Visiting Pont du Gard: An Old Roman Aqueduct [2024]
Visiting Pont du Gard is an opportunity to see a 2000 year old Roman aqueduct of absolutely incredible proportions in southern France. Standing over 150 feet tall and almost a 1/4 mile long, this massive tribute to ancient engineering was part of a 50 km long aqueduct serving the city of Nimes.
In pictures, you can tell the scale is enormous, but when visiting Pont du Gard in real life, standing there dwarfed by this monumental structure, it’s hard not to be stunned by it.
I mean, look at this:
We decided to do a day trip to Pont du Gard when we were staying in Aix-en-Provence, and it was just a delightful outing. You can also easily visit as a day trip from Marseille, Avignon, Montpellier, or even Lyon.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Pont du Gard.
Practical Information
- Hours:
- The Aqueduct: 8 am to midnight
- Cultural centers (museum, etc): 9 am to 6pm or 8 pm, depending on the month. Closed Mondays
- The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the sites close.
- Price:
- Pont-du-Gard and walking around is free. But to access the cultural centers costs €8, with under 18 being free
- Guided tours cost €15 per person, though children are €6.
- Parking:
- Large lots are located on both sides of the river (called “left and right”). Parking costs €9. Both lots are convenient to use and if one is full, you can try the other.
After arriving and paying, it’s just a short walk down an accessible trail through some trees until the view suddenly opens up to a sweeping view of the aqueduct.
I liked this because you don’t see the aqueduct until you are right there! And then there it is, straddling the river in its majesty, surrounded by hills and quiet countryside. Such a cool sight.
8 Ways to Enjoy Visiting Pont du Gard Aqueduct:
1. Take a Picture in Front of It
This is the easiest, and perhaps obvious choice, but is still a must and a great way to spark memories of the experience later. The best vantage point to capture the whole view is from the walkway leading up to Pont du Gard.
2. Walk Across It
The lower level has a pretty wide walkway that allows you to get up close and personal with the aqueduct. It’s really cool to walk under the arches and admire the craftsmanship of the structure.
It’s amazing to realize that this bridge built two thousand years ago is still standing and in such good repair. The engineering behind it is mind-blowing to me – it’s actually three bridges stacked on top of each other and contains more than 50,000 tons of rock.
You’ll notice that there have been some repairs, but not many; it really has stood up remarkably well. You can take time to both admire the bridge and also enjoy the view as you look out over the river Gardon. Such a wonderful experience!
3. Hike Up To the Top
On both sides of the aqueduct, there are stairs/paths you can use to hike up to the very top. Beyond gaining a new perspective on the bridge, you also get to see the section where the water actually flows.
That was something that blew me away, actually, to realize that this amazing structure was really all just to support this little channel at the top. This trough, though only a few feet wide and deep, is the actual aqueduct and you can see it extending into the hills on either side, now just this small structure.
There are some hiking paths you can follow on the east side to explore the hills.
4. Walk the Paths
On the west side of the aqueduct there is another fun path that hugs the side of the hill, and there’s even a cool little tunnel to walk through.
It was a little unclear if the tunnel was also part of the aqueduct or if it was made later (I think it is more recent), but it’s fun to imagine the Romans building a bridge and then a tunnel, too.
5. Head Down on the Rocks to the Water’s Edge
There are a lot of rocks along the shoreline where you can hang out and explore. It makes a great place for a picnic lunch, with a great view back up toward Pont du Gard.
6. Eat at the Café
Alternatively, if you don’t want to do a picnic, there is a really cute café on the grounds just before the aqueduct that you could grab lunch or a snack at.
7. Explore the Other Educational Sites
On the right bank, you will find old caves (really more of overhangs) that show signs of human habitation from over 19,000 years ago. You can’t enter as it’s blocked off, but you can look inside. There is also a convention center with helpful information.
However, most of the cultural centers are on the left bank. There you will find a museum, children’s play area, and cinema with a short, 12-minute documentary.
You can also participate in a 90-120 minute workshop -geared toward children, but suitable for all – exploring Roman culture. It costs €6 per child and €12 per adult, but 1 adult is free per family with children.
8. See Pont du Gard Lit with Lights
From June 29th to September 1st, the Pont du Gard is transformed into a giant screen and you can view a dramatic light and sound show. Starting at dusk, the bridge is lit with light mimicking the cycles of the sun. Then at 10:30, a 20-minute show begins. It’s a great way to end your day.
Getting to Pont du Gard
There are a few options on how to get to Pont du Gard. Here is my breakdown of each of them.
By Car
Renting a car gives you the most flexibility, but it is also the most hands-on option (need to navigate, find parking, etc). Thankfully, driving in France is fairly straightforward, road conditions are good, and traffic on the freeways isn’t bad at all.
For us, since we were staying in Aix-en-Provence, we chose to use a rental car to get there. On the drive to Pont du Gard, we drove through the pretty French countryside, through several very small villages, past many vineyards, and on picturesque tree-lined streets. There are several turns to get there, so having navigation on is definitely advised.
Most cars in France are manual transmission, so if that’s going to be a problem you’ll want to make your car reservation for automatic as early as possible (limited number of automatic cars) and be prepared to spend a little more.
Check current rental car rates here
By Train
The nearest train stations are Nimes-Pont-du-Gard and Avignon. However, both stations are at least 15 miles/24 km from the aqueduct and require a shuttle or taxi after taking the train. There are shuttles to Pont du Gard that you can board right at the train station.
This is still a good option if coming from farther away as it’s fairly direct and you don’t have to mess with parking, tolls, driving in narrow old towns, or navigating.
Rumor has it that a much closer station, at Remoulins, will be operational in 2026.
You can browse train timetables here
By Bus
This is the cheapest option, and can be a good option if you are staying nearby. There are direct buses from Nimes, Uzes, and Avignon to Pont du Gard. If you are staying at one of these cities, the bus is a good option! If you aren’t, I think it’s too much hassle to be worth using the bus.
This is the timetable for line 121 from Nimes, and this is the timetable for line 115 from Avignon and Ales.
With a Small Group Tour
If you don’t want to worry about logistics and be able to easily visit several sites in Provence in one day, a small group guided tour is a great option.
>>This full day guided tour from Avignon takes you to the charming villages of Roussillon, Les Baux de Provence, Gordes, and Saint Remy de Provence, in addition to Pont du Gard.
>>Alternatively, this half day guided tour from Avignon brings you to Roman history sites in Provence, including Nimes, Uzes, and Pont du Gard.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Pont du Gard
All told, we spent about 2-3 hours here. I think visiting Pont du Gard is a great half-day trip! You can spend longer, especially if you want to do some more extensive hiking, but I don’t think you need more time than that here if you just want the essentials.
I’m really, really glad we came and visited Pont du Gard aqueduct. The architectural ingenuity was so impressive and it was situated in a really lovely section of the Provence countryside. If you are nearby, its definitely worth the trip out!
