Avignon, located in the Provence region of southeastern France, is a historic city known for medieval architecture. It’s a great home base for exploring the Provence region, with easy access to other notable towns and sights. Comparatively to Bordeaux and Paris, Avignon is much slower and relaxing, which I really enjoyed. So if you need suggestions of how to spend your time, here’s how to spend 48 hours in Avignon!
This is just one post of my larger France series: 14-Day France Itinerary: Explore Paris, Bordeaux, and More
How to get to Avignon
There are no direct flights to Avignon (as far as I know) since it does not have a major international airport. You have a couple of options:
- Fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and take a high speed TGV train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Avignon, which takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes.
- Fly to Lyon (LYS) and then take a train from Lyon Part-Dieu station to Avignon, which takes about 1 hour.
- Fly to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE), first and spend a couple of days there (check out my 48 hour itinerary there) and then train from the Nice Ville station and arrive at Avignon TGV station which would take about 3-4 hours. Check Trainline to find train times an tickets.
You could also rent a car and drive from one of these locations. There is a giant parking lot right outside the Avignon ramparts that you can park in for free, which is really convenient! We rented a car from Nice and drove it through Provence to get to Avignon, which worked out very well.
Where to stay in Avignon
The ramparts of Avignon are a striking feature of the city’s medieval history and remain one of the best-preserved examples of fortification walls in France. The ramparts were built in the 1300’s to defend Avignon, especially when the city was the residence of seven popes! The city inside stretches over 4,000 meters long, and there are plenty of great AirBnB’s to stay in. I highly recommend finding a spot inside of the walls for your stay as it is really peaceful and lovely. The whole town is quite walkable and that’s where you will want to spend a lot of your time.
Take a pastry walking tour
There are plenty of patisseries and boulangeries inside the ramparts. Take yourself on a walking tour for breakfast and pick up a cappuccino on your way. We tried croissants, baklava, pain au chocolat and other delicious treats. It’s the best way to get the day started. Some of my favorite stops were Mimi’s Pain Au Levain, Boulangerie Marie Blachère, Boulangerie Violette and Pâtisserie Vernet.
Wander Place de l’Horloge
This is Avignon’s main square, which is pretty lively and busy. There are plenty of shops to peruse and places to grab a coffee.
Visit Palais des Papes
This is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Once a fortress and palace, the papal residence was a seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century. Listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco, the Popes’ Palace is one of the 10 most visited monuments in France with 650,000 visitors per year.
Fetch lunch at Les Halles d’Avignon
This is Avignon’s food hall, sort of like Boston’s Quincy Market or Cleveland’s West Side Market, where there are tons of stalls of fresh bakery, produce, cheeses and other eats to choose from. This is an ideal stop for lunch to grab some picnic items. We got slices of fresh pizza that were heavenly.
Walk to Rocher de Doms Jardin
Located right by Palais de Papes, climb the small hill and find a serene garden with a pond full of swans. There’s great panoramic views and there is a nice cafe you can sit and have snacks, lunch or a drink. It was an opportunity to sit and rest our tired feet for a while.
Plan an afternoon of wine tastings
Avignon is located in the Côtes du Rhône wine region, which is one of the most famous wine-producing areas in France. This area has ideal climate, with warm summers and mild winters, providing vineyards with appropriate sunshine to grow grape varieties like Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Interestingly, the soil is heavy with clay and limestone, which is beneficial for the grapes longevity.
That said, there are a lot of châteaus you can visit in this area that offer organized tastings for groups. The vineyards require a car ride, so I highly recommend signing up for an organized tour. We did this one from GetYourGuide, and it included car pick up and visits to a couple of wonderful places. Our tour guy, Frederick, was very kind and knowledgeable, teaching us about the history of each place and how they each create their wine.
On our journey we visited Château Pesquié, which had exceptional rosé (we bought a bottle) and was a stunning spot for photos. We then journeyed to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which makes predominantly red wines. We loved it and would do it again!
Have a nice dinner
Here are some delicious dinner spots to check out and reserve before your time in Avignon:
- Maison de la Tour – this was a nice, quiet place to sit outside and enjoy some typical french fare. Get the fresh tomato salad if they have it. Reserve here.
- L’Agape – a classically nice place for an evening. Reserve here.
- Chez Lulu – a small restaurant with Provencal cuisine.
- La Mirande – a high end restaurant in a five star restaurant, serving seasonal dishes. Book here.
Other day trips you can plan
Wanting to explore some more? You can rent a car and go check out some nearby spots:
Pont Du Gard – About 40 minutes from Avignon, you can visit the Roman aqueduct, which is a world Heritage site. It’s one of the best-preserved examples of ancient Roman engineering and is set in a beautiful natural environment where you can hike, swim, or picnic.
See the Lavender Fields – If you are visiting during the lavender season (just June–August), take a day trip from Avignon to visit the iconic Provençal lavender fields. Check out GetYourGuide for options – some tours also include visits to distilleries where you can learn how lavender oil is made. We unfortunately just missed the fields because they had been harvested, but there are a bunch of cute shops that you can stop by to get fresh soap, bundles of lavender and perfumes.
Visit another town – if you have a car, you might want to see a whole other town. Some of your close options are Nîmes, Uzès and Aix en Provence.
What to wear in Avignon
Avignon is still pretty southern for France, so expect mild weather. We went in September and it wasn’t super hot, so I packed dresses, long shorts, cardigans and a light jean jacket. Don’t forget comfy walking shoes!
Where should Avignon go in my larger itinerary?
Since Avignon doesn’t have a large airport, I recommend placing it in the middle of your trip. It’s easier to fly to Paris and work your way down or fly to Nice and work your way up. Here’s my full itinerary that you can check out at my larger blog post:
- 2 days in Nice
- 1 day trip to the Gorge du Verdon (in Provence)
- 2 days in Avignon
- 2 days in Bordeaux (including a day in Saint Emilion)
- 4 days in Paris
- 1 day in Champagne country
- 2 days dedicated to travel
I hope you enjoyed this quick guide and feel like you know how to spend 48 hours in Avignon, France! It’s a great place to wander, shop, try the French cuisine and see some beautiful architecture.
Have questions?
If you have more questions about Avignon, feel free to leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram: @caroline_hoffman.
Other travel guides
Check out my other travel itineraries for your future trips:
How to Spend 48 hours in Nice, France
How to Spend 48 Hours in Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion, France
How to spend 10 days in Europe: Dublin, Paris and London
