Arles and Camargue Full-Day Tour from Avignon: Small Group

Pink flamingos, white horses and black bulls roaming the salt lakes of the Camargue.

This full-day small-group tour departs Avignon to visit Arles, the fortified 13th-century town of Aigues Mortes, the Camargue wetlands, and the seaside village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, with entry to the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park included. The guide leads a walking tour through Arles, arranges lunch in Aigues Mortes during a 2-hour stop where you can walk the town walls and climb the Constance Tower, and drives you through the Camargue for photo stops among the wildlife before ending at the bird reserve. Transport, water and all park entry are included; the tour runs 9.5 hours and operates in English or French.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Arles, Aigues Mortes and Camargue

• Walking tour in Arles
• Visit Aigues Mortes and lunch break
• Walk on Aigues Mortes walls and Tower Constance
• Drive around Camargue lake Vacares
• Visit Les Saintes Maries de la Mer
• Explore Pont de Gau Ornithological Park

The Experience

You start from Avignon and head toward Arles, where the guide leads you on foot through a town where Roman history and medieval art sit side by side. The walking tour sets the pace for the day—you are moving through streets and squares with someone who knows what you are looking at, not rushing through a checklist. From there, the minivan carries you west to Aigues Mortes, a walled town built in the 13th century as a departure point for crusaders. You have two hours here, which is enough time to climb the Constance Tower, walk the ramparts overlooking the salt lakes, and eat lunch at one of the restaurants inside the walls without feeling hurried.

The drive through the Camargue is where the day shifts from history to landscape. You circle Lake Vacares on a route designed for photo stops, and the guide points out the white horses, pink flamingos and black bulls that live in this flat, untouched terrain. The road is not a highway—it is a slow pass through the reserve, which is why you see the animals at all. After the Camargue, you stop in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a fishing village on the Mediterranean with a 9th-century church, and then finish at the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park, where hundreds of flamingos and other bird species live in shallow pools you can walk beside and photograph.

Transport happens in an air-conditioned minivan, and the group stays small enough that the guide can answer questions and adjust the pace without losing anyone. Bottled water is provided throughout the day. Entry to the bird reserve is included, which saves the cost and the decision of whether to add it on. The tour is long—9.5 hours from start to finish—but the stops break it into pieces, and the sequence means you are not backtracking or sitting on the bus between unrelated sites.

What’s included

• Transport by air-conditioned minivan.
• a live guide in English or French.
• entry to the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park.
• admission to the Constance Tower in Aigues Mortes and access to walk the town walls.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Time 4 Provence.H

Is this one for you?Small groups work best for this tour because the minivan holds a manageable number and the guide can answer questions and adjust the pace without losing anyone in the crowd. Book this if you have a full day free and want to see both the art and history of Provence in one trip—the sequence means you move from Roman Arles to medieval walls to the Camargue's wildlife without backtracking or wasting time between stops.

Traveler reviews

4.66★★★★★★★★★★

62 verified traveler reviews

5 ★50

4 ★7

3 ★3

2 ★0

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What is the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park like, and how much time do you spend there?

The Pont de Gau Ornithological Park is a wetland reserve where hundreds of pink flamingos and other bird species live in shallow pools and marshes. You walk on boardwalks and paths alongside the water, so you can observe and photograph the birds in their natural habitat without disturbing them. The park is the final stop of the day, and you have time to explore it before the tour returns to Avignon.

Can you walk the walls of Aigues Mortes, and is entry to the Constance Tower included?

Yes, admission to the Constance Tower and the walk on top of the walls is included in the tour price. The 2-hour stop in Aigues Mortes gives you time to climb the tower, walk the ramparts overlooking the salt lakes, and eat lunch in one of the town's restaurants.

What animals will you see in the Camargue, and how close do you get to them?

The Camargue is home to white horses, pink flamingos and black bulls that live wild in the wetlands around Lake Vacares. The tour drives slowly through the reserve with several photo stops, so you see the animals in their natural habitat from the minivan and from short walks, though the distance varies depending on where they are grazing or feeding on any given day.

Is lunch included, or do you pay separately in Aigues Mortes?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. During the 2-hour stop in Aigues Mortes, you choose a restaurant from the many options in the historical town and pay for your meal separately.

How long is the full tour, and what time does it return to Avignon?

The tour runs 9.5 hours total. The exact return time depends on your departure time, which you confirm when you book, but the tour includes all five stops—Arles, Aigues Mortes, the Camargue, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and the bird reserve—before returning to Avignon.

What language is the guide, and can you request English or French?

The tour operates in English or French. You choose your preferred language when you book, and the guide conducts the entire tour in that language.