Avignon

Avignon Walking Tour including Pope's Palace

Badge of ExcellenceAvignon, France
Avignon Walking Tour Including Skip the Line Entrance to the Popes Palace
  • 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Overview

See the best of beautiful, medieval Avignon on this 3-hour walking tour with access to Popes’ Palace. Learn the history of this exquisite UNESCO-listed city with ancient Roman roots and celebrity as the 14th-century seat of the Papacy. Admire hilltop views of the Rhône River, breeze into Popes’ Palace to tour the ornate chambers and chapels, and enjoy a glass of Côtes du Rhône wine near the Place de l’Horloge.
  • 3-hour walking tour of Avignon and the Pope’s Palace
  • Explore the heart of medieval Avignon, home to the Papacy in the 14th century
  • Wander the medieval streets with an expert guide and soak up the atmosphere in this UNESCO-listed city
  • Take in panoramic views of Avignon and the Rhône River from the top of the fortified city walls
  • Enjoy access to the Pope’s Palace — during high season, waiting times can be upward of 30 minutes
  • Admire 19th-century architecture in Avignon’s town square, the Place de l’Horloge
  • Upgrade your experience booking the afternoon wine tour option

What's Included

  • Licensed guide
  • 1 glass of Côtes du Rhône wine
  • Popes Palace ticket entrance
  • Wine-tastings in Chateauneuf-du-Pape (included only in the afternoon tour)
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan (included only in the afternoon tour)
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 4 Rue de la République, 84000 Avignon, France

    Meet your guide at our office A La Française Provence located 4 rue de la république 84000 Avignon.

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your 3-hours sightseeing tour of historic Avignon begins in the morning. Meet your guide in a central location near the Pope’s Palace and stroll through the town’s historic center. As you walk, hear about Avignon’s extensive history, officially beginning with Roman conquest in the sixth century BC, though most renowned as the papal residence during the 14th and 15th centuries. 

Follow medieval streets and alleys, and climb to the top of the city’s famous ramparts – medieval constructions that were restored in the 19th century. From atop the ancient walls, enjoy sweeping vistas of the Avignon city and the rushing Rhône River. 

Next, head to Popes’ Palace, the world’s largest Gothic palace and a UNESCO-listed site, where you’ll have access to tour the building’s impressive interior. Learn about medieval life in the palace and explore galleries, fresco-adorned chapels, papal apartments and grand ceremonial rooms.

Finish your excursion with a stop to the Place de l’Horloge (Clock Tower Square), the main square in the heart of town from which the clock is – ironically – hardly visible. However, you’ll view the beautiful opera theater and city hall before heading to a historic local bar for a glass of Côtes du Rhône wine.

Your walking tour ends in central Avignon in the beginning of the afternoon (12.30 pm).

If you have upgraded your experience, booking the afternoon tour option, you'll continue your journey meeting the guide at 14:30 at Office de Tourisme: d'Avignon.

From central Avignon hop in the comfortable minivan and enjoy the scenic ride while traveling north through the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a lovely village in the Rhône Valley surrounded by prestigious wine estates. Marvel at the rolling vineyards that produce varietals such as cinsault, grenache, and counoise, and learn about the region’s rich viniculture and terroir. Stop at a hilltop castle to snap some panoramic shots of the Rhône Valley and visit a charming winery to taste fine wine and tour the wine cellars. Enjoy time to purchase some local wines before heading back to Avignon.

Provence Reservation (Pass By)

Avignon

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Cathedrale Notre-Dame des Doms (Pass By)

Place de l'Horloge (Pass By)

Le Vin Devant Soi

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not suitable for children under 4 years old
  • There are a series of steps to climb to reach the Pope's Palace
  • Anyone under 18 will not be served wine at the end of the tour
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Operated in english only
  • 4 persons minimum to guarantee the departure
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

