Say Bordeaux and most people think of one thing: wine. And fair enough, the wine really is great. But after six days exploring the region, from the sleek city centre out to the Atlantic coast, I can tell you Bordeaux is a destination with a lot more going on than what’s in your glass.
There’s UNESCO listed architecture, medieval fortresses, truffle hunting dogs, golden dunes and a coastline that feels a world away from the vineyards just an hour inland.
I partnered with eight different tourism organisations across the region of Bordeaux to help develop the ultimate six day itinerary.
Day one: landing in Bordeaux
Bordeaux is genuinely easy to get to, and I loved that there are actually vines planted right at the airport, a nice little welcome to the region before you’ve even picked up your bags. Grab your rental car and head into the city, and I’d suggest basing yourself in Bacalan, the port area.
It’s a really interesting neighbourhood to stay in because you get the contrast of old maritime history sitting alongside a lot of modern art and street murals. It’s a lovely counterpoint to the elegance of the old town you’ll see later in the trip.
Kick things off with lunch at Bar de la Marine, a relaxed, casual spot where I had a fantastic salmon tartare. A nice little detail: they’ve got their own cat, called Haddock, who has his own merchandise in the bar.
From there, head to Bassins des Lumières, a digital art centre that used to be a submarine base built during the Second World War. It’s a sobering piece of history (it was built using forced labour, and there are reportedly still bodies within the structure), but today it’s been transformed into an extraordinary immersive art space, with artwork projected not just onto the walls but across the water inside too. When I visited it was a Matisse and Frida Kahlo exhibition, though the programme changes regularly.
Next, make your way to Cité du Vin, which just celebrated its tenth anniversary. This isn’t your average wine museum. It’s actually run by a nonprofit foundation, not the wine industry, and it’s designed for a general audience rather than wine experts, which makes it a brilliant place to go whether you’re a total novice or you know your terroir. They pull in more than 400,000 visitors a year, and over 3.6 million in the past decade.
Every ticket includes a tasting on the eighth floor, where they pour a different selection each day in a beautiful room with a balcony looking out over the city. There’s also a wine concept store on site, tasting workshops through the day and, if you don’t drink, a solid range of nonalcoholic options too.
While you’re there, don’t skip Via Sensoria, a one hour sensory tasting experience that moves you through pavilions themed around the four seasons, pairing small tastings with artistic installations. When I went they were celebrating the tenth anniversary with a Bordeaux focused theme, though it rotates.
Hop on the tram and head into the UNESCO old town for dinner at Casa Gaïa, an organic, locally sourced spot cooking everything in a wood fired oven. I went for the flatbread with some lovely vegetarian options, like aubergine, alongside a piece of fish.
Head back to Bacalan to sleep at the Moxy Hotel, a friendly, buzzy place with a lobby that always seems to have people chatting, super comfortable rooms (mine even had a balcony with its own hammock) and a terrific breakfast.
Top Tips for the City of Bordeaux:
There is no need for a car to get around the centre of Bordeaux. The tram system in Bordeaux is fantastic – frequent, fast, clean and reasonably priced. And it even goes all the way to the airport.
If you do have a car, consider staying in Bacalan as I did. Parking here can be easier and closer to your hotel vs in the old town of Bordeaux.
Bordeaux Tourism Office
12 Rue du 30 Julliet, 33000
Day two: the old town, canelés and Terres de Montesquieu
Start the morning exploring Bordeaux’s UNESCO listed old town, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 2007. Because nothing was bombed here during the war, the eighteenth century architecture is completely intact, and the streets are genuinely gorgeous to wander.
This is your moment to eat canelés, the region’s signature toffee flavoured pastry.
There are two traditional makers people debate endlessly, La Toque Cuivre and Baillardran, plus a newer name, Cassonade, who do more inventive flavours like smoked onion and bacon, and a Roquefort one that I loved. While you’re at it, grab a coffee at L’Alchimiste, and pop into the local Book Lovers store for its stunning swirl shaped book display.
