City guide
What to do in Vannes: the complete guide
Ramparts and wash houses, the old town, the harbour, cruises to the Île aux Moines and the Île d’Arz, the Château de Suscinio: what to do in Vannes and the Gulf.
6 min read
Vannes has everything for a first stay on the Gulf of Morbihan: a walled old town, a harbour at the foot of the ramparts, and boats leaving every day in the summer season for the islands.
The ramparts and the wash houses
From the Promenade de la Garenne, the ramparts overlook formal gardens and the old covered wash houses by the river. It is the most photographed view in town.
The old town
On Place Henri-IV, the half timbered houses lean over the cobbles. The Cathédrale Saint-Pierre and La Cohue, a former market hall turned Musée des Beaux-Arts, are a few steps away. Also look for “Vannes et sa femme”, two carved busts on the corner of a house.
The old town and the museum
Heritage siteVannes walled townVannes · Half a dayA walled town in Morbihan that keeps nearly a kilometre of ramparts, five of its seven gates and two thousand years of continuous urban history.- MuseumVannes Museum of Fine Arts, La CohueVannes · 1 hour to 1 hour 30Facing Vannes cathedral, La Cohue mixes medieval architecture and 19th and 20th-century art: Delacroix, painters of Brittany and the Geneviève Asse donation. It closes for works from 1 November 2026.
The markets of Vannes
- MarketGrand marché de VannesVannes · 1 to 2 hoursOn Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 am to 1.30 pm, the big Vannes market sets up on Place des Lices, in the heart of the old town and its half-timbered houses.
- MarketHalle des LicesVannes · 1 to 2 hoursAround thirty traders await you at the Halle des Lices in Vannes, from Tuesday to Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm, and every day in July and August.
- MarketHalle aux poissons de VannesVannes · 1 to 2 hoursOn Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 am to 1 pm, around twenty fishmongers run the Vannes fish hall, on Place de la Poissonnerie.
The main market takes place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, Place des Lices.
The Gulf by boat
From the harbour, cruises tour the Gulf and stop at the Île aux Moines or the Île d’Arz. You can hire a bike, walk around the island and come back on the last boat. Belle-Île, Houat and Hoëdic can also be reached in season.
Cruises and outings
- ActivityVannes : découverte du street art avec un artisteVannes · 2 h 30A 2 h 30 street art tour in Vannes, led by Maks, of the association L’Art prend la Rue, artistic director of Vannes et sa Street.See prices and bookPartner link GetYourGuide
- ActivityVannes : balade guidée avec séance photo professionnelleVannes · 2 hoursA 2-hour guided walk through Vannes with a professional photo shoot by Mizaru Vision, solo, as a couple or with family.See prices and bookPartner link GetYourGuide
Around Vannes
The Rhuys peninsula and the Château de Suscinio, residence of the Dukes of Brittany, are half an hour away. Auray and its harbour of Saint-Goustan, Rochefort-en-Terre and the Séné nature reserve round off your stay.
Less than an hour away
CastleSuscinio CastleSarzeau · 2 to 3 hoursBetween marshes and ocean, Suscinio was one of the great residences of the Dukes of Brittany; restored, it now combines a medieval castle, immersive displays and a natural estate.
VillageSaint-Goustan, port d’AurayAuray · 2 hours to half a day, longer with the historic centre of Auray, a cruise or a meal on the harbourBelow the old town of Auray, Saint-Goustan unfolds its quays, its stone bridge, its half-timbered houses and cobbled lanes around one of the most photogenic harbours in Morbihan.
VillageRochefort-en-TerreRochefort-en-Terre · 2 hours to half a day, more during the Christmas eventsRochefort-en-Terre creates an almost theatrical setting of granite houses, half-timbering, flowers, craftspeople and a castle perched on a rocky spur.
Natural siteRéserve naturelle des marais de SénéSéné · 2 hours per trail, half a day for bothAt the far end of the Gulf of Morbihan, 530 hectares of former salt pans, mudflats and meadows where avocets, spoonbills and stilts live. Covered hides, and a free trail open all year.
Where to stay in Vannes
Stay in Vannes
Places to stay that are still available, with current prices, compared across the main booking platforms.
Partner link: a booking made from this map may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Going further
Vannes, in the journal
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