The Pont du Gard can be visited all year round and access to the site is free on foot or by bicycle: you pay for parking (€9 per car per day) and, if you wish, for the discovery areas (€8 per adult, free for under-18s) or the guided tour (€15). The site and its car parks are open from 8 am to midnight, every day. The Roman aqueduct, built around AD 50 to bring water from Uzès to Nîmes, spans the Gardon River: in summer, people swim at the foot of the bridge, at their own risk.
If you are planning a stay in the Gard département, our guide to visiting Nîmes and its Roman monuments offers a two-day itinerary that includes the Pont du Gard.
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Pont du Gard: key facts
- Site access: free and unrestricted for pedestrians and cyclists; only parking, the discovery areas and guided tours are paid — checked on 23 October 2026 on pontdugard.fr
- Site and car park hours: every day, 8 am to midnight, all year; overnight parking after midnight prohibited
- Parking: €9 per car per day, regardless of the number of passengers
- Discovery areas (museum, cinema, Ludo, exhibition): €8 full price, €6 reduced, free for under-18s; closed from November to February
- Guided tour with the 3rd-level channel: €15 adult, €6 for ages 4 to 17; booking advised
- Length of visit: the site recommends « ideally a full day »
- Swimming: possible in the Gardon, unsupervised according to the official FAQ (« at your own risk »)
Pont du Gard prices: what is free and what is paid
This is the question that comes up most: can you see the Pont du Gard without paying? Yes. The official website says access is « free for all » and free for pedestrians and cyclists. You can cross the bridge on the first level (the 18th-century road bridge alongside), walk along the banks and follow the trails without a ticket. If you come by car, you only pay for parking.
| Service | Official price | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Access to the site and the bridge (1st level) | Free | On foot or by bicycle |
| Car parking | €9 / day | Regardless of the number of people; payment at automatic pay stations or by card at the exit terminals |
| Discovery areas (museum, cinema, Ludo, temporary exhibition) | €8 | Reduced rate €6 (jobseekers, recipients of France’s RSA benefit, with proof) |
| Discovery areas, under 18s, students (family), people with disabilities | Free | With proof |
| Guided tour (includes the discovery areas) | €15 | Reduced €13; child aged 4 to 17 €6 |
| Audioguide | €4 | Per person |
Official tip: within 14 days of paying for parking, you can turn your ticket into an annual pass at no extra cost on the Pont du Gard subscription site. If you come back within the year (to swim, for example), parking is then covered.
The site also lists partner offers: the Nîmes City Pass, the Pass Up from the Destination Pays d’Uzès Pont du Gard tourist office, a reduced rate with the Avignon City Pass, and €1 off per person within 7 days if you have visited the Chauvet 2 Cave or the Aven d’Orgnac (not for groups). To plan that visit, see our page on the Chauvet 2 cave: replica and tickets.
Tickets for the discovery areas and tours are sold through the site’s ticket office. According to the FAQ, they are dated and time-stamped, « neither exchanged, nor changed, nor refunded ». Beware of sites selling a « Pont du Gard entrance ticket »: access to the bridge itself is free.
Pont du Gard opening hours by season
Three sets of hours coexist: those of the site (open late into the evening), those of the cultural areas and those of the ticket office.
| Period | Site and car parks | Cultural areas | Ticket office |
|---|---|---|---|
| November to February | 8 am – midnight | Closed | 9 am – 5 pm |
| March and October | 8 am – midnight | 9 am – 6 pm | 9 am – 5:30 pm |
| April, May, June, September | 8 am – midnight | 9 am – 7 pm | 9 am – 6:30 pm |
| July and August | 8 am – midnight | 9 am – 8 pm | 9 am – 7:30 pm |
The site advises arriving at least 50 minutes before the cultural areas close. Above all, remember that the cultural areas are closed on Monday mornings and all winter (November to February): at that time of year, a visit is limited to the bridge and the trails.
Sunset at the Pont du Gard: the time, month by month
As the site stays open until midnight, you can see the bridge at sunset all year round, after the paid areas have closed. The table gives sunset time and day length on the 15th of each month, together with the average high in Nîmes to help you choose a time slot.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Average high in Nîmes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:13 | 17:29 | 9 h 16 | 11.4 °C (53 °F) |
| February | 07:41 | 18:11 | 10 h 30 | 12.9 °C (55 °F) |
| March | 06:54 | 18:47 | 11 h 53 | 16.7 °C (62 °F) |
| April | 06:59 | 20:25 | 13 h 26 | 19.5 °C (67 °F) |
| May | 06:16 | 21:00 | 14 h 44 | 23.6 °C (74 °F) |
| June | 05:58 | 21:26 | 15 h 28 | 28.3 °C (83 °F) |
| July | 06:12 | 21:22 | 15 h 09 | 31.5 °C (89 °F) |
| August | 06:45 | 20:46 | 14 h 01 | 31.2 °C (88 °F) |
| September | 07:20 | 19:52 | 12 h 32 | 26.1 °C (79 °F) |
| October | 07:55 | 18:58 | 11 h 03 | 20.9 °C (70 °F) |
| November | 07:36 | 17:16 | 9 h 40 | 15.2 °C (59 °F) |
| December | 08:09 | 17:04 | 8 h 55 | 11.8 °C (53 °F) |
What to take from this: in July, the average high exceeds 31 °C (88 °F) in Nîmes and the sun sets after 9 pm. The most pleasant slot is often the morning when the cultural areas open (9 am) or the end of the day, when the bank is in shade. From April to June and in September it is less hot and the cultural areas stay open until 7 pm.
