What to visit in Gard in one week ? Discover below my tourist circuit which starts from the Cévennes, passes through Uzès, Nîmes and the Pont du Gard.

Along my circuit (route map below), I was able to discover all the tourist wealth of this region: sites classified by Unesco, villages among the most beautiful in France, places classified as Great Sites of France !

My itinerary, which I completed in 1 week as a road trip, allowed me to cross incredibly contrasting territories. I was able to discover a typical landscape of the Cévennes mountains then pass through the scrubland, cornices and caves around the Gorges du Gardon and arrive as far as the Pont du Gard with its Mediterranean landscapes.

What to visit in Gard in one week?

A department in the Occitanie region, Gard is part of the South-East of France. Bordering Bouches-du-Rhône, Ardèche, Vaucluse, Hérault, Aveyron and Lozère, Gard includes an incredible variety of landscapes and a large number of major tourist sites. This is why I quickly understood that it is not possible to visit everything in 1 week.

And, as I had already had the chance to make a road trip in Camargue, I decided to visit only the northern part of Gard.

Itinerary to visit Gard in 7 days

Here are the most beautiful sites and villages in Gard that can be visited in a week by following this itinerary:

• 1 DAY:
  • Florac
  • Mount Aigual
• 2 DAY:
  • Saint Jean du Gard
  • Anduze
  • Saint-hippolyte-du-fort
• 3 DAY:
  • Vezénobres
  • Uzes
• DAY 4: The Gorges du Gardon
• DAY 5: Visit to Nîmes
• DAY 6: The Pont du Gard
• 7 DAY:
  • Montclus
  • Lussan

Map of the tourist circuit in the Gard

This circuit starts from Florac and ends in Lussan. It represents approximately 315 kilometers of road. Here is the Google map route that you can follow by car:

Now let's move on to the detailed steps of my 7-day tourist circuit in the Gard:

Itinerary and tours of day 1

Mount Aigual

The summit of the Aigoual massif represents, from its height of 1 m, the roof of the Cévennes. It offers an immense panorama which is lost between large Gorges (Gorges de la Dourbie, de la Jonte and du Trévezel). The road through the forests that crisscross the Aigoual massif is simply magnificent.

To get there from Florac, take the direction of Esperou or better of Valleraugue from where beautiful hikes start: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-mont-aigoual.html

You can go up to the Observatory of Météo France and visit the Météosite (discovery and entertainment area).

Return to Florac at the end of the day to enjoy the capital from the Cévennes National Park and which has some beautiful accommodations.

Unusual accommodation near Florac

For the first night of this road trip, why not stay in a typical Cévennes farm? See this accommodation at the Ferme des Cévennes

Itinerary and tours of day 2

Corniche des Cévennes road

Early departure to take the magnificent Corniche des Cévennes road which links Florac to Saint Jean du Gard. You will cross passes and mountains with breathtaking panoramas, villages, ruined castles, silkworm farms (silkworm breeding) all in a setting of chestnut forests.

It will take you more than 2 hours to get to Anduze.

Anduze and Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort

Anduze was once the city of the Protestants of the South who were called the Camisards. Since then, it has lost its ramparts but retains a medieval character with its clock tower and great tourist interest. Indeed, you can make a very unusual visit there: The Anduze bamboo grove.

This is a one-of-a-kind park that has been around for over 160 years. We walk there in the middle of forests of giant bamboo, magnolias, tulips, large sequoias and Japanese maples. A little wonder!

Another interesting activity in Anduze: Take the Cévennes steam train to cross the Gardons valley (www.trainevapor.com).

Then you will take the road to arrive in Saint Hippolyte du Fort in half an hour.

This village has experienced a great boom thanks to its silk spinning mills. In the heart of the village, you can visit the Silk Museum Pavilion which traces the history of the silky activity of the Cévennes.

For your stopover night in Anduze, I advise you to experience sleeping in a guest house in Massillargues-Attuech. You will see that The Golden Pebbles will be the enchanting interlude of your road trip in the Gard! See this guesthouse near Anduze

Itinerary and tours of day 3

Today's circuit of just over 60 kilometers takes us from Saint Hyppolyte du Fort to Uzès via Vézénobres.

Vézénobres one of the most beautiful villages in France

Vézénobres is a superb medieval hilltop village located at the crossroads of the Cévennes and Provence.

After a short tour of the village and a few beautiful photos, you will hit the road again to arrive in Uzes in less than 1 hour.

Visit Uzès

This medieval city is a maze of alleys and small squares lined with 17th and 18th century mansions. Cars are prohibited in part of the village.

