Avignon in 2 Days: Papal Palace and the Rhône

Make the Palais des Papes the main visit of the first morning. The vast halls explain the scale of the medieval papal court; start here before the smaller buildings around the palace square.

The cathedral stands beside the palace, so visit the two together. Its position above the city is part of the appeal, with the Rocher des Doms immediately behind.

Walk up for views across the Rhône and towards Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. The garden has reopened in part during restoration, so this route uses it as a short viewpoint stop rather than a full garden circuit.

Choose the Petit Palais for Italian paintings and medieval art in a former ecclesiastical residence. It is beside the main palace, making this the easiest art museum to pair with the papal quarter.

Finish the first day’s main circuit in the square around the town hall and theatre. Walk through the surrounding lanes to find somewhere to eat rather than making another major sightseeing stop.

The Calvet collection occupies an eighteenth-century mansion in the southern old town. Choose it for older paintings and sculpture; the Collection Lambert nearby offers a contemporary alternative.

Make this your second-day art stop if contemporary work interests you more than the Calvet’s older collection. Its exhibition spaces occupy two historic townhouses, an interesting contrast with the art inside.

Walk along the narrow watercourse and surviving waterwheels of the former dyers’ street. It is a good final stretch after the museums, with a different atmosphere from the palace quarter.

A smaller art collection for travellers who prefer an intimate museum to a long gallery session. Substitute it for one of the second-day museums and keep the rest of the afternoon for the old streets.

Cross to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon for the fortified hilltop and views back towards the papal city. This is a separate half-day option, best paired with the Chartreuse rather than squeezed between central sights.

Explore the courtyards and cloisters of the former Carthusian monastery in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Combine it with Fort Saint-André if you want a second day across the river instead of more central museums.