What to do in Toulouse? My tips and advice

On vacation in the Midi Toulousain, you wonder what to do in Toulouse? Here are my tips and advice for visiting (from a Toulouse girl)!

Where is Toulouse located?

For foreign travellers, know that the Capital of the Occitanie region, Toulouse is located in the South West of France. Its geographical advantage is its proximity to theSpain, the chain of Pyrenees, the Mediterranean Sea and theAtlantic Ocean.

And with all that, the weather is nice : we have sun most of the year. TO Toulouse, there are only 99 days of rain per year against 124 in Bordeaux !


Why visit Toulouse?

World capital of aeronautics, the Pink City, has many attractions for tourists from all over the world:

  • A beautiful cultural and historical heritage which is told in its architecture (red terracotta bricks) and its monuments classified by Unesco (the Saint Sernin Basilica, the Canal du Midi);
  • An important gastronomic heritage with in particular cassoulet, Toulouse sausages, foie gras… and its pretty food markets;
  • Aeronautical and space know-how (visits to AIRBUS and La Cité de l'Espace);
  • An interesting proximity with the small medieval villages (Cordes, Puycelsi, Castres, Lautrec, Lauzerte…) of the surroundings;
  • A real festive atmosphere and nightlife. He reigns in the streets of Toulouse in the evening a lively and lively atmosphere characteristic of towns in the south of France. There are people in the streets, on the terraces of the bars and in the restaurants where you can eat tapas or gourmet meals. It also has many nightclubs and cabarets of all kinds.

What to do in Toulouse – Best visits

  • The Hall of Illustrious Capitol (1erfloor of the Town Hall);
  • Raymond Moretti's frescoes the ceilings of the arcades surrounding the Place du Capitol. They tell the story and the major events of the pink city.
  • La Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a masterpiece of Romanesque art, listed among the jewels of UNESCO's world heritage;
  • The Jacobins, convent of 13nd in southern Gothic style with its church where the relics of Saint Thomas Aquinas are kept;
  • La Saint Etienne cathedral whose construction spanned 5 centuries. It brings together several architectural styles and magnificent original stained glass windows.
  • A fun tour to discover the city of Toulouse by Segway !
  • Have a drink at the mythical " The Bibent »Classified by national monuments (on the Place du Capitole);
  • The masterpiece of the classical renaissance: theAssézat Hotel and its small museum of impressionist paintings;
  • A barge ride on the Garonne or on the Canal du Midi (classified by Unesco);
  • Guided tour ofAIRBUS to learn more about Toulouse's aeronautical know-how;
  • A space trip in an afternoon in the 4 hectare park: The City of Space. A giant IMAX screen, a planetarium, a life-size replica of the Ariane 5 rocket, the Soyuz spacecraft and the ERS2 satellite await you ...
  • Museums, exhibitions ...

What to do in Toulouse – Best restaurants

Here are my two favorite addresses in the city center:

The Cenacle

(2 Toques at the GAULT & MILLAU 2018 and Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence!)

Best restaurant in Toulouse Room of the Cénacle restaurant

This "gourmet" type restaurant has an exceptional setting inside the Hôtel de la Cour des Consuls. Its room is superb with a period fireplace and large paintings. Very fine dishes, wide choice of well-selected wines, impeccable service ...

One flaw: its price is high in the evening. But if you go for lunch, a very good menu is available for only 39 Euros!

N ° 5 Wine Bar

To spend a beautiful evening in a warm atmosphere in the very heart of an old district of Toulouse, I recommend number 5 Wine Bars. Indeed, this bar was elected best wine bar in the world but it is also a great restaurant. See my article: The best wine bar in the world is in Toulouse!

Visit Toulouse my tips and good restaurants in Toulouse

What to do in Toulouse – Best hotel in Toulouse

To avoid choosing a hotel in a Toulouse red light district, I recommend the 2 addresses below:

The Large Balcony

Very well placed in the Toulouse historic center (100 m from the Capitol), this 4-star hotel is superbly decorated in the 30s style with a blend of tradition and modernity.

The rooms are all soundproofed and include a flat-screen TV, a minibar, a Nespresso machine and a seating area!

Its location makes it possible to visit the historic center but also all the other tourist sites of Toulouse because it is a 3 minute walk from the metro. In addition, the shopping streets and the Galeries Lafayettes department store are also a 5-minute walk from the Grand Balcon Hotel.

See this hotel on Booking

Hotel the big balcony

Hotel Mercure Saint-Georges

Its main asset: its location! It is ideal for visiting Toulouse and its historic center (just 50 m from the place Wilson and 300 m from Capitol).

Only 100 meters from the Jean-Jaurès metro station, access to all the sites of interest around the city is also quick and easy.

The hotel has been recently renovated and has a swimming pool which is very popular in summer!

See this hotel on Booking

Mercury Saint George

Why choose Toulouse?

As a couple, with family or friends, Toulouse may be of interest to all those who are passionate about art, history, science and gastronomy. Nature lovers will not be disappointed either. Indeed, the canal du midi invites you to walk or cycle, the Pyrenees 1h30 from Toulouse allow you to enjoy skiing or hiking in the mountains and The beaches await you at 1h30 drive ...

So don't wait any longer, come and discover my beautiful hometown: Toulouse!


A day, a weekend or more in Toulouse?

Discover my detailed itineraries to visit Toulouse in 1 day or spend a weekend in Toulouse or do Toulouse in 3 days !

And if you have a very small budget ... Check out my article:

3 best CHEAP HOTELS in Toulouse

6 thoughts on “What to do in Toulouse? My tips and advice”

  1. Hello
    Magnificent site, I draw thousands of travel ideas from it, well done! I will visit Toulouse, Carcassonne via Castelnaudary. Can you recommend a restaurant renowned for its cassoulet? Thank you for your reply.
    Guy

    1. Hello Guy,
      First of all thank you very much for this comment. If you want to eat a good cassoulet prepared according to the rules of the art, you have to go to Place Saint Georges in the center of Toulouse Chez Emile (remember to book). This is (in my opinion) the best place to taste a real cassoulet. Be careful to avoid tourist traps in the city of Carcassonne where restaurants systematically put cassoulet on the menu, but is it really cassoulet???

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