Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche
Discover humanity's first great masterpiece, dating back 36.000 years. In a 15-hectare wooded park, the Chauvet 2 – Ardèche cave, the world's largest replica of an adorned cave, recreates the magic of the Chauvet cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
36.000 years ago, in a deep cave, the first artists in the history of Humanity painted a masterpiece: horses, lions, rhinoceroses and many other animals captured from life, hunting , running or confronting each other.
Discovered in 1994, the Chauvet cave, which revolutionized the history of art and mentalities, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its replica, the Chauvet 2 – Ardèche cave, opened in 2015, today allows the public to discover the first great masterpiece of Humanity.
An unmissable cultural destination a stone's throw from the Gorges de l'Ardèche and Pont-d'Arc, it has established itself as the most visited cultural site in Ardèche.
The visit to the cave (guided or audio-guided) invites you on a journey to the origins of art, to an immersion in Prehistory.
On the site, other discoveries await you, such as the Aurignacian Gallery which complements the visit of the reconstruction and allows you to better understand who our ancestors were, their art and their environment, in an immersive and interactive scenography.
Through a brand new immersive exhibition, "Grotte Chauvet, l'Aventure Scientifique", Grotte Chauvet 2 invites you to follow the scientists' work step by step, to explore their methods and to experience the scientific adventure yourself.
Throughout the year, a cultural program, conferences, workshops and events allow you to prolong the experience and rediscover the immemorial gestures of our ancestors.
Entry includes guided tour of the cave, access to the Aurignacian Gallery, the "Chauvet, the Scientific Adventure" exhibition, activities and workshops (according to the program).
Also enjoy the restaurant and its panoramic view of the Ardèche Mountains, open all year round, as well as the bookshop and its more than 1000 references.
On Monday and Thursday evenings during the summer from July 6 to August 27, 2026 and during the Christmas holidays, experience Prehistory in a different way with Les Soirées de Chauvet!
Discover the light and sound trail at nightfall with its many playful, spectacular, poetic and musical installations: giant mapping on the facade of the cave, holograms of prehistoric animals, shadow and light games at the paleo camp and an original musical experience!
To enjoy the visit, the minimum age is 3 years old.
Wheelchairs are available on request at reception and at the cave entrance.
Video
Certifications & Labels
Establishment certified Tourism & Disability!
The Tourism & Disability label provides a clear guide to knowing where to set down your suitcases with peace of mind. It guarantees a welcome adapted to the specific needs of four types of disabilities (motor, visual, hearing, mental), with concrete and verified adjustments. Basically? Less hassle, more fun.
- Vineyards & Discoveries label
- Sanitary charters and other sanitary reception facilities
- Family plus
- Accueil Vélo Label
- Tourism & Disability label – hearing impairment
- Tourism & Disability label – mental disability
- Tourism & Disability label – motor impairment
- Tourism & Disability label – visual impairment
Themes
Visit
Customers
Language(s) of the visit
Audio guide language(s)
Tour services
- Unguided group tours permanently
- Guided group tours on request
Opening
From 04/07 to 31/08/2026 every day from 8:30 a.m. to 20:30 p.m.
During the Chauvet Evenings (Monday and Thursday evenings from July 6 to August 27): 8:30 a.m. – 00:30 a.m.
Friday 28/08: 8:30am – 19pm.
From 01/09 to 30/09/2026 every day from 9 a.m. to 19 p.m.
From 01/10 to 16/10/2026 every day from 9:30 p.m. to midnight.
From 17/10 to 01/11/2026 every day from 9:30 a.m. to 19:30 p.m.
From 02/11 to 18/12/2026 every day from 10:30 a.m. to 17:30 p.m.
From 19/12/2026 to 03/01/2027 every day from 10:30 a.m. to 19 p.m.
December 24th: from 10:30 pm to 16:30 pm
December 25th: 14pm to 18:30pm
December 31st: 14pm to 18:30pm.
Exceptional Closure(s)
- 28/01/2025
Prices
Full price for Chauvet Evenings: €25
Reduced price for Chauvet Evenings (RSA recipients, ages 10-17): €12,50
Free evenings at Chauvet for children under 10.
Annual pass (unlimited): €25/year
The price includes:
– Unlimited access to the Chauvet 2 Cave site for 1 year (except for privatization of the site): guided* and audio-guided* tour of the cave replica, prestige tour*, Aurignacian Gallery, free exhibition “Chauvet Cave, the Scientific Adventure”.
– Access to all events and activities according to the schedule (more information on the website, under the agenda section)
– A 10% discount at the restaurant (for a bill of up to €100)
– A 10% discount at the shop – Bookstore
* Subject to reservation and availability.
Preferential rate with our partners: Cité de la Préhistoire and Grand site de l’Aven d’Orgnac / Pont du Gard / Crocodile farm. Under conditions.
Payment methods
Reservations possible at the Tourist Office
Come see us: we'll book for you, advise you, and you can focus on having fun.
Accepted payment methods → Credit card / Cash / Checks / Holiday vouchers
Services
Equipment
Services
Activities on site
- Manual workshops
- Temporary exhibitions
- Animation
- Children's entertainment
Home animals
Accessible tourism
Establishment certified Tourism & Disability!
The Tourism & Disability label provides a clear guide to knowing where to set down your suitcases with peace of mind. It guarantees a welcome adapted to the specific needs of four types of disabilities (motor, visual, hearing, mental), with concrete and verified adjustments. Basically? Less hassle, more fun.
Hearing impairment
Video guides in LSF available at the entrance to the cave.
Magnetic induction loops are available for visiting the cave.
Lighting equipment for lip reading and a booklet for the hearing impaired can be requested at the site reception or at the restitution.
Self-guided tours with smartphone app are available at the end of the day.
A visitor's booklet for the hearing impaired is available in print at the cave reception or can be downloaded in digital format to prepare your visit in advance.
Physical disability
The entire site and the restitution are accessible to PRM with a level path. *
Smooth rolling and barrier-free ground
Minimum passage width of 90 cm
The toilets are accessible and equipped with grab bars.
Transfer wheelchairs can be loaned to you subject to availability at the entrance to the site and the cave.
PMR spaces in the car park are available near the site entrance: 2 spaces for long vehicles and 16 spaces for individuals.
*Some paths are slightly steep. Consult the site map with the ideal paths for wheelchairs and strollers.
Visual impairment
A booklet of relief drawings of the decorated walls of the replica is available on request at the entrance to the restitution.
Our mediators are trained in description during visits.
Audio guides are available with audio description in 4 languages (French, English, German and Dutch).
Mental handicap
Our teams are used to working with people with mental and psychological disabilities.
Simplified booklets (FALC) of practical information and visits in printed form are available at the site reception or can be downloaded in digital format to prepare your visit in advance.
