Bordeaux and Around in 4 days
Pale 18th-century facades line the Garonne, from the Water Mirror on Place de la Bourse to the swirling Cité du Vin. Within an hour lie the UNESCO-listed vineyards of Saint-Émilion, the oysters of Cap Ferret and the Dune du Pilat, so city, vines and ocean fit into a long weekend.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
La Cité du Vinabout 2 hA gold-clad building on the Bacalan quays telling 8,000 years of wine through smell tables, immersive films and models of vineyards worldwide.
- Afternoon
Place de la Boursefree · about 1 hGabriel's classical ensemble facing the Garonne, reflected in the Water Mirror, which switches between a still sheet of water and a cloud of mist.
- Late afternoon
Rue Sainte-Catherinefree · about 1 h 30At 1.2 km, one of Europe's longest pedestrian shopping streets, running from Place de la Comédie to Place de la Victoire.
Day 2
- Morning
Marché des Capucinsabout 2 hBordeaux's oldest market, in Saint-Michel, where on Saturday mornings you sit at an oyster bar for a dozen Arguin oysters and a glass of Entre-Deux-Mers.
- Afternoon
Saint-Émilionhalf a dayA wine village whose bell tower overlooks a sea of vines; the monolithic church, carved into the rock, opens only for guided tours.
Day 3
- Morning
Arcachonfree · half a dayA Belle Époque resort: a Summer Town by the beach, a Winter Town of 300 villas among the pines, and boats to Cap Ferret.
Day 4
- Morning
Cap Ferrethalf a dayA peninsula between the bay and the ocean, with wooden huts, cycle paths under the pines and the narrow lanes of L'Herbe, an oyster village.
- Late afternoon
The Dune du Pilatfree · about 2 hEurope's highest sand dune, around 100 metres, with views over the Landes forest, the Arguin sandbank and the bay; most people run back down.
Where to sleep in Bordeaux and Around
- Central Hostel · €40 a night
- Hôtel du Théâtre · €80 a night
- Hôtel de l'Opéra · €75 a night
- Hôtel Gambetta · €100 a night
- Hôtel Konti · €150 a night
- Hôtel Tour Intendance · €150 a night
- La Maison Bord'eaux · €220 a night
- Hôtel de Pavie · €500 a night
- Château Grand Barrail · €320 a night
Plan this trip
Hotel prices per room per night, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.