Avignon Holidays

Avignon is Provence at its most dramatic. Medieval ramparts, the world's biggest Gothic palace, and one of the worlds biggest theatre festivals that turns the whole city into a stage.

Highlights of your Holidays to Avignon

• Palais des Papes – Europe's largest Gothic palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, still absolutely gobsmacking after 700 years. The sheer scale of it makes you wonder what the medieval builders were putting in their croissants.

• Festival d'Avignon – Every July the city becomes the world capital of theatre. The official Festival IN and the gloriously chaotic Festival OFF run side by side across hundreds of venues. Thespians unite!

• Provençal food scene – Les Halles covered market is the morning pilgrimage, and Côtes du Rhône wine is practically on tap from the vineyards 20 minutes up the road. It's almost hard to eat badly here.

• Pont Saint-Bénézet – The famous half-bridge from the nursery rhyme, jutting into the Rhône like someone forgot to finish it. The views back to the walled city are worth the entry alone.

• Île de la Barthelasse – One of Europe's largest river islands, a free ferry ride from the city walls, with picnic meadows, cycling paths and the kind of sunset views that make you go a bit quiet.

Good to Know

• ☀️ Weather – Avignon gets over 2,800 hours of sunshine a year. Summers are properly hot (30°C+), spring and autumn sit around 15-22°C with clear skies, and the Mistral wind keeps things fresh even in peak season.

• 💶 Money – A sit-down lunch runs €14-€20, a glass of Côtes du Rhône is €4-€6, and a coffee on a sunny square is €2-€3.

• 🎭 Fun Fact – Avignon was the seat of the Catholic papacy for nearly 70 years in the 14th century. Seven successive popes ruled Christendom from here rather than Rome, which is why the palace is so absurdly enormous.

🏨 What are the best Hotels in Avignon?

See all hotels in Avignon or browse our top picks below...

💑 Couples

• La Mirande Hotel. The showstopper. A 5-star property in a restored 14th-century cardinal's residence, right in the shadow of the Palais des Papes. Period furnishings, a Michelin-quality restaurant, and a walled garden that feels like stepping into a painting. One of the most special stays in Provence.

• De l'Horloge. A 4-star right on Place de l'Horloge, the city's main square. Private terraces on some rooms, a strong breakfast spread, and you're steps from the Palais des Papes and the best restaurant streets. Over 2,000 guest reviews and consistently well regarded.

• Najeti Hotel La Magnaneraie. Just across the river in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, this former cardinal's mansion has 32 rooms with garden views of the Abbey and Fort Saint-André. A pool, bike hire and massage treatments make it feel more like a countryside retreat than a city hotel, but Avignon's old town is a five-minute drive away.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• Novotel Avignon Centre. Reliable family pick inside the walls, with a terrace restaurant, Turkish bath and beauty salon. The Novotel family formula (kids eat free, interconnecting rooms) works well here. Over 2,000 reviews.

• Mercure Avignon Gare TGV. Next to the TGV station, so ideal if you're arriving by train. Indoor and outdoor pools, a spa with Turkish bath, and a poolside snack bar keep kids occupied. Carries a 4.7/5 guest rating, strong for a chain property.

• Golden Tulip Avignon Le Paradou. A little further out in Montfavet, but the Provence-style garden and outdoor pool make up for it. Good for families who want space and quiet without sacrificing a short drive into the city centre.

🎉 Groups

• Cowool Avignon. Apartment-style rooms with a coworking space, 24-hour café, gym, yoga classes and pétanque. Built for social stays: the communal areas are designed to bring people together, and there's a projection room for group movie nights. A different kind of hotel, but a good fit for mates travelling together.

• Avignon Grand Hotel. Central, unfussy and well priced. A bar, garden and multilingual staff keep things smooth, and you're within walking distance of every major sight. The kind of hotel where the room is clean and comfortable and you spend all your time out in the city.

• Cloitre Saint Louis. A converted 16th-century Jesuit cloister with a seasonal rooftop pool. The building is the real draw here: vaulted corridors, courtyard views, and that proper sense of Provençal history. Over 1,500 reviews.

