How many days should I spend in Bordeaux?

Bordeaux… Although Marseille WAS the cradle of wine in France, Bordeaux has established its reputation throughout the world. If you are planning on visiting Bordeaux, this article is PERFECT for you! However, first read my article on wines in Bordeaux to be able to enjoy more the several tours I have hand-picked for YOU.

How many DAYS should you spend in Bordeaux? That is always the TRICKY question when planning a trip. Well let me give you an EXAMPLE of schedule you can modulate in every way you want.

Day 1 / Option 1: Walking tour in Bordeaux with museum visits

The best way to get to know a city is to WALK! So walk in Bordeaux, stroll down the streets, shop on the way, grab a coffee at a terrace… Get to know Bordeaux a bit.

Okay, so walking without knowing where to go in an unknown town can seem a little challenging… Luckily for you, my advice comes with an itinerary. This tour is a 3-kilometer walk and will take around two hours.

Start your day in la Cité des Vins of Bordeaux (oh and grab a skip-the-line ticket here -it is the same price as regular ticket, but you will get to AVOID wasting time queuing, and a WINE glass on the 8th floor with a 360° panoramic view is also included). Head then to Rue Bourbon and stop in front of the number 13. This facade, which used to be an old merchant’s stone and brick house facade, is a UNESCO World Heritage site! Stroll down Impasse Tramasse, which still has its cobbles from the time when port workers would roll their barrels from the storehouses to the port.

Head to a weaving factory, Quai des Chartrons, and have a look at round ironwork of the railing above the entrance. Walk along the Garonne, you are now at the heart of where used to be the harbor in the nineteenth century. You can still see the rails that were used by cranes when unloading the boats, if you take a look at the ground where the barrier blocks off the Garonne. Several merchants’ former homes still board the Garonne.

Now, if you come from the USA, you must stop at Thomas Jefferson’s commemorative plaque. Indeed, he spent a few days in Bordeaux, to visit the vineyards mostly : “Wine brightens the life and thinking of everyone“.

Remember when I was explaining that barrels used to be rolled down the cobbled streets? Well, if you pay a visit to the old Luze’s storehouses and look on the wall, you will see traces of barrels etched into the stone. Next stop is the wine and trade museum, which is set up in the former home of an Irish merchant. This exhibition traces the history of Bordeaux wine. And if you want to add a TASTING to your visit (and you should! You are in Bordeaux, you should taste as many wines as you CAN! You will be WALKING afterwards anyway. FYI : 10€ without the guide, 15€ with the guide and tasting. So 5€ for tasting 2-3 wines, that is the cheapest glass of wine you will have), click here!

If you are not too bored by museums just yet, just a little further, le Musée de l’histoire maritime will present you the history of the port and the Bordeaux wine trade. Head then to number 65 on Rue Notre-Dame, home to an old lithographic print works, from the 1880s. Rue Notre-Dame used to be a marshy path, but its ARCHITECTURE was developed to enable the merchants to send barrels down to the wine storehouse by the Garonne.

For the Americans visiting Bordeaux, another mandatory stop is Hôtel Fenwick, the first USA consulate by George Washington after the American War of Independence. It bears the name of the first American Consul. Walk then to the Monument of the Girondins and admire the statue of BACCHUS and its fountain.

Last, head to the CIVB, the HQ for wine professionals. There, on the ground floor, you will be able to TASTE Bordeaux wines from all the appellations.

The tourism office of Bordeaux provides you with a map you can download that follows this itinerary roughly (a few more stops along the way), click here to get it!

Bordeaux is also home to two URBAN wineries : Les Chais du Port de la Lune and la Micro-Winerie. If you want to know more about an urban winerie and, in particular, about these two, check out my article on urban wineries.

If you are a foodie, another walking tour I would recommend would be this one. You are walking, yes, but with food stops along the way! You will get to eat as the Bordelais eat, avoid tourist-traps and taste authentic french food. AND let’s face it, you can not come to France without tasting some of the best food we have. I like to sign up to these tours, because even though I am French, you always learn so much about the traditions and the essence of the city. And you usually get great tips and addresses that only experience will teach you. All the food is included into the price, it is $57,35 for a 4-hour tour. Click here to sign up.

Day 1 / Option 2 : Other ways to see Bordeaux

If you are not fan of walking, let me reassure you, there are MANY other ways to see Bordeaux. Let’s keep it fun!

First, you can sign up for a cruise on a vintage post-war yacht along the Garonne. You will be able to learn more about the history of Bordeaux and enjoy a glass of WINE (or soft/hot drink) with a CANELE (typical cake from Bordeaux). 19€ for a 90 minute-cruise with a glass of wine, you needn’t think about it : click here to sign up!

Another way you can appreciate Bordeaux is in the AIR! You will be able to enjoy views of Libourne, Saint-Emilion and the meanders of the Dordogne. However, I would recommend it if you are a FAN of flying only, seeing as it is 120€ for a 30minute flight. Click here to book a ticket or contact them for more information ([email protected])

Last, now that we covered by sea, by air, let’s talk about CAR and more precisely side-car! That’s a tour I would book at the beginning of your trip : during an hour and a half, explore Bordeaux at nighttime in a side-car and end the tour by opening a bottle of wine! You can be dropped off at a restaurant of your choice. So if you are a fan of classics, sign up here. If not, it is like the flying part, I would find it a bit expensive (179€ per group of two people max). The BIG plus-side though is you can choose what you want to see. You could do the walking itinerary in a SIDE-CAR!

