The world's largest decorated cave replica

You enter in a group of about twenty, along a walkway, in soft darkness. The replica reproduces the Chauvet Cave as it is, at full scale: 250 metres of route, marked by viewing stations, as far as the final chamber. On the walls are 27 panels and hundreds of animals, 14 species drawn or engraved. The relief of the rock is used, smudging gives volume, and overlaps suggest movement. The visit lasts about an hour, and these works are 36,000 years old. The original cave has been closed to the public since its discovery in 1994, and researchers enter it only four weeks a year.

The Great Panel of the Lions

At the far end the masterpiece is revealed: a composition twelve metres long with 92 animals. A pride of cave lions seems to burst out and chase a fleeing herd of bison. It is a staged narrative, not a juxtaposition of figures.

The cave also holds the greatest concentration of felines and rhinoceroses in all cave art, and animals almost never depicted: the panther, the musk ox, and an eagle owl, the only known depiction of its species in all Palaeolithic art. In the Skull Chamber a cave bear skull rests on a block of rock; in the Brunel Chamber the Great Panel of Palm Dots lines up nearly a hundred red dots made by pressing an ochre-covered palm to the wall.

Choosing your visit

  • Guided visit: with a guide (médiateur).
  • Audio-guided visit: four options: a story-telling version for ages 3 to 6, one adapted to ages 7 to 11, a first adult visit, or an "expert" route. The first three are available in French, English, German, Dutch and Spanish; the expert route is in French only.
  • Prestige visits: depending on the season, these explore a theme in depth or are made by torchlight, as close as possible to what the Aurignacian people experienced.

The Aurignacian Gallery

Free to enter, and worth at least 45 minutes. This interpretation centre tells the story of the Ardèche 36,000 years ago: its landscapes, geology and fauna, with life-size mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, giant deer, bison, lion and cave bear. It answers the question the cave leaves hanging: who were these people? The house advice, and it is good, is to start here, before entering the replica.

Temporary exhibition

"Grotte Chauvet, l'Aventure Scientifique" runs until 3 January 2027. It looks at how the cave is studied: archaeology, palaeontology, genetics, acoustics, geomorphology and digital science. You handle the tools and follow the investigation.

On site

The park covers 15 hectares. The restaurant Aux Plateaux du Razal has a 180° panoramic terrace over the Monts d'Ardèche and the Cévennes, and the shop-bookshop holds over 1,000 titles. Workshops, talks and activities take place all year round, and in summer the Soirées de Chauvet open the park at nightfall.

Practical tips

Allow about 4 hours for the whole site, including 1 hour for the replica. The site is fully accessible and holds the Tourisme & Handicap label for all four types of disability (wheelchair and walking-seat loans, sign-language video guides, induction loops, relief booklets and audio description in four languages). Guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed throughout. There is free parking, pushchair loans, a nursery space, charging points and a picnic area. Booking online is advised in high season. For a longer trip, see our two days in the Ardèche itinerary, or the guide to painted caves in France.

Practical information was checked in October 2026: please confirm opening times and book on the official website before your visit.