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Nimes is often called ‘the French Rome’ for good reason , it has some of the best-preserved Roman monuments anywhere in the former empire, all within a For more details, see our weather by month guide. For more details, see our best time to visit guide.compact walkable centre. Beyond the ancient sites, the city offers a superb fine arts museum, one of France’s finest 18th-century public gardens, and the Pont du Gard aqueduct just 20 minutes away. Here are the top things to do in Nimes, with practical details on tickets, hours, and tips. For the complete Nimes overview, see our Nimes city guide.
Things to Do in Nimes: Roman Monuments
Arena of Nimes (Les Arenes)
The Arena of Nimes is the best-preserved Roman amphitheatre in the wor For more details, see our events and festivals guide. For more details, see our neighborhoods guide.ld, built around 100 AD. It’s 133 metres long, 101 metres wide, and could seat 24,000 spectators across 34 rows. Unlike the Colosseum in Rome, the Nimes Arena is still actively used , it hosts the Festival de Nimes concerts in summer and the Feria de Nimes bullfights. The self-guided audio tour (included with admission) covers the gladiator quarters, the mechanism for raising animals into the arena, and the medieval period when it was used as a fortified village. Climb to the top tier for a 360-degree view of Nimes’ terracotta rooftops. Open daily: 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM (April-August until 8:00 PM, July-August until 9:00 PM). Admission: 10 EUR (adult), 8 EUR (reduced). The joint ticket with the Tour Magne and Maison Carree is 13 EUR. Allow 1.5-2 hours.
Maison Carree (Square House)
The Maison Carree is a Roman temple built between 2-5 AD, and it’s the only completely preserved Ro For more details, see our where to stay guide. For more details, see our travel tips guide.man temple in the world. Standing on a podium in the Place de la Maison Carree, its proportions inspired Thomas Jefferson , he used it as the model for the Virginia State Capitol. Inside, a 22-minute film titled ‘Nemausus’ (the Roman name for Nimes) projects onto the walls, telling the story of the city’s Roman founding. The square outside hosts the Christmas market in December. Open daily: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (April-August until 7:00 PM). Admission: 6 EUR (adult), or included in the 3-site pass (13 EUR). Allow 45 minutes.
Tour Magne
The Tour Magne is the last remnant of the Roman city walls, an octagonal tower on Mont Cavalier hill at the top of the Jardins de la Fontaine. Built around 15 BC as part of Augustus’ city fortifications, it originally stood 36 metres tall (now 32.5 metres after the top section collapsed). Climb the 140 steps for the highest panoramic view in Nimes , you’ll see the Arena, the Maison Carree, and on clear days, Mont Ventoux 80 km away. The climb through the Jardins de la Fontaine to reach it is half the experience. Open daily: 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM (April-August until 8:00 PM). Admission: 3.50 EUR alone, or included in the 3-site pass (13 EUR). Allow 1 hour including the garden walk.
Things to Do in Nimes: Museums and Gardens
Musee de la Romanite
Opened in 2018 directly across from the Arena, the Musee de la Romanite is a 21st-century museum housing 5,000 Roman artefacts from Nimes and the surrounding region. The architectural feature is a folded glass facade that reflects the Arena. Highlights include the Pentheus mosaic (the largest Gallo-Roman mosaic found in France), a 3D virtual reality tour of the Arena as it looked in 100 AD, and the rooftop garden with a direct view into the Arena. The chronological layout takes you from the Iron Age (7th century BC) through to the medieval period. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (closed Mondays). Admission: 8 EUR (adult). Allow 2-3 hours.
Jardins de la Fontaine
The Jardins de la Fontaine is one of Europe’s oldest public parks, built in 1745 around the Roman spring that supplied Nimes with water. The 15-hectare garden is laid out in formal French style with symmetrical terraces, ornamental ponds, and stone balustrades. Follow the paths up Mont Cavalier hill to the Tour Magne at the summit. The Temple of Diana (a misnamed Roman nymphaeum) sits at the garden’s lower edge. Free entry, open daily from 7:30 AM to sunset. The garden is at its best in April-May when the flowers bloom and September when the autumn colors start. Allow 1-2 hours.
Musee des Beaux-Arts
Housed in a restored 1907 building on Rue de la Cite Foulc, the Nimes Fine Arts Museum holds a collection spanning Flemish, Dutch, Italian, and French painting from the 16th to 19th centuries. Notable works include Pieter Coecke van Aelst’s ‘Saint Jerome’ and a Roman mosaic of the ‘Marriage of Admetus’ (2nd century AD), moved here from a local villa excavation. The museum underwent a major renovation completed in 2022. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Admission: 5 EUR (adult). Free on the first Sunday of each month. Allow 1-1.5 hours.
Things to Do in Nimes: Pont du Gard
Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the tallest Roman aqueduct bridge in the world, standing 49 metres high with three tiers of arches across the Gardon River. Built around 50 AD, it carried 40 million litres of water daily from the Eure spring near Uzes to Nimes, 50 km away. The site includes a museum explaining Roman hydraulic engineering, a 1.4 km marked walking trail through the Mediterranean garrigue, and a riverside beach for swimming in summer. Located 20 km northeast of Nimes (20-25 minutes by car). Bus B21 from Nimes station takes 35 minutes (1.50 EUR). Open daily year-round. Site entry: 9.50 EUR (adult), includes museum, film, and all outdoor areas. Allow 3-4 hours minimum. The summer light show (July-August evenings) illuminates the bridge with colour projections.
Things to Do in Nimes: Nearby Day Trips
Uzes
Uzes is a medieval town 25 km north of Nimes, crowned by the Duchy of Uzes castle with its three distinctive towers (the Bermonde, the Vicomte, and the King’s Tower). The Saturday morning market on Place aux Herbes, ringed by plane trees and arcaded buildings, is one of the finest in southern France. The medieval garden (Jardin Medieval) and the 11th-century Tour Fenestrelle (a rare circular bell tower) are worth visiting. Uzes is also the gateway to the Eure spring, the original water source for the Pont du Gard aqueduct. Bus B52 from Nimes takes 40 minutes.
Aigues-Mortes
Aigues-Mortes is a perfectly preserved 13th-century walled town built by Louis IX as a departure point for the Crusades. The 1.6 km of ramparts with 20 towers enclose a grid of narrow streets and the Place Saint-Louis square. Walk the full circuit of the ramparts (6.50 EUR admission) for views over the Camargue salt flats and their pink flamingos. The town is 35 km southwest of Nimes, about 35 minutes by car. The nearby Salins du Midi salt marshes produce fleur de sel and offer guided tours (seasonal, April to October).
Camargue Regional Nature Park
The Camargue is one of Europe’s largest river deltas, where the Rhone meets the Mediterranean. It’s known for its white horses, black bulls, and greater flamingos (over 10,000 breeding pairs). The Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau (7.50 EUR) near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer offers walking trails through marshes with close-up flamingo viewing. The park begins 30 km south of Nimes. You’ll need a car to explore properly , there is no direct public transport to the park interior. Best visited April-June or September-October when temperatures are moderate and mosquitoes are fewer. Allow a full day.
