Avignon in 2 Days: everything you need to know

Avignon is a beautiful city, so it's easy to understand why it was once home to the Pope. Over two days you'll have the chance to wander its charming cobbled streets, take in some of its historic architecture and sample some of the best things to see and do in Avignon.

You'll see world-class museums, as well as incredible restaurants, in the middle of this French city that will make you fall in love. Believe it or not, two days is enough time to see the best of the city, but not so much that you'll get bored or feel like you've wasted your time.

On the first day of your tour you will get to know most of the city, seeing some of the most interesting and cultural sites to be seen in Avignon. You will see St. Peter's Basilica, the Place de l'Horloge, enter the Avignon Cathedral, cross the Avignon Bridge, among many other things.

The day will start very early, so I guess you will be in the city in the evening of the day before the tour starts. I recommend getting up very early to get your day off to a good start and make this first day last long enough to see as many places as possible on your own or by signing up for one of the best Avignon tours.

Enter St. Peter's Basilica

After a hearty breakfast, you'll head straight to one of the most popular attractions, which is none other than St. Peter's Basilica. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in Europe and is a must-see for any traveller visiting Avignon. I recommend staying at least an hour and a half to fully explore the basilica and its many works of art. Admission is free.

You'll love the impressive architecture of the monument, and the various significant works of art scattered throughout the basilica, such as a painting of the Virgin Mary and a marble sculpture of St. Peter.

Walking around Piazza Horloge

At around 8:30am you can continue to the Place Horloge, which is an important historical site in the city of Avignon. The structure, which is said to be 1,000 years old, is a work of art that is used every day to mark the hours on the clock.

This is a good place to walk around, take advantage of the early morning sun to stroll around a bit and also to take a few photos in the square before continuing on to the next point on your itinerary, which is none other than Avignon Cathedral. Half an hour will be enough to get to know the whole place.

Visiting Avignon Cathedral

Around 9:00 am you should be arriving at the Avignon Cathedral, which is very close to the Place Horloge. This cathedral is one of the most beautiful and emblematic buildings in the whole city, and is also a great place to learn about its history and architecture. You'll also be struck by its art and beautiful stained glass windows.

Admission is free and for about an hour, you will have the opportunity to learn that this imposing structure is full of interesting narratives. For example, it is said that the building was designed to look like a fortress, which is fitting, given its location near the Italian border.

Discover the Jardins des Doms

By the time you get to the Jardins des Doms, your watch should be just after 10:00, so it's a perfect time to lose yourself in this oasis in the middle of the city, which is well worth a visit. The gardens were built in the 16th century by King François I as a place of rest and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, and are still a popular destination for tourists today.

Inside the gardens you'll find thousands of stunning flowers and trees, as well as a beautiful lake. The gardens are also home to the world's largest and oldest rosary, which is displayed in the chapel. It is also divided into several sections, including the rose and jasmine gardens, the cypress and laurel forest and the moon and star gardens.

Be impressed by the Petit Palais

When you leave the Jardins des Doms, you will go straight to the Petit Palais, which is definitely a must-see in Avignon. It is a museum that was built in 1781 and served as the residence of the Pope's ambassador. Today it houses works from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. You can also see masterpieces by artists such as Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec.

To visit the Petit Palais, you can go every day except Monday, and admission is free. The only thing that is not free is the audio guide, which costs 3 euros for adults and 2 euros for children, approximately. You'll be able to stay here for about two hours, so you'll leave here at about 1:00, on your way to your next destination.

Crossing the Pont d'Avignon

After your visit to the Petit Palais, you will have the opportunity to continue on to the Pont d'Avignon, which formerly linked Avignon to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. It was built in the 13th century and crossed the Rhone River, making it one of the oldest bridges in France, and was originally called Pont Saint-Bénézet.

The interesting thing is that the Avignon Bridge has been renovated several times over the centuries, which makes it very valuable. To visit it you will have to pay around 9 euros per person, and at least 6 euros for each child. Guided tours are also offered throughout the day, but you have to book in advance. Your visiting time here should be no more than 30 minutes.

Lunch at any nearby restaurant

After having a few minutes to get to know the Pont d'Avignon, you will probably be hungry and want to have something to eat, and for that there are several alternatives in the city centre. One option is La Bouchee, a cosy bistro serving classic French dishes with a modern twist.

