Pont du Gard & Avignon tour: Roman aqueduct and palace

A Roman aqueduct 2,000 years old still stands intact enough to walk across.

This private tour covers the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct built two millennia ago, and Avignon's medieval center, including the Pope Palace and a viewpoint over the Rhône river from Le Rocher des Doms. The van holds up to eight people and picks up from your hotel; lunch happens in Avignon's old streets. All timings can shift to suit your pace.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Pont du Gard and Avignon

• Visit Roman Aqueduc Pont du Gard
• Walking tour of Avignon
• Lunch in Avignon

The Experience

The day runs eight hours total, though three of those are travel time between sites. You start from your hotel and head to the Pont du Gard, the Roman engineering work that carried water across a valley without mortar or concrete—just stone fitted so precisely it has outlasted empires. The structure sits in a river gorge and you can walk across the lower tiers to stand inside the arches and see how the Romans solved a problem that would have stopped most builders. After time there, the van takes you into Avignon for lunch, which you eat in the narrow streets of the old town instead of at a restaurant table.

The second half of the day is Avignon itself. You walk to the Pope Palace, the 14th-century fortress where the papal court lived when it moved north from Rome, and then climb to Le Rocher des Doms, a rocky outcrop that overlooks both the Rhône river and the Pont d'Avignon—the 12th-century bridge that is mostly gone now, just a few arches left in the water. The guide speaks English, Spanish or French, and because this is a private tour, you can linger at any stop or skip ahead if something does not hold your interest.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• Pont du Gard entry.
• private van for up to eight people.
• a guide in your chosen language.
• a lunch stop in Avignon's old town.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Provence Guide Nathalie

Is this one for you?The eight-hour duration leaves room for a leisurely pace at the aqueduct and a real lunch in Avignon's streets, but rules out a second major site the same day. If you want to see both the Roman engineering and the medieval town without rushing either one, the private van and flexible timing mean you set the rhythm instead of following a fixed schedule.

Top questions

What exactly is the Pont du Gard and why does it matter?

The Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct built two thousand years ago to carry water across a valley. It is one of the best-preserved examples of Roman engineering and you can walk on it to see how the arches are built and how the water channel runs along the top.

Can I walk on the Pont du Gard or just look at it from below?

You can walk across the lower tiers of the aqueduct and stand inside the arches. The structure is open to visitors and designed so you can move through it and see the engineering up close.

How much of the day is actually spent at each site versus driving?

The tour is eight hours total, with three hours of that being travel time in the van between your hotel, the Pont du Gard, and Avignon. The remaining five hours are split between the aqueduct, lunch in Avignon, and the Pope Palace and river viewpoint.

Is lunch included, and where do we eat?

Lunch is in Avignon in the old town streets, so you eat among the medieval buildings rather than at a set restaurant. The tour includes the stop for lunch but you choose where and what to eat.

Can the guide change the schedule if I want to spend more time at one place?

Yes. Because this is a private tour, all timings can be modified to match your interests, so you can linger at the Pont du Gard longer or skip a stop if you prefer.

What languages does the guide speak?

The guide is available in English, Spanish, or French, and you choose the language when you book.