Practical Information Before Visiting Aven Forestière Cave
2026 SEASON open on public holidays
Hours & opening days
2026 cave visit rates
0 to 5 years old
Cave entry free. Game access included. (See included games)
6 to 14 years old
8 euros Cave entry.
Free "Mystery Expedition" + complimentary stone.
Free game access
(see free games)
15 to 108 years old
12 euros Cave entry. Game access included (see included games)
Students, disability benefits...
11 euros Cave entry. Game access included (see included games)
A visit concept without a guide and without reservation that helps us keep entry prices down
while also reflecting our family's deliberate choice: to keep things simple, honest, and accessible.
Some useful info before you come see us
Your cave ticket includes:
Access to the self-guided cave tour.
Professional caving headlamp rental starting at age 3.
Access to mini-golf, go-karts, treehouse village, play areas, relaxation zones, and picnic areas.
Also included: a free "Mystery Expedition" booklet for ages 6-14.
Free souvenir stone for ages 6-14.
What payment methods do you accept?
Credit card, Cash, (Paper meal vouchers). No personal checks.
But also: Louis XV dinnerware, a lock of Trump's hair (or his scalp), latest model Tesla, and Lindt gold bars. An Aladdin's lamp with a genie and three wishes.
For diamonds, please bring a qualified, healthy jeweler on-site to certify the stones' value.
Opening hours*—cave access closes 1 hour before site closing:
All Saints' Holiday 2026: Check back two weeks before for opening details.
Open all public holidays during season.
Important: the site closes at the stated time— these are site closing times, not times for the last tour.
Last cave descent one hour before site closing.
We want visitors to enjoy at least an hour in the cave, but arriving an hour before closing means just one hour underground, with mini-golf as your only option after cave time. All games and activities close when you exit the cave.
How do you get to the cave? Warning: GPS data can be outdated.
On horseback—ouch, your backside will hurt; by pony—worse; by bike—why not; by motorcycle—pretty cool; by car—depends on the model; by hang glider—don't even try.
.Rest assured, getting here is easy: If you're coming from Barjac, some roads have changed direction (town council decision) which is causing GPS headaches since the maps won't update despite our repeated requests.
So when coming from Barjac toward Orgnac l'Aven (the village), whatever your GPS might tell you, keep going on the D317 until you reach the village of Orgnac, then at the intersection turn left and follow the D217 toward Vallon Pont d'Arc and Labastide de Virac. After all, we're on planet Earth, so worst case scenario you'll circle the globe and end up back where you started.
Coming from Vallon Pont d'Arc, normally everything's fine, yes it's all good thanks, and you?
We only hear about these GPS issues from visitors coming via the Barjac road. Unless you're using WAZE, which seems to work a bit better; in any case, if your GPS suggests taking a dirt track, don't do it—the road is paved all the way to the cave.
Do Ardèche farmers accept credit cards?
Of course they do! But watch out! The aerial Orange telephone and internet cables (fiber here is only for transit) that internet depends on, and therefore the payment system as explained above, can malfunction, and there's practically no 4G or 5G network for payments with your phone or smartwatch.
So get ahead of the game by having at least two payment methods ready. The nearest bank is a 40-minute round trip away. Don't hesitate to check other websites within a 10 km radius, as the problem often affects the entire municipality—the infrastructure dates back to the Neanderthal era. (See the film Grrr! For more information, call Pierre or Pierre, and if Pierre doesn't answer, feel free to call Pierre, or in case of emergency, Pierre the blond!) We had five months of outages last winter and another month just three days after the technicians' visit. All this because 800 meters of telephone cables were stolen, and the second time, 520 meters. They're blowing up our cables!!! We're not eligible for fiber optic.
We bought about ten picnic tables, despite our snack bar, but remember that Ardèche towns centralize garbage collection right at the entrance to villages and cities, so we manage our snack bar's waste with our car but not picnic waste. We also prefer not to deal with diapers and other delightful surprises.
Mmmmh, that beautiful Ardèche lavender smell!!!
Good things to know for your general knowledge
We do everything we can to welcome you with joy and kindness.
What should we do when we arrive at the site?
If you want to tour the cave right away upon arrival, please stop by the reception desk first. But if you want to play before touring or picnic, please also pop by the desk before you settle in.
