The Top 3 Things to Do in Nîmes

Welcome to Nîmes, known by some as the most Roman city outside of Italy. An Ancient Roman history lesson in the South of France? Mais oui!

I visited Nîmes with my husband, Colin, during our Provence road trip in spring 2024. Before planning for this trip, I assumed Provence was just lavender fields and outdoor markets.

But a little research taught me its also home to many Ancient Roman theatres, arenas, temples, cemeteries and more!

And Nîmes is the heart of all that.

If the Roman Empire mesmerizes you the same way it does most people, you’ll definitely want to add Nîmes to your South of France itinerary.

But with so many incredible places to visit in Provence and the French Riviera, you may only have a day or a couple of hours to dedicate to Nîmes. No problem! In fact, half a day is just enough time to experience the highlights of this city.

Below I’m sharing the top three things to do in Nîmes, complete with my firsthand experiences and tips for visiting. I’ll also share how to get to Nîmes, where to stay overnight and a few more things to do in and around the city in case you’re feeling ambitious!

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1. Tour Les Arènes de Nîmes

The main attraction in Nîmes is absolutely Les Arènes de Nîmes, aka The Nîmes Arena or The Amphitheatre of Nîmes. Basically, it’s a smaller version of Rome’s Colosseum.

Built in 100 AD, The Nîmes Arena could hold over 24,000 spectators across 34 tiered stands. Like the Colosseum in Rome, it was used for gladiator battles. When those went out of style, it was converted into a walled village with homes built inside.

These days, the arena is mainly a tourist attraction. Though it does still hold a few shows, such as bull fights, reenactments and concerts. But when Colin and I visited in spring 2024, it was just to tour around – not a bull in sight.

We opted for the audio guide, which helped us learn more about the arena’s history. My favourite part was learning about the different types of gladiators.

I had no idea there were sub-types of gladiators who wore different outfits, carried different weapons and fought in different styles. It reminded me of choosing your fighter in a video game!

The arena itself was quite impressive – though reminded me a lot of the one we had seen the day before in Arles. The steps to get around were quite steep and some were at an angle, which was a little precarious in the rain, but manageable if you have decent mobility.

Unfortunately, they were doing some work on the arena when we visited, so parts were covered in scaffolding. More annoying, a couple of school groups were visiting at the same time as us and being a bit rowdy.

2. Admire the Maison Carrée

Next up on your Ancient Roman tour of Nîmes is the Maison Carrée, an Augustan provincial temple built in 2 AD. It stands as one of the best preserved Roman temples left today.

While the Maison Carrée is cool from the outside, I had been told the inside is quite boring. I’ve heard it’s sparse, with just a few documents behind glass to see. That didn’t feel worth the entrance price to me, so we just admired the exterior.

And honestly, it’s pretty impressive! The Maison Carrée almost looks like a movie set, it’s so well-preserved.

And it’s situated in the middle of a square with restaurants and shops all around. Just plopped in the middle of daily life! I can’t imagine sitting at a little bistro table, sipping my coffee and looking up to see this Ancient Roman temple in front of me.

3. Wander around Les Jardins de la Fontaine

Probably my favourite part of Nîmes was exploring Les Jardins de la Fontaine, a 17th Century park built on the original Nîmes spring and one of the first public parks in Europe.

The spring itself goes back way before the Romans, but there are a few Ancient Roman sites around the park for you to discover. There are also beautiful ponds, statues, fountains and landscaping.

Walking up, I was pretty impressed by the architecture of the multiple fountains, staircases and paths that highlight the spring. They were so intricate! I was also blown away by how many fish were swimming in the water below.

But the best part was discovering the Temple of Diana, a 1st Century Roman building that was likely not a temple nor dedicated to Diana (they say it was probably a library).

This excavated site was so cool because you could actually go in and walk around the ruins – plus it was free to enter!

Les Jardins de la Fontaine also houses Tour Magne, a 32 m (105 ft) tall tower that was once part of the Roman wall of the city.

You can walk up from the lower level of the garden to the tower, and then climb its 140 stairs for a nice view. But if you’re tired and hungry like we were, it’s okay to skip it.

