Palais des Papes image

Palais des Papes

Tourist attraction Historical landmark Castle

One of the Most Revieweds in Avignon


Address

Pl. du Palais, 84000 Avignon, France

Website

www.palais-des-papes.com

Contact

+33 4 32 74 32 74

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (42.8K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Monday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Tuesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Wednesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Thursday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Friday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: palace (38) visit (38) tablet (25) Avignon (24) rooms (21) history (21) time (20) tour (19) interesting (19) room (14)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Georgiana G. 1 year ago on Google
    We enjoyed visiting this palace very much. Once we arrived and got our tickets, we were offered tablets and headphones. While we took the self guided tour, we could see with the help of the tablets the way in which each room looked like back in the day. We appreciated the integration of technology in the experience. The tickets we got included a visit on the Avignon bridge too.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 J_Gogo 7 months ago on Google
    This palace has survived the centuries in its entirety, it's truly amazing how huge this place is. The whole thing is run by tablets that have all the information on the building with virtual details on most of the rooms that can be visited. I found it intuitive, perhaps because I'm younger, but I think the goal of interacting with the past with the technologies of the present was appreciated by everyone. I recommend anyone to come here to visit this UNESCO monument and full of history!🤩🙏
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 李善雲 1 year ago on Google
    Amazing castle with very interesting history guide. Chinese is available in the guide. There are incredible wall paintings in the castle where you can’t take photos in those rooms. It’s definitely worth the ticket price and the visit. The 3D castle magnet is very pretty and I couldn’t find the same magnet design elsewhere apart from in the castle souvenir shop. Unfortunately it seems impossible to visit the souvenir shop again once you are out of the gate.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 aC 4 months ago on Google • 1328 reviews
    Good place to visit if you're here. You're given a tablet so you can read up on certain exhibits and rooms. Better if you can read French cos there's a lot more info in French. A lot of stairs.

  • 5/5 Hayley P. 9 months ago on Google
    Lovely piece of history. It truly shows the dichotomy of the Papal palace in Rome, which was taken care of so meticulously versus the Avignon Palace that became a barracks and suffered a lot of destruction. It makes the grandeur of the building itself come through, and the frescoes that survive are much more poignant.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kirill M. 6 months ago on Google
    That’s the most exciting experience that I’ve had in the south of France. Of you a fun of history and old castles that’s place definitely can inspire and surprise you. You can take an excursion of walk through the Palace with a tablet which helps you digitally interact with different objects to feel a kind of belonging to a true history. That’d be very interesting for adults and kids. English is available. So if you have a chance to visit Avignon - don’t miss the chance.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Pablo G. 7 months ago on Google
    Beautiful historic site. The visit is done with tablets that use AR to show you how the palace looked when the popes lived there. Unfortunately most of the site has changed since then and there aren't many artifacts or rooms that are in their original state so you have to almost fully rely on the tablet. However, the site is still beautiful and the tablet does a good job in explaining the history behind every room.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lam D. 1 year ago on Google
    This was an awe inspiring visit to the palace of the popes. You receive an iPad upon entry that will provide an audio guide and an augmented reality option (in some rooms that have the features) while you are walking through the grand halls of the palace. You feel as if you are taken back to the 13th century as you view the spectacular grounds. I’ve been to the Vatican and I would say this has some of those similar grand aspects in this French version.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Diana Z. 2 years ago on Google
    An amazing must-visit place, where you'll discover interesting facts about history and some astonishing buildings, with some spectacular architecture. The tour is up to date and you'll receive a tablet that'll guide you through the fascinating medieval place. If you buy an extra ticket, It's possible to go through the remarkable gardens. Worth to visit if you visit Provence/Cote d'Azur/France.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cole W. 8 months ago on Google
    Beautifully curated and well kept palace. There is so much history to be discovered, and so many new things to explore. It is very well kept, with cleaning every few weeks, for the outside. The town surrounding is very touristy, with many shops and restaurants to see. I would recommend going into the palace after lunch, so that you'll go in not starving.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 J L. 2 years ago on Google
    Really cool place to visit. Don’t bother with the game to collect tokens. The “prize” is just a digital certificate by email. It’s also a complete distraction from the actual site and info. Skip the garden. It’s totally pointless and not worth the extra fee at all. You can see the entire garden from the windows that face it. The tablet provides a cool AR experience to see what each room used to be used for.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Margaret N. 10 months ago on Google
    Excellent histopad which takes you through the various rooms. You scan the scan in each room and on your pad the room as it was is brought to life, with marked areas to learn more about the room, the people who used it and about some of the items used, as well as seeing how it was decorated. Well worth a visit. Many many steps both up and down.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Craig P. 4 months ago on Google • 516 reviews
    It's worth a walk through because of its importance and size, both significant but the crowds (even on the last day of October) can make looking at some of the smaller rooms impossible. So you wait until the crowd has left or you skip the room. In summer it would be horrific I'm sure, and if I imagine the crowds I would say not worth it. The tour route is not particularly clear and the history ipad thing is a bit clunky. The best thing I can say about it is that it saves trees for brochures.

