The City of Popes, and where the cruise begins. Avignon's medieval walls wrap a compact old town of honey-coloured stone, café-filled squares and the enormous Gothic Palais des Papes. The ship ties up on the Rhône just outside the ramparts (usually Allées de l'Oulle), about a 10–12 minute walk from the Palace. You get two visits here: an easy embarkation evening on Day 1, and a full day on Day 3 after Arles.
Day 1 — Sunday, October 18
Arrive Marseille · Transfer to Avignon · Board the ship · Easy evening stroll
Assumed: overnight flight from the US landing at Marseille Provence (MRS) Sunday morning. Transfer to the Avignon dock takes about 1h15 by car. Viking's transfer is included only if flights were bought through Viking Air; otherwise a pre-booked private van for 4 with luggage runs about €200–260 total. Viking boarding normally opens mid-afternoon (around 3pm). If you land early, ask Viking whether the ship will hold bags, then have a gentle lunch in town.
Lunch (if early): Les Halles food market is open Sunday mornings until about 2pm. Graze the stalls for cheese, olives, tapenade and a glass of Côtes du Rhône. Budget ~€30–45 per couple.
Afternoon: Board, unpack once, nap. Around 5:30pm walk up to the Rocher des Doms gardens behind the Palace for the view over the Pont d'Avignon and the Rhône at golden hour. It's about 12 minutes from the ship, with a gentle climb.
Evening: Welcome briefing and dinner onboard, included. You've just come off a long-haul flight, so keep tonight simple.
Day 3 — Tuesday, October 20
Palace of the Popes · Market · Wine: pick your afternoon
The ship returns to Avignon from Arles overnight. The morning is Viking's included walking tour through the old town and into the Palace. Afternoon is your choice between Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine, the Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, or free time in town.
✅ Viking included
- Avignon Walk & Pope's Palace: guided walk through the old town and inside the Palais des Papes (entry included).
💳 Viking optional (extra cost)
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Tasting: the pick for wine lovers, 25 min north.
- Pont du Gard Aqueduct: 2,000-year-old, three-tier Roman aqueduct, 40 min west.
- Lavender Fields of Provence: ⚠️ lavender blooms June–July, so in late October the fields are cut back. Viking may run a village version instead; ask onboard.
- Canoe the Rhône: active option.
🧭 Do it yourself
- After the included tour, walk to Les Halles (open Tue) for a market lunch.
- Walk out onto the Pont d'Avignon (combined ticket with the Palace).
- Late-afternoon Côtes du Rhône tasting flight at Le Carré du Palais, facing the Palace.
- Taxi to Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a private cellar visit (~€60–80 each way for 4). Only worth it if you skip Viking's version.
Viking tour names come from the published itinerary for this sailing. Confirm times, prices and availability in MyViking Journey. Optional tours can sell out, so reserve early.
Dinner: onboard (included). The ship sails for Viviers overnight.
Booking Status
| Item | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Flight arrives Marseille (MRS) | ⚠️ Check | Sun Oct 18 · morning (assumed). Add flight details once confirmed. |
| Transfer MRS → Avignon ship | ⬜ Not booked | Sun Oct 18 · Viking transfer (if Viking Air) or pre-book a private van for 4 · Book in advance |
| Viking Longship embarkation | ✅ Booked | Sun Oct 18 · Avignon · boarding typically from ~3pm (confirm in cruise docs) |
| Avignon Walk & Pope's Palace | ✅ Booked | Tue Oct 20 · morning · included Viking tour |
| Optional: Châteauneuf-du-Pape / Pont du Gard | ⬜ Not booked | Tue Oct 20 · afternoon · Book in advance in MyViking Journey |
Attractions
Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes)
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.5The largest Gothic palace in the world, home to seven popes in the 1300s. Vast stone halls, frescoed chapels, and a rooftop terrace with views over the Rhône. The HistoPad tablet reconstructs the rooms as they looked in papal times.