A few more things to do in Nîmes

If you have a bit more time, here are some other things to do in Nîmes:

1) Visit the Museum Romanité: This museum dedicated to Roman relics is across the street from the arena.

If you’re planning to visit the museum, look into the Romanity Pass, which includes entrance to the museum, Les Arènes de Nîmes, Maison Carrée and Tour Magne.

2) Check out the Musée du Vieux Nîmes: Did you know that denim was invented in Nîmes? That’s how it got its name: “de Nîmes” as in “from Nîmes.” Cool, right?

If you think that’s fascinating, visit the Old Nîmes Museum’s exhibit on the history of denim.

3) Take a historic walking tour: If Roman history is really your jam, check out this private two-hour walking tour through Nîmes. This is a great way to get a deeper understanding of the city with your own private guide.

4) Grab a snack at Les Halles de Nîmes: This famous Nîmes market is the perfect place to grab a snack to start your day. The covered market is open daily from 7am – 1pm.

5) Go on a day trip to the Camargue: South of Nîmes lies Camargue National Park, famous for coastal cliffs, pink flamingos, wild white horses and miniature bulls. Get out into nature, plus discover a few ancient coastal towns, on this day trip.

6) Visit Pont du Gard: This Ancient Roman aqueduct is just 30 minutes from Nîmes by car, helpful considering in the 1st Century it was used to bring water to the city.

I highly recommend visiting this UNESCO Site. Colin and I actually visited at night and while the small on-site museum was closed, we had the whole bridge to ourselves!

How to get to Nîmes

Nîmes is located in the South of France, between Montpellier and Avignon. You can easily get to the city by train, car or plane.

By train, it takes about 30 minutes to travel from Avignon to Nîmes, from Montpellier to Nîmes or from Arles to Nîmes. All of these train routes are direct.

By car, it takes 45 minutes to drive from Avignon to Nîmes, 55 minutes to drive from Montpellier to Nîmes, and 30 minutes to drive the distance from Arles to Nîmes.

If you’re coming from Paris, it will take you 3-4 hours to reach Nîmes by train or 7+ hours to drive.

By plane, you can fly directly into Nimes Airport (FNI), which is just a 15 minute drive from the city centre. Though being a smaller airport, you may have more luck flying into Montpellier, Marseille or Paris and then taking the train or driving from there.

We were based in Avignon for our time in Provence and rented a car from there to explore the region. It was an easy drive down to Nîmes.

Pro tip: Mark a parking garage on your map and navigate to that rather than showing up in the city centre and having to find parking on the fly.

Where to stay in Nîmes

We actually stayed in Avignon and did a day trip to Nîmes, which worked out really well. But if you want to stay in Nîmes itself, there are lots of great options.

Here are some of the best-rated hotels in Nîmes, France:

• Jardins Secrets: An 18th Century inn turned into a luxury boutique hotel surrounded by a stunning garden. Perfect if you want to splurge!
• Margaret – Hôtel Chouleur: 4 star, city centre and stunning. Perfect for those looking for modern luxury.
• Appart’City Collection Nîmes Arènes: Affordable, clean, spacious and central. What more could you ask for? I love apartment hotels because of their kitchenettes, so this would probably be my pick.
• Patrick & Pierre BnB Nîmes: Ideal for budget travellers who appreciate great service and good breakfast, and don’t mind being just outside the city centre.

Wrapping up: Is Nîmes worth visiting?

Is Nîmes worth visiting? Honestly, I can’t decide!

I’m glad that we went to Nîmes as I would have felt like we missed out if we had skipped it. But while all of its Ancient Roman sites were cool, they weren’t my favourite in Provence.

It also doesn’t help that we visited Nîmes on a bit of a grey and rainy day. In the bright sunshine, I might have been more enthusiastic about the city.

Still, if you’re in this area of Provence, I do think Nîmes is worth stopping by. It could even be a great base, as it’s a larger city with good train connections.

Is it the best city with the best sites you’ll see in Southern France? Probably not. But the only way to know for sure is to give Nîmes a try!

I’d love to know: Will you be visiting Nîmes? Which of the three must-do activities would you most want to try?