Outdoor activities in Avignon start at the river. You can cross to a farming island for free, cycle a long-distance route out of town or spend a day on an e-bike in the Luberon. If you are looking at an avignon bike tour, here is what each option costs and how to fit it round the heat and the wind.
Most of what you can do outside costs nothing. You pay only for a bike, and for the guided day in the Luberon.
| Activity | Where | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross the river by shuttle boat | Quai de la Ligne, below the Rocher des Doms | Free | Equipped for reduced mobility |
| Walk or run the towpath | The island, facing the walls | Free | Picnic tables on chemin de la Traille |
| Hire an electric bike | 29 Vélopop stations in and around the city | Vélopop's own fares | 300 bikes, day and night |
| Ride the ViaRhôna north | To Sorgues (about 18 km) or Châteauneuf-du-Pape (about 20 km) | Your own bike or a hire | Return by train or bus with the bike |
| Ride to the Roman aqueduct | West, about 35 km | Free to walk onto | Return by the LIO 115 bus, bike in the hold |
| The Luberon by e-bike, guided | Bonnieux, Lacoste, Ménerbes | From $184 a person | Ages 12 and up |
The city sits where two international cycle routes meet, and the tourist office holds the Accueil Vélo label. You get a free repair kit and pump at its desk, and it charges e-bike batteries free during opening hours.
Avignon has almost 260 km of cycle paths. Inside the walls, the old town is close to fully pedestrian, so a bike is for getting out rather than getting around. There are more than 1,000 cycle parking spaces in the historic centre.
The ViaRhôna runs 815 km from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean and passes the city. Since autumn 2023 a suspended footbridge by the Sauveterre dam brings it into Avignon over the island. From there you can ride about 4 km to Villeneuve lez Avignon, or about 20 km north to Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
For the longer rides, the tourist office sets out how to come back. You can take the train with your bike from Sorgues, Orange, Tarascon or Arles. From the Roman aqueduct you can ride the LIO 115 bus home with the bike in the hold.
Leave your bike safely while you visit. The Palais des Papes car park has a closed area for 13 bikes, free, and Avignon Centre station has a free bike locker.
The Île de la Barthelasse lies between two arms of the Rhône, facing the walls. The tourist office calls it Europe's largest river island: 700 hectares, about 1,000 people, and 400 hectares of farms, with pear, apple and peach orchards. It stayed green because it floods.
Cross on the free shuttle boat from Quai de la Ligne, at the foot of the Rocher des Doms. It is a short ride with a view of the bridge. On the far side, the Promenade Antoine Pinay, the old towpath, gives you the classic view of the Palais des Papes and the bridge.
Bring a picnic: the lawns are shaded by poplars, and there are tables on chemin de la Traille. Watch for black kites, cormorants and herons, and for beavers along the banks. Keep your dog on a lead, take your rubbish home and camp only on the campsites.
You do not need a bike to see the city from above. These give you the views:
The tourist office also sets out a 10 km city walk, from the classic sights to the quiet corners. Wear shoes for cobbles, and carry water from May to September.
For a day on two wheels with a guide, one day tour takes you to the Luberon by minivan and puts you on an e-bike. It leaves from the tourist office on cours Jean Jaurès.
You ride out of Bonnieux for about two hours, then stop at Lacoste and its castle. You spend two hours in Ménerbes before riding back through Bonnieux. The e-bike and helmet are in the fare, from $184 a person, and lunch is yours to buy. It suits riders aged 12 and up.
Compare the e-bike day with the other days out to the Luberon.
July averages 31.5 °C by day, with 22 days over 30 °C. Ride early, and plan the island for late afternoon. The Mistral gusts past 58 km/h on about 108 days a year, and a headwind makes the ViaRhôna slow going. Check the forecast the night before.
The island, the shuttle, the cycle routes and the bike services come from Avignon's tourist office, and the climate from Météo-France, checked 28 September 2026. The e-bike day comes from its own listing.
Eight hours: a minivan from the tourist office to the Luberon, then electric bikes through Bonnieux, Lacoste and Ménerbes. Bike and helmet included; from age 12.
From $184 per person
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Five hours from the tourist office: a spring below a cliff, a ten-minute abbey stop, the Gordes viewpoint and an hour in Roussillon. Lunch is at your own cost.
From $104 per person
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Eight and a half hours from the central post office at 8:45 am: a spring below a cliff, Gordes, two hours in Roussillon and an hour in Ménerbes. Entry fees extra.
From $136 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: read Avignon weather month by month, find the island on the Avignon map, or compare every tour on Avignon Tours.