The original Chauvet Cave, at Vallon-Pont-d’Arc (Ardèche, France), has been closed to the public since 1995 to protect it: what you visit is its replica, Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche, presented by its operator as the largest replica of a decorated cave in the world. The full-day ticket costs €18 for an adult, the guided tour of the cave lasts about an hour and you should allow about 3.5 hours for the whole site. Online booking is strongly recommended. This page explains the difference between the two caves, the official hours, the prices and the pitfalls to avoid, including the GPS one.
The visit combines with the gorges and the Pont d’Arc: our guide to visiting the Ardèche gives itineraries, budget and climate month by month. See entry requirements for France.
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Grotte Chauvet 2: key facts
- Hours: October 17 to November 1, 2026, every day 9:30 am–7:30 pm; November 2 to December 18, 2026, every day 10:30 am–5:30 pm; special hours over the holidays — checked on 23 October 2026 on grottechauvet2ardeche.com
- Prices: adult full-day ticket €18; young person (10–17) and recipients of the French RSA income support €9; free under 10; annual pass €25 — checked on 23 October 2026 on grottechauvet2ardeche.com
- Booking: online strongly recommended; on-site ticket office subject to availability, until 15 minutes before the last cave visit. No booking by phone.
- Duration: guided tour of the replica about 1 hour; whole site about 3.5 hours. Check in at reception at the latest 30 minutes before your visit time.
- Address: 4941 route de Bourg-Saint-Andéol, 07150 Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. Enter "Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche" in your GPS, not "Grotte Chauvet".
Chauvet or Chauvet 2: what you actually visit
The decorated cave of Pont-d’Arc, known as the Chauvet Cave, was discovered on December 18, 1994 by three cavers, Jean-Marie Chauvet, Éliette Brunel and Christian Hillaire. Its entrance had collapsed 21,500 years ago, which sealed it and preserved its works, dated to about 36,000 years ago — the site’s official history. Since its protection, it has been closed and permanently monitored; only a few authorized people, including a multidisciplinary scientific team that has studied it since 1998, can enter.
| Chauvet Cave (original) | Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche (replica) | |
|---|---|---|
| Can be visited | No, closed to the public | Yes, every day (hours depend on the period) |
| Floor area | 8,500 m² (91,500 sq ft) | 3,000 m² (32,300 sq ft) (2.5 times smaller) |
| Artworks | More than 1,000 drawings according to the official website | 27 panels reproduced, i.e. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft) of decorated walls, at full scale for the most remarkable |
| Status | Historic monument (October 13, 1995), UNESCO World Heritage Site (June 22, 2014) | Run by Kléber Rossillon under a public service concession |
| Location | Cirque d’Estre, Vallon-Pont-d’Arc | Route de Bourg-Saint-Andéol, Vallon-Pont-d’Arc |
The replica reproduces the relief of the walls to the millimeter, from a 3D digital model built with 6,000 photos. Making it took 130 km (81 mi) of hand-shaped steel rods, 8,200 m² (88,300 sq ft) of sculpted decor representing 52 types of rock and 550 molded animal bones. The site specifies that the property inscribed by UNESCO covers the whole cavity, but also its landscape and the hydrogeological basin, including the Pont d’Arc arch, 54 m (177 ft) high.
Timeline: from discovery to UNESCO
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 18, 1994 | Discovery of the cave |
| December 29, 1994 | Authentication of the works by Jean Clottes, chief curator of heritage |
| October 13, 1995 | Listed as a historic monument, cave closed |
| February 14, 1997 | The French state becomes the owner of the cave |
| January 24, 2013 | France submits the UNESCO application |
| June 22, 2014 | Inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
How the visit works
The cave (guided or audio-guided visit, about 1 hour). In a group of about twenty people, you walk along a walkway, as in the original cave, on a 250 m (820 ft) route with observation stations. The bestiary has 14 animal species; dangerous animals dominate (cave lions and cave bears, panther, mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses). The site says the Chauvet Cave holds the world’s largest concentration of felines (80) and rhinoceroses (72). The visit ends in the back chamber in front of the great panel of the lions, 12 m (39 ft) long — presentation of the replica.
Audio guides are available in 10 languages, with four routes, including a children’s route (ages 7–11) and a storytelling route (ages 3–6), and audio description in French, English, Dutch and German.
The Aurignacian Gallery (self-guided, at least 45 min). This interpretation center presents the Ardèche 36,000 years ago, with extinct animals reconstructed life-size (cave lion and cave bear, mammoth, giant deer, bison), the Aurignacian way of life and cave art — official page.
The exhibition "Grotte Chauvet, the Scientific Adventure" (about 45 min), then the wooded park and its viewpoint, activities during holidays and weekends, the bookshop-gift shop and the restaurant, open all year without booking.
Opening hours, tickets and booking
Hours change by period: the official calendar gives, for 2026, opening from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm during the fall holidays (until November 1), then from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm until December 18. Year-end holiday hours (December 24 and 25 in particular) are special: check your date on the hours and prices page. During the year-end periods, last admission is 2 hours before closing.
| Ticket | Price | Included |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (full day) | €18 | Cave, Aurignacian Gallery, exhibition, activities |
| Young person 10–17 and RSA recipients | €9 | Same |
| Under 10 | Free | Same |
| Annual pass | €25 / year | Access for one year |
- Official ticket: the online ticket office is linked from the grottechauvet2ardeche.com website. Tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable: beware of resellers.
