9 Easy Day Trips from Avignon

Before my husband, Colin, and I left on our 2024 Provence trip, I did a lot of research about where we should base. In the end, we chose Avignon and I think it was definitely the right choice.

Not only are there awesome things to do right in Avignon, but it’s conveniently located for lots of easy day trips in all directions.

Head north to the impressive Roman theatre in Orange or head south to more history and art in Saint-Remy. Or go even further south, if you want to make it to the big cities of Aix and Marseille.

To the west you can discover an ancient aqueduct at Pont du Gard and large-scale arena in Nimes. And off to the east you have the charming Luberon villages (castles and markets, anyone?).

Below I’m sharing nine super easy day trips from Avignon that you can do by car, public transit or day tour. For each one I’ll tell you how to get there, what you must do and explain why you should go.

Ready? Let’s explore Provence!

Map of Avignon day trips

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1. Arles

Arles was one of my favourite day trips from Avignon. This small city is full of charm, history and so much to do.

Arles has a number of small Ancient Roman sites you can tour, such as an arena, cloisters, thermal baths and crypts. You can buy a pass to tour a few of these as they’re all within walking distance of each other.

The city is also well known as a former home of Van Gogh and you can find scenes around town that inspired his paintings.

Beyond that you can enjoy museums, galleries, cute shops and a water view in Arles!

MORE: Check out 12 awesome things to do in Arles!

Just 15 minutes outside of Arles, and on your way back to Avignon, is Abbaye de Montmajour. I wanted to visit this impressive looking Benedictine monastery but unfortunately a road closure and a missed turn sent us 30 minutes in the wrong direction!

But if you get a chance to visit, please let me know what I’m missing. They say the abbey has the most beautiful cloisters in Provence, and I’m a sucker for a good cloister.

2. Nîmes

Nîmes is a larger city in Provence, but still definitely do-able on a day trip. It’s most well known for its Ancient Roman sites.

The Roman sites in Nîmes are larger than the ones in Arles, but there aren’t as many. Not sure which of these cities to prioritize? Check out my Nîmes vs Arles competition!

Start by learning about gladiators at the Nîmes Arena. I had no idea there were different kinds of gladiators with different weapons, outfits, abilities, etc. It’s like choosing your fighter in a video game.

Next, stop by Maison Carrée and admire the impressive temple before walking over to Les Jardins de la Fontaine where you’ll find ancient temples, towers and fountains. The garden was probably my favourite spot in Nîmes.

MORE: Learn all about the top things to do in Nîmes!

3. Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard is an Ancient Roman aqueduct that was used to transport water back in the 1st Century AD. It’s one of the best preserved aqueducts in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you visit Pont du Gard during the day, you can go on a guided tour, learn more about the bridge at the museum and cinema, and even swim or kayak in the water below if the weather is nice.

But if you go in the evening, you’ll have the aqueduct all to yourself!

Since Pont du Gard is open until midnight, Colin and I decided to stop by after a full day exploring Provence. We missed out on the museum, cinema and tours (those are only open until 5pm) but we did get to experience Pont du Gard without anyone else.

It was a little spooky. The bridge itself is lit but the path to get there is not. I was expecting the whole place to be a bit more well lit since it’s technically open, instead of it feeling like we were trespassing at points.

Still, it was so cool to have an ancient monument all to ourselves!

4. Orange

The primary reason to visit Orange is to tour the very impressive Orange Roman Theatre. Of all the many Ancient Roman sites we toured in Provence (and there are a lot!), the theatre in Orange was my favourite.

This theatre is giant and incredibly well preserved. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and deservingly so.

We spent over an hour touring around the theatre, following the audioguide and exploring the little caves they had set up with interactive games and stations.

MORE: Find out why Orange’s theatre is so impressive

Besides the theatre, there’s not a whole lot else to do in Orange. Luckily, it’s a short drive or train ride from Avignon, so you could definitely add another location or two to make it a full day trip.

The famous Chauteauneuf du Pape is right by Orange and what pairs better with an ancient theatre than wine? Nothing! Check out both on this day tour.

5. Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Saint-Remy-de-Provence is another charming provencial town famous for two important sites: the monastery/asylum where Van Gogh stayed and the ancient city of Glanum that was buried next door.

Colin and I visited both of these sites on our day trip to Saint-Remy. To be honest, I found the monastery pretty underwhelming. It looked like someone had staged a room and printed a book report to plaster on the walls.

But Glanum totally blew me away! We spent a couple of hours with our audioguides learning all about the ancient civilizations that lived there and admiring the ruins.

MORE: Find out why Glanum in Saint-Remy needs to be on your itinerary

Back in town you can also visit Nostradamus’s house, follow a map to see scenes that inspired Van Gogh’s paintings, and indulge in some of the local specialty chocolate and candy.

6. Les Baux-de-Provence

I was so excited to visit Les Baux-de-Provence as it is home to a few things I love while travelling: a cool castle, immersive art, a cute village and really good olive oil.