  • 4/5 Jesse R. 2 years ago on Google
    I really enjoyed the tablet showing what each room was used for, including bits on info on features around the room. The audio guides were great too. A bit pricey but I suppose worth it…. Only do it if you’re interested in Avignon’s history’s
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andrea M. 7 months ago on Google
    The building is simply amazing, and the immersive histopad really makes company for a whole hour and a half. Shame only to the big seating scaffolded structure in the main courtyard, which have been prepared for some shows and are visually ruining the atmosphere.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Thomas G. 8 months ago on Google
    Immer eine Reise wert. Neu: Führung mit Tablets (Schatzsuche inklusive). Tickets sollte man vorher online buchen. Das macht den Eintritt in einfacher. Der Rundgang dauert ca 1,5h.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Thomas D. 1 year ago on Google
    A must see when visiting Avignon. For the (self)guided tour you will get a tablet and headphones to guide you through the palais or at least some parts of it. The audio guide will give you information about the rooms you're walking through and the people/popes who lived here. In certain rooms the tablet will give you a visual representation of how the room was decorated when it was inhabited back in the days. There are some more features on the tablet but that's just for fun and games (for kids). Really enjoyed this palais and tour and the way it was presented. Recommended.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mike S. 2 years ago on Google
    If you are in Avignon then make sure you take the time to come visit this palace. The history is well explaned in just about every language you could ask for. You will be given a tablet which shows what the palace looked like at different periods of use. The gardens are wonderfully recreated and overall the visit is very nice. The price is also very fair and once you are done you can have a nice drink at one of the many establishments immediately outside the palace and take in the view.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joe M. 3 months ago on Google • 261 reviews New
    We had a great experience visiting this palace. Lots of historical events happened here that everyone who comes to Avignon have to know. I've learned lots of new things about the way of living of the popes, his second hand, the treasury, the three-storey kitchen, etc. The palace is grandiose.

  • 5/5 Rav W (. 1 month ago on Google • 122 reviews New
    An amazing place with a history that makes you think about the "infallibility and unity" of the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, the palace itself, its vastness and splendor inspire respect and admiration. How were people in those times able to build something so huge and so solid at the same time!? Wonderful cloisters, walls and courtyards. Huge spaces of halls inside the palace. Incredible.

  • 5/5 Guillaume S. 2 months ago on Google • 70 reviews New
    I didn't know I would enjoy this visit so much. The computer tablets they lend you are a bit of a distraction at the beginning, but turn out to be a wealth of information and a lot of fun once you figure them out. The palace is amazing and historically very significant. This is the one thing everyone should do when visiting Avignon. I can't believe it took me this long to get there.

  • 5/5 Luckas B. 3 months ago on Google • 65 reviews New
    Great palace from ancient times. You get a tablet for free to use during the visit. With that you can get a lot of background information about the palace and each room. With the tablet you can also look around to see on the screen how those rooms used to look like during the pope was living there.

  • 5/5 Autumn L. 3 months ago on Google • 40 reviews New
    This is a beautiful place with lots of history. Be sure to walk on the very old famous bridge where you can see remnants from long ago. Lots of history and beauty here. Highly recommend a visit to Avignon. You will not be disappointed. 🩷

  • 4/5 Jaran M. 7 months ago on Google
    How does one rate a place like this? Whether or not you like it, it is very important in the history of western Christianity and numerous other things. The palace is set up to manage large numbers of tourists and is nicely restored in places. Give yourself several hours to make your way through the edifice. If you want to enter rather than only viewing the exterior, make sure to buy tickets online and to arrive on time. Apparently their tolerance for late arrivals is small.

