Avignon Tours: Questions and Answers
Prices, meeting points, the palace ticket, tastings, children, the heat and refunds, answered from the operators' own listings and the official pages of the monuments. Choosing your Avignon booking? The answers below settle most of it.
Two answers matter more than the rest. First, no fare buys entry to Avignon itself. The streets and the ramparts are free, and the Palais des Papes and the bridge sell their own tickets. Only one walk puts the palace ticket in its fare. Second, look at how the day starts. The walks meet on a square inside the walls, the minivan days at a kerb in or by them, and none collects you from a hotel.
After that it is the calendar. The palace changed its prices on 1 August 2026, the festival takes over the city in July, and the lavender flowers from mid-June.
What are the best Avignon tours?
For most visits, one of three: a full Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine day (5.0 from 565 reviews), the Provence highlights day to the Luberon villages, Les Baux and the Pont du Gard (4.8 from 553), or the Taste Avignon food walk from the Palais steps (4.9 from 323). Pick by the day you want: the wine, the villages, or the city on foot.
How much are tickets for the Palais des Papes?
Since 1 August 2026 the Palais des Papes and its gardens cost €16, €13 reduced and €10 for ages 10 to 17. Children under 10 go free. The Palais with the Pont d'Avignon costs €19.50, valid that day and the next.
Which Avignon tour includes the Palais des Papes ticket?
The 3.5-hour A la Française walk, from $80 a person, includes the Palais des Papes entrance ticket and a glass of Côtes du Rhône. The other walks show you the square and the façade, and the ticket is yours to buy.
How much is the Pont d'Avignon?
The Pont Saint-Bénézet costs €6, €4 for ages 10 to 17 and nothing under 10. With the Palais des Papes it is €19.50, and a visit takes about 35 minutes.
When is the Palais des Papes open?
The Palais des Papes opens every day of the year: 9 am to 7 pm from 1 March to 1 November, and 10 am to 5 pm or 6 pm in winter. Last admission is an hour before closing.
How long do you need at the Palais des Papes?
About two hours for the visit route, by the Palais des Papes' own estimate. Add half an hour for the gardens, and 35 minutes more if you walk the bridge the same day.
Do the tours pick up from hotels?
No. Every tour starts at a named kerb in or at the walls: the tourist office on cours Jean Jaurès, the Palais steps, the central post office or a square in the old town. Two Provence Panorama days give you the meeting point when you book.
Where do the day tours start?
Most minivan days leave from the Avignon tourist office, 41 cours Jean Jaurès. Others start at the central post office on cours Président Kennedy, outside Hôtel Le Bristol or in rue de Mons beside the Palais. Each listing names its kerb, so check yours before you book.
Are tastings included on the wine tours?
On most, yes: the afternoon, Great Vineyards, Rhône cru and Gigondas days list the tastings in the fare. The full Châteauneuf-du-Pape day and the Gordana tasting tour list only the vehicle under Includes, while their itineraries describe the visits. Ask the operator before you book.
Can children go on the wine tours?
Some take children and some do not. The full Châteauneuf-du-Pape day starts at 16, the Great Vineyards and Gigondas half days are for adults only, and the afternoon Châteauneuf-du-Pape tour takes children from 4. Wine is poured only from 18, so bring the ages when you book.
Is the Pont du Gard entry included on day tours?
The Provence Panorama day and the A la Française day list the Pont du Gard entry under Includes; on the second the museum is extra. Walking onto the site is free: what it charges for is parking and the museum.
Can I cancel a tour?
Every tour here refunds in full if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead. Some operators may also cancel for weather or too few bookings, and then offer another date or a refund.
How do I get from Avignon TGV to the old town?
A TER shuttle runs from Avignon TGV, 6 km out, to Avignon Centre station. The centre station is a 2-minute walk from the walls and about 15 minutes on foot from the Palais des Papes.
When is the Festival d'Avignon?