- Time on the ticket: it only applies to the guided visit of the cave; the rest of the site can be visited before or after. The ticket allows you to leave and re-enter during the day.
- Late arrival: the site offers to replace your tickets subject to available places; otherwise, you only have access to the rest of the site.
- Discounts: the ticket gives €1 off per ticket at partner sites (Aven d’Orgnac, Pont du Gard, Ferme aux Crocodiles), within 7 days after the visit.
- Payment: paper French holiday vouchers (chèques-vacances) are accepted only at reception, not online.
Best time to visit
The cave can be visited in any weather: it is a good option for a rainy day in the Ardèche. Inside, the temperature is around 16 °C (61 °F) all year; the site advises a sweater in summer to avoid thermal shock. The table below sets the Aubenas normals, published on our Ardèche page, against the 16 °C of the cave, with the difference calculated by us.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Outdoor high vs cave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.2 °C (50 °F) | 1.0 °C (34 °F) | 79.8 mm (3.1 in) | −5.8 °C (−10 °F) |
| February | 11.7 °C (53 °F) | 1.1 °C (34 °F) | 53.5 mm (2.1 in) | −4.3 °C (−8 °F) |
| March | 15.9 °C (61 °F) | 3.9 °C (39 °F) | 59.0 mm (2.3 in) | −0.1 °C (−0 °F) |
| April | 18.8 °C (66 °F) | 6.5 °C (44 °F) | 77.6 mm (3.1 in) | +2.8 °C (+5 °F) |
| May | 22.9 °C (73 °F) | 10.2 °C (50 °F) | 87.9 mm (3.5 in) | +6.9 °C (+12 °F) |
| June | 27.4 °C (81 °F) | 13.9 °C (57 °F) | 64.1 mm (2.5 in) | +11.4 °C (+21 °F) |
| July | 30.4 °C (87 °F) | 16.0 °C (61 °F) | 58.0 mm (2.3 in) | +14.4 °C (+26 °F) |
| August | 30.1 °C (86 °F) | 15.6 °C (60 °F) | 65.0 mm (2.6 in) | +14.1 °C (+25 °F) |
| September | 25.0 °C (77 °F) | 12.2 °C (54 °F) | 137.4 mm (5.4 in) | +9.0 °C (+16 °F) |
| October | 19.5 °C (67 °F) | 8.9 °C (48 °F) | 149.7 mm (5.9 in) | +3.5 °C (+6 °F) |
| November | 13.9 °C (57 °F) | 4.6 °C (40 °F) | 143.7 mm (5.7 in) | −2.1 °C (−4 °F) |
| December | 10.5 °C (51 °F) | 1.6 °C (35 °F) | 85.7 mm (3.4 in) | −5.5 °C (−10 °F) |
How to read it: in July–August, it is on average 14 °C (25 °F) warmer outside than in the cave in the afternoon: take an extra layer. From September to November, rainfall exceeds 135 mm (5.3 in) a month in Aubenas: the visit fits well into a fall program. The site does not publish daily attendance figures; during holidays, simply book online in advance.
Getting there, accessibility and common mistakes
The site is in the municipality of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, at the entrance to the Ardèche gorges; it can be reached by car. The whole site, including the cave, is accessible by wheelchair and with a stroller, along a level path (some slightly sloping sections); the site has held the Tourisme et Handicap label since 2018 and lends wheelchairs and seat-canes against an ID card — accessibility page. Dogs are admitted on a leash in the outdoor park only.
- Following "Grotte Chauvet" on your GPS: you will arrive at the original cave, which cannot be visited. Type "Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche".
- Arriving at the ticket time: check in 30 minutes before.
- Planning to take photos in the cave: they are prohibited; the site offers royalty-free photos to download.
- Coming without a reservation during holidays: on-site sales depend on the places left.
- Sleeping in a camper van in the car park: the site closes in the evening; spaces exist opposite the Vallon-Pont-d’Arc tourist office.
What to see nearby
To compare with another decorated cave, read our page on Lascaux, whose original is also closed and replaced by a replica. The Pont du Gard, a ticket partner, can be reached from Nîmes. For the rest of the region, see our Ardèche page and the Verdon Gorge.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit the real Chauvet Cave?
No. The original cave has been closed since 1995 for its conservation. You visit its replica, Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche, at Vallon-Pont-d’Arc.
How much does Chauvet 2 cost?
€18 for the adult full-day ticket, €9 for ages 10–17 and RSA recipients, free under 10. The ticket includes the cave, the Aurignacian Gallery, the exhibition and the activities.
How long does the Chauvet 2 visit take?
About an hour for the cave visit and about 3.5 hours for the whole site.
Do you need to book Chauvet 2?
Online booking is strongly recommended. Tickets may be sold on site subject to available places; no booking by phone.
How old are the Chauvet Cave paintings?
About 36,000 years old, according to the official website, which makes it the oldest cultural property inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List according to the operator.
What is the temperature inside Chauvet 2?
Around 16 °C (61 °F), within a few degrees depending on the season. Bring a sweater in summer.
Our sources
- Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche (grottechauvet2ardeche.com): hours and prices, frequently asked questions, history, the cave, Aurignacian Gallery, accessibility, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France: 1991–2020 normals, Aubenas-Saint-Martin station, taken from our Ardèche page
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.