A one-week loop from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc: the Pont d'Arc and Chauvet Cave 2, the gorge road and its viewpoints, the Aven d'Orgnac, the villages of Balazuc and Vogüé, then the volcanic plateau of the Gerbier-de-Jonc. In a few hours' drive, you go from the pebble beaches of the gorges to pastures 1,500 m up.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Vallon-Pont-d'Arc | Start |
| Day 2 | Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche | 39 km · 55 min |
| Day 3 | Balazuc | 58 km · 1h25 |
| Day 4 | Vals-les-Bains | 25 km · 35 min |
| Day 5 | Le Lac-d'Issarlès | 76 km · 1h20 |
| Day 6 | Les Vans | 89 km · 1h30 |
| Day 7 | Back to Vallon-Pont-d'Arc | 32 km · 35 min |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May, June and September: fewer people on the river and the gorge road. In July-August, the Pont d'Arc is crowded: free shuttle from Vallon. In winter, the Aven d'Orgnac closes from mid-November to mid-December and in January, and winter tyres or snow chains are required from 1 November to 31 March in designated mountain municipalities.
🚗 39 km · 55 min of driving from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
The gorge scenic road (D290), running along the clifftop 200 m above the river. In summer, set off early: 1.2 million visitors a year.
🚗 58 km · 1h25 of driving from Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche
D901 to the Aven d'Orgnac, then D217 towards Vallon and D579 via Ruoms, with a detour to Labeaume.
🚗 25 km · 35 min of driving from Balazuc
D579 to Vogüé, then N102 via Aubenas. A short drive: keep the morning for Vogüé.
🚗 76 km · 1h20 of driving from Vals-les-Bains
D578 via Antraigues, D215 to the Ray-Pic, then D122 and D378 to the foot of the Gerbier. Narrow, winding mountain roads.
🚗 89 km · 1h30 of driving from Le Lac-d'Issarlès
D116 and D536 across the plateau, a long descent via the N102 and Thueyts, then the D104 south.
🚗 32 km · 35 min of driving from Les Vans
Skip Vals-les-Bains and Les Vans: from Balazuc, go via Vogüé and up to the Ray-Pic and the Gerbier, then return from Lac d'Issarlès to Vallon on the N102. Nights: Vallon 1, Saint-Martin 1, Balazuc 1, Lac d'Issarlès 1.
| Car hire only, July | ≈ €57 a day (Nîmes) |
|---|---|
| Car hire only, January | ≈ €34 a day (Nîmes) |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €43 a day (Kayak Nîmes, Sept. 2026) |
| Your own car | The simplest option: A7 to Montélimar (exit 18) or Bollène (exit 19), then toll-free roads. |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | A small or compact car: the clifftop D290 and the narrow, winding plateau roads. |
| Where to pick it up | In Nîmes, at the airport or station, 1 hour 30 from Vallon; it is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Age | With Europcar, from 18 with 1 year's driving experience; under 26, €40 a day extra. |
⚠️ In July-August, the Pont d'Arc is crowded: park at the Vallon bus station and take the free shuttle, every 15 to 20 minutes.
All departmental roads in the Ardèche are at 90; 80 in the Gard, around Aiguèze. A7 at 130.
From 4 July to 30 August, 10:00 to 19:00, from the Vallon bus station.
Park in the viewpoint car parks. Driving and parking banned inside the nature reserve, except for access to campsites.
0.2 g/l on a probationary licence. Up to 0.8 g/l: €135 and 6 penalty points; above that, a criminal offence.
All the roads on the loop are free, the N102 included.
Gerbier-de-Jonc at 1,551 m, Lac d'Issarlès at 1,000 m: tight bends, snow possible in winter.
From 1 November to 31 March in designated mountain municipalities. Tyres with the alpine symbol, otherwise chains on board.
Unmarked camera cars driven by private contractors everywhere except the Île-de-France. Radar detectors are banned: up to €1,500 and 6 penalty points.
Crossing Lyon on the A7, low-emission zone (ZFE): Crit'Air 0 to 3 cars only. Sticker €3.85.
Probationary licence: 110 on motorways, 100 on expressways, 80 elsewhere.
≈ €2.15 a litre for unleaded SP95-E10, €2.39 for diesel (24 Sept. 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: prix-carburants.gouv.fr →
⛽ 319 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €50 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National daily averages. Prices vary widely between stations: compare on prix-carburants.gouv.fr before heading up to the plateau.
| A6 Paris-Lyon | €41.30 (Ulys rate, car) |
|---|---|
| A7 Lyon-Marseille | €28.10 for the full journey in 2026; exit at Montélimar or Bollène, partial fare not published |
| Roads on the loop (D290, N102, plateau) | Free |
| Pont d'Arc shuttle | Free, from 4 April to 27 September 2026 |
| Chauvet Cave 2 car park | Free, 6 EV charging points |
| Aven d'Orgnac car park | Free and shaded |
| Chauvet Cave 2 | €18, €9 for ages 10 to 17, free under 10 |
| Aven d'Orgnac | €16.50, €11 for ages 6 to 17, free under 6 |
| Canoeing in the gorges | €25 to €40 under the Pont d'Arc; from €35 for the day, €60 over two days |
| Gaud and Gournier bivouacs | €9.50 to €16.50 per adult per night, booking required |
| Aven d'Orgnac | Open from 1 February to 15 November, and during the Christmas holidays |
|---|---|
| Gournier bivouac | From 4 April to 26 September 2026 |
| Gaud bivouac | Saturdays in June, then from 1 July to 29 August 2026 |
| Camping stoves at the bivouacs | Banned from 1 July to 30 September, wildfire risk |
| Pont d'Arc shuttle | Daily from 4 July to 30 August, otherwise on certain days |
| Mountain municipalities | Winter tyres or snow chains from 1 November to 31 March |
Allow a week for this loop of 6 stages and 6 nights from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc: the gorges, the Aven d'Orgnac, Balazuc, Vogüé, the Gerbier-de-Jonc plateau and the Bois de Païolive. In 5 days, skip Vals-les-Bains and Les Vans. Add a night in Vallon to canoe down the gorges over two days.
In your own car, the loop is about 320 km: around €50 of fuel at September 2026 prices (7 litres per 100 km), with no tolls on the spot. With a hire car from Nîmes, add 160 km return and about €400 for the week in July (€57 a day), €240 in January. Entry fees: €18 for Chauvet 2, €16.50 for Orgnac.
Leave the car at the Vallon-Pont-d'Arc bus station and take the free shuttle: every 15 to 20 minutes from 10:00 to 19:00, from 4 July to 30 August 2026, with stops at the beach and the Pont d'Arc viewpoint. From April to June and in September, it runs every 40 minutes, on certain days only.
Booking online is strongly recommended: tickets are still sold on site, but with no guarantee of a slot the same day. Entry €18, €9 for ages 10 to 17, free under 10. Allow about 3 hours 30 on site. Free parking, motorhomes included, and 6 EV charging points.
Yes: 24 km from Chames or 30 to 32 km from Vallon to Sauze, so 5 to 7 hours of paddling, from €35 per adult including the return shuttle. Over two days, you sleep at the Gaud or Gournier bivouac, booking required, from €60. From age 7, and being able to swim is compulsory.
About 30 minutes up, unguided, to the summit at 1,551 m; at the foot of the dome lies the source of the Loire. The Ray-Pic waterfall is a quarter of an hour's drive away, then 15 minutes on foot from the D215. In winter, winter tyres or snow chains may be required on the plateau.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/ardeche · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