Make your way down to the Miroir d’Eau, the giant reflecting pool facing Place de la Bourse. It’s one of the most photographed spots in the city, alternating between a mirror effect and a fine mist, and it’s a wonderful place to walk across for some scenic photos.
From there, drive south to Terres de Montesquieu for lunch at Le 1930, the restaurant at Domaine de Larchey, set on a beautiful green estate with a lovely stone fountain out front. I had a mozzarella and fresh tomato starter followed by fish, all fantastic.
Next, visit the jaw dropping Château de la Brède, which has stood on this spot since the thirteenth century. It’s a genuine medieval fortress, complete with a moat that’s still filled with water (and has fish living in it), and the interiors are wonderfully luxurious, right down to beautifully folded antique linens on display in the old rooms. It was also the birthplace of the philosopher Montesquieu, whose ideas on separating judicial, executive and legislative powers went on to shape the US Declaration of Independence and plenty of today’s democracies.
Round off the afternoon with a wine tasting at Château Lusseau, a small, family run estate that’s been in the family since 1870 and today is run by Bérengère Quellien, a former lawyer who took over in 2000 and converted the estate to organic farming in 2007.
It feels like being on a farm, with horses strolling about, an old wine press you can go and see, and the tasting itself takes place up in a treehouse (you’ll need to climb up to get in) with local cheeses and snacks brought up to enjoy alongside the wine.
Back in the city, finish the day at Le 7 restaurant on the 7th floor of Cité du Vin, a wonderful spot to catch the sunset. I had their Château Thieuley Sauvignon Semillon (handy, since I was heading there the next day), white asparagus to start, then pork and a fabulous dessert. Stay another night at the Moxy.
Top tip
The majority of vineyards in Bordeaux aren’t fancy. Many of the owners I met were wearing jeans and casual clothes. It is a good idea to wear sensible walking shoes as one of the most enjoyable parts of the experience is taking a walk through the vineyards and surrounding forests.
Terres de Montesquieu/South Bordeaux Tourism Office
3 Place Marcel Vayssière, 33650 Martillac
Day three: Entre-deux-Mers and into Saint-Émilion
Check out of the Moxy and head into Entre-deux-Mers, Bordeaux’s largest wine region, with around 110,000 hectares under vine, sheltered by pine forests and warmed by the Atlantic Gulf Stream.
Start at Château Thieuley, family owned since the 1950s and run today by two sisters, Marie and Sylvie, who grew up on the estate. They’ve been running it together for the past twenty years, and alongside their wines they also make vinegars and flavoured waters (I tried a rosemary one) designed to help you understand the difference between what you smell and what you taste on the palate.
There’s a friendly dog running about, a little museum on the family’s history, and it’s worth mentioning that a bottle of wine in Bordeaux averages around eight euros, astonishingly good value for a region with this much prestige.
From there, visit Sauve-Majeure Abbey, a UNESCO listed, thousand year old abbey with a medieval inspired garden (look out for the flower covered archway) and phenomenal views if you climb to the top.
Have lunch at Le Baron Gourmand, a cosy local spot with an open fire they’ll cook your steak on. I had white asparagus with a poached egg and béarnaise sauce, followed by roast chicken, both excellent.
Next, it’s on to Saint-Émilion, one of the most famous wine towns in the world and the first vineyard landscape ever listed as a World Heritage Site. Start with the underground monument tour, taking you through unique underground churches and caves carved into the limestone. As you wander the pedestrianised streets, you’ll pass old bath houses, now very attractive relics of the town’s past.
Climb the Tour du Roy too, a thirteenth century Romanesque keep, the only one still intact in the Gironde. It’s 118 steps to the top, but you’re rewarded with sweeping views over the medieval rooftops and vineyards, and the Jurade, the local wine brotherhood, still uses it today to proclaim the start of harvest each September. Saint-Émilion is also full of wine shops and bars, so it’s a great base if you don’t have time to visit every vineyard in person.
