Nîmes and Pont du Gard in a day
Plans for one day in Nîmes and the Pont du Gard: the Roman aqueduct bridge over the Gardon in the morning, then Nîmes with the Maison Carrée temple, the Roman arena and the Musée de la Romanité opposite it, and the Tour Magne above the Jardins de la Fontaine at the end of the day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Nîmes and Pont du Gard in 1 day
Day 1
Pont du Gard
Three-tiered Roman aqueduct bridge of the first century over the Gardon river, which once carried water to Nîmes; a museum explains it.
Maison Carrée
Roman temple from the time of Augustus, one of the best preserved anywhere, standing on its own square in the centre.
Arena of Nîmes
First-century Roman amphitheatre, among the best preserved in the world, still used for bullfights, concerts and shows.
Musée de la Romanité
Modern museum opposite the arena with mosaics, inscriptions and finds from Roman Nîmes, and a roof terrace looking over the amphitheatre.
Tour Magne
Roman tower on the hill at the top of the Jardins de la Fontaine, part of the old city walls; climb it for views over Nîmes.
Jardins de la Fontaine
Eighteenth-century gardens built around the spring that founded Nîmes, with canals, stone balustrades and the ruined Temple of Diana.
When to go to Nîmes and Pont du Gard
Spring and autumn are the best seasons. Summer is very hot, though a swim in the Gardon at the Pont du Gard helps. The Feria de Pentecôte in late spring and the Feria des Vendanges in September fill Nîmes with crowds, and the arena closes to visitors on show days.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Nîmes and Pont du Gard on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Nîmes and Pont du Gard on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Nîmes and Pont du Gard on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
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Tips for Nîmes and Pont du Gard
- Go to the Pont du Gard first thing, before the heat and the tour coaches; it is about 30 minutes from Nîmes by car, or by regional bus from Nîmes or Avignon.
- In summer you can swim in the Gardon below the bridge; bring water shoes for the pebbles.
- The arena closes to visitors on bullfight, concert and show days, so check its calendar before you go.
- A combined ticket covers the arena, the Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne; the Musée de la Romanité is closed on Tuesdays from November to March.
- The centre of Nîmes is compact: walk from the Maison Carrée and the arena up to the Jardins de la Fontaine for the evening.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Arena of Nîmes: Krzysztof Golik, edited by Janke, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jardins de la Fontaine: unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Maison Carrée: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Musée de la Romanité: Herbert Frank from Wien (Vienna), AT, CC BY 2.0
- Pont du Gard: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tour Magne: Culturespaces/C.Recoura, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