  • 5/5 gary c. 6 months ago on Google
    Stunning. Did not enter building as we were a bit late. The gardens at the top were open and free. Amazing views of area and river. Such a great place to chill

  • 4/5 Jacques B. 6 months ago on Google
    Suggest an organized tour (we missed it by 5 min). There is a free tablet, but it is not that flowing as a person. The garden we visited was nice but the price addition to the ticket is not worth it. Note that there are many steps and no elevators.

  • 4/5 Allen G. 4 months ago on Google
    Very interesting and pretty much over the top Hugh place with massive rooms. The tablet with augmentation was unique and adds a different perceptive. Recommend but not the bridge as not much to see

  • 4/5 Brent H. 5 months ago on Google
    It's definitely an interesting place to visit while in Avignon. It takes a few hours to see everything so dedicate some time. The tablets they lend you for the tour are awesome. They let you view each room as they were centuries ago.

  • 5/5 Monica K. 10 months ago on Google
    Very interesting interactive AR experience guide along every walls and corners. Keep kids interested to learn and earn badges along. Don’t miss the garden and the rooftop. Best panorama spots!

  • 5/5 David K. 5 months ago on Google
    If you visit Avignon and you love history, you probably don't want to miss the chance to visit its (semi)bridge and the Pope's palace. And you won't regret it. It's a huge complex full of stories. The only thing I would appreciate would be a bilingual descriptions. Not unusual in France right? ;)

  • 5/5 Philipp W. 7 months ago on Google
    Die Architektur ist natürlich der Wahnsinn! Für weitere 5 Euro sollte man sich das Ticket für die Gärten kaufen - sehr zu empfehlen! Was uns aber am meisten Abgeholt hat war die komplett digitale Führung. Es wurde alles erklärt. Wer wann was gebaut hat und wie es damals in den Räumen aussah! Einfach Spitze

  • 4/5 John Cheeseman (. 7 months ago on Google
    The Palais, and Avignon in general, are worthy of an excursion day. The Palais has a remarkable history given that it was the papal home for about 70 years. And the vista's from the Palais and surrounding area are stunning. Like all things France, there is no shortage of cafe's, coffee or glace. And strolling the streets is delightful. Easy to get to by train from Marseille or Aix-en-Provence.

  • 3/5 Jacqueline C. 7 months ago on Google
    Its indeed a great palace very educational. Book ahead of time. Wear comfortable shoes best time to be there is when they just open. The tablet is amazing though somehow you lost the touch of the Palace too techy on a good size you can see feel like your in the 13th century. We pay including the garden ( to my disappointment the garden is not well maintained.. some weeds are around. Toilets are not well kept either it stinks and floor is soaked with water. You can see the garden from the top. The value for money for the garden access is not there. You need half a day to finished the tour. Then when we wanted to buy something from the shop. They cashier is busy doing paperwork than opening the other cashier. But the remaining cashier is bit slow. Ending up buying nothing. I even heard from on father infront of me says " this is painfully waiting".

  • 4/5 André B. 4 months ago on Google
    An absolutely historical hotspot. It’s one of the biggest, still existing middle age-gothic buildings/ structures. Really impressive - also nicely guided. Your visit will be combined (if you want) with a digital tablet guiding “game”. The digital guide motivates you to explore every room, as you can collect treasures.

  • 4/5 Paul G. 3 months ago on Google New
    Pretty stunning building with amazing views from the tower. The guide gadgets were good for adding colour to the rooms. The exhibition of cardboard sculptures was very interesting. I think for the time of year advance tickets we’re not necessary.

  • 4/5 Rafael G. 7 months ago on Google
    Interesting to learn about the story of this place and how it was important geographically. Easy to visit, they have computer simulation of how the rooms looked. A few of them have the original painting and tiles. Don't forget to visit the gatdens as well.

  • 5/5 Arnoud D. 9 months ago on Google
    Beautiful Palace. More crowded (we visited in juni) than we expected for a visit outside the 'season'. Parking is underneath the Palace (space for 850), almost full when we arrived at 10am. Tour took about 1,5-2 hours. We had a baby in the baby-carrier. Gardens are definitely recommended to visit.