The 2026 Festival d'Avignon ran from 4 to 25 July. The 2027 dates are not yet published, so watch the festival's own site before you book a July trip.
Is there a lavender tour?
Yes: the Ventourisme lavender day is built around the fields and a picnic, and several villages days add a lavender stop in season. Flowering starts in mid-June in the lowest areas and runs to the end of July in the highest, so plan for June or July.
What is the Avignon City Pass?
A pass for the main sites of Avignon and Villeneuve lez Avignon, at €24 for 24 hours or €32 for 48. It pays off if you visit the Palais des Papes, the bridge and more than one museum in that time.
Is the Palais des Papes air-conditioned?
No. The Palais des Papes says it is neither air-conditioned nor heated, so dress for the season, and in July carry water for the stairs.
Is the Palais des Papes wheelchair accessible?
Partly. Many stairs make the classic route in the Palais des Papes partly inaccessible to wheelchairs, and a "parcours confort" route is offered instead.
Is the Pont d'Avignon accessible?
A lift serves pushchairs and visitors with reduced mobility on the Pont Saint-Bénézet. Phone +33 4 32 74 32 74 before you go to check it is working.
Can I take photos in the Palais des Papes?
Yes, everywhere in the Palais des Papes except the painted rooms. Keep the camera away in the Chambre du Pape, the Chambre du Cerf and the Chapelle Saint-Jean.
How long is the Pont d'Avignon visit?
About 35 minutes on the Pont Saint-Bénézet, with a free audioguide in 11 languages. Last access is 30 minutes before closing.
Is the combined Palais and bridge ticket valid on two days?
Yes. The €19.50 ticket for the Palais des Papes and the bridge is valid that day and the next, with one entry to each.
Where is the Avignon tourist office?
At 41 cours Jean Jaurès, +33 4 32 74 32 74. Until 31 October 2026 it opens Monday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm and Sundays 10 am to 5 pm; from 1 November the hours are shorter and most Sundays it is closed.
Which walking tour is cheapest?
The Enchanting Avignon history walk, from $29 a person for 1.5 to 2 hours. You hear the guide through a whisper-box set, so bring your own earphones with a 3.5 mm plug.
Is there a private tour in Avignon?
Yes: the Hello Avignon private 2-hour walk, from $155 a person. It is your party only, with a local product tasting on the way.
Is there a bike tour from Avignon?
A full-day e-bike tour in the Luberon, from $184 a person, with a minivan to and from Avignon and the e-bike and helmet in the fare. Riders must be 12 or older.
How hot is Avignon in summer?
July averages 31.5 °C by day, with 22 days of 30 °C or more, on the Météo-France normals for Avignon. Book the morning tours and carry water.
How windy is Avignon?
Météo-France counts 108 days a year at Avignon with gusts of 58 km/h or more, more in winter and spring than in summer. The Mistral is the wind behind them, and the wine appellations name it too.
Which wine regions do the wine tours visit?
The Rhône crus north of the city: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes-de-Venise. They are Rhône Valley wines, not the Provence appellations.
Is lunch included on day tours?
Rarely. The lavender day includes a picnic, and the Gigondas wine morning brings one on its three-area option; the rest leave lunch to you.
How many people are on a day tour?
Eight at most on every minivan day, wine or sightseeing. The walks inside the walls take 12 to 25, and the private walk only your party.
Is Avignon worth visiting in winter?
The Palais des Papes and the bridge open every day of the year, 10 am to 5 pm in the quietest weeks. Check each listing's calendar for the days out before you plan around one.
Can I visit the Palais des Papes without a guide?
Yes. The Histopad tablet is free at the entrance of the Palais des Papes, in seven languages, and a web app covers the new route in six.
Do I need to book the Palais des Papes ahead?
The Palais des Papes recommends booking online. It opens every day of the year, so a weekday morning is the easiest time to walk in.
Still deciding? The practical detail is in the visitor guide, and what travellers made of each tour is in the reviews. Every fare sits side by side on Avignon Tours.