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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Designed by Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazieres, Bordeaux’s spectacular Cite du Vin opened in 2016 – its curvaceous, spiralling 55m glass tower evoking wine swirling in a glass. Far more than simply a wine museum, it offers a total, immersive wine experience, packed with 19 permanent exhibits that tickle all five senses.

This fascinating, in-depth, high-tech history of winemaking around the world culminates in the building’s spectacular rooftop belvedere, where guests can join in with a wine tasting. The frequent, changing exhibits make the Cite du Vin just as popular with the Bordelais locals as with visitors to the city.

The architecturally-striking building, designed by architects XTU, ‘does not resemble any recognizable shape because it is an evocation of the soul of wine between the river and the city.’

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Price from: £18
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Take Tram B from Bordeaux city centre or, if you’re driving, there’s an inexpensive pay cark opposite the entrance on Rue de Gironde.

Book skip-the-line tickets on the website (where you can also sign up for wine tasting and pairing workshops, guided tours, and other events). The average visit takes two to three hours, but you could linger longer. If you only have an hour or so, brochures at the entrance suggest various themed routes to follow.

There’s a restaurant inside where you can grab lunch, and – appropriately enough – a wine bar, where you can choose from around 14,000 bottles sourced from around the world.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, seven days a week.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Hotel de Seze

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[2.8 miles]

An historic, elegant 18th-century hotel ideally located in Bordeaux’s swish Golden Triangle, with a locally-rated spa and restaurant.

Official star rating:

InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[2.9 miles]

The 230-year-old grande dame of Bordeaux’s hotel scene is a neo-classical masterpiece from the outside, and sumptuously restored on the inside. It’s perfectly located too, in the heart of the Golden Triangle.

Official star rating:

Hotel de Tourny

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine , France[3 miles]

This stylish but friendly and unfussy boutique hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Bordeaux. Perfect as a base for sightseeing, and great value for the location too.

Official star rating:

Yndo Hotel

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[3.3 miles]

This small, exquisite, art-filled design hotel combines classic spaces with contemporary interiors, steps away from Bordeaux’s Golden Triangle.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Bordeaux

Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

A vintage wine and culture destination with delicious tastings, grand architecture, gourmet restaurants and a glorious coastