Adult (Palais only)
Ages 18+
€30
- Full 25-room palace circuit
- Pontifical Gardens (included)
- HistoPad AR tablet — 11 languages
- Skip-the-line priority queue
Walk the Gothic fortress where seven popes ruled Christendom
Step inside the medieval fortress where seven popes ruled the Catholic world from a cliff above the Rhône — twenty-five rooms, sixty-eight years, the largest Gothic palace ever built. Skip the queue, walk straight in.
See ticket options- 1335 Built during the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377)
- 15,000 m² Europe's largest Gothic palace
- UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1995
- 600 K / yr visitors to the palace
Choose your ticket
Reduced (Palais only)
Students · seniors · youth 8–17
€25
- Full palace + HistoPad + Pontifical Gardens
- Skip-the-line priority queue
- Bring valid ID at entry
Family — Palais + Pont
2 adults + 2 children (8–17)
€78
- Palace + Pont d'Avignon for the whole family
- HistoPad AR tablet — 11 languages
- Under-8s free at the gate — we handle the paperwork
- Skip-the-line for all four
Palais + Pont d'Avignon
Classic Avignon combo — palace + bridge
€35
- Full palace + HistoPad
- Pont Saint-Bénézet (the 'Pont d'Avignon' of the song)
- Both skip-the-line
Antwerp, Belgium
“The HistoPad is the thing. Every room looks like an empty stone hall — point the tablet and you see what it was in 1370: tapestries, chairs, carved wood, the pope sitting there. Turned what could have been 'big cold Gothic rooms' into a story.”
Fukuoka, Japan
“Palais + bridge combo is the right call. Palace in the morning (cooler, fresher energy), Pont d'Avignon after lunch. Finally got the 'Sur le pont d'Avignon' song out of my head by actually walking on it.”
Oxford, UK
“Booked Pont du Gard the same trip. Two TGV hours from Paris, two Roman-medieval-French monuments, one French weekend. Skip-the-line at both saved us roughly three hours of queueing in July.”
- Refund if we can't deliver Full money back if your slot can't be secured
- Real humans, not bots English-speaking concierge, not AI
- Pay in your local currency Same price at checkout · no FX surprise
- No hidden fees Total shown upfront · what you see is what you pay
About Palais des Papes
In 1309 Pope Clement V, under French royal pressure, moved the papal court from Rome to Avignon. For 68 years — seven popes — Christendom's administrative centre was here, not at the Vatican. The palace you visit today was built between 1335 and 1364 by Popes Benedict XII (the austere 'Old Palace') and Clement VI (the decorated 'New Palace') to house that government.
At 15,000 m² it is the largest Gothic palace in Europe. The Great Chapel alone is 52 metres long. The papal apartments, including Clement VI's Pope's Chamber with its preserved blue-star fresco ceiling and the Stag Room with its hunting-scene murals, survive with original 14th-century painted surfaces — rare anywhere. The Consistory and Grand Audience Hall held the diplomatic work of the medieval Church.
After the papacy returned to Rome in 1377, Avignon remained a papal legation until the French Revolution, then spent 110 years as a Napoleonic army barracks (which damaged most of the frescoes). Restoration has been continuous since the early 20th century. The HistoPad AR tablet now shows each room as it looked when popes ruled Europe from here.
Practical information
- Opening hours
- Apr–Oct: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Nov–Mar: daily 09:30 – 17:45. Summer (Jul–Aug) extended hours some evenings. Closed 25 December.
- Address
- Place du Palais, 84000 Avignon, France
- Getting there
- 10-min walk from Avignon Centre station. TGV station (Avignon TGV) is 15 min away — shuttle bus 'Gare TGV' → 'Poste' stops in the old town 5 min from the palace.
- Getting there from Paris
- TGV Paris Gare de Lyon → Avignon TGV (2h40m direct). Realistic as a long day trip; better as an overnight with Pont du Gard or the Luberon.
- Getting there from Marseille
- 30-min direct TGV. Easy day trip.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours for the full palace circuit with the HistoPad. Add 30 min for the Pont d'Avignon (it's 500 metres away, 30-min visit is enough). Lunch in Avignon old town between them works.
- Accessibility
- The palace has significant medieval staircases. Lift access to some upper floors. Accessible route covers about 60% of the palace. Contact us before booking if mobility is a concern.
- Photography
- Permitted without flash or tripod. No drones. The Stag Room frescoes are the most-photographed interior.
- HistoPad
- Included in all our tickets. 11 languages. The tablet shows each room as it looked in the 14th century — frescoed, furnished, inhabited. 2-hour self-paced loop.
