From Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard to Pont du Gard

A breathtaking heritage walk leading to one of the most beautiful wonders in France, the Pont du Gard.

Details

32617130
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.25 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 837 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 820 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 476 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 108 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park opposite the town hall.

Red and white GR® markings

(S/E) From the town hall, head towards the centre of the village, cross the D6086 carefully and take Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville opposite. Ignore Rue de l'Horloge on the left, then take the next street and continue to Place de la Mairie. Continue uphill on Rue de l'Église. At Place du Porche, continue straight ahead, passing under the porch, to reach the fortified church.

(1) After enjoying the site, return to the town hall by following the same route in reverse.

(S/E) Continue along the small road and at the three-way junction, keep right and continue to the end of the straight road.

(2) Leave the road that branches off to the left and take the path opposite. This leads to a forest track.

(3) Cross it and continue straight ahead on a very slight downhill slope. This section through the woods is very pleasant, especially as it is shaded. You will come to a crossroads.

(4) Go up to the left and after a few metres of balcony paths, the Pont du Gard comes into view. Cross a track and reach the ruins of the Pont de Valmale.

(5) Head up to the right, cross the tunnel and reach the top of the Pont du Gard. Take the stairs to reach the bottom of the building.

(6) Turn left and cross the Gardon.

(7) At the end of the crossing, climb the stairs on the right. Follow theGR® north-west then north, paying attention to the side paths. Further on, you will come to a road.

(8) Cross it and follow theGR®63opposite. The ruins of the Nîmes Aqueduct are located along this section. You will arrive at the Pont Roupt.

(9) Retrace your steps in the opposite direction to the ruins of the Pont de Valmale.

Yellow markings

(5) Leave the route you have already taken and cross the centre of the bridge, then turn right onto the stairs and, a few metres further on, follow a path. This turns into a track and, several hundred metres further on, leads to a crossroads.

(10) Turn left, pass a cistern (at this point, there is a view of Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard) and arrive at the intersection you have already passed.

Red and white markings

(3) Turn right and follow the same route back to the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 157 ft - Parking opposite the Town Hall.
  2. 1 : mi 0.22 - alt. 272 ft - Fortified church
  3. 2 : mi 0.81 - alt. 213 ft - Common fork. Return trip
  4. 3 : mi 1.07 - alt. 397 ft - Forest track. Crossroads of the circular
  5. 4 : mi 2.05 - alt. 148 ft - Signpost, trail intersection
  6. 5 : mi 2.34 - alt. 200 ft - Valmale Bridge ruins
  7. 6 : mi 2.5 - alt. 118 ft - Pont du Gard
  8. 7 : mi 2.63 - alt. 128 ft - End of the Pont du Gard crossing - Le Gardon
  9. 8 : mi 3.08 - alt. 197 ft - Road and trail junction
  10. 9 : mi 3.4 - alt. 200 ft - Roupt Bridge
  11. 10 : mi 5.34 - alt. 476 ft - Trail fork
  12. S/E : mi 6.25 - alt. 157 ft - Parking opposite the Town Hall.

Notes

Video of the hike at the following link https://youtu.be/CFbn13HhrY8

Please note that there is an error on the IGN map: thefirst section, between (3) and (5), is markedGR®6(white-red), while the return section, between (5) and (3), is only markedPR® (yellow)

There is a beautiful shaded section between (3) and (4).

On the way back, after the (5), there is very little shade, so a hat and sunscreen are highly recommended.

Worth a visit

Museum area at the Pont du Gard.

The Sernhac Tunnels south of Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard (bring a head torch).

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Wan. ie
Wan. ie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant hike,

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Ricoborgo
Ricoborgo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk, with the Pont du Gard as its main attraction, appearing majestically through the woods. It offers a completely different way of experiencing it compared to the route via the public car park.
The route continues to the ruins of the structure, which is very interesting. The trail presents no particular difficulties: a few climbs, some stones, shaded areas and others in the sun – the joy of hiking! There were plenty of people at the Pont du Gard site, but the paths themselves are very peaceful.
On the way back, Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard is a very pretty, typical medieval village that is definitely worth a visit.

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Dom6269
Dom6269

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk that offers a different perspective on the bridge and its surroundings

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User 29089337

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely route. But there are still some steep climbs. In my opinion, this hike isn’t easy – it’s of moderate difficulty. The sections with loose stones are tricky.

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Jouanen
Jouanen

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A brilliant hike. I loved it. The start was a bit tough, but it didn't last long!

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Dom6269
Dom6269

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk that offers a different perspective on the bridge and its surroundings

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Jipaipai
Jipaipai

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The first kilometre was quite challenging, with an uphill path covered in large rocks that we encountered again on the way back, but otherwise, the Pont du Gard is well worth the few kilometres it takes to get there. We had lunch at the restaurant "Les Terrasses", which offered very good value for money. We took lots of photos during this hike, as the site is truly majestic. There were very few people there at the end of January, but this is not the case during the summer months.

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User 4031891

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well

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User 27544307

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The group is currently learning how to lead walks.
Visorando should help and support us.

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chris2103
chris2103

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The frequency is mainly at the Pont du Gard, but it's quiet between St Bonnet and the bridge.

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Bientzat
Bientzat

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I really enjoyed this route, which leads to the Pont du Gard through the countryside from Saint Bonnet du Gard. The village is interesting, with its fortified church (unfortunately closed) and fountain. You need good shoes as the path is sometimes stony. It's impossible to get lost with the app. From point 4, there is a short uphill section which is dusty and rutted. Once you arrive at the Pont du Gard site, you'll find it's very busy with tourists. You can have lunch at the restaurant on site. Then, continuing towards points 8 and 9, you'll discover the importance of the aqueduct, which is not limited to the bridge, as you explore the remains of the route. The return to point 10 is a bit tedious and there is no shade.

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User 27025439

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful way to reach the Pont du Gard.
The path can be a bit difficult at times.
You need good shoes and strong legs, as the path is stony and uphill.
But it's well worth the effort.

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Claude R3.
Claude R3.

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

An interesting and popular route, but it can be difficult to follow the markings on the way back, given the number of unmarked paths that are not shown on the map.

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Edipie
Edipie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with the added bonus of seeing the Pont du Gard without paying the entrance fee

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Jopo
Jopo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great way to "earn" this extraordinary ancient monument is to approach it on foot via this hike rather than parking as close as possible.
Nearby, around points 5, 6 and 7, it's worth straying a little from the route described to enjoy the views indicated on the 1/25000 IGN map on the two plateaus on either side of the Gardon, but also to have a drink at the aptly named bar-restaurant Les Terrasses.
For those who are in a hurry or tired, to save yourself 2 km, there is little point in going to points 8 and 9 after enjoying the marvel.
Thanks to the author for the hike

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