Bordeaux Tours, Tickets & Things to Do
Discover the best Bordeaux tours, world-class wine tastings and Saint-Émilion and Médoc vineyard day trips, the elegant UNESCO old town, the Cité du Vin, food tours and river cruises, plus the Dune du Pilat at Arcachon. Compare top-rated activities and plan your perfect Bordeaux itinerary.
Explore Bordeaux by interest
Whatever brings you to Bordeaux — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
Saint-Émilion
The medieval wine village.
ExploreMédoc & Margaux
The grand château wine route.
ExploreOld Town
Place de la Bourse and the quays.
ExploreCité du Vin
The immersive wine museum.
ExploreFood & wine tours
Oysters, canelés and wine.
ExploreArcachon & Dune du Pilat
Europe’s tallest dune and oysters.
ExploreRiver cruises
The Garonne and golden quays.
ExploreDay trips
Saint-Émilion, Médoc and the coast.
ExploreTop attractions in Bordeaux
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Saint-Émilion
The medieval wine village.
Médoc & Margaux
The grand château wine route.
Place de la Bourse
The grand square and Miroir d’eau.
Cité du Vin
The immersive wine museum.
Food & markets
Oysters, canelés and wine.
Dune du Pilat
Europe’s tallest sand dune.
Garonne river
Cruises past the golden quays.
Old Town
Golden 18th-century streets.
Bordeaux in 1 day
- 1Place de la Bourse
- 2Old town & cathedral
- 3Cité du Vin
- 4Wine bar tasting
Bordeaux in 2 days
- 1Day 1: Old town & Cité du Vin
- 2Day 2: Saint-Émilion
- 3Château tastings
- 4Wine bar evenings
Bordeaux in 3 days
- 1Day 1: Old town & Cité du Vin
- 2Day 2: Saint-Émilion
- 3Day 3: Médoc or Arcachon
- 4Wine country
Bordeaux with kids
- 1Miroir d’eau splash
- 2Cité du Vin
- 3Dune du Pilat climb
- 4Canelés & ice cream
45 min awaySaint-Émilion
The medieval wine village.
45 min awayMédoc & Margaux
The grand château wine route.
1 hr awayDune du Pilat & Arcachon
Europe’s tallest dune and oysters.
1.5 hrs awayCognac
The home of fine cognac.
45 min awayGraves & Sauternes
Red and sweet white wines.
1 hr awayBlaye
A Vauban citadel and wine.
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Bordeaux visitor asks before booking.
The sweet-spot months
Late spring (May–June) and early autumn (September–October) bring warm, pleasant weather, and autumn adds the grape harvest — the best times to visit.
Spring (Apr–Jun)
Mild, blooming days ideal for the old town, river and vineyards coming to life.
Summer (Jul–Aug)
Warm and lively, great for the riverside, terraces and the coast at Arcachon; busy in the city.
Autumn (Sep–Oct)
The grape harvest (vendange) season — a wonderful, atmospheric time for wine tours.
Winter (Nov–Feb)
Cool and quieter, cosy for the old town, museums and indoor tastings, with lower prices.
Harvest season
September to October is the grape harvest in the Bordeaux vineyards — a special time to visit the châteaux.
One day
Enough for the old town, the Cité du Vin and a wine tasting.
Two days
Add a Saint-Émilion wine day trip.
Three days
The sweet spot: the city, Saint-Émilion, and the Médoc or Arcachon.
Four to five days
Add more wine regions, Cognac and the coast.
A week or more
Use Bordeaux as a base to tour the world’s great wine country.
Travelling with kids
Mix the Miroir d’eau, the Cité du Vin and the Dune du Pilat at a gentle pace.
On foot
Bordeaux’s old town is compact and best explored on foot, with the squares, quays and Rue Sainte-Catherine close together.
Trams
A modern, sleek tram network covers the city cheaply, linking the old town, Cité du Vin and station.
By bike
Flat and bike-friendly, Bordeaux has shared bikes and riverside paths along the Garonne.
Day-trip transport
Tours bundle transport for Saint-Émilion, the Médoc and Arcachon, saving the driving and tastings logistics.
Trains
Bordeaux is well connected by train, including fast TGV to Paris in about 2 hours and regional lines to Saint-Émilion and Arcachon.
From the airport
Bordeaux Airport links to the centre by the 30 Direct shuttle bus or tram in about 30–45 minutes.
Book wine tours ahead
Popular Saint-Émilion and Médoc wine day trips and small-group food tours sell out — book ahead, especially in summer and at harvest.
Bordeaux City Pass
The Bordeaux City Pass covers museums, the Cité du Vin, transport and more — good value for sightseers.
Currency & tipping
France uses the euro; service is included in restaurants, though rounding up for good service is appreciated.
Try oysters & canelés
Sample fresh Arcachon oysters with white wine, and Bordeaux’s caramelised canelé pastries — local must-tries.
Spit, don’t swallow
On wine tours with multiple tastings, use the spittoon to pace yourself and enjoy more châteaux comfortably.
Use the tram
Bordeaux’s clean, efficient trams make getting around easy and cheap; a single ticket covers connections.
Saint-Émilion tours
Popular Saint-Émilion wine day trips sell out — book ahead.
Médoc wine tours
Grand château Médoc tours have limited places — reserve early.
Cité du Vin
Pre-book timed tickets to the popular wine museum.
Food & wine tours
Small-group food-and-wine tours fill up — book ahead.
Arcachon trips
Summer Dune du Pilat and Arcachon trips are busy — reserve early.
Harvest & summer
The autumn harvest and peak summer are busy — plan ahead.
Saint-Émilion tours
Around €70–130 for a half- or full-day Saint-Émilion wine tour.
Médoc wine tours
About €80–150 for a Médoc and Margaux château day tour.
Cité du Vin
Roughly €20–25 for entry with a tasting and viewpoint.
Old Town & food
Around €20–60 for a walking or food-and-wine tour.
Arcachon trips
About €60–90 for an Arcachon and Dune du Pilat day trip.
How to save
Use the City Pass and trams, walk the old town, and take regional trains to Saint-Émilion and Arcachon.
Bordeaux through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
- Best for
- Mild, blooming days and reviving vineyards.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Lovely for the old town and first wine tours.
- Best for
- Warm days, terraces and the coast.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Busy; book wine tours and Arcachon ahead.
- Best for
- The grape harvest and golden vineyards.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- A special, atmospheric time for wine tours.
- Best for
- Cool, quiet days for the old town and tastings.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Lower prices; cosy indoor wine experiences.