Pont du Gard - tour to walk the water channel or not?

I was there in November 2024 and what is to walk in the water channel?

What time of year/day? Summer is hot. We had a private guide but without interior access and didn't feel we missed out on anything. The history lesson was a nice enhancement. If anything, our regret was that we didn't take time to relax and enjoy swimming in the river. It's a charming local hangout spot.

To walk in the water channel refers to the upper channel of the bridge. It is only allowed with an authorized guide group. If you have a fear of heights, I wouldn't recommend it. (Google a picture of the Pont, especially one from the river up.)

I was lucky enough to visit the Pont du gard when you could walk across the top and through the channel without special plans or a guide. I have done both. I cannot imagine visiting it without that experience. It is like going to Paris and not going to the top of the Eiffel tower. So If the only way you can experience crossing the Pont is with a guide, iI'd do it with a guide

janettravels44 - I had a giggle, because going to Paris and not going to the top of the Eiffel Tower is exactly what we are doing. Our last day in France is an afternoon/evening in Paris before flying back to Chicago, and we aren't doing the Eiffel Tower except to look at it. Why? Well, my MIL and I have already gone up it, and we figure our kids can come back and go up it sometime in their future travels. We just don't have the time.

Thank-you all, not sure yet what I am going to do...

My first advice to anyone visiting Paris would be to not go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It's simply not worth it. The view of the Paris basin from there is uninteresting at best.

Far better views are available from l'Arc de Triomphe and from the roof of the Galeries Lafayette store near Palais Garnier. And I'm sure others more familiar with Paris could name other locations as good or better; all more scenic than the top of the tower.

As for Pont du Gard and walking in the conduit, or water channel, I don't see the interest; and I'm a hydrologist. It's a rectangular conduit with calcium carbonate deposits indicating the height of the water at various times. Not sure why that would be of interest.
To me, the beauty and majesty of Pont du Gard is not found within the conduit. Rather, it's the structure that supports the conduit and that allows it to descend with such precision even to this day. That's the engineering achievement.

Bob, that reply was really helpful. I was already not sure, and I'm thinking your right. The majesty of it is the structure as a whole. I think we will be skipping the tour and making sure to get to all the viewpoints of the Pont du Gard that Rick points out in his book instead.

I tend to agree with Bob's reply. Like Janet, when I went you could walk the top without a guide and I did go up and walk part of it, it was fun to look down from there but certainly not necessary for marveling at the engineering and construction of the aquaduct itself. My favorite time spent there was down by the river looking up at it. I'm not sure what new regulations there might be now but I took a small picnic lunch down there and sat on a rock enjoying it and watching people (mostly kids) wading and frolicking in the water. It was in July and the water level was low so there wasn't anyone swimming or canoeing when I was there and I did cool my tootsies in the water a bit myself. My favorite photos of the Pont were taken from there. It really is a beautiful and fascinating site to visit.

They were really insane to allow hoards of people to just walk across the top -- it was really dangerous -- no rails, not that wide, kids, old ladies. insane. But glad I got to do it.

Bob. I think someone who thinks going to the top of the ET is about 'the view' will never understand people who like to do things like this. There are lots of great high views in Paris, many of them free and the view is better at level two than the top of the ET but then that isn't the point.

The view of the Pont du Gard, like Mont St. Michel, is best from a distance. We had a room at the little hotel a few hundred meters away on the river that had a huge window that opened onto the view of the bridge -- and I law there and looked at it in the moonlight all night -- best hotel room ever. (I think that hotel no longer exists). So yeah -- agree that looking AT it is the most wonderful thing. But I'd still never want to visit without crossing it. Different strokes.

Agree with Bob...it's the approach and the history that is the marvel. Last time we were there, we hiked from the parking lot rather than going the direct, paved way from the visitor center. We wanted to canoe but the weather wasn't cooperating.

For clarity, there are two methods of crossing. The lower pedestrian deck is open to all. The upper water channel requires a guide.