Frequently asked questions

No, and no ticket anywhere buys you that. The original cave has been sealed since it was found in 1994 to protect the paintings and the air inside. Grotte Chauvet 2 is the full-scale reconstruction of its painted chambers, built from laser surveys of the original.

Timed entry to the cave replica, the Aurignacian Gallery, the 360° sound-and-light room, the park and whatever activities are scheduled that day. Allow about three and a half hours for the whole site, of which roughly an hour is underground.

Yes. Audio-guided departures run in English, German, Dutch and Spanish as well as French. The separate guided departures are in French only, so if you do not speak French, take an audio-guided time. We book the language you ask for.

Audio-guided departures hold roughly 75 places and the French-guided ones about 28, so the guided times go first. School holidays and summer weekends are the pressure points. Outside those, a few days ahead is usually enough.

Yes, including babies. Under-10s are admitted free by the operator, so we do not charge for them, but they still need a ticket in the booking. Tell us how many are coming and we will add them at no cost.

Around 15°C all year, because the building holds a cave climate. That is pleasant in August and cool in January. Bring a layer whatever the season, since you will be standing still for much of the hour.

The walk is flat, lit and about an hour long, which most children over five manage. Under-fives can find the dark and the quiet difficult. Pushchairs are not practical inside the cave building.

The cave route was built level and step-free, unlike the original cave, and the galleries and park are on made paths. Contact us before booking if you need specifics on the route or parking, and we will check with the operator for your date.

Photography without flash is generally allowed inside the replica, which is one of the freedoms a reconstruction gives you. Rules can change for specific events, so follow the signs and the staff on the day.

We buy the official admission for your chosen date and departure, then send your ticket by email. If the departure you asked for is gone by the time we reach the operator, we come back to you with the nearest alternatives before anything is confirmed.

Ask us as early as you can. Changes depend on what the operator still has open for the new date, and close to the day there is often nothing left to move into.

You are refunded in full to your original payment method. We do not hold your money against a departure we could not secure.

Yes, free on site, signposted from the Route de Bourg Saint-Andéol. Arrive with time in hand in summer, when the car park fills around midday.

There is a restaurant and a café, and a picnic area in the park. The park itself is worth the time between your arrival and your cave departure rather than sitting in the car.

There is no station at Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. Regional coaches run from Montélimar and Aubenas, and taxis work from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc itself. Most visitors drive, a little over two hours from Lyon.

Yes, the natural rock arch over the Ardèche is a few kilometres down the road from the site and free to look at. It pairs well with a morning at the cave and an afternoon by the river.