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Rome, Van Gogh and the delta

A Rhône river cruise day in Arles

Arles is more often a first or last day than a call. Either way, the ship ties up on the old-town bank, and the Roman arena is close enough to walk to before lunch.

Put Arles on my cruise Arles on the river map
  • €13–15adult Pass Liberté, 2026
  • 1981UNESCO listing of the Roman monuments
  • ~200paintings Van Gogh made here, by Uniworld's count
  • 20 minshuttle in from Tarascon on busy days
Independent · no paid placementFacts checked October 21, 2026Sources listed belowCLIA-affiliated advisors
  • From the shipOld-town bank; the arena is walkable
  • Time neededA half-day walk, a free afternoon
  • Best doneArena first thing, ahead of the heat
  • Skip ifIt's Monday — the Van Gogh foundation shuts

Plan the call

How long do you have ashore?

  1. The Amphitheatre (Arènes)

    The 1st-century arena, first thing before the sun is up high.

    60 min
  2. The Théâtre Antique

    Next door, with seating and orchestra still in place.

    45 min
  3. Van Gogh's Arles

    The hospital courtyard, the gardens and the cafés he painted.

    75 min

About 3 h for the day, by our planning estimate

Times are our planning estimates for a typical call, not the line’s schedule. Your daily programme sets the all-aboard.

The call

First day, last day, or a morning

AmaWaterways' Colors of Provence alternates Lyon–Arles and Arles–Lyon, with Arles on days 7 and 8 — the ship appears to spend its last night here. Uniworld's Grand France ends in Arles too, with an included walking tour of Van Gogh sites and Roman ruins on day 14 and a transfer to Marseille Airport on day 15.

Some weeks begin here instead. Uniworld's Burgundy & Provence sails Arles to Lyon from Quai Segonnaux, with a 9:00 pm all-aboard, and AmaWaterways' 24 December 2026 holiday departure leaves for Lyon from Arles.

Viking and Riverside call. Tauck adds a ranch visit in the Camargue. Expect a half-day walking tour, then a free afternoon or a delta excursion.

The berth is on the east bank, on the same side as the old town and the station. When it's full, ships may tie up at Tarascon and run a 20-minute shuttle into Arles.

From the ship: Yes — the arena, the theatre and the Van Gogh sites sit close together on the berth's bank.

In town

Arena, theatre, cloister

The Amphitheatre (Arènes)

A 1st-century AD Roman arena, 'still used for sporting events', in Uniworld's words. It's UNESCO-listed with the town's other Roman monuments.

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The Théâtre Antique

The arena's neighbour, with part of its seating and orchestra still in place. It's one of the sites covered by the Pass Liberté — four monuments of your choice plus the Musée Réattu, valid for a month.

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Van Gogh's Arles

Uniworld's walking tour covers the places he painted. Expect the hospital courtyard, the gardens and the cafés from the canvases.

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Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles

Exhibitions built around the painter. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–6pm with last entry at 5:30pm, and the Pass Liberté earns a reduced rate.

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The Alyscamps

A Roman necropolis lined with sarcophagi, in use from the 4th century. Another of the monuments you can pick on the pass.

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Cloître Saint-Trophime and the Cryptoportiques

The Romanesque cloister and the underground galleries beneath the old forum. Both are on the pass list, and both fit a free afternoon.

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Arles on the Rhône. Open its card on the river map for lines, season and nearby calls.

Beyond the town

Out of town for the afternoon

The Camargue

The Rhône delta below Arles — wetland, white horses, black bulls and the gardians who herd them. Tauck's exclusive version is a family ranch with a horseback welcome and a farm-fresh meal; Viator sells a 4-hour 4x4 safari from Arles.

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Les Baux-de-Provence

Viator sells Arles and Les Baux as a 7–8 hour private tour, from about $1,133 per group as published 21 Oct 2026. Better on a day before or after the cruise.

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The Alpilles by 4x4

Four hours into the Alpilles hills from Arles, from about $71 as published 21 Oct 2026. Olive groves rather than marsh.

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Extra days, booked ahead

Things to do in Arles

Arles itself is easy on foot, so spend the money where the line's day stops.