Where should we go for the cave tour?
To visit the cave, your entire family or group of friends must present yourselves at the reception at the same time when everyone is ready to go down. You pay the cave entrance fee only at the moment you go down—if you play before, even at mini-golf, we won't collect the entrance fees then. I repeat: you pay when you all go down together. We must provide explanations and advice so your visit is as interesting as possible, and we don't let a third party relay the explanations, because the Ardèche telephone game ends up transforming them. Plus, each person will be provided with a professional headlamp for the visit (from age 3).
What if your mother-in-law showed up?
You're stuck with her, and you won't have any other choice but to visit with her—but good news, the cave might help you get rid of her easily. However, if you want to keep her alive, we have a yearly package with meals and lodging plus a daily outing. Because really, a mother-in-law is extra love for the grandkids, a super nanny with Grandpa, and she's someone with life experience who might be good at giving advice… We must save mothers-in-law, because with the significant drop in marriages in recent years, they're in serious danger of extinction.
The door says: "Never without my dog."
Well yes, dogs are definitely welcome on leash—we really do love them—but I'm going to have a little grumble: we have the kindness to accept dogs at the expense of our four dogs (three now, since we said goodbye to one), who spend the whole day locked at home because they can't be here at the same time as visitors' dogs (that would be cruel on our part). Even though we make the effort to welcome other people's dogs, many owners let their dogs pee at the entrance on the reception walls or right in the cave, leaving an odor and forcing us to clean every evening. It's because of people like this that dogs will end up banned here like everywhere else! Plus in the cave, owners let their dogs wander in front of the family on a five-meter leash, bothering other visitors (we've gotten one-star reviews on Google because of this) and encouraging the dog to mark freely. Let's be smart about understanding that the first real victims of bans will be the dogs themselves, not to mention abandonments by irresponsible people, because no vacation spot accepts them! We're putting a bow on this dog gripe!
Dog food made from human meat...
In summer, it's forbidden to leave your dog in the car—that would be a crime with the heat, even five minutes, and we will press charges against any animal cruelty. Finally, we'll turn you into dog food we'll distribute to the local animal shelter. In 2025, a young adult left his two Australian Shepherds (who were afraid to go into the cave) in the car in full sun; if ten minutes later I hadn't checked where the car and dogs were, because the guy swore they were in the shade with the windows open, they both would've died!!! In 20 minutes it reaches 104°F inside the car. It only takes about thirty minutes for a dog to suffocate and die in excruciating pain. The dogs were locked in the trunk.
Free parking is available right at the entrance.
Just remember that visiting Aven Grotte forestière requires no reservation. You show up and within no time, you'll be on the tour—except on the rarest of occasions during rainy days in July and August. We ask for your patience if it gets busy, because despite what some say about jobs being easy to find if you just look around or cross the street, work doesn't actually cross the street looking for people. France has a serious labor shortage with 450,000 open positions, often in hospitality or hand-whittling toothpick manufacturing. Still, 90% of the time, visitors access the cave in less than five minutes.
We actually advise against visiting a cave on a rainy day—it's far less enjoyable, especially since the games are no longer accessible and mini-golf turns into water golf!
A few reminders before we go...
Outside, everything is set up for you to feel happy and relaxed, whether as a couple or family with kids entertained and having fun. These activities are included with your cave entry.
12-hole mini-golf, about thirty wooden games, pedal-powered go-karts on a circuit, board games, giant pick-up sticks, tiny rope climbers, slackline, etc., boules court, balance bikes, scooters, balance games, etc.
Aven Forest Cave, a family-friendly, fun, peaceful, and welcoming place.
The siesta is an important activity in southern France, which is why hammocks and lounge chairs are available for those who appreciate the true values of vacation and life.
The place naturally and mysteriously radiates serenity (according to visitor testimonials), which makes people want to stay on-site for a long time. We've seen families arrive at opening and leave at closing.
Come discover what's new
Each year we install new comfortable structures and create new activities for adults and children. This year we created a "Mystery Expedition" for ages 6-14. This activity is free for them, and just because, we also give each child a stone.
This year the new comic strip-style panels are a huge hit.
