Advice

We'd like to take a moment to briefly introduce you to other points of interest that we weren't able to squeeze into our itinerary. If you're looking for a bit of greenery, be sure to visit the Royal Garden, a true haven of peace in the city. The remarkable garden is home to many rare species of trees.

You can also go for a stroll in the Botanical Garden and take in all of its 17-acre natural beauty. Here you'll find the Museum of Natural History, famous for its huge skeleton wall featuring over 75 species. While in Toulouse, don't forget to look up to the stars.

If you're drawn to the mysteries of the universe, think of astronauts as heroes, or if you're passionate about the history of aviation and the adventures of the famous Aéropostale, there are lots of places to visit! Start from the Cité de l'Espace, located next to the Parc de la Grande Plaine. Come and unlock the secrets of the cosmos, discover the Ariane rocket, the Mars Rovers, or step into the heart of the solar system, under the new-generation planetarium screens.

You can also stop by the Airbus factory in Blagnac, about 10km from the center. You'll need to book your tickets on the Manatour website, as places are limited. But once inside, you'll have a front-row seat to a fascinating journey of discovery, standing in one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturing facilities.

It's a unique opportunity to get an insight into the workings of an aerospace factory. While you're there, you can also visit the Aeroscopia aeronautical museum. Spanning over 30,000m², the museum houses a large collection of exceptional aircraft.

This is the place to go if you've ever wanted to board the Concorde, see a Super Guppy up close, or discover the world's largest aircraft, the A380. You can even put yourself in the pilot's shoes for an exhilarating flight simulation. If history is more your thing, don't miss a visit to the Toulouse Aerospace district.

This innovative and dynamic eco-district is named after the former Aéropostale runway that runs through it. Discover the flight of the pioneers, on the Runway of Giants. You may not know it, but Aéropostale was born in a factory near Toulouse; it was the brainchild of young Pierre-Georges Latécoère.

After building two-seaters during the war, he thought he could transform his military planes into mail-carrying aircrafts, and was convinced that it was possible to create a route from France to Latin America via Africa. At the time, no aircraft had covered more than 400 km, let alone crossed a desert, an ocean or flown over the Andes, reaching heights of nearly 7000 meters. Here's your chance to join Mermoz, Saint-Exupéry and Guillaumet on a legendary journey through time, in this 1000m² space.

While on the runway of Giants, you'll come across another of Toulouse's flagship activities, in the Halles de la Machine. Inside this 6,000m² contemporary exhibition hall, over 150 machines come to life, celebrating street art, inventiveness and technology. Straight out of the "Machines of the Isle of Nantes" exhibition park, the machines tell their own stories, exhibiting the agility and grace of a giant spider.

You can even take an outlandish ride on the back of a Minotaur through the Montaudran district. On a completely different note, we can't fail to bring up the region's rugby culture. Watching a game in Toulouse is a must for rugby fans.

Alternatively, you can take a guided tour of Ernest Wallon stadium to discover the history of this century-old site, check out the locker rooms, sit on the dugout, or even try your hand at passing and throwing in line-outs. While you're in Toulouse, you can also take the time to explore the Canal du Midi by bike or by boat! This waterway, linking Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea for over three centuries, was designed by Pierre Paul Riquet, who's buried in Saint-Étienne Cathedral.

You can think of him and thank him as you travel along his canal that he didn't live to see finished. Today, it's also an ideal spot for nature walks. Toulouse is home to a number of vineyards, perfect for wine tastings and cellar visits.

Here's your chance to taste the wines of Haute-Garonne, like Fronton and Comté-tolosan. When you think of Occitania, your mind wanders almost unwillingly to the picturesque villages dotted around the region. If you have a little extra time after your visit to the Pink City, be sure to explore the surrounding area, and succumb to the charms of medieval villages perched in the heart of nature.

Just 80 km from Toulouse, Cordes-sur-Ciel promises to enchant you. It's arguably one of the region's gems. Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Bruniquel and Eaunes are just as beautiful, and perfect for day trips.

If you're up to exploring some more, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie or Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges are also great options further afield. Well, with all this, you've got plenty of things to do, if you feel like staying in the area for a while.