Other places to visit for lunch are Le Gourmet and Restaurant du Pont, which are among the most popular in the area. You will have about an hour for a quick lunch to continue your visit to the next point on your two-day itinerary in Avignon, so you should be leaving the restaurant a little earlier than 14:30 to be on time for your guided tour of the Papal Palace.

Make the most of the guided tour of the Papal Palace

After your lunch, you will have to go directly to the Palaisdes Papes, another must-see in Avignon. The tour starts at 14:30 and lasts about 2 hours, so you will stay here until about 16:30. The tour includes a visit to the Pope's private flats, where you can see his bedroom, his study and other rooms used for personal fines.

A visit to the Palace of the Popes costs approximately 10 euros per person, and children under 18 are free. You can visit the Palace from Thursday to Sunday and it is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You will pay around 5 euros for adults and 3 euros for children from 7 to 17 years old. Children under 7 years old are free.

Go and see the Calvet Museum

As you will leave the Papal Palace at approximately 16:30, you will have time to get to the Calvet Museum to join the last group of visitors. You'll love it because it's a small but beautiful museum, with many exhibits showing the history and culture of the city.

The Calvet Museum houses over 1,400 paintings and sculptures by artists such as Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, Louis Valtat and Edgar Degas. There are also many pieces that were created by famous artists but were never sold or put on public display until they were donated to the museum after their deaths. There is also a small collection of Egyptian artefacts dating back thousands of years.

Enter the Church of Saint Didier

Just a few blocks from the Calvet Museum is the Church of Saint Didier, your next stop on the itinerary and a must-see if you're visiting Avignon in 3 days or less. You can take a guided tour of the church, where you can learn about its history and architecture. Your guide will tell you all about this 13th century building and how it was restored after being badly damaged during World War II.

After your visit, don't forget to stop by the gift shop to buy unique souvenirs of your trip. Guided tours are usually organised in the morning, but in this case you will visit the church in the afternoon hours, around 17:30 and I recommend you stay at least an hour and a half touring the place.

Dinner and drinks in a nearby restaurant

After you finish visiting the church of Saint Didier, around 19:00, it's almost time to go and see a bit of Avignon's nightlife. It's a beautiful city with plenty of places to eat and drink, so here are some of the best options for dining in Avignon before you party.

One of the most popular places is Le Petit Comptoir, a place that changes its menu daily, so you can always count on a variety of dishes such as duck confit, trout au gratin or the classic frites frites. The wine list is extensive, so you can make a good accompaniment to your meal. You can take as long as you like.

Taste the nightlife in Avignon

After a couple of drinks, there's nothing better than going to sample the nightlife in Avignon, where there are many different places where you can go dancing, have a few drinks and party with your friends. The Place de l'Horloge, in the city centre, brings together many bars and restaurants.

If you're looking for something quieter, Le Clipper Lounge is a good place to hang out, and is located in the old town. Although small, it is home to some of the best nightlife in Europe. If you want to go clubbing, Avignon also offers a great atmosphere for electronic music, hip-hop, rock, or any other rhythm.

You can enjoy this activity for as long as you want, or you can skip it, to go to your hotel or accommodation place to rest, to continue with a second day in Avignon.

For this second day of Avignon city adventures, you're bound to be a little tired, so you'll want to get some extra sleep, which is why the second day of your city tour will start around 9:00 when you check out of your hotel or accommodation.

Breakfast at Les Halles

To start the day on the right foot, I recommend you to have breakfast in Les Halles, which is the main square of Avignon. It is a structure surrounded by restaurants and cafes for breakfast. It is also an opportunity to buy jewellery and souvenirs.

You can complete your breakfast with some fruit or yoghurt and granola in one of the cafés on the square. But without a doubt the star dish you can't miss is the crepes, a French dish made with flour and eggs in the form of thin pancakes. They are usually filled in many ways, for example with cheese or chocolate, and then folded into triangles.

In Les Halles you can find many restaurants and cafés, including the Cafe de la Poste, Le Cafe du Pont or La Brioche d'Or, where you can try delicious croissants that are flaky on the outside but soft and buttery on the inside. I recommend you take no more than an hour for breakfast, so you can leave for your next stop on the itinerary at around 10:00.