Unfortunately, because the immersive art museum, Carrières des Lumières, was closed for the season during our visit, and because we were short on time, we ended up skipping Les Baux.

But if you make it there, I’ve heard great things about Carrières des Lumières and the castle, Château des Baux-de-Provence. Between touring both sites, stop in the village for a little walk and lunch featuring their famous olive oil.

7. Gordes

Gordes is a village in the Luberon region of Provence. For most of these villages, it makes sense to visit by car or day tours from Avignon, as the public transit routes are not great.

One look at Gordes and you’ll want to add it to your South of France itinerary. This village is so pretty! But lucky for you, there’s lots to do in Gordes too.

Once you get over the view you can shop at the weekly market, tour the castle or go underground through the cellars.

MORE: Why you must visit Gordes

And then just outside of town you have Le Village des Bories, a village of ancient stone houses. This was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and very cool to explore. You can go inside the houses and really get a feel for living in them.

L’Abbaye de Senanque is also right by Gordes. Not only is this an interesting abbey to tour but it’s also where you’ll find the quintessential Provence lavender photo opp.

8. Roussillon

Another Luberon village, Roussillon is best known for its ochre mines which contribute to the stunning colours you’ll see all around town.

The buildings, especially in Place de la Mairie town square, are vibrant and the nearby Le Sentier des Ochres is so coloured with ochre that it can stain your shoes.

We only visited Roussillon briefly, as it really is a very small town, but it was a charming stop. We wandered into a little gourmet shop where we found some amazing jams, oils and spices – the perfect souvenirs from France!

9. Aix-en-Provence

• Distance from Avignon: 70 min drive or 2 hour train
• Must do: Shop at the Aix markets and visit Camp des Milles

Aix-en-Provence is one of the most famous cities in Provence and possibly in all of France. You can visit on a day trip from Avignon or this might just be the next stop on your Provence itinerary.

If you only have one day, definitely don’t miss one of Aix’s famous markets. There’s a farmer’s market at Place Richelme and a flower market at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. Unlike smaller villages, there’s market activity every day in Aix.

Aix is also home to a number of art galleries and museums (the huge installations at Fondation Vasarely look very cool) and is also just a fun, bustling city to walk around. On our day trip, Colin and I got brunch and just enjoyed strolling around the city.

One thing I’d encourage you not to miss while visiting Aix is Camp des Milles. Located just 10 minutes from Aix, Camp des Milles was a WWII internment and deportation camp and the largest camp that’s open to the public in France.

Colin and I spent quite a few hours at this site and it was an extremely meaningful and sobering experience. The audioguide, videos and written materials all do a great job at telling the story of the camp’s residents.

MORE: Discover why you must visit Camp des Milles

More day trips from Avignon

So I’ve shared my top 9 Provence day trips from Avignon with you above. But in case you need more options or have even more time in Provence, here are some more of the best places to visit near Avignon:

• Chateauneuf du Pape: One of the most well-known wineries in France. Tour the famous vineyard and enjoy a wine tasting with a sommelier on this tour!
• Vaison-la-Romaine: A picturesque town where you can explore a medieval town, castle, Roman ruins and a weekly market.
• L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: A Luberon village known for its quaint water wheels and antique shopping.
• Camargue: A protected wetland famous for wild horses, wild flamingoes, bull fighting & salt pans. Discover the Camargue on this tour from Avignon.
• Apt: Check out the larger city of Apt where you can enjoy a cute old town, their famous candied fruit and one of the biggest Saturday markets in the Luberon.
• Lourmarin: Another Luberon village where you can visit the market, castle, cute town and Extraordinary Museum of Georges Mazoyer.
• Cassis: A port town where you can hang out by the water and hike or kayak to the nearby Calanques National Park. Note that Cassis is pretty far for a day trip from Avignon.

Wrapping up: Which day trips from Avignon should you go on?

While I stand by all of my day trip recommendations above, if I had to pick my top three Avignon day trips they would have to be Arles, Orange and Gordes.

Arles was so charming and I loved that there were so many Ancient Roman sites to discover but they were all manageable in size. The theatre in Orange totally blew me away. And Gordes was just so pretty!

But the nice thing about these day trips is that you don’t actually have to dedicate an entire day to each one. You can easily combine a few locations into one epic Provence day trip!

For example, we visited both Gordes and Roussillon on our way to Aix, stopped in Arles and Saint-Remy on the same day, and combined Orange, Nimes and Pont du Gard on another day.

If you’re planning to combine a few day trips, I definitely recommend either renting your own car (we use Discover Cars) or going on a full-day tour. It can be hard to visit multiple places in one day if you’re beholden to train/bus schedules, especially in the smaller towns.

But whether you go by car, train or tour – and whether you go to all nine of my day trip recommendations or just one – I know you’re going to have a magical time in this region of France!

I’d love to know: Which Avignon day trip would you most want to go on?