Caves · Gard
1 Grotte de la Cocalière
The Cocalière cave, in the commune of Courry in the Gard, stretches out its knotty arms, long endless galleries, to visitors who advance, a little intimidated.
View full page →What to see in Gard in 3 days
Gard combines exceptional Roman heritage, the Ardèche and Cèze gorges, the Cévennes and stone villages. Nîmes, the Pont du Gard and Uzès are the big names, but the hinterland holds lovely discoveries.
This itinerary spreads the best-rated sites in the catalogue over three days.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — Grotte de la Cocalière to Cascade du Sautadet
This day brings together 4 sites close to each other: caves, natural wonders and waterfalls. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Driving for the day: about 70.5 km, or 2 h 06 behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
↓ 29.3 km · about 41 min by car to the next stop
Caves · Gard
2 Grotte de la Salamandre
You can discover the site in four ways: the viewpoint with a panoramic view of the cave, the guided tour, the Grand Rappel (50 metres' descent to discover the immense hall from its ceiling) and the Coulisses (two hours of caving adventure in the cave's hidden galleries).
View full page →↓ 21.5 km · about 46 min by car to the next stop
Natural wonders · Gard
3 Les Concluses de lussan
The Aiguillon, a stream dry in summer, has traced in the limestone plateau a rocky defile called "Les Concluses".
View full page →↓ 19.7 km · about 39 min by car to the next stop
Waterfalls · Gard
4 Cascade du Sautadet
The Cèze has carved channels and cavities that end up joining and forming crevasses into which the river rushes.
View full page →Day 2 — Cirque de Navacelle to Grotte du Trabuc
This day brings together 3 sites close to each other: natural wonders and caves. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Driving for the day: about 87.8 km, or 2 h 40 behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Natural wonders · Gard
5 Cirque de Navacelle
Like other famous sites of the Grands Causses, the Cirque de Navacelles is visited every year by millions of tourists who come to admire the cut of the Vis canyon through the limestones and dolomites of the Causse de Blandas.
View full page →↓ 60.5 km · about 1 h 55 by car to the next stop
Natural wonders · Gard
6 Les Rochers de Sauve
The Mer des Rochers overlooking the medieval town of Sauve, this rocky chaos presents a fairy-tale landscape where vegetation and rocks of astonishing shapes mingle.
View full page →↓ 27.3 km · about 45 min by car to the next stop
Caves · Gard
7 Grotte du Trabuc
The Trabuc cave is the largest underground network in the Cévennes. The Underground Safari route follows the main galleries, those travelled by the first discoverers.
View full page →Day 3 — Seaquarium - Musée de la mer to Uzès
This day brings together 5 sites close to each other: towns and cities, aquariums and waterfalls. It passes through Nîmes and Uzès. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Driving for the day: about 120.9 km, or 3 h 50 behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Aquariums · Gard
8 Seaquarium - Musée de la mer
Giant aquarium and marine mammal area. Mediterranean and tropical fish, shark tunnel and walkway, giant seal and sea-lion tank, many interactive areas, children's trail, Sea Museum.
View full page →↓ 52.1 km · about 46 min by car to the next stop
Towns & cities · Nîmes
9 Nîmes
Prefecture of the Gard with exceptional ancient heritage, whose arena and Maison Carrée stand next to the elegant eighteenth-century Jardins de la Fontaine.
View full page →↓ 23.8 km · about 38 min by car to the next stop
Waterfalls · Gard
10 La Baume du Gardon
The Gardon gorges are north of Nîmes, in the Gard: they start from the hamlet of Russan, where the Maison des gorges du Gardon welcomes visitors, and end in style beneath an arch of the Pont du Gard.
View full page →↓ 18.4 km · about 1 h 15 by car to the next stop
Bridges · Gard
11 Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to let the Nîmes aqueduct, nearly 50 km long, cross the Gardon.
View full page →↓ 26.7 km · about 1 h 11 by car to the next stop
Towns & cities · Uzès
12 Uzès
First duchy of France, an elegant town of art with arcaded squares and blond-stone mansions, dominated by the towers of the Duchy and the cathedral.
View full page →When to go
Spring and autumn are ideal: mild temperatures and less crowded sites. Summer is very hot, especially on the plain, with many visitors. Winter is quiet, but some sites reduce their opening days.
Getting around
A car lets you link the sites, which are far apart. The big towns, such as Nîmes and Uzès, are explored on foot. The gorges can be discovered on foot or by canoe.
Our tips
- Start early to visit while avoiding the heat.
- For river swimming, follow local rules.
- Bring water and a hat for outdoor visits.
- Book in advance in high season for the best-known sites.
If you have more time
Caves · Gard
Abime de Bramabiau
The abyss is the only active network (underground river) developed in France.
Villages · Gard
Montclus
The village of Montclus lies in the north-east of the Gard département on a meander of the river Cèze.
Castles · Gard
Remparts d'Aigues Mortes
On the marshy expanse of the Camargue stands out the fortified enclosure of Aigues-Mortes, built ex nihilo in the thirteenth century by Saint Louis to give the kingdom of France a port on the Mediterranean.
Villages · Gard
La Roque-sur-Cèze
This little medieval village is built on a rocky peak and offers a splendid view of the Sautadet Falls, a site classified as a natural area.
Villages · Gard
Aiguèze
Aiguèze is a small medieval village that overlooks from its cliff the exit of the Ardèche Gorges, one side perched on a cliff above the Ardèche gorges, the other facing the Côtes du Rhône vineyards.
Waterfalls · Gard
Source de lafoux
Source de Lafoux and Gorges de la Vis: the Vis gorges (a magnificent cut between the Causse du Larzac and the Causse de Blandas) and the Lafoux resurgence, an oasis of freshness and vitality in a mineral and arid world.
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