About our service
Papal Palace Tickets acts as a facilitator to assist international visitors in purchasing skip-the-line tickets directly from Avignon Tourisme, the official operator of the Palais des Papes and the Pont Saint-Bénézet. We do not resell tickets — we provide a personalised booking and English-language support service. Our concierge service fee is included in the displayed price. For those who prefer to purchase directly, the official ticket site is palais-des-papes.com.
Frequently asked
What's included in the skip-the-line ticket?
Priority entry at the Place du Palais gate, full access to the 25-room palace circuit (Great Chapel, Pope's Chamber, Stag Room, Consistory, Grand Audience Hall, terraces with city views), and the HistoPad AR tablet in your choice of 11 languages. The Pont d'Avignon is included only on the combo tier.
What's the HistoPad?
A tablet provided at entry that, in each room, shows a 3D reconstruction of how it looked under the 14th-century popes — frescoes as they were, furniture, figures. 11 languages including EN/FR/DE/ES/IT/JP/ZH/KO/RU/PT/AR. Kids-mode available. Included in every ticket tier.
Should I add the Pont d'Avignon?
Yes, for €5 extra. The Pont Saint-Bénézet ('the bridge of the Avignon song') is 500m from the palace, takes 30 min to walk, and completes the UNESCO listing. The combo bundles entry to both — the official combo rate (€17) is also the cheapest way to do them together. Most first-time visitors do both.
How long does a visit take?
2–3 hours for the palace with the HistoPad at a steady pace. Add 30–45 min for the Pont d'Avignon. A full Avignon morning or afternoon if you include lunch in the old town between the two.
How bad are the queues?
Peak-summer (Jul–Aug) weekend queues hit 40–60 min at the main gate. Mornings (09:00–10:30) and late afternoons (after 16:30) are quieter. Skip-the-line cuts any queue to under 5 minutes.
Is it a day trip from Paris?
Doable as a long day — TGV Paris Gare de Lyon → Avignon TGV in 2h40m. Better as an overnight with Pont du Gard or the Luberon. From Marseille or Lyon: easy day trip.
Can we change the date?
Two situations trigger a full refund: (a) we cannot secure your chosen slot, or (b) the palace closes (rare — 25 Dec mainly). Outside those, tickets are non-transferable. Reply to your confirmation email 48h+ ahead and we'll try.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes — kids 8+ tend to love the HistoPad (kids' mode), the Stag Room frescoes, and the ramparts views. Under-8s are free at the gate; the family tier bundles the paperwork. The palace has significant stairs — strollers are tough, a carrier works better.
Where exactly do I enter? Where's the meeting point?
The Palais des Papes entrance is on Place du Palais, on the western (river-facing) side of the palace. Skip-the-line ticket holders go to the dedicated priority lane to the left of the main entrance — staff scan the QR code on your PDF. There is no separate meeting point with us; we are your booking concierge, not an on-site tour.
What if it rains?
The Palais des Papes is largely covered. Internal courtyards (Cour d'Honneur, Cour de Bénoit XII) are open to the sky but small. Heavy rain affects the rooftop terraces only — the rest is indoor. The HistoPad still works the same. The Pont d'Avignon is fully exposed; combo visitors usually do the palace first, then the bridge if rain breaks.
Is there an audio guide?
The HistoPad tablet replaces the traditional audio guide. It plays narrated room-by-room commentary in 11 languages and shows AR reconstructions of how each room looked in the 14th century. There is no separate audio-guide product. For visitors who prefer audio-only, the 'Les Clefs du Palais' WebApp is available in 6 languages on your own phone.
Are there guided tours in English?
Yes — Avignon Tourisme runs scheduled English-language guided tours (90 min) on most days during the high season. These are separate from your skip-the-line ticket and not bundled in our concierge service. If you specifically want a guide, message us before booking and we'll point you at the right time slot.
Can I bring a backpack or large bag?
Small bags and daypacks are allowed through the security check. Large suitcases and backpacks over roughly 30 litres must be left in cloakrooms or at your accommodation. Avignon Centre station has 24-hour automated lockers if you arrive by train.
Are there restaurants or cafés inside the palace?
There is a café in the Grand Tinel (one of the great halls) that serves drinks, light snacks, and a small lunch menu. For a full meal we recommend leaving the palace, walking 5 minutes to Place de l'Horloge or Rue des Trois Faucons, and choosing from the old town's restaurants. Many travellers do palace 09:30 → lunch in old town → Pont d'Avignon.
What's the dress code?
There is no formal dress code. Comfortable walking shoes matter — the palace has uneven medieval stone floors and significant staircases. Layers are useful: the stone interiors stay cool even in summer, while the rooftop terraces are exposed.