Carcassonne Itinerary: 3 Days in Carcassonne

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Carcassonne is the perfect place to spend a long weekend. Famous as one of the best preserved Medieval fortresses in the world, and surrounded by gorgeous French countryside, it’s definitely worth a visit.

But if you only have 3 days in Carcassonne, you’ll need a well-planned itinerary to ensure you make the most of this beautiful part of France. Having spent 3 days in Carcassonne myself, this 3-day itinerary will guide you through the best things to see and do, how to spend your time and what to avoid to ensure you make the most of your trip.

This 3-day Carcassonne itinerary assumes you have a vehicle to explore some of the wider area outside the walled city.

Visiting La Cité de Carcassonne, France

The Medieval walled city of Carcassonne is located in the South of France in the Occitanie region. Carcassonne has its own airport, but you can also choose to fly into Toulouse, Beziers or Perpignan, which are all just over 1-hour’s drive from Carcassonne.

If you have longer than 3 days in Carcassonne, the area also makes the perfect base to explore the nearby coastline and beaches, and the beautiful Pyrenees.

The area inside the fortress walls is known as the Citadel, or La Cité, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Outside the Medieval town walls, there is a beautiful, rustic, typically French town with restaurants, bars and cafes to explore.

3-Day Carcassonne Itinerary

Day 1 – La Cité, Carcassonne Citadel

If you’re planning a weekend in Carcassonne, the Medieval fortress is probably at the top of your list of things to see and explore. And while the Citadel of Carcassonne is worth a visit, my own personal experience of the city inside the fortress walls was mixed.

The Citadel itself is very beautiful, especially if you enjoy historic architecture, and the views from the ramparts across the countryside are amazing, but unfortunately, it’s very touristy with tacky souvenir shops selling plastic swords and people walking around in Medieval fancy dress.

It’s a shame because it has so much potential to be absolutely stunning, but the hordes of tourists make it a bit of a tourist trap.

If you’re coming all the way to Carcassonne, though, it’s definitely worth a visit, but I’d only plan to spend one day within the historic walled city, opting to explore the surrounding area for the other two days instead.

Carcassonne’s Citadel is best enjoyed early in the morning before the day trippers arrive, or late in the evening after they have all left, but there’s plenty to do inside the city walls to keep you busy for a whole day.

Don’t miss the Narbonne Gate, Chateau Comtal and Ramparts, the Basilica, the Museum of the Inquisition, the Citadel walls for views over the surrounding area of Carcassonne, and just generally getting lost in the beautiful rustic streets of the Old Town.

Narbonne Gate

The Narbonne Gate, also known as Porte Narbonnaise in French, is the main entrance to the Old Town and was built in 1280. It’s free to enter the walled city and is definitely worth entering through this main gate to get a feel of the grandeur of the two gigantic towers that frame the entrance.

Château Comtal (Count’s Castle)

The Château Comtal is a castle within the walled citadel and is the oldest part of Carcassonne. While the walled city is free to enter, the Château Comtal costs €13-19 per adult (depending on the time of year), with under-18s entering for free.

You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring the Castle and enjoying the views from the ramparts. You can choose to explore independently, with a guide, or with an audio guide for an extra €3.

You can find more information on opening times and book your tickets here.

Saint Nazaire Basilica

A 12th-century Gothic-style church in the heart of the old city. While impressive from the outside, its main feature is the beautifully painted stained glass windows, which are best appreciated from inside the cathedral on a sunny day.

Museum of the Inquisition

Not one for the faint-hearted, the Museum of the Inquisition, located within the Citadel walls, contains various instruments of torture, as well as information on how they were used and the various characters who played an important role in the city of Carcassonne through the Dark Ages. It’s a bit gory and gruesome, so one to skip if you’re squeamish.

Old Town Streets

One of my favourite pastimes while exploring any new place is to simply wander the rustic streets of the Old Town and get lost. The Old Town in the Citadel is truly beautiful and a lovely way to pass an hour or two.

Ramparts

Some of the best views are from the ramparts of the Citadel, overlooking the surrounding countryside. Before finishing up your day, enjoy a stroll around the inner city walls.

Carcassonne Citadel Walking Tours

If exploring all of the various parts of the Citadel sounds overwhelming, or you’d simply love to learn a bit more about the history of the city, why not book a walking tour with a knowledgeable local?

