Avignon, gateway to the Côtes du Rhône
Avignon has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995. The entry is called the Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge. It covers the palace, the bishop's ensemble and the bridge. It does not cover the wine region around the city.
Avignon is often called the capital of the Côtes du Rhône. That is a wine-tourism title and not an appellation. In practice the city is a good base: wine villages, Roman sites and hill walks lie within a day trip. For tastings see Côtes du Rhône wine tours from Avignon, and for the monuments start with the Palais des Papes.
The palace and the bridge
Two monuments, two tickets, one combined ticket.
Palais des Papes
The regular ticket for the palace with the papal gardens costs €16 from 1 August 2026. Children aged 10–17 pay €10 and children under 10 enter free. The palace is open daily, and the last admission is one hour before closing.
Tickets and hours →Pont Saint-Bénézet
Only 4 of the original 22 arches survive. It is a bridge fragment to visit and not a footpath across the river. The regular ticket costs €6, and the last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
The bridge →Combined ticket
Palace, gardens and bridge together cost €19.50 for adults and €12 for ages 10–17. The combined ticket runs from the day of the visit to the next day, with one entry to each site.
Both monuments are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. between 1 March and 1 November. From 2 November to 18 December they open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Booking online is recommended.
Our pick: an Avignon food walk
Four stops add up to a meal and show the city through its food, which fits anyone arriving without a plan.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Avignon tours and wine day trips
Palace visits, wine tastings and day trips from Avignon, with live prices and availability.
Rocher des Doms and the ramparts
Walks above and around the old town.
The Rocher des Doms is the rock above the Rhône. The city reopened it on 28 February 2026 after the first phase of restoration. A second phase is planned to begin in 2026 and to finish before summer 2027, so some paths may be closed. Check on site.
The city's tourist office offers a walking route called Tour des remparts. It follows the ramparts at street level. It does not mean that the top of the wall is walkable all the way round. Details for a longer day are on the things to do in Avignon page.
Avignon festival dates
Plan around the theatre season.
The Festival d'Avignon held its 80th edition from 4 to 25 July 2026. Dates change from year to year, so check the organiser's dates before you book a room for a later summer. Do not assume next year's dates from this year's.
The popes in Avignon
A short summary.
Clement V came to Avignon in 1309, and Gregory XI returned to Rome in early 1377. Not every pope in between lived in Avignon without a break: Urban V stayed in Rome from 1367 to 1370. There were 7 regular popes and 2 schismatic popes in Avignon. The full story is on the Avignon papacy and Rhône wine page.
The popes also shaped the wine country. The castle at Châteauneuf was built under John XXII between 1317 and 1333, and its ruin is freely accessible all year. The appellation itself dates only from 1936, so the medieval wine tradition and the modern label are not the same thing. Read more in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Wine from Avignon
Workshops in town, villages outside.
Tasting workshops take place in the Carré du Palais, opposite the palace. They run on set dates, so book a date and do not just turn up. Outside the city, Châteauneuf-du-Pape lies on a bus route: line 902 to Sorgues, then line 922. Check the current timetable before you go. Gigondas and the Dentelles de Montmirail are the next step for walkers who also want to taste, and the wine page explains the labels.
Getting to Avignon
Stations, airports and parking.
Two stations
Avignon Centre is at the old town. Avignon TGV is outside, about 6 km from the centre. A regional train links them in about 5 to 6 minutes, with tickets from €4.
From Paris
The TGV takes about 2 hours 40 minutes. Fares are dynamic and advertised from €16.
Airports
Avignon-Provence (AVN) has no scheduled flights and only handles business traffic. Marseille Provence (MRS) is the nearby airport with regular flights, and a bus links it to Vitrolles station, where trains continue towards Avignon. Do not swap the two codes.
Parking
The park-and-ride lots Italiens and Piot are free, with a free shuttle each. In the underground car parks around the ramparts, vehicles are limited to 1.90 m. Traffic directions changed on 20 May 2026, so an old route sketch may be wrong.
More detail is on the getting there page.
Plan the rest of your trip
Where to go next.
Avignon: frequently asked questions
How many days do I need in Avignon?
The palace and bridge fit into one day, and the combined ticket stays valid until the next day. Add days for the wine villages and the Roman sites.
Is the Pont d'Avignon complete?
No. Only 4 of the original 22 arches survive. It is a bridge fragment, not a footpath to the other bank.
When is the Festival d'Avignon?
The 2026 edition ran from 4 to 25 July. Check the organiser for the dates of the next edition.
Can I walk along the top of the ramparts?
Not all the way round. The Tour des remparts is a walking route around the walls at street level.
Does Avignon have an airport with scheduled flights?
No. Avignon-Provence handles business traffic. Marseille Provence is the nearby airport with regular flights.