Day 2 : Let’s go to the WINERIES on the Right Bank!

If you remember my article on the wines from Bordeaux, the wines from the Right Bank are usually Merlot-dominated. This is why I prefer to start by the Right Bank.

Let’s go to Saint-Emilion! I have TWO tours I would recommend. Actually, the FIRST one is the one I would sign up for, but the second is so CHEAP, I could not ignore it. So take your pick (take BOTH even!).

In this tour, you will get to taste EIGHT quality wines and create your OWN cuvée! How amazing is that? It is not only a GREAT experience, you also understand so much MORE about blends, a real eye-opening experience! After all this effort, you will enjoy a nice LUNCH with Bordeaux wines, à la française! After lunch, you will visit TWO wineries and get to taste FOUR local wines, while enjoying a tasting CLASS (where you will learn more about the vinification techniques). Enjoy a snack (apéritif) with LOCAL and traditional products before visiting the medieval village of Saint-Emilion, UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999.

This is a SURE recipe for a great day! And the BEST thing is : you don’t have to DRIVE! Your guide will pick you up in Bordeaux and drop you back at the same address in the late afternoon. The overall price is 165€ : it includes the transportation and guide, the tasting of twelve wines, the tasting masterclass, the blending class, lunch, the visit of the two castles and the snack. No hidden costs and great way to learn about St-Emilion wines. Click here to sign up!

The second tour is 14€-tour, where you visit two wineries with tasting. Transport is not included however Saint-Emilion is only a 30-minute train drive. I would buy it as a complement to the first one, because if you only do this one, you may feel a bit frustrated. Anyway, you can click here to sign up!

ANECDOTE : Here’s how to impress the group : enumerate the satellites of Saint-Emilion! First, a satellite, in this phrase, means the appellations near Saint-Emilion. Second, here there are : Lussac ; Montagne ; St George ; Puisseguin. And to help you remember them, here’s my trick : Lagers Makes George Piss.

Day 3 : Go to the LEFT now

In this tour, you will visit TWO wineries that produce Premier Cru or Cru Bourgeois wines. Not only will you learn about the HISTORY of the estate, the wine-making PROCESS and the vinification TECHNIQUES, but you will also be able to TASTE some wine for course! You will then follow the castle road to see some of the most famous castles, such as Château Margaux. This 80€-tour includes transportation and guide. The guide usually leaves you with a pack of restaurant addresses and wine bars. Sign up here to enjoy this Médoc tour.

ANECDOTE : Want to impress your guide and the group? Recite the villages of Margaux to him : Cantenac ; Labarde ; Arsac ; Margaux ; Soussans with this mnemonic : CLAMS !

As you have read here, Bordeaux is also famous for its SWEET wines from the Sauternes appellation. With this tour, go discover Bordeaux sweet Crus Classés by visiting TWO wineries (with wine tasting) of Grand Cru Classé from Sauternes. The transportation is included with hotel pick-up. Sign up here and go enjoy the most prestigious sweet wines in the world!

ANECDOTE : Do you know all the towns whose vineyards are eligible to the AOC Sauternes? Remember Saucy Boys Prefer Fancy Bars for Sauternes, Barsac, Preignac, Fargues, Bommes of course!  

Day 4 and 5 : In the middle … and by the sea!

Let’s not forget l’Entre-deux-Mers, in order to have a FULL Bordeaux experience. This tour will bring you (yes transport is included) to visit a winerie and taste its wines. You will also visit Rions and the Sauve-Majeur abbey, world heritage sites. LUNCH in a local restaurant is also included. The price of this tour is 150€. Sign up here to discover these underrated wines.

This concludes the WINE experience tours in Bordeaux I would recommend. Of course there are MANY more and by clicking on the links, you will have more suggestions.

However, I would like to talk to you about TWO other experiences you should have while in Bordeaux.

First, you shouldn’t miss out on the bassin d’Arcachon. Not only is the landscape absolutely BEAUTIFUL, this area is also home to OYSTERS! This tour will enable to eat oysters (with the wine that pairs with it) directly from the PRODUCER. You can not get a shorter circuit. You will also enjoy a 90-minute BOAT ride on the Leyre and visit Biganos with its colorful shacks. Finally, enjoy a PICNIC for lunch at the top of la Dune du Pilat, the biggest sand dune in Europe (the view is AMAZING at the top, and you need not be a big sports fan to climb it -there are stairs-). Transport is also included for this day tour (150€). Sign up here and don’t miss out on this beautiful place!

Second and last, Bordeaux is know for its wines that AGE well, very well. Don’t leave Bordeaux without tasting some vintages wines! With this experience, you will taste FOUR vintages wines from the 70s, 80s and 90s with local cold meat and cheese in one of the oldest independent wine merchants in Bordeaux: Cousin et Compagnie. Did you know that they were the first to introduce bio dynamic and natural wines to the centre of Bordeaux more than 15 years ago? That’s right, their range is 90% organic and comes from family estates and independent winemakers. This 80€-experience is PERFECT to conclude your time in Bordeaux! Click here to sign up!

So to answer the question : you should spend at least FIVE days in Bordeaux! A day in the CITY, a day per WINE region (x3) and go to ARCACHON, you will not regret it!

Let me know in the comments about what you like BEST and the CRISPY anecdotes you learned!