Carcassonne 's Medieval Walls: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. This self-guided audio tour takes place around the medieval city of Carcassonne.

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2. On this tour, you'll see the Buste de Dame Carcas (a sculpture of Lady Carcas) and tell you the story of how she saved the city from Charlemagne.

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3. As you enter the city through Porte Narbonnaise (Narbonne Gate, you’ll begin following the wall, which encircles the old city. Along the way, you’ll also learn about the Cathars who flourished here in the twelfth century, the crusade launched against them, and some of the sieges that took place here.

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4. The Château Comtal is the castle-within-a-castle at Carcassonne's medieval Cité. Built around 1130 by the Trencavel viscounts as a fortified residence, it was reinforced during the 1209 Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, gaining a moat, barbican and inner wall so its lords could hold out even if the outer ramparts fell. After Carcassonne passed to the French crown in 1226, it became home to the royal seneschal. Left to decay for centuries, it was restored in the 1800s by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Today it's a national monument and museum, entered separately from the free ramparts walk.

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5. As you follow the wall around the city, you'll learn about medieval warfare and locate the various “kill zones” that enemies risked finding themselves trapped in when attempting to siege the city.

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6. You'll gaze upon the monument de la Jean Pierre Cros Mayrevieille, a doctor of law, a historian and an Inspector of Historic Monuments who saved the city from ruin.

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7. Carcassonne's Museum of the Inquisition is a modern themed museum, not a surviving Inquisition-era site, housed in a 17th-century building on Rue Saint-Jean inside the walled Cité. It explores the period through instruments of torture and interrogation spanning the 12th century to the French Revolution, alongside displays on the Cathars and the great Cathar castles of the Languedoc. A separate "Punishments" section walks visitors through an accused heretic's path from trial to execution — a curated, family-oriented attraction rather than a preserved historical monument.

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8. You'll take in the impressive and almost century-old Château et Remparts de la Cité de Carcassonne, also known as the Château Comtal, where the castle meets the wall and its surrounding defenses.

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9. You'll take in the impressive and almost century-old Château et Remparts de la Cité de Carcassonne, also known as the Château Comtal, where the castle meets the wall and its surrounding defenses.

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10. The Théâtre Jean-Deschamps is an open-air amphitheatre inside Carcassonne's medieval Cité, seating around 3,000 people beneath the backdrop of the city's towers and ramparts. It's the main stage of the Festival de Carcassonne, a summer festival hosting French and international music, theatre, dance, opera and classical performances. The venue is named after Jean Deschamps (1920–2007), a French stage and screen actor and director who staged numerous productions here over two decades, including adaptations of Julius Caesar and Othello. Its intimacy — far smaller than a typical arena — is often cited by performing artists as giving their shows an added dimension.

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11. On this two-hour tour, you won’t just trace the walls of Carcassonne, you’ll also venture into its centre through various gates including the Aude, Nazaire, and Toulouse Gates, and see the Church of Saints Nazaire and Celse, the city’s two patron saints.

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Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 48 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Deep Dive into Carcassonne’s history

  It was a splendid experience. Prof. Macdonald’s commentary was clear, informative and detailed. And the audio technology worked perfectly! I was most impressed. Would recommend this self-guided tour to everyone.

  Karti_SOctober 2026via Viator

• 4I really enjoyed the tour but it could have been shorter.

  The App worked perfectly - I was really impressed that it was so easy to use. It’s the first tour like this I’ve ever done and I would gladly recommend it to anyone

  Julie_OMay 2026via Viator

• 5Excellent ! Easy to use....

  Excellent ! Easy to use. Very informative. Nice to be able to stop And start……………..::::::::::::::::::

  Sue_TMarch 2026via Viator

• 1A waste of money. Don't even consider it.

  Atrocious and a total waste of money. The voice tour took nearly 30 minutes to start so we began the tour without it only to have to go back to the beginning again so that the spoken information could co ordinate with our position. And THEN it wouldn't sync with our location at all! Finally turned the bloody thing off as it was ruining the experience. And yes, location WAS on.

  Vivienne LOctober 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5Get the full history of Carcassonne

  Great tour, loads of info and keeps you away from the masses. Takes about 3 hours, great app with geolocation so it works at your pace.

  Jeremy_HSeptember 2025via Viator

• 5A wonderful village!

  This is a historic, special place and is a must see in France! A beautiful village with wonderful restaurants and shops and of course a true piece of history.

  Traveler05985337130August 2025via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Carcassonne

• Its from-price is 89% below the median of the 50 experiences we list in Carcassonne.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 3 of 50.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a medieval walled citadel above the River Aude in southern France, a UNESCO site of 52 towers and pointed slate roofs.

La Cité, the fortified old town, rises above the River Aude behind a double ring of walls, roughly three kilometres long, with 52 towers, its foundations dating from Roman and Visigothic times and its defences rebuilt in the Middle Ages. Much of it was restored in the nineteenth century by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who added the pointed slate roofs. Inside, the Château Comtal and the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire, with its stained glass, stand among cobbled lanes.

Top-ranked sights in Carcassonne: Château Comtal.

See all 50 experiences in Carcassonne