Day 2 – Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse

This part of the 3-day Carcassonne itinerary assumes you have access to a vehicle to explore the wider area. On day two of our weekend in Carcassonne, we headed to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse, which included a 1.5-hour drive through beautiful mountain scenery to a village in the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Château de Peyrepertuse

While in Duilhac, try and spot the ruins of the Château de Peyrepertuse perched on top of the cliffs towering over the village. You can even hike to the castle from the village if you’re feeling energetic, or enjoy a whole host of other hiking trails in the area.

Entrance to the Castle costs €8 for adults which is quite expensive given the fact the castle is just ruins. However, a trip up to enjoy the spectacular views will not disappoint. There’s parking near the Castle if you’d rather not walk. You can find more information on ticket prices, opening hours, hiking trails and parking on the official website.

Gorges du Verdouble

Sitting snug under the medieval fortress of Peyrepertuse, Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse is the gateway to a beautiful collection of waterfalls and lagoons known as Gorges du Verdouble.

Although we found the Gorges du Verdouble difficult to find, it was definitely worth the jaunt. During the day, the sun lights up the valley, making this a hot spot for sunbathing, swimming in the crystal clear water and generally admiring the natural beauty of the canyon.

The car park at Gorges du Verdouble costs €7 for the day, so make sure to bring some change. The waterfalls themselves are very accessible, just a short walk from the car park. The car park location can be found here.

For a bite to eat in the local area, I’d highly recommend L’Aouzine, a beautiful restaurant with fantastic reviews nestled into the trees just a 2-minute drive outside the town of Duilhac.

Day 3 – Canal du Midi, Trèbes, Bastide Saint-Louis

After a busy day exploring the foothills of the Pyrenees on day two, day three is a chance to relax and explore some of the area surrounding the Carcassonne Citadel.

Take a trip to a viewpoint outside the city to appreciate the Citadel from afar. Great views of the city can be enjoyed from Chemin des Ourtets, the Carcassonne Castle Panorama View Point, Pont Vieux or Pont Neuf. I would also recommend exploring the town surrounding Carcassonne, which lies outside the Citadel walls, as well as the town of Bastide Saint-Louis.

While in Bastide Saint-Louis, don’t miss the beautiful and serene Canal du Midi, a haven for walkers and a place to find tranquillity outside the city. Whether you opt to enjoy a gentle walk, a slow bike ride or a relaxing boat trip down the river (catch boat trips from the port opposite the train station), this is a really lovely way to spend your last afternoon.

Finally, on your last evening, be sure to view Carcassonne from a distance at night as the city is truly spectacular when lit up.

On our last evening, we stumbled upon a tiny truffle and wine bar, Barriere Truffes L’Atelier. It was one of those places that just drew me in, and I simply had to stop for a glass of wine. With 5-star ratings and tons of rave reviews, it seems this tiny little bar is quite the destination for wine and truffle lovers alike. You could spend an entire evening sampling the various wines and dishes on the menu!

Other Things To Do Near Carcassonne

If you need some other ideas for how to spend 3 days in Carcassonne, or if you’re visiting for a longer period of time, here are a few other things to add to your itinerary:

• Visit the charming town of Trèbes, only 5 miles east of Carcassonne. Your own transport is needed as there is no public transport available.
• Visit a vineyard and do some wine tasting – the Languedoc wine region is one of the most famous in France. Book a tour and tasting at Domaine de Baronarques, or book a wine and food tasting in Carcassonne’s Old Town.
• Visit Beziers, Narbonne or Toulouse for a day trip.
• Hike in the Pyrenees.

Getting To and Around Carcassonne

You can access Carcassonne easily from several airports – Carcassonne, Toulouse, Beziers, and Perpignan. For ease of travel and flexibility, I highly recommend hiring a car from the airport. I use Discover Cars as they compare several companies and give you the best price.

If you don’t want to hire a car, you can easily get around Carcassonne on foot, but if you want to explore further afield outside of the city, there are a few options.

• Explore by bike
• Airport shuttle from Carcassonne Airport to the city – €6 each, more info here.
• Some limited public transport via the RTCA Regional Bus Service

It’s also fairly easy to get from larger cities such as Narbonne, Beziers and Toulouse via bus and train.

More information on getting around can be found here.

Parking in Carcassonne

If you want to be very close to the Citadel, you can pay to park right outside the main entrance at the Narbonne Gate, next to the tourist information centre, but we later found free parking here, just a short walk down the hill into lower Carcassonne.

Frequently Asked Questions About Carcassonne