Head to Château d’Anvichar for a tasting, a winery that’s just outside town in the Castillon-Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation. I loved it immediately, thanks to three orange dog sculptures out front, made for the owner’s own dogs. The whole place has been beautifully renovated, and the tasting room is actually their home, spectacular and modern with a giant table.
They pair their wines with chocolates from a local chocolatier, chosen specifically to complement each pour, and they have a lovely tradition of signing your name onto a cork and adding it to a growing collection, so a little piece of you stays behind.
For dinner, head to the Château Hôtel Grand Barrail, all stained glass windows and a big outdoor terrace. I just told them to bring me what was good, which I love doing, and ended up with a wonderful avocado starter, octopus, and one of the best desserts I’ve had in my life, a kiwi covered creation with apple purée, white chocolate and cauliflower cream inside, followed by petit fours I absolutely couldn’t resist.
Stay the night at La Villa des Vignes, a stylish, relatively new boutique hotel just a stone’s throw from the entrance to the medieval village, with simple, detailed rooms, an outdoor eating area, an indoor pool and its own tasting room.
Top Tips:
If you don’t have time to visit any vineyards there are several great wine bars within the pedestrianised city of Saint-Emilion that will offer you the chance to try wines from a wide variety of chateaux.
Many people visit Saint-Emilion as a day trip from Bordeaux and it is popular. If possible try to visit Saint-Emilion first or last thing in the day for the best photos.
Entre-Deux-Mers Tourism Office
62 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 33670 Créon
St Emilion Tourism Office
Place des Créneaux, 33330 Saint-Émilion
Day four: Saint-Émilion at dawn, then Blaye and Libourne
Start early for a peaceful wander through the streets of Saint-Emilion. While you’re there, seek out Le Veritable Macaron de St Emilion for a macaron, and here’s a fun fact: the biscuit inside a macaron actually originated in Saint-Émilion. It was a Parisian chef who later had the idea of sandwiching two together with icing in between to create the macaron as we know it today. Breakfast back at La Villa des Vignes is worth savouring too, with freshly made blueberry bread cake and gorgeous fruit, best enjoyed outside looking over the vines.
From here, drive to Blaye, an appellation I hadn’t even heard of before visiting, producing red, white, rosé and even crémant, mostly Merlot alongside Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Start at Château Borgeat de Lagrange, an 1856 neo-Gothic château where the original winery, dating back to the seventeenth century, stopped production in the 1930s.
Estelle and her brother, already wine merchants, revived and renovated it six years ago. It’s not a hotel but you can hire the entire château, complete with its twelve bedrooms, for private groups, and they do poolside tastings, which felt like the perfect spot for one.
Next up is Blaye Citadel, a huge seventeenth century fortress designed by the military engineer Vauban, covering 33 hectares. This is the only place you can see the ten islands scattered across the estuary, Europe’s biggest, and the reason the citadel exists at all: this has always been a major trade and travel route, with tides so strong that no bridge has ever been built across it. Inside feels like its own small village, with cannons, horse statues and huge green spaces to wander through.
Have lunch at Restaurant La Citadelle de Blaye, the restaurant within the fortress walls, with fantastic views over the Gironde. I had lamb, followed by a beautiful dessert.
From Blaye, head on towards Libourne, a royal market town founded in 1270 that actually sits at the confluence of two rivers and has history stretching back to the Bronze Age. First stop is Château La Croix, a vineyard that also grows truffles. The base of each truffle tree has what’s called the brûlée, ground you’re not meant to step on or you’ll damage the truffles growing beneath.
They keep developing until October, when their aromas properly form, and are harvested between December and March, though yields are modest: a good tree might produce 200 to 300 grams, and only around 20 percent of trees produce in any given year. You’ll need to book 72 hours ahead so they can prepare, and it’s 35 to 39 euros for a tasting of truffle cheese, butter and more, alongside their wines, plus a demonstration from Thor, their gorgeous truffle hunting dog.
Wander through Libourne itself for a mix of history and a surprising amount of modern street art, along with some excellent cheese shops. Don’t miss the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, home to the town’s most prized relic, the Sainte-Épine, said to be a thorn from Christ’s crown of thorns.