Walking along the Rue des Teinturiers

After a hearty breakfast, your walk will take you to the Rue des Teinturiers in Avignon, a street full of fabric and colourful shops that you won't find anywhere else in the world. It was built by the dyers' families between the 15th and 17th centuries. During this period, the dyers lived in the street with their families and worked in their businesses.

The atmosphere was unique, as dyers would join with their neighbours to share ideas and experiment with new colouring and design techniques. Over time, these customs were lost and now only a small part of this history remains in the street, but it is still possible to see some elements. It will take you half an hour to get to know the place.

Visit the Lambert Collection

Leaving the Rue des Teinturiers, you will continue to the Lambert Collection for one of the most interesting visits in the area. The collection is open from Wednesday to Monday from 10:00 to 18:00 and closes on Tuesdays, so it's perfect if you arrive around 10:30.

Inside you can see contemporary art, minimalist and conceptual art, as well as art from the 1980s and photographs from the 1990s. As for guided tours, you have the opportunity to attend on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 15:00. Unfortunately, you can't bring children under the age of 7 to the collection.

Lunch anywhere nearby

Near the Lambert Collection there are different places to go for lunch around 12:30 and before you continue your tour, one of the most popular being Le Petit Poucet, which serves salads, soups, meat and fish, desserts and vegetarian dishes.

This restaurant ranges in price from 10 to 15 euros per dish. Another great restaurant is Le Gant D'Or, which offers a variety of French dishes, including canard au foie gras, tuna tartar and lamb meatballs. The price range per dish is also between 15 and 20 euros.

Visit the Angladon Museum

After lunch, you can move on to your next stop on the itinerary which is the Angladon Museum, a wonderful place to visit with plenty to see inside. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, but in this case, you'll visit between 13:30 and 15:00.

Admission costs from 8 euros for adults, 4 euros for students with a valid ID card and free for children under 18. Guided tours of the museum usually take place every Saturday between 11:00 and 13:00.

Tour of the ramparts of Avignon

At around 13:00, you can visit the ramparts of Avignon, which are an important example of defensive architecture from the Middle Ages. To enter you will have to pay around 6 euros for adults and 3 euros for children.

You can go on guided tours which you have to book in advance. These walls protected the city from external attacks in the Middle Ages. You will see the remains of the watchtowers, the entrance gates and the wide walls.

Boat trip to Barthelasse Island

After touring the ramparts of Avignon, I recommend you to get on a boat that will take you from the ramparts of Avignon to Barthelasse Island, in the middle of a ride that takes about 10 to 15 minutes. You will have to pay around 8,50 euros per person. Boats leave every 30 minutes between 9:00 and 19:00.

Enjoy all the activities available on the island

By the time you get off the boat you will have arrived at Barthelasse Island, an ideal tourist destination to have a great time, in the middle of one of the best excursions from Avignon. There are lots of fun things to do on the island: explore the island, visit the parks, go hiking and enjoy the panoramic views.

You can enjoy various outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing. There are also opportunities for water-based activities such as fishing, diving and snorkelling. On the island you can find meeting places such as cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as shops, water parks and other places to have fun.

Dine out and make the most of the island's nightlife

When night falls, Ile Barthelasse offers a wide range of options to enjoy. For dinner you can visit La Civette restaurant, which serves traditional French cuisine with a modern twist.

There are also several bars and pubs on site, such as Bar de l'Esprit, which offers excellent cocktails and a stunning view of the Rhône River. If you're looking for something a little more lively, you can visit the La Maison Rouge dance club, where you can dance the night away, before heading off to rest.

Stay in one of the island's hotels or hostels

Once you've had your fill of partying, there are plenty of options on the island for accommodation, including hotels and other really comfortable places to stay. There are also some campsites and accommodation on the island, as well as house and cottage rentals available. In any case, you can see all the accommodation options on the Barthelasse Island website.

The next morning it's time to head back to Avignon for the return journey home, for which I recommend boarding one of the buses that leave Barthelasse Island at 7:30 and 8:30. The trip takes about an hour and costs around 7 euros.