Provence 7-day Itinerary
France
Where to go and what to see in Provence to get the most from your trip – a 7-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Pont du Gard Aqueduct [kayaking & swimming]
Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Occitaine, France
Last updated: 09 November, 2022
The remarkably preserved Pont du Gard is a masterpiece of Roman engineering. Built in the 1st century BC as part of a 50km aqueduct, it once supplied 30,000m³ of water daily to Nimes and until recently was used as a car bridge.
There’s a small museum on site that documents the history of the aqueduct, and explains how it was built with a variety of models, virtual reconstructions, multimedia screens and sounds.
While you're there
From mid-June on, beaches with rafts and shades are set up 200m down from the Pont du Gard if you feel like some beach time and a paddle.
You can also kayak or canoe on the river. Based 8km upriver from the Pont du Gard, Canoe Collias hire out canoes or kayaks that allow you to paddle down and under the aqueduct – a more adventurous way to appreciate it. They’ll retrieve you two or three hours later, 500m beyond the aqueduct. They have longer routes too, up to 30km, that will take your further through the natural reserve of the Gorges du Gardon.
Around 10 kilometres downstream from the Pont du Gard, north of Sernhac, you can explore two extraordinary Roman tunnels, still bearing axe marks – one 60m and the other 65m long.
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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Price from: £8.50
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 6+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Getting there & doing it
There are two car parks near the bridge: the main (left bank) one, off the D19/D981 Avignon and Uzes, and the second one (right bank) signposted a mile from Remoulins. From Avignon, take the A15 bus to Ales, which has a stop in easy walking distance of the Pont du Gard, but be sure to check the schedules before setting out.
From July to September, there are regular, 30-minute guided tours that take you up to the 3rd level channel. They start on the right bank. No booking required.
On site there’s a café, snack bar and bistro, and Les Terrasses restaurant on the right bank – with lovely views.
When to do it
The site is accessible all year round, seven days a week. In July and August, arrive early in the day to avoid the midday heat and the crowds. If you stay until the evening, you may catch the Sound & Light Show, a 30-minute spectacular, starting around 10.30pm.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Half-Day Provence Pont du Gard and Wine Tasting Tour from Avignon
Avignon
Enjoy a small group tour from Avignon to discover two wonders of the ancient world: Pont du Gard and Roman Theater in Orange, and take the o...
€75 | Rating 4.80 / 5 [57 ratings]
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Nimes, Uzes & Pont du Gard Small Group Half-Day Tour from Avignon
Avignon
Enjoy this half day tour from Avignon with an experienced local guide who will take you to places where you will discover some of the best p...
€75 | Rating 4.74 / 5 [70 ratings]
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Small-Group Day Trip from Avignon - Van Gogh's Provence and Roman History
Avignon
Discover UNESCO heritage sites like the Roman Arles and the aqueduct of Pont du Gard, following the footsteps of the great Dutch painter Vin...
€105 | Rating 4.91 / 5 [34 ratings]
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Tour supplied by:
Roman Sites and Historical Places Small-Group Day Trip from Avignon
Avignon
Step back in time and discover thousands of years of civilization and heritage on this 8-hour Roman sites day trip from Avignon. Follow your...
€122 | Rating 4.06 / 5 [81 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Hotel d’Europe
Avignon, Provence, France[21.5 miles]
An uber-luxury, boutique hotel set in a 16th-century mansion right in Avignon’s medieval centre. The city’s oldest hotel oozes elegance and class.
Official star rating:
Hotel Le Colbert
Avignon, Provence, France[21.8 miles]
Quirky, bohemian and great value boutique hotel conveniently located within easy walking distance of Avignon’s attractions. One for the budget-conscious traveller.
Official star rating:
La Mirande Hotel
Avignon, Provence, France[21.8 miles]
A magnificent, evocative and aristocratic luxury hotel, right next to Avignon’s Palace of the Popes.
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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Overview >Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Angladon Museum
Avignon, Provence, France[21.8 miles]
A superb private art collection in a townhouse, including the only Van Gogh in Provence. There are also paintings by Chardin, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Modigliani, Sisley and Picasso.
Best for ages: 18+ | £7
Palace of the Popes
Avignon, Provence, France[21.8 miles]
The world’s biggest Gothic palace was home to popes during their 14th-century exile from Rome. Seven reigned here until 1377, in a colourful period of greed and depravity.
Best for ages: 18+ | £10
Avignon Festival
Avignon, Provence, France[21.8 miles]
Nearly a thousand shows and exhibitions over three weeks, showcasing world-class drama, music and dance. France’s answer to the UK’s Edinburgh Festival.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 3 weeks
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Maison Carree
Nimes, Occitanie, France[18.8 miles]
A genuine masterpiece of classical architecture, and looking almost good as new after recent restorations, the gleaming white Maison Carree (really a temple to the divine heirs of Augustus) is one of the best-preserved of all Roman buildings. Nearby in the Jardins de la Fontaine is another unique monument, the Tour Magne, a tower offering views over the city.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
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Experience
Amphitheatre of Nimes
Nimes, Occitanie, France[18.8 miles]
Nimes’ landmark amphitheatre makes an elegant focal point for the city centre. Like many others, it owes its survival to being converted to a fortress in the Middle Ages. ‘Les Arenes’, as the Nimois call it, is now restored, and used for bullfights, courses camarguaises (bloodless bullfights), historical re-enactments and concerts.
Best for ages: 18+ | £12
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Experience
Petit Palais Museum
Avignon, Provence, France[21.7 miles]
Papal Avignon was the centre of the European art for decades, and over 300 works of (mostly) Italian medieval and renaissance paintings and sculptures commissioned by the wealthy prelates of the church, including a Botticelli Madonna, are displayed in this 14th-century palace.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
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Round-ups that include this experience
47 Best Roman ruins
Multiple countries
Leading European travel writer Dana Facaros, with a passionate interest in archaeological sites, round-ups the best ruins and remnants of arguably the world’s greatest empire.
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