You can visit on foot the historic center with its medieval garden, the Saint-Théodorit cathedral and the Duchy of Uzès. The latter is a group of monuments from the Crussol d'Uzès family (Castle, Gothic Chapel, Cellar). Finally you can climb to the top of the Bermonde Tower, an 11th century dungeon to enjoy a superb view of Uzès.

In the countryside and only 5 minutes by car from Uzès, I advise you to stay at Patio De Violette which is very pleasant, especially with its beautiful outdoor swimming pool and its pretty flowered patio.

Itinerary and tours of day 4

Today, our road which goes from Uzès to Nîmes passes through the Gorges du Gardon, a major geological and historical site of the South of France.

Classified by Unesco as a “Biosphere Reserve”, the Gorges du Gardon have just won their recognition as world biosphere reserves in 2015, just like the Camargue in 1977 and the Cévennes in 1984.

How to visit the Gorges du Gardon?

To enjoy beautiful walks or hikes in the heart of the Gorges, come to the Maison du Grand Site – 2 rue de la Pente in SAINTE ANASTASIE.

To give you a taste, here is a video that presents the beauty of the site:

After this day in the countryside, you will reach the capital of Gard in a 1 hour drive to spend the night in Nîmes.

The best choice and the best placed in the historic center of Nîmes is undoubtedly theMajestic Hotel ! Its location is simply ideal (320 meters from the arena, 600 meters from the Musée de la Romanité, 1 km from the Maison Carrée). In addition, its low price is perfect because for this circuit, you have to book 2 hotel nights in Nîmes.

Itinerary and tours of day 5

Today will be devoted to visiting Nîmes by following: My walking tour with itinerary map to visit Nîmes.

Inspired by the Colosseum in Rome, the Amphitheater of Nîmes is one of the best preserved from Roman times. Dating from the end of the 1st century AD, it has been listed as a historical monument since 1840. It could accommodate more than 23000 Gallo-Romans during the famous gladiatorial fights.

Leaving the arenas, you can take rue Fresque, then turn left onto rue de la Madeleine and go back up to rue de la Maison Carrée. You will discover a temple resembling the temples of Apollo and Mars Ultor in Rome.

Why not take a refreshing break in the Jardins de la Fontaine? This magnificent park covers 15 hectares which consists of a classical garden and a Mediterranean garden. Discover the many plant species that mingle with the ponds, the stairs built by the Romans, an artificial cave and the statues.

Next stop on your visit: the Tour de Magne. It is a vestige of the Roman era which was the largest and highest of the 80 towers that comprised the Roman enclosure. It now measures 32 meters high.

Another Roman vestige to discover in the center of Nîmes: The Castellum. It was a distribution basin where the waters of the Fontaine d'Eure arrived via an aqueduct whose centerpiece is none other than the Pont du Gard. It served as a water tower because it was covered at the time.

Itinerary and tours of day 6

My tour today takes us 30 kilometers from Nîmes to visit an emblematic monument of the region: The Pont du Gard.

Originally, this bridge was built to make continuity with the Roman aqueduct which carried water from Uzès to Nîmes.

Today, the Pont du Gard, inscribed on the world heritage list by UNESCO, is the most visited ancient monument in France.

Labeled a Grand Site de France, the Pont du Gard and its environment represent a natural space made up of Mediterranean landscapes made of scrubland, cliffs and holm oak forests. The place is superb and worth spending the day there, planning walks, swimming and a picnic!

For this night and maybe the ones after, here is my good plan: Daisies. It is a bed and breakfast accommodation in a very beautiful environment and ideally located just 5 km from the Pont du Gard. See this accommodation near the Pont du Gard

Itinerary and tours of day 7

If you have a little time left or you are staying a few more days, don't miss a 1-day visit to two of the most beautiful villages in France: LUSSAN and MONTCLUS.

Lussan classified among the "Most Beautiful Villages of France"

Perched on a rocky outcrop, Lussan has also been awarded the “Village de Caractère” label. It is a small medieval town surrounded by ramparts erected on a plateau which dominates the scrubland.
With its narrow streets and old stone houses, this village has a lot of charm and allows you to discover around a magnificent panorama of the Cévennes and the Mont Ventoux.

Montclus classified among the "Most Beautiful Villages of France"

This small village, located 30 km from Lussan, is also very picturesque.
There you can visit the Abbey of Mons Serratus as well as a 17th century fortified castle. This is where this tourist circuit in the Gard ends.

Want to discover a little more the South of France ? So why not one 4 days tour in Provence, or extend this road trip with the visit to Arles or Avignon visit, or a circuit from Montpellier to Perpignan or a road trip in Ardèche.