Legend has it Charlemagne gifted it to the town around 800 AD, and it’s been kept in the church since 1609. It’s apparently been carbon dated and linked to minerals specific to the region around Jerusalem at the time.
For dinner, Le Bistrot Maritime sits right on the river with an outdoor terrace, where I had wonderful oysters followed by fish and vegetables. Stay another night at La Villa des Vignes.
Top Tip:
In the town of Blaye, pop into Maison du Vin to try a broad selection of wines from the region.
Blaye Tourism Office
1 Place de la Citadelle, 33390
Libourne Tourism Office
40 Place Abel Surchamp, 33500
Day five: Arcachon Bay and into Médoc Atlantique
Drive out to Arcachon Bay, a French seaside destination known for its golden sand and stunning bay. Start the morning on a traditional wooden pinasse boat for a cruise past oyster boats and out to Île aux Oiseaux, the bird island famous for its stilted huts.
The route follows the Cap Ferret peninsula, giving you views across to the Dune du Pilat and past colourful little fishing villages. Look out for the Chapelle de la Villa Algérienne, a striking red and white striped chapel in the village of L’Herbe, built in 1885 by Léon Lesca, a wealthy entrepreneur who made his fortune in Algeria and brought Moorish architectural influences home with him.
Fun fact for scale: the Cap Ferret peninsula is fifteen kilometres long and has a permanent population of around 6,000, which swells to roughly 60,000 in summer.
Have lunch at L’Écume, the restaurant at Les Vagues Hôtel and Spa (a beautiful, newly renovated boutique hotel with 45 rooms, floor to ceiling windows and full spa facilities looking out over the bay). Again, I just asked them to bring what was good, and it might be the most visually beautiful food I ate on the whole trip: a plate of vegetables and edible flowers to start, followed by a phenomenal pasta.
Spend the afternoon exploring Arcachon’s Ville d’Hiver, or winter town, which began life as a health retreat, with visitors coming between October and April for the sea air and pine forest. Start in Parc Mauresque, perched above the town with an almost tropical feel thanks to its exotic planting, a footbridge to cross and a viewing tower (the Sainte-Cécile observatory) you can climb for sweeping views.
Then just wander the streets, filled with beautifully colourful villas in pinks, oranges and bright blues.
Drive on to Médoc Atlantique, tucked between the Atlantic and Europe’s largest estuary, and check in at Hôtel Vitalparc in Lacanau, where my room looked out over the pool. Grab an e-bike and head out on the Boucle du Lion, an easy cycle route through the pine forest out to the coast (I didn’t manage the whole loop, admittedly got a little lost, but made it to the Atlantic in the end).
Dinner is at Kayok Restaurant on Lacanau Océan, right by the sea, with great oysters and fish, followed by a walk along the beach for sunset.
Top Tip
If you need to shorten this itinerary and want to make sure you get some time by the ocean, Lacanau is just a 45 minute drive from Bordeaux Airport.
Arcachon Tourism Office
1 avenue Val de San Vicente, 33380
Medoc Atlantique Tourism Office
Place de l’Europe, 33680 Lacanau-Océan
Day six: Lake Lacanau and departure
Spend the morning kayaking and paddleboarding on Lacanau Lake, a lovely, relaxed spot where you can also try windsurfing or sailing if you’re after something more active.
Head back to Vitalparc to make the most of the spa facilities, including steam, sauna and a proper icy plunge room, before lunch at La Conche, right on the lake shore, where I had oysters followed by mussels.
From here it’s just over an hour back to Bordeaux airport for your flight home.
Six days, and I still feel like I only scratched the surface. Bordeaux’s wine really is worth the hype (and at an average of around eight euros a bottle, ridiculously good value), but it’s the medieval towns, the Atlantic coastline, the truffle dogs and the Moorish chapels that will stick with me just as much.
This press trip was fully supported by the eight tourism regions listed in the article but as always my opinions are my own. The article also contains some affiliate links. This means if you click through and end up making a purchase I may receive a small commission.
Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.