💰 Value

• ibis Avignon Sud. The budget pick. An outdoor pool, on-site bar and 24-hour snack service keep it punching above its weight for a 3-star ibis. It's south of the city centre so you'll need transport into the old town, but the price difference is noticeable.

👉 All hotels in Avignon

Local Lingo

English is widely spoken in Avignon's hotels, restaurants and tourist spots, but dropping a bit of French always goes down well with locals, especially in the smaller shops and market stalls. Even a badly pronounced "bonjour" earns you bonus points (which are usually not redeemable for cash).

• Bonjour, bon-ZHOOR, Hello / Good day

• Merci, mair-SEE, Thank you

• S'il vous plaît, seel voo PLEH, Please

• L'addition, lah-dee-SYOHN, The bill (you'll need this one after a long lunch)

• Santé, sahn-TAY, Cheers (for all that Côtes du Rhône)

Travel Guide

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

Palais des Papes – The audioguide has a kids' trail with its own characters and storylines, so the palace becomes a treasure hunt rather than a history lesson. Allow two hours and let them lead.

Pont Saint-Bénézet – The famous bridge comes with a tablet-based augmented reality experience showing what it looked like when it was whole. Kids find the "half a bridge" concept hilarious, and honestly, so will you.

Rocher des Doms – The park at the top of the rock above the city walls has playgrounds, duck ponds, shaded paths and ice cream kiosks. The views over the Rhône and across to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon are cracking.

Île de la Barthelasse – Take the free ferry from the city walls and you're on one of Europe's largest river islands. Flat cycling paths, picnic meadows and a swimming pool complex in summer. Kids will not want to leave.

Place de l'Horloge – The city's main square has a vintage carousel, open-air cafés and street performers. Park yourself at a terrace table and let the little ones do laps.

💑 Couples

Wine tasting at Châteauneuf-du-Pape – The famous vineyards are 20 minutes north of Avignon. Half-day tasting tours run from the city, or hire a car and wander the cellars at your own pace. The village itself has a ruined papal castle with panoramic views over the vines, and it's every bit as gorgeous as it sounds.

Rue des Teinturiers – Avignon's most atmospheric street, shaded by plane trees with old waterwheels still turning in the canal. Lined with independent restaurants, galleries and wine bars. The kind of street where you go for one drink and end up staying for dinner.

Musée du Petit Palais – A gorgeous collection of Italian Renaissance paintings in a 14th-century building at the top of the old town. Smaller and quieter than the Palais des Papes, and genuinely impressive without the crowds.

Sunset from Rocher des Doms – The same park that works for families during the day becomes properly romantic at golden hour. Bring a bottle of rosé, a baguette and someone you like.

🎉 Groups

Festival d'Avignon (July) – The city's defining event, and one of the best reasons to book. The official Festival IN runs 4-25 July 2026 (the 80th edition), with world-class theatre and dance in the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes and across 40+ venues. The Festival OFF runs the same dates with over 1,500 independent shows in every courtyard, café and church in the city. Tickets for the OFF start at €10-€15. It's gloriously chaotic.

Côtes du Rhône wine tour – Rally the group for a tasting at one of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape estates and spend a morning pretending you know the difference between a Grenache and a Syrah. Most tours include lunch at a domaine, which helps.

Les Halles market morning – The covered market runs Tuesday to Sunday and the ground floor is packed with cheese, charcuterie, olives and pastries. Load up on provisions and ferry the lot across to Île de la Barthelasse for a picnic.

Bar crawl on Rue des Teinturiers – The street's wine bars and craft beer spots are close enough together that you can drift between them without needing a map, a plan, or sensible shoes.

More Destinations

• France – Paris, Nice, the Côte d'Azur, Euro Disney, Bordeaux, Lyon and more. City breaks, beach weeks, and everything in between.

• Marseille – France's oldest city, the Mediterranean port with the best bouillabaisse on the planet, and the Calanques national park on the doorstep.

• Montpellier – A lively university city with grand squares, a medieval old town and some of the best street food in southern France.

• Toulouse – The "Pink City" with its terracotta architecture, cassoulet that'll ruin you for all other stews, and the Canal du Midi. A different flavour of southern France entirely.

• Paris – Notre-Dame, the Seine, Montmartre, and the Eiffel Tower. The city of light, love, and the Louvre.