  • 5/5 B S. 3 weeks ago on Google • 39 reviews New
    A visit to the Palais de Papes (Papal Palace) in Avignon takes visitors back to the 14th century when the city served as the seat of the Papacy. The palace is a magnificent Gothic structure, and was a symbol of power and influence for the Catholic Church during that time. I enjoyed stunning architecture, frescoes, and halls that once hosted ceremonies and events. There are various rooms and chambers to explore in the palace. The exhibits, artifacts, and multimedia presentations provide information about the significance of the Papal Palace in the medieval period. From the top of the palace, there are panoramic views of the city of Avignon and the surrounding countryside. Overall, a visit to the Papal Palace in Avignon is a worthwhile investment of time for a lengthy visit.

  • 5/5 Ricardo M. 8 months ago on Google
    Make sure the tablet they hand you is not glitching. I looked over my son's shoulder the whole time. Also for me, the highlight was reaching the highest point on the tour, right before the end. Great pictures.

  • 4/5 Joe K. 1 year ago on Google
    To see it is to better understand 14th & 15th century France and the precarious roles of the pontiffs. Music and theater fetes begin Bastille Week, thus all the seats in the central courtyard.

  • 5/5 Antoine B. 2 years ago on Google
    Truly the most impressive augmented reality experience I’ve seen in any museum, bravo

  • 4/5 Noah C. 2 years ago on Google
    Don't miss the upper floor! Good view of this place from the gardens outside. The garden extension isn't really worth it btw.

  • 5/5 Sylvio H. 2 years ago on Google
    The main attraction in Avignon. This palace was the seat of the papacy for several dozens of years. Marvelous architecture and very interesting interactive VR guide showcasing visual representation of what each room looked liked in the 14th century. A must do in Avignon.

  • 4/5 Miki D. 2 years ago on Google
    Very interesting and historical place. Some rooms o areas are currently closed because of the COVID, but it's very nice anyway. Be careful for the Mistrial in some parts!

  • 5/5 Mateusz P. 2 years ago on Google
    Great historic monument - testament of one of the greatest feud in the Middle Ages. It is being managed very Well - it it clean, Well preserved and fill with interesting information about its history and those who created it and lived in it. Also histopads are great (though not easy to use) Because through them you can actually observe how the palace looked in its heyday. Definitely Worth a visit. Garden part of the tour little less - Because it really is just a walk on the backyard with nothing really interesting in it. If pressed for time, I d skip the gardens.

  • 4/5 Robert C. 2 years ago on Google
    Amazing building, interesting tour experience with the augmented reality tablets, but the gardens are a bit underwhelming and a lot of the displays are only in French (and not translated on the tablet). Some of the rooms are spectacular, and make it worth the ticket price but the gardens are still being restored and some areas looked a bit like a dry vegetable patch in need of weeding when we were there.

  • 3/5 Dominique 2 years ago on Google
    Very large palace with an interactive tablet and games. The kids enjoyed it but I personally found it long sometimes. With a baby, bring a backpack, there are stairs everywhere. There is a nice garden in the back but not included in the visit, need to pay extra. Worth seeing when in Avignon but I wouldn't do it twice.

  • 5/5 Nick D. 1 year ago on Google
    Epic palace of Popes built in 1300 to 1350. Some huge rooms and obscene wealth displayed while most people festered in filth. Histopad works well once you get used to it. Worth every penny. Its a 'must see'.

  • 3/5 Carina P. 1 year ago on Google
    Cool to see to old Papal Palace, and the interactive iPad is mest. However, most, if not all, the information on explanatory boards are in only French. And why not have any period furniture and robes to showcase???? Visit took about 1:15 hours

  • 5/5 Linda C. 1 year ago on Google
    It’s surely a Must see!!! Used to hear my history teacher talk about this period of time. Only by seeing it I felt that history is for real. The papal fight was for real. Amazed by its value and how at their time they could build a palace. We had the audio guide and could also see how the past looked like. Very worthy! Ps: guys wear more clothes it’s very cold inside 🥶 we were freezing

  • 5/5 Susan G. 1 year ago on Google
    Such history! Popes here from 1309-1373 roughly. Beautiful frescos although when solders occupied the palace, they deframed many. Still Beautiful and worth a visit.

