Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche cave

  • Leisure
  • Recreational activities
  • Tourist cave / Other landscaped natural sites
Elevation : 208m
2759 Route Touristique des Gorges, 07700 Bidon

Description

At the heart of the Ardèche Gorges, the Grotte Saint-Marcel will seduce you with the sheer size of its galleries and the richness of its concretions, including the spellbinding Gours waterfall, unique in Europe. Natural heritage site. Small animals accepted, carried.
Listed as a National Heritage Site for its geological and archaeological interest, the Grotte Saint-Marcel - with its 64 km of networks - is one of the largest caves in France. In 2025, it offers a new scenography for a more beautiful, more immersive and more poetic experience. Here, visitors are transported, like explorers, into an authentic universe, discovering the beauty of this exceptional environment and all it has to teach us about our history and our environment. The Saint-Marcel cave is also home to Europe's only waterfall of gours, its immense galleries, and its archaeological and multidisciplinary research programs, all in a particularly well-preserved setting. Tours available: Guided tour: For one hour, the guide will reveal the geological, human and animal history of the cave, magnified by its new scenography. Epicurean tour: Visit the cave and taste local wines and products with a guide specialized in oenology (duration: 2h). In 2013, Grotte Saint-Marcel created the "Cave Naturelle des Gorges de l'Ardèche ®" - a space dedicated to aging wines located 80 m underground - and became the first wine tourism center in a natural cave. Tastings of AOC Côtes du Rhône / Côtes du Rhône Village wines and local produce. Caving: Grotte Saint-Marcel in a different way! Discover caving in the heart of the cave, a national natural heritage site. With family or friends, set off on an adventure in the footsteps of Robert DE JOLY (French speleologist) and Édouard-Alfred MARTEL (founder of modern speleology). We offer several half-day and full-day tours combining history, sport and culture. Family Adventure (from age 5), la "Petite Odyssée" (from age 8),Arche des Sensations (from age 10) and Exploration Souterraine (from age 12). SpéléŒnologie®: Where caving meets oenology! A unique activity in France. With a speleologist guide and a guide specialized in wine tasting, explore the galleries of Grotte Saint-Marcel and take the time to taste the most typical Ardèche wines in complete darkness: Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages and Côtes du Rhône Villages Saint-Andéol. A little extra: Le sentier de la grosse pierre, a 2.8 km discovery trail that traces the fauna, flora and human occupation of the Gorges de l'Ardèche. A treasure hunt is organized to discover this trail in a fun way!
  • Services for children
    Immerse yourself in the whispers of time. The new exhibition design offers you a more immersive experience, just as the first visitors—equipped with nothing more than simple lanterns—might have seen it. Caving for ages 5 and up.
  • Host portrait
    The site is committed to showcasing and protecting the underground world through initiatives related to lighting and efforts to improve the management of tourist flows.
  • New for 2025
    New Set Design

Services

Product tasting
Son et Lumière
Activity
Climbing sports
Caving
Oenology, study of wines
Regional products
Restaurants and wines
Archeological digs
Geology
Restaurant
Free car park

Services offered

Quality standards

Quality standards
Guide MichelinGuide Michelin
Famille plusFamille plus

Accessibility

Not accessible in a wheelchair

Rates

From 3 April 2026 to 1 November 2026

From 3 April 2026 to 1 November 2026
Adult
€16.00

Child
€12.00

Family, student, and people with disabilities rates, as well as preferential rates based on partnerships
For groups and school groups, please contact us

Payment methods

Bank/credit cardBank/credit card
CheckCheck
Travellers ChequeTravellers Cheque
CashCash
Credit transferCredit transfer

Groups (Max capacity)

Groups (Max capacity)
  • 35 Maximum number of people

Openings

Monday
10:00 - 17:30

Tuesday
10:00 - 17:30

Wednesday
10:00 - 17:30

Thursday
10:00 - 17:30

Friday
10:00 - 17:30

Saturday
10:00 - 17:30

Sunday
10:00 - 17:30

Last admission 1 hour before closing
Monday
10:00 - 18:00

Tuesday
10:00 - 18:00

Wednesday
10:00 - 18:00

Thursday
10:00 - 18:00

Friday
10:00 - 18:00

Saturday
10:00 - 18:00

Sunday
10:00 - 18:00

Last admission 1 hour before closing
Monday
10:00 - 19:00

Tuesday
10:00 - 19:00

Wednesday
10:00 - 19:00

Thursday
10:00 - 19:00

Friday
10:00 - 19:00

Saturday
10:00 - 19:00

Sunday
10:00 - 19:00

Last admission 1 hour before closing
Monday
11:00 - 17:00

Tuesday
Closed

Wednesday
11:00 - 17:00

Thursday
11:00 - 17:00

Friday
11:00 - 17:00

Saturday
11:00 - 17:00

Sunday
11:00 - 17:00

The cave is closed on Tuesdays in September, and on Monday and Tuesday in early October; it is open every day during the All Saints' Day school break.

Medias

grotte de saint marcel
Missing video caption
grotte de saint-marcel d'ardèche
Missing video caption

Location

Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche cave
Elevation : 208m
2759 Route Touristique des Gorges, 07700 Bidon

Plan interactif : 1 lieux répertoriés.

  • Lieu sans nom

Spoken languages

Spoken languages
  • German
  • English
  • French

Environment

Environment
  • Close to GR footpath
  • Overview on river
  • In the country
  • Isolated
  • River 5 km away

Access

Access
  • In the countryside, secluded.
    On the Gorges Scenic Route
    Near several lookout points
    In a nature reserve
Updated on 28 January 2026 at 14:54
by Gorges de l'Ardèche - Pont d'Arc
(Offer identifier : 2801680)
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