See more

Reviews

4.5
111 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
0
0
0
0
0
Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 111 reviews
Not much to see, more to imagine
Elizabeth_B, May 2024
Our leader didn’t have a firm grasp of Popes Palace. It’s a bare place that needs stories of events and sizable photos of what experts say it looked like. Why not complete a room or two? The wine tour was very well done. Our leader did her best with Sparse material
Response from Host, May 2024
Bonjour, This is the first time we have had a comment like this about our guide, In order to improve customer service we pass the comment on to our guide. Hoping to see you again soon in Provence. Regards.
Wonderful tour - I learned a lot
Inger_H, May 2024
We had a very good guide with a lot of knowledge about Avignon and it’s history Why do I have to write so much? It’s very annoying and I will properly skip writing reviews in the future .
Response from Host, May 2024
Bonjour, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future for another memorable experience. Team A la Française!
Excellent tour of the heart of Avignon.
Earl_G, May 2024
While the Palace of the Popes is the focus of the tour, great attention was paid to other areas and features of Avignon. This was good. The time in the Palace was long enough for full appreciation with becoming laborious. An excellent tour with an excellent guide.
Response from Host, May 2024
Bonjour, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback and our guide Mathilde! Thank you for choosing A la Française! and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back soon for another memorable experience! Best regards Team A la Française !
Sylvia was fantastic! Her...
Vincent_L, May 2024
Sylvia was fantastic! Her knowledge and enthusiasm about the history of Avignon and the popes brought the 13th century to life!
Response from Host, May 2024
Bonjour, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future for another memorable experience. Team A la Française!
Popes Palace Tour
Roger_L, May 2024
The tour around the city and into the gardens next to the palace that offered a wonderful view of the river. Our guide’s knowledge of the city and palace as we walked through each room and the history how the palace was built which included information about the different Popes who contributed to the construction.
Response from Host, May 2024
Bonjour, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback and our guide Sylvia! Thank you for choosing A la Française! and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back soon for another memorable experience! Best regards Team A la Française !
Great tour
Danny_O, May 2024
We had a great tour. Sylvia gave a wonderful tour. She was knowledgeable and engaging. Super interesting. Had a great time.
Response from Host, May 2024
Bonjour, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future for another memorable experience. Team A la Française!
A must to appreciate Avignon and its history.
Robert_B, Apr 2024
The Palace of the Popes is like a journey to view the splendor of the fourteen and fifteenth centuries in the Roman Catholic Church. A tablet computer allows visitors to view many of the inner rooms in an immersive 3-D 360 degree viewing as it was during this time. Very enjoyable experience!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Bonjour Robert, Thank you very much for your positive feeling on the tour and our guide Sylvia! We hope to see you again soon for a guided tour! Best regards, A LA FRANCAISE
Avignon walking tour
Patricia_R, Apr 2024
Our guide was clear and concise. She had an excellent knowledge of the history of the area. She was able to get us into the Papal Palace ahead of a crowd that was waiting. I would strongly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Bonjour, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future for another memorable experience. Team A la Française!
Magnificent
Ricardo_A, Oct 2023
Nicola was very knowledgeable and friendly. He responded to everyone’ questions. Nice pace and easy walking.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Ricardo We thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback and recommend our guide Nicolas. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again soon for another unforgettable experience. The À la Française team!
An Excellent Overview of Avignon
Richard_A, Oct 2023
This is a highly recommended small-group tour. In our case, it was comprised of roughly ten people. Our guide, Sylvia, did a commendable job in keeping everyone together, particularly in the very busy Palais des Papes, and making herself heard above the din. Her commentary, both within and outside the Palace, was excellent, both interesting and informative. She gets extra credit for staying with the group through the last half hour, which was a short wine-tasting session with a local proprietor, a great way to end the tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Bonjour, We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and our guide Sylvia. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Great Tour
Chris_S, Oct 2023
Nicolas was an amazing tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and interesting and spoke English very well
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Bonjour, We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and our guide Nicolas. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Highly recommend
Valerie_L, Oct 2023
The way Lucille brought us along through the centuries and had us ‘Participate’ as cooks, servers and the elite in the Palais made it so much more than a history lesson. It was fun! And the small wine tasting at the end taught us so much about the local wine that we could use for the rest of our trip. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Bonjour Valérie, We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback, all details and for recommending our guide Lucile . Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Great tour in Avignon
Kim_D, Sep 2023
Lucille our tour guide was the best! We loved her attention to detail but also how well she articulated the history so perfectly! We’ll done!
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Bonjour We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for recommending our guide Lucile. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Highlights of the popes palace
Michelle_W, Sep 2023
We all loved this tour. The focus was mostly on the popes palace and not the city. So keep this in mind when booking the tour. But our guide was great and had lots of information to share. We saw the highlights of the palace - which is exactly what you want to see. Highly recommend the tour
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Bonjour We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for recommending our guide Sylvia. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Brilliant walking your.
Susan_P, Sep 2023
A great guide who gave us lots of interesting facts of which I was unaware. Also an interesting group of people. It was a lovely touch to finish with a wine tasting.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Bonjour, We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for our Guide Lucile. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Always our preferred way...
William_M, Sep 2023
Always our preferred way to get to know a city . Our guide was terrific . She paid attention to everyone and made Avignon come to life . We loved it . A relaxed pace with history stories and a special visit to the Palau’s des Popes .
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Bonjour, We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for recommending our guide. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Old town and Palace tour
Edward_L, Sep 2023
Sylvia our guide was excellent. Lovely stroll around the old part of the city and great photo opportunities.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Bonjour, We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for recommending our guide Sylvia. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Great tour and very Informative
Susan_H, Aug 2023
Our tour guide was amazing and the Palace is brought to life. I would rather spend all of the time here rather than the wine tasting at the end. The time we had in the palace was not long enough.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello, We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for recommending our guide. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Magnificent tour of Avignon!
Therese_M, Jul 2023
Lucille was fantastic! We were discussing the tour at dinner last night and all felt that we got a few secrets and so much more insight of Avignon and especially the Popes Palace
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Hello , We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for recommending our guide. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
Great overview of the history of Avignon.
Lucy_W, Jul 2023
Excellent guide. Good pacing. Enjoyed it a lot! We skipped out on the wine tasting as it was too hot to sit outside.
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Hello , We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback and for recommending our guide. Thank you for choosing A la Française! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you again in the near future for another unforgettable experience. Team A la Française !
...

From $76.33

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Compare Similar Experiences

1 / 3
Current
No Photo
Avignon Walking Tour including Pope's Palace
111
3 hours 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$76.33
No Photo
Avignon: Private Walking Tour
5
2 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$204.11
No Photo
One-Day Lavender Tour of Valensole Sault and Luberon
0
8 to 9 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$76.33
No Photo
Afternoon Wine Tour to Chateauneuf du Pape from Avignon
84
4 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$105.10

Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought

Explore Similar Things to Do

Help CenterCustomer CarePrivacy and Cookies StatementAbout ViatorNewsViator blog
© 1997-2024 Viator, Inc.
Terms & Conditions