L'Ardèche
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
64Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 6 kn gusting 14, Air 14 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 51 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 4.9 mm
Thu 5 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 14.5 mm
Fri 6 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Sat 7 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 0 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 255, fair
- Tue 362, good
- Wed 451, fair
- Thu 557, fair
- Fri 668, good
- Sat 766, good
- Sun 864, good
- Mon 964, good
- Tue 1067, good
- Wed 1149, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 12 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 55, fair | 11 kn | 25kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 62, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 51, fair | 6 kn | 11kn | 8°C | 4.9 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 57, fair | 4 kn | 20kn | 12°C | 14.5 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 68, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 14°C | 1.2 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 66, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 64, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 64, good | 0 kn | 5kn | 12°C | 1.2 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 67, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 16°C | 0.6 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 49, fair | 5 kn | 14kn | 14°C | 32.7 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
L'Ardèche on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
4 places
- L'Ardèche 2.2 km away
- Ardèche, Gorges (Le Pont d'Arc - St Martin d'Ardèche) 6.2 km away
- L'Ibie 11 km away
- FaceSud 11.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About L'Ardèche
A river section on the L'Ardèche, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade II, on the international scale. It runs 12 km along the river. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 18 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 5.1 km away. The town to stay in is Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River L'Ardèche
- Grade Grade II, on the international scale.
- Length 12 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire 18 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 5.1 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,430–US$2,660 each
about US$1,430–US$2,660 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to FNI, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$489–US$1,010 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$328–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$288 |
| Total | about US$1,430–US$2,660 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 20 min by car · 61 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Vallon-Pont-d'Arc its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 18h 25m
About 18h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → FNI, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 1h 35m by road
Flights ORD → FNI on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Claude Mialon 5.1 km
Patou Bateau 7.7 km
Acqua Bateaux 8.2 km
Castor Canoë 8.5 km
Rivière et Nature 8.6 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits