date from prehistoric times until the 6th century AD.

Best for ages: 13+ | £5

The Camargue

Arles, Provence, France[7.1 miles]

A massive, wildlife-filled river delta, where gardians (French cowboys) ride white ponies and herd black Camargue bulls amid vast flocks of pink flamingos. Brilliant for horse-riding, hiking, cycling, and wildlife safaris.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

A low white wall painted with Van Gogh's signature
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Vincent Van Gogh Foundation

Arles, Provence, France[0.4 miles]

Arles is world-famous thanks to Van Gogh, but to the city’s eternal regret no one bought any of his paintings. This foundation, in the newly renovated Hotel Leautaud de Donines, is dedicated to art exhibitions inspired by the artist.

Best for ages: 18+ | £9

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View into a graveyard with old ruin walls around
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Les Alyscamps

Arles, Provence, France[0.6 miles]

An evocative, romantic Roman burial ground – once the most famous cemetery in medieval Europe. It’s the burial site of the legendary St Trophime and the first bishops of Arles, and remains an important stop on the pilgrimage to Compostela.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Olive oil tasting at Moulin Castelas
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Olive oil tasting at Moulin Castelas

Les Baux-de-Provence, Provence, France[16.4 miles]

In the stunning setting of Les Baux, learn all about Provence’s greeny-golden nectar on these free tastings of these award-winning oils. Open all year-round, but short walks through the olive groves and visits to the mill are also offered from June to September.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2 hours

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The exterior facade and entrance of the St Paul de Mausole, a golden stone building
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St-Paul-de-Mausole

Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Provence, France[19.6 miles]

The asylum where Van Gogh spent 1888-89 is a masterpiece of Provencal Romanesque, and today specializes, appropriately, in art therapy. His room and reproductions of the paintings he made there are on display, along with temporary exhibitions.

Best for ages: 18+ | £4

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Round-ups that include this experience

101 World’s greatest historic buildings

Multiple countries

The great civilisations of the past have left a legacy of constructions that still stand out and inspire. Built without the wonders of 20th-century technology, many are also monumental feats of engineering; others offer such grace and beauty, that they’ll literally take your breath away.

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