Arles Vincent Van Gogh Self Guided Walking Tour with an APP
Description
Immerse yourself in the world that inspired Vincent van Gogh with this captivating self-guided walking tour of Arles. This offline app-based experience takes you through the charming streets and historic sites that captivated the famous artist. Perfect for art enthusiasts and history buffs, this tour offers a unique blend of art, history, and local culture. Walk at your own pace, pause when you like, and dive deep into the stories of Arles that inspired some of Van Gogh’s most iconic works. A must-do for anyone visiting Arles who wants to experience the city through the eyes of one of the world’s most beloved artists.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore Arles’ Summer Garden, where Van Gogh found inspiration in everyday Provençal scenery. See the historic paths, trees, and gardens that surrounded his early Arles experience.
Discover Arles’ ancient Roman Theatre, built in the 1st century BCE. Learn why Van Gogh walked past these ruins but never chose them as a subject for his paintings.
Step into Arles’ Roman arena, built around 90 AD. Discover its gladiator history, medieval homes, and the bullfight Van Gogh watched before painting the colorful crowds.
Walk along a street Van Gogh used regularly during his first months in Arles. Discover the Bourg-Neuf quarter, his early lodging, cafés, and the lively neighborhood of 1888.
Visit the area of Van Gogh’s first Arles lodging and discover how he arrived during a snowy February. Learn about his room above Restaurant Carrel and his first painting here.
See this ornate 1887 fountain honoring writer Amédée Pichot. Learn why Van Gogh passed it almost daily during his first weeks in Arles without ever painting it.
Stand where Van Gogh’s Yellow House once stood and compare the easel panel with today’s view. Discover his dream of creating a shared Studio of the South with other artists.
Visit the former Knights of Malta priory that became Musée Réattu. Discover Van Gogh’s harsh first opinion of its collection and the only work by him that Arles owns.
See the famous location of Café Terrace at Night. Compare the painting with today’s building and discover how Van Gogh painted the glowing terrace after dark.
Explore Place du Forum, built over the Roman forum of ancient Arles. See surviving temple columns and discover the square Van Gogh painted at night in 1888.
Visit the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles and discover how the city celebrates a painter whose original paintings it does not own. Check exhibitions featuring Van Gogh and modern artists.
Stand beside the staircase Van Gogh painted on a grey morning in 1888. Compare the easel view with today’s riverfront and discover the painting’s remarkable auction history.
Stand on the bridge overlooking the Rhône and discover the history of Van Gogh’s painted bridge. Learn how war destroyed the original and changed this riverside view.
See the recreated hospital garden Van Gogh painted in spring 1889. Learn about Dr. Félix Rey, his care for Vincent, and the painting that captured the blooming courtyard.
Walk into Les Alyscamps, Arles’ ancient burial ground lined with trees and Roman tombs. Discover how this historic site inspired Van Gogh and Gauguin during their time in Arles.
Finish at the medieval Saint Honorat Church, with its distinctive lantern tower and roofless ruins. Stand where Van Gogh painted the church rising above the ancient tombs.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(29)
Firstly the app needs a lot of fixing 1. It frequently 'loses' you and a 'refresh' takes you back to the starting point, not where it last 'saw' you. 2. It places a block description of the current 'location' in the middle of the screen and leaves it there, making it very hard to see where you are if you are underneath it, without doing a lot of zooming in and out. 3. If you accidentally click on a 'further' location it tags everything else as having been visited. (Restarting the app seems to 'fix' this) 4. It gives you absolutely no indication of when you are going in the wrong direction, or have taken a wrong 'side street'. Google maps is far better at all the map walking issues listed above, so there's nothing that can't be fixed with a bit of effort. Then there's the tour itself 1. The starting point is 'inside' Les Alyscamps, which is described as 'included'. It is not included and you have to pay to enter. This issue occurs at other places in the app. Since many (all?) of the paid entry locations can be purchased with a single ticket this should have been fully documented up front, so people can work out what sort if ticket they need and not spend a small fortune paying for each location. 2. Some of the places are just plain wrong, eg the accepted location of the Yellow house is not 1 Rue Voltaire, it's 2 Place Lamartine, weirdly the app 'sort of' knows that, as it's a separate stop later on. 3. Le Café Van Gogh is no longer called that, nor is it anything like the described color. 4. Many of the 'descriptions' are repeated ad nauseum, eg, how many times do we need to be told about van Gogh cutting off his ear, or his breakup with Gauguin. 5. Way too much flowerly language, not just that, but the repetition of the same flowery phrases again and again grates. 6. The app states that there were no gladiator flights at the Amphitheatre, but it is stated pretty much everywhere that there were. I really have to wonder if the creators of this tour actually did any research, maybe it was completely cobbled together with AI. They need to fix it, there are just too many errors.
I wouldn't recommend this. The app is quite irritating with an American voice droning on in detail inviting you to visualise Van Gogh's time while you're stood next to a bury road.
The guide does not match its title. There is hardly anything related to the life and work of Van Gogh in Arles, probably because there are no real traces of his stay in the city. Everything ends up being "imagine." There is a "flowery" text that aims to be evocative, but it provides almost no concrete information. In reality, it is a guide to Arles.
This was so much fun. I have done a lot of audio self guided tours and this was the best. As you walked up to a spot, the app recognized where you were and started telling about the spot. Very enjoyable, very educational. Will definitely look for tours from this app in the future. One note specific to this tour, make sure you are prepared to buy the advantage ticket o explore the monuments and museums in more details. Extra cost but definitely worth it.
We love the self guided walks. The app worked perfectly the information was interesting and informative.
Not worth the time! Very little real insights or historic information about VG or Arles. The weakest aspect of the tour was its design…a one-way tour is too difficult to plan your day around and if you did it “out and back” it would be a 4 mile/4 hour tour.
This was my first time trying a self guided tour from viator so i had some hesitation, but it turned out well.
For older folks, walking in a day may take over 6 hours. Arles is only slightly up and down. Museums, Roman sights and shopping take time to experience. The guide is helpful with the sights and information along the way. We are going over two days.
In the footsteps of van Gogh and the Romans - impressive guided tour with lots of information about the history of Arle, which was shaped by the Romans and captured by van Gogh in many pictures
App tried to update in the middle of the tour. No WiFi and could not update so app was not useable. I have asked for a refund.
