Arles day trip from Avignon or Aix-en-Provence or Marseille
A day trip to Arles from Avignon, Aix-en-Provence or Marseille: the Roman theatre, the church and cloister of Saint-Trophime and the amphitheatre in the morning, Place du Forum where Van Gogh painted his café terrace and the Espace Van Gogh, then the Musée départemental Arles antique with its Roman barge, Frank Gehry's LUMA tower and the Alyscamps at the end of the day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Arles in 1 day
Day 1
Roman Theatre of Arles
First-century theatre from the time of Augustus beside the amphitheatre, with two standing columns of its stage wall and summer performances.
Church and Cloister of Saint-Trophime
Former cathedral with a carved Romanesque portal of the Last Judgement and a cloister of Romanesque and Gothic galleries.
Arles Amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatre from the first century, still used for bullfights and the Camargue races; climb its towers for the view over the roofs.
Place du Forum and the Café Van Gogh
Lively square on the site of the Roman forum, with the yellow café that Van Gogh painted in Café Terrace at Night.
Espace Van Gogh
The old hospital where Van Gogh was treated in 1889, its courtyard garden replanted as in his painting of it.
Musée départemental Arles antique
Museum of Roman Arles by the Rhône, its highlight the Arles-Rhône 3, a Roman barge raised from the river; closed Tuesdays.
LUMA Arles
Arts centre in the old railway workshops, crowned by Frank Gehry's twisting steel tower, with exhibitions and a park; opening days vary by season.
Alyscamps
Roman and medieval burial ground outside the walls, an avenue of stone tombs under trees, painted by Van Gogh and Gauguin.
Watch: Arles
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
Trains reach Arles in about 20 minutes from Avignon, about 45 minutes to an hour from Marseille and about 1 hour 15 from Aix-en-Provence. The station is a walk of about 10 minutes from the amphitheatre.
Staying in Avignon or Aix-en-Provence or Marseille? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Arles
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, warm and lively. Summer is hot, but it is the season of the Rencontres d'Arles photography festival, from July into September. The Easter Feria and the Feria du Riz in September fill the town with crowds, and the mistral can blow hard at any time of year.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Arles on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Arles on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Arles on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Arles
- A combined monuments pass covers the Roman sites, the cloister and the city's museums, and is worth it if you visit several.
- The old town is compact and best seen on foot; the antiquities museum by the Rhône, and LUMA with the Alyscamps, are a 10-20 minute walk outside it.
- The Musée départemental Arles antique is closed on Tuesdays, and LUMA Arles's opening days change with the season; check both before you go.
- In summer start early: the stone streets and the amphitheatre get very hot by the afternoon.
- Have a drink on Place du Forum in the evening, when the café terrace is lit as in Van Gogh's painting.
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
- Alyscamps: ChrisO (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Church and Cloister of Saint-Trophime: unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Espace Van Gogh: lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0
- Musée départemental Arles antique: Finoskov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Place du Forum and the Café Van Gogh: Isiwal, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Roman Theatre of Arles: Sailko, CC BY 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