  • Camargue 4x4 safariFour hours from Arles, from $68 as published 21 Oct 2026, rated 4.7 from 535 reviews. The simplest way to see the horses and the marsh if your line doesn't go.
  • Private Roman monuments and Van Gogh walkThree hours with skip-the-line access, from $286 per group as published 21 Oct 2026. For a family that wants more than the included walk.
  • Private transfer to Marseille AirportAbout 65 minutes, from $157 as published 21 Oct 2026. Useful if your cruise ends here and you're not on the line's transfer.
Browse Arles tours on ViatorTours and tickets for the days before or after the ship

Viator is an affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Your line’s included excursions stay with the line. Disclosure.

Eat and drink

Market day and the delta's pantry

Saturday on the Boulevard des Lices

Arles' biggest market stretches about 2 km on Saturday mornings. A smaller one runs on Wednesdays on Boulevard Émile Combes.

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Gardiane de taureau

Camargue bull, slow-cooked with red wine. The meat has held AOC status since 1996.

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Red rice and fleur de sel

The nutty red rice and the hand-raked sea salt both come from the delta just south of town. Easy to pack, too.

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The lines

Who calls at Arles

AmaWaterwaysembarks hereRiversidecalls hereTauckcalls hereUniworldembarks hereVikingcalls here

From the lines’ published itineraries, October 2026. Each name opens our review of the line.

When

AmaWaterways sails Colors of Provence from late October to 24 December 2026, then March to June 2027, while Tauck sails April to October. Every March the Rhône's big locks close for maintenance — 8 to 19 March in 2026. Provence summers are hot, and the Van Gogh foundation shuts on Mondays. Take the arena first thing, and keep the foundation for a day it's open.

Why trust this page

The Seabound standard

16

Sources, read at the source

Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 21, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.

0

Paid placements

No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.

1:1

Advisors, not a booking engine

A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.

Have us plan it

Want Arles on your itinerary?

Tell us the month and what you want from the day — the town, the excursion, or both — and we’ll find the sailing that calls here at the right pace.

  • Usually the same fare as booking direct, and our advice costs you nothing.
  • We compare the lines that call at Arles for your dates, not one brochure.
  • Hotel nights, flights and transfers can go into the same plan.

Your river brief

Tell us the trip. We’ll find the sailing.

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Prefer to talk? Book a free 30-minute call or call (407) 312-0306.

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Quick answers

Arles on a river cruise: questions

Will my cruise begin or end in Arles?

Quite possibly. AmaWaterways runs both directions between Lyon and Arles, Uniworld's Grand France finishes here and its Burgundy & Provence starts here. For a flight home, Uniworld's transfer goes to Marseille (MRS).

Can I see Van Gogh's paintings in Arles?

The places, mostly, not the canvases. The Fondation Vincent van Gogh runs changing exhibitions, so check what's showing before you build the afternoon around it.

Is the Pass Liberté worth buying?

If you'll see more than two sites, yes. It beats paying site by site, and it's valid for a month.

What if Arles is full that day?

Some ships berth at Tarascon instead and shuttle guests into town. Ask the cruise manager the evening before.

Camargue or Alpilles?

The Camargue for horses, bulls and marsh. The Alpilles for hills and olive groves. Both run about four hours by 4x4 from Arles.

How we checked this page 16 sources

Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 21, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.

  1. AmaWaterways – Colors of Provence
  2. Uniworld – Grand France 2026
  3. Uniworld – Burgundy & Provence
  4. Uniworld – Port Locations & Boarding Times
  5. Tauck – Rhône river cruises
  6. Viking UK – Lyon & Provence
  7. Riverside – Rhône Rhapsody
  8. What's In Port – Arles
  9. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourism – Pass Liberté Arles
  10. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourism – Arles markets
  11. Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles
  12. National Geographic – Taste the Camargue
  13. CNR – Annual navigation stoppage, March 2026
  14. Viator – Arles
  15. Viator – Camargue 4x4 safari from Arles
  16. Viator – Arles and Les Baux private tour

Keep planning

The rest of the river

The Rhône, decodedRoutes, season, lines and what they chargeEvery Rhône call on the map8 places from Burgundy and Lyon to Provence and the Camargue
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