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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 09 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Roman theatres have survived across the Mediterranean, but few can match the glorious one in Orange, where the massive stage wall (much admired by Louis XIV) has survived intact.

Built early in the 1st century AD, it’s one of the best-preserved Ancient Roman theatres in the world and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It served as a venue for theatre and spectacles until the 4th century AD, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and the Church shut it down, believing the spectacles to be unholy.

Today up to 10,000 spectators can still sit and enjoy its pitch-perfect ancient acoustics, under the watchful eye of a statue of Augustus, when it’s used for live performances including summer’s fabulous Les Choregies d’Orange opera festival. A ticket to the ancient theatre includes admission to the Musée d’Orange (Museum of Orange), which contains archaeological finds and paintings from the area.

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Price from: £9
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The Roman Theatre is located in the centre of Orange, 30 minutes’ drive from Avignon. There’s a free car park 800m away. The nearest train station is at Avignon.

Save time and avoid queues in peak season by buying tickets online and printing them out at home. Free audio guides are available in multiple languages upon arrival. You can also download an 8-minute audio guide to your mobile phone, that will take you to 21 points of interest.

There’s a good restaurant and snack bar onsite, with beautiful views from the terrace. In popular July and August, Orange’s restaurants fill up with opera-goers dining before the festival performances. So book a restaurant table when you book your ticket – Easter isn’t too early.

When to do it

The theatre is open all year round, seven days a week. It looks its best in the late afternoon light on a fine, sunny day.

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

Roman Sites and Historical Places Small-Group Day Trip from Avignon

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

Chateau de Massillan

Uchaux, Provence, France[10.9 miles]

A charming 16th-century chateau and spa in rural surrounds just north of Orange – ideal for relaxing in the Provencal sun.

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Le Clos Saint Saourde

Beaumes-de-Venise, Provence, France[19.8 miles]

Unique boutique guesthouse on an 18th-century farm, set in the beautiful wine region of Beaumes-de-Venise.

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La Mirande Hotel

Avignon, Provence, France[20.6 miles]

A magnificent, evocative and aristocratic luxury hotel, right next to Avignon’s Palace of the Popes.

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Hotel d’Europe

Avignon, Provence, France[20.6 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.

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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

Les Choregies d’Orange

Orange, Provence, France[0 miles]

France’s oldest festival, featuring exceptional lyrical and opera performances, held in the beautiful, crumbling 1st-century Theatre Antique.

Best for ages: 18+ | £30 | 5 weeks

Provence Wine Region

Provence, France[6.8 miles]

Postcard-perfect vineyards yielding world-famous wines – Provence is the home of the most prestigious Cotes du Rhone wines, including the reds of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Beaumes-de-Venise.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Avignon Festival

Avignon, Provence, France[20.5 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

Palace of the Popes

Avignon, Provence, France[20.6 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

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In Vaison, north of Avignon, the modern city, the medieval city, and the extensive remains of their Roman predecessor lie jumbled charmingly together. Ruins include four grand mansions, a theatre, a fine museum, and a picturesque bridge that still connects the two parts of the town.

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