Do Pont du Gard tours book up well in advance in summer?

Pre-Covid have been there 2 or 3 times and I don't recall any guides being there at all-people were walking the Pont or down below swimming or Kayaking on their own.

From what I understand, walking on the top of the Pont is now only possible with a timed tour. I believe going up there on your own was possible back in the day!

I guess you already know it, but just in case:
The official Pont du Gard website:

https://www.pontdugard.fr/en

Or check this other link:

https://www.uzes-pontdugard.uk/the-destination/the-must-sees/the-pont-du-gard-a-roman-treasure/visit-the-pont-du-gard/

Thank you JoLui, and yes, I have those! I was hoping someone might have a sense of how quickly tour tickets disappear in the summer. I don't see that on the websites but I might have missed it.

It is not sure that you will be able to swim this year at the Pont du Gard. The department is once again facing a major drought like last year, the water levels of the rivers are abnormally low and the rain forecasts are not optimistic.

There are already water consumption restrictions in place for this year.

JoLui, thank you for the info re: the drought! I will have to keep an eye out for that.

Edit: He was on the hillside looking at the top, not on the top.

My husband was on the top of the Pont a year ago. We didn't have a tour.

Thanks Bets! What time of year was that, do you recall?

April. Exactly a year ago. Edit: he was on the hill looking at the top.

Bets: Ah ok. I'm thinking one still can't walk on top of the pont itself without a tour.

When we went last August we arrived about 5 pm. Very few visitors that time of day. We didn't have a tour to walk across the top but the short hike up to viewpoints you can look down on the PDG were lovely. We didn't try to do also the museum there as we had been earlier in the day the Nimes roman museum already but it looked wonderful on the website. https://www.pontdugard.fr/en

Laurie Ann, good to know. Per you and Bets, maybe we don't need to do the tour itself to get a high-level view.

Can anyone tell which is the best nearby town to stay in to visit PDG if I don’t have a car? I want to book a day tour with a group in a van. Recommendations?

For a day trip by van Avignon tends to be the center of the area for that.

Or I had this note for myself from my trip last summer that you can do yourself by bus.

"The Pont du Gard is served by bus from Nîmes (no.121) and from Avignon or Uzès (no.115). In both cases the trip takes around 50 minutes. The bus drops you by the left bank car-park in the middle of summer and at a nearby roundabout at other times."

(This is from https://www.marvellous-provence.com/other-places/sights-and-attractions/pont-du-gard/how-to-get-there.)