Tickets & tours: Viator · TripAdvisor
Pont d'Avignon (Pont Saint-Bénézet)
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.3The famous half-bridge from the children's song "Sur le pont d'Avignon". Four of its original 22 arches survive, reaching out into the Rhône with a tiny chapel halfway along.
Tickets & tours: Viator · TripAdvisor
Rocher des Doms Gardens
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.6Free hilltop park behind the Palace and Notre-Dame des Doms cathedral, with its gilded Virgin. Duck pond, café, and the best free view in town over the bridge, river and Mont Ventoux.
Tourism office · Cathedral on Wikipedia
Tickets & tours: Viator · TripAdvisor
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.5The popes' summer wine village, 25 min north. Big, spicy Grenache-based reds grown among galet stones. Ruined papal castle on the hill, and dozens of tasting rooms along the main street.
Tickets & tours: Viator · TripAdvisor
Pont du Gard
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.7UNESCO-listed Roman aqueduct bridge, 49m high and nearly 2,000 years old, spanning the Gardon river in a green gorge. Genuinely jaw-dropping in person.
Tickets & tours: Viator · TripAdvisor
Hotels
🚢 Viking Longship: your floating hotel ✅ BOOKED
Seven nights aboard, Sun Oct 18 to Sun Oct 25. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner. The ship moves between ports, so you never repack.
Restaurants
Les Halles d'Avignon
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.4Covered market behind a living plant wall on Place Pie. ~40 stalls: cheese, charcuterie, olives, oysters, and small counters serving lunch with wine. Casual and local.
Le Carré du Palais
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.3Bistro and Côtes du Rhône wine school right on the Palace square. Refined, reasonably priced plates on a terrace facing the Palais des Papes.
L'Épicerie
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.2Cheerful, colourful bistro with a terrace on pretty Place Saint-Pierre. Generous home-style Provençal cooking; a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice pick.
Opera & Events
Opéra Grand Avignon
Restored 19th-century opera house on Place de l'Horloge. With dinner onboard and early tours, an evening show is unlikely, but worth a look from outside.
Programme · Check closer to travel date for program updates.
Wine & Cocktail Bars
Small Shops & Museums
Rue des Teinturiers
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.5Cobbled, canal-side street of the old dyers' quarter with mossy water wheels, plane trees, small galleries and cafés. A lovely quiet wander off the tourist track.
Papalines & calissons at Les Halles
📍 ★★★★★ ~4.4Pick up papalines d'Avignon, calissons (almond-melon sweets from Aix) and herbes de Provence at the market stalls. Easy gifts that pack flat.
Further Reading
🎧 Listen before you go
🎧 Join Us in France: Avignon: Popes, a Bridge, Marvelous Gastronomy and a Festival
Annie Sargent, a French host, covers why the popes came to Avignon, the Palace and the famous bridge, where to eat, and whether Avignon deserves a spot on your list.
🎧 Travel with Rick Steves: Program 367: Exploring Provence
Rick's radio show segment on the villages and landscapes of Provence, good background for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Pont du Gard options.
🎧 Real Food Traveler: What's the Lyon & Provence Viking River Cruise Really Like
Courtney and Jimmy sailed this exact Viking itinerary in summer 2025. They cover the ship and sailing experience, what each port is like, and practical tips.
Transport
Getting here & around
Marseille airport → Avignon dock: ~80km, ~1h15 by road. Options: (1) Viking transfer if you bought Viking Air; (2) private van for 4 plus luggage, ~€200–260 total, pre-booked; (3) budget: airport shuttle bus to Vitrolles station, then TER train to Avignon Centre (~1h15 total, ~€15pp) and a 10 min taxi to the dock. With 4 people and cruise luggage, option 2 is the easy one.
In town: everything in the walled old town is walkable from the ship. Taxis wait near Porte de l'Oulle.
Rome2Rio: Marseille Airport → Avignon · Rome2Rio: Avignon → Châteauneuf-du-Pape