Swimming at the Pont du Gard: water quality and rules
The Gardon flows under the main arch and forms pebble beaches on either side of the bridge. The site’s FAQ is clear: « by municipal order, swimming at the beach is at your own risk ». So do not expect supervision as on a sea beach.
For water quality, we consulted the public dataset « Nombre de sites de baignade par qualité des eaux » (number of bathing sites by water quality, data.gouv.fr), drawn from the health inspections carried out by the regional health agencies. It lists one bathing site in the municipality of Vers-Pont-du-Gard, rated « excellent » every year from 2014 to 2024, and three sites downstream in the municipality of Remoulins, also rated « excellent » over the same period (two sites listed in 2018). The annual rating says nothing about the water on the day of your visit: after a thunderstorm, quality can temporarily deteriorate. The season’s sampling results are published on baignades.sante.gouv.fr and displayed at the bathing sites.
| Municipality (bathing site) | Sites listed | Rating from 2014 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Vers-Pont-du-Gard (at the foot of the bridge) | 1 | Excellent every year |
| Remoulins (downstream) | 3 (2 in 2018) | Excellent every year |
- The Gardon is a river: current, deep pools and slippery rocks. Keep children within reach.
- Mediterranean flash floods occur mostly in autumn: do not swim after heavy rain and follow the posted instructions.
- Canoeing is another way to pass under the bridge: private operators offer trips down the Gardon gorges (prices and routes from them).
- Dogs: allowed outdoors and on a leash, not in the indoor areas (official FAQ).
What to see at the Pont du Gard site
According to the « The monument » page, the aqueduct supplied Nîmes for five centuries, with an average slope of 25 cm per kilometer (about 16 in per mile) and 30,000 to 40,000 m³ of water a day (roughly 8 to 10.5 million US gallons) over 50 km (31 mi) from a spring at Uzès. Gard Tourisme, the departmental tourist board, gives a height of 49 m (161 ft) and a length of 275 m (902 ft) at the top, on three tiers of arches. The bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The bridge from the left bank: an overview of the three tiers of arches, then a crossing by the adjoining road bridge (1st level).
- The beaches of the Gardon: a low-angle view of the main arch.
- The museum (left bank, 2,500 m² or about 26,900 sq ft): models and full-scale reconstructions of the building site, including the Estel quarry, which is closed to the public.
- The cinema: a film of about fifteen minutes on the history of the monument.
- The Ludo area: for ages 5 to 12.
- The « Mémoires de garrigue » trail: 1.4 km (0.9 mi), easy, among dry-stone walls and capitelles (Gard Tourisme).
- The 3rd-level channel: guided tour only, where you walk in the conduit that once carried the water; about 80 steps, not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Getting there: car, bus, train and bicycle
- Car: A9 motorway, exit 23 Remoulins, then follow signs for Uzès; car parks on the left bank (800 spaces) and right bank (600 spaces), eight charging points on the left bank.
- Bus: line 115 from Avignon and Alès, line 121 from Nîmes (timetables on the official website).
- Train: nearest stations Nîmes-Centre, Nîmes-Pont-du-Gard, Avignon-Centre and Avignon-TGV, then bus.
- Bicycle: Beaucaire-Uzès greenway (32 km or 20 mi) and a loop via the ViaRhôna from Avignon; bike storage at the entrance, wheel your bike by hand to cross.
Accessibility: reserved spaces in the car parks, wheelchairs on loan, elevators in the cultural areas and at the Les Terrasses restaurant, free entry to the areas for people with disabilities.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying an « entrance ticket » to the bridge: access is free, only parking and the discovery areas are paid.
- Coming in winter for the museum: the cultural areas are closed from November to February.
- Arriving on a Monday morning: cultural areas closed for maintenance.
- Staying parked after midnight: prohibited, with a flat-rate charge.
- Picnicking on the bistro terrace: prohibited; tables are provided on each bank.
- Planning to climb to the top of the bridge on your own: the channel can only be visited with a guide.
What to see nearby
On the Nîmes side, our page on things to do in Nîmes details the Maison Carrée, the Tour Magne and the monuments pass. On the other side, Avignon and its Palais des Papes combine easily with the bridge in the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the Pont du Gard without paying?
Yes. Access to the site is free and unrestricted on foot and by bicycle. If you come by car, only parking is paid (€9 per day); the museum and guided tours are optional.
What are the Pont du Gard’s opening hours?
The site and car parks are open every day from 8 am to midnight. The cultural areas are open from 9 am to 6 pm (March, October), 7 pm (April to June, September) or 8 pm (July and August), and closed from November to February.
Can you climb the Pont du Gard?
You can cross the first level freely. The third level, with the ancient channel, is only accessible on a guided tour (€15 adult).
Can you swim at the Pont du Gard?
Yes, in the Gardon, but swimming is at your own risk according to the official FAQ. The Vers-Pont-du-Gard bathing site is rated excellent from 2014 to 2024 in the public data.
How long does a visit to the Pont du Gard take?
The site recommends a full day with the museum, guided tour and a walk.
Are dogs allowed at the Pont du Gard?
Yes, outdoors and on a leash, but not in the museum, the cinema, the Ludo area or the restaurants.
Our sources
- Pont du Gard site (public establishment): pontdugard.fr, pages « Plan your visit » (hours, access, prices), FAQ, « The monument » and « Guided tours », consulted on 23 October 2026
- Gard Tourisme: Pont du Gard page (dimensions, Mémoires de garrigue trail), consulted on 23 October 2026
- data.gouv.fr: dataset « Nombre de sites de baignade par qualité des eaux » (data from the official bathing water health inspections), municipal file, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France: 1991-2020 normals, Nîmes-Courbessac, taken from our Nîmes page
- Calculations: NOAA solar algorithm (Europe/Paris time zone, 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.