Pont du Gard
The tallest of the Roman aqueduct bridges, three tiers of arches over the Gardon river, 21 kilometers west of Avignon.
The short version
- The Pont du Gard stands over the Gardon at Vers-Pont-du-Gard, 21 kilometers west of Avignon and 27 from Nîmes. The Romans built it in the first century AD to carry water to Nîmes, it rises 49 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 1985.
- Our Best of Provence in Three Days brings you here on its big day out of Avignon, after Roussillon, Gordes, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse and Saint-Rémy and before Les Baux, with eight guests at most. It costs $1,925 per person with two nights in Avignon and the Châteauneuf-du-Pape cellars.
- The site and the bridge are free to enter on foot or by bike. Drivers pay €9 per car per day for parking, however many people are inside, and the site stays open from 8:00 to midnight.
- The museum, film and children’s area cost €8, free for under-18s, and close from November to February. The top tier, where the water ran, opens only on a guided visit of about an hour, €15, booked online for a set time, with about 80 steps.
- The liO bus 115 from the Avignon bus station reaches the Pont du Gard in about 40 minutes, a handful of times a day.
What to see
The bridge stacks three tiers of arches, 6 at the bottom, 11 in the middle and 35 at the top, and runs 273 meters today against about 360 when it was built. The great blocks of the lower tiers were laid without mortar. Walk under it on the left bank first for the full height, then cross on the road bridge added beside the lower tier in the 18th century.
The bridge carried the aqueduct that brought spring water about 50 kilometers from Uzès to Nîmes, falling an average of 25 centimeters per kilometer, around 35,000 cubic meters a day. On the guided visit of the top tier you walk inside the covered channel where the water ran.
The museum on the left bank covers the aqueduct, the Roman engineers and the water supply of Nîmes, with a 15-minute film and a play area for children aged 5 to 12. The Mémoires de Garrigue trail, 1.4 kilometers through olive trees and scrubland on the same bank, is free and open all year.
Swimming in the Gardon below the bridge is at your own risk under a municipal order, with no lifeguards. From spring to September, canoe and kayak rental firms in Collias, 8 kilometers upstream, send paddlers down to the bridge, about two hours on the water.
Getting there and around
By car, leave the A9 at exit 23 for Remoulins and follow the road toward Uzès. The Pont du Gard is about 30 minutes from Avignon, about the same from Nîmes and 15 minutes from Uzès. The left bank has an 800-space car park and the museum; the right bank has 600 spaces and the restaurant.
Keep the parking ticket: registered online within 14 days, it becomes a free pass for the next 12 months.
The liO bus 115 runs from the Avignon bus station, next to Avignon Centre station, to the Pont du Gard roundabout stop in about 40 minutes, with about six departures a day. The liO 121 comes from Nîmes in about 45 minutes. Check the timetable for the return before you set out.
Our second day on the three-day trip covers the Pont du Gard and five more stops in one van, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Six Days in Provence includes it on a private day with Roussillon, Gordes, Les Baux and Saint-Rémy.
When to go
The site opens every day of the year from 8:00 to midnight. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; in July and August the riverbanks fill with swimmers, so come early in the morning or toward evening.
The museum and film open from March to October: 9:00 to 18:00 in March and October, 9:00 to 19:00 from April to June and in September, 9:00 to 20:00 in July and August, and they close on Monday mornings. From November to February only the bridge, the paths and the trail are open.
In recent summers the site has staged a sound-and-light show on the bridge on most nights in July and August. The 2027 program has not been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Pont du Gard free?
The site and the bridge are free on foot or by bike. Parking costs €9 per car per day, the museum and film €8, and the guided visit of the top tier €15.
Can you walk on top of the Pont du Gard?
Only on the guided visit, about an hour, booked online for a set time. You walk the covered water channel on the top tier, with about 80 steps, and the visit is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.
Can you swim at the Pont du Gard?
Yes, at your own risk; there are no lifeguards. Most people swim from the rocks and pebble beaches below the bridge in summer.
Can I get to the Pont du Gard from Avignon on my own?
Yes, by car in about 30 minutes or on the liO 115 bus in about 40, with about six runs a day. The bus gives you the bridge and little else that day. Our second day pairs it with Roussillon, Gordes, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Saint-Rémy and Les Baux.
Is there a tour from Paris?
Yes. Our Best of Provence in Three Days, $1,925, includes the Pont du Gard on its six-stop day, with two nights inside the walls of Avignon and the Châteauneuf-du-Pape cellars. The Six Days in Provence, $2,350, includes it too and continues to Nice. Both meet you at Avignon TGV.
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