  • 4/5 Tomasz W. 1 year ago on Google
    Fun palace with AR experience. One thing that doesn't make sense is that they're charging extra for the garden, which is really tiny and boring.

  • 1/5 Paul M. 1 year ago on Google
    More or less empty rooms. Pathetic audio tour. Significant av reserved for use of guides! Save your money and go to the excellent and free town museums.

  • 5/5 Ellen B. 8 months ago on Google
    After narrow streets of Avignon, suddenly we arrived in a very grand piazza, which is contrary to the small alleys in the city. Very nice place to spend your time sitting and enjoy the sunset. We didnt get into the palace since we were late. Hopefully next time

  • 4/5 Benjamin H. 1 year ago on Google
    Lots of renovation work to do But worth the visit

  • 5/5 Rita K. 1 year ago on Google
    A historical palace with beautiful view and interesting interactive introduction. Highly recommended in Avignon.

  • 4/5 E. L. 1 year ago on Google
    Absolutely worth seeing. However, it is very popular and it felt a little bit like cattle being herded through. I'd also recommend buying tickets in advance. Nonetheless, it's a very interesting and beautiful place.

  • 5/5 jared e. 1 year ago on Google
    Great tour, you get a tablet to guide you round and give you information. No head set supplied but if you take your own i believe the tour would be audible. Treasure hunt to keep the kids occupied and more areas open than when we last visited about 10 years ago.

  • 4/5 Gregory S. 1 year ago on Google
    This was a stunning, impressive fortress like enclave of buildings in Avignon, just up the hill from the Rhône River. Although we were not able to take the inside tour due to lack of time, we enjoyed walking all around this UNESCO world site.

  • 4/5 Sal F. 1 year ago on Google
    We purchased a package that included the Palisade des Papes, the garden, and the bridge where we visited the first two on one day and the bridge the next. They provided a very interesting tablet that allows you to view many of the rooms you visit as they likely looked back in time. Many of the rooms were quite sparse and there are a number of stairs so those with issues with them might have issues. The garden section was small and not very interesting due to the lack of well kept plants and flowers. During our visit there was a photographic exhibition on the Amazon which was interesting but was very warm with all the lights even though it was October due to the very little cooling which consisted of a couple of fans.

  • 5/5 Jens L. 1 year ago on Google
    This was a wonderful place to visit. I like the fact that they give you a tablet in the language of your choice to guide you through the tour. The rooms were impressive and it was very interesting. I highly recommend taking the time to visit the papal palace if your are in Avignon.

  • 2/5 Richard D. 1 year ago on Google
    Whilst the scale of the palace is impressive and the interactive tablets somewhat helpful in imagining what the palace was like hundreds of years ago we both came away from the experience very underwhelmed. The spaces that are on the tour feel like a very small percentage of the overall palace. Despite the interactive tablets, most of the time it feels as though you’re just wandering through large soulless empty spaces which are totally devoid of furniture and possessions (and context).

  • 4/5 Ryan G. 11 months ago on Google
    Very beautiful location with plenty to see. There is a fun, interactive tablet that shows what the palace was like using augmented reality. The only negative is that the direction of flow for the tour is a little ambiguous and confusing. Otherwise, a must-visit in Avignon!

  • 5/5 Joycelin W. 8 months ago on Google
    The visitor experience here is really well done. We didn’t buy tickets ahead of time but there wasn’t much of a wait (<5 min) when we went on a Monday around 4pm. The histopad/tablet was a great interactive feature which made the overall visit more interesting. Loved the temporary Eva Jospin exhibits as well (which will be there until January 2024).

  • 4/5 María O. 2 years ago on Google
    It is a nice experience, it has something like a little ipad in different languages so you can have a tour in your own language and also see how the castle was before. The ticket was 12 euros, and you can see most of the castle except the gardens and the top (which I found weird because before you could do it).

  • 5/5 Melvin 8 months ago on Google
    I really liked how they implemented the Tablet guide + it has a small mini game to find the hidden coins which my 5yo little sister really liked and kept her occupied during the pretty long visit. The Palace is quite big and you can understand how the papacy was in Avignon for around 100 years


Call +33 4 32 74 32 74 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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