Avignon Walking Tour: Audioguide Palace of the Popes

Medieval Avignon on your phone: fortress walls, the Palace of the Popes, St. Benezet Bridge, and narrow streets full of history

This is a self-guided walking tour of Avignon using a smartphone audioguide app with 23 professional recordings, available in five languages, covering the city's medieval landmarks from the fortress walls to the Palace of the Popes and St. Benezet Bridge. Download the app once and use it for a year; the map works offline and you walk at your own pace without a guide or group. Minimum age is 14; the tour takes roughly 90 minutes but you can stretch it or break it up however you want.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Avignon's historic landmarks

• Walk along Avignon city walls
• Visit Musée Lapidaire
• See Temple Saint-Martial
• Explore Church of the Célestins
• Stroll Dyers Street (Rue des Teinturiers)
• Visit Avignon Synagogue
• Tour Saint-Pierre Basilica
• Relax at Place de l'Horloge
• Admire Opéra Grand Avignon
• Explore Palais des Papes exterior
• Visit Avignon Cathedral
• Walk in Jardin des Doms
• See Pont Saint-Bénézet bridge

The Experience

Download the TouringBee app to your phone, and you have a walking route through Avignon that works without internet once you're in the city. The app shows you a map with a marked path, and as you walk it plays audio recordings—a historian narrating the story of each stop. You move at whatever pace suits you: pause to sit in a café, skip ahead if a stop doesn't interest you, or linger at the Palace of the Popes as long as you want. The audioguide is available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian or German, and you get access for a full year, so you can revisit the tour or share it with someone else later.

The route takes you from Avignon's 14th-century fortress walls—4.3 kilometers of stone punctuated by 39 watchtowers—through the city's layered religious history: the Avignon Cathedral with its golden Virgin Mary crowning the bell tower, the Gothic Church of the Célestins, the 19th-century Synagogue, and the Temple Saint-Martial, a rare Protestant chapel in a city built around the papacy. You'll walk Dyers Street, where the Sorgue River runs alongside cobbled paths and old watermills, and cross through Place de l'Horloge, the bustling square framed by the Town Hall and cafés. The Palace of the Popes itself—one of Europe's largest Gothic buildings—anchors the tour; the audioguide walks you past its imposing stone walls and explains the 14th-century papal court that made Avignon the seat of religious power. St. Benezet Bridge, the famous span from the song, sits at the end with views back across the Rhône.

The 23 recordings are narrated by a professional historian, so you're getting context and stories, not just a list of names. Illustrations in the app help you spot landmarks as you approach them. Since the map is offline, you don't need data or a signal to navigate—just follow the route on your screen. The tour is designed to fit into a short visit to Avignon, but there's no clock: you can walk it in 90 minutes or spread it across a morning and afternoon. Headphones are yours to bring; the app works on both iPhone and Android.

What’s included

• One-year access to the audioguide app.
• 23 professional audio recordings covering the Palace of the Popes, Avignon Cathedral, St. Benezet Bridge, fortress walls, churches, and historic streets.
• offline map with GPS navigation.
• illustrations to help you identify landmarks.
• availability in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, or German.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by TouringBee

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to explore Avignon's main sights on your own schedule—the app lets you start whenever you want and pause at each landmark, rather than following a guide's pace or waiting for a group departure time.

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Top questions

What is the Palace of the Popes and why is it on this tour?

The Palais des Papes is a massive Gothic fortress built in the 14th century when the Pope's seat moved to Avignon from Rome. It's one of Europe's largest medieval buildings and the centerpiece of the city's history; the audioguide explains its political and architectural significance as you walk past its stone walls and courtyards.

Can I use this tour if I don't have a smartphone or headphones?

The tour runs entirely through a mobile app on iPhone or Android, so you'll need a smartphone. Headphones aren't included but are recommended so you can hear the recordings clearly while walking; you can also use your phone's speaker if you prefer.

What is St. Benezet Bridge and where does it fit in the walk?

The Pont Saint-Bénézet, known worldwide from the song "Sur le Pont d'Avignon," is a 12th-century bridge across the Rhône River. Only four of its original 22 arches remain, but it's one of Avignon's most iconic landmarks and sits at the end of the walking route, offering views of the city and the Palace of the Popes.

Do I have to follow the exact route the app shows, or can I wander?

The app marks a specific route with the audioguide recordings timed to each stop, but you control the pace entirely. You can skip ahead, backtrack, pause to explore a street on your own, or sit down and listen to a recording without moving—there's no guide keeping you on schedule.

How long does this tour actually take?

The audioguide is designed for roughly 90 minutes of walking and listening, but that's flexible. You can move faster, take breaks, or stretch it across several hours. Since you own access for a year, you can also split it into multiple walks if you prefer.

What languages is the audioguide available in?

The tour is available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, and German. You choose your language when you download the app, and the 23 recordings are narrated by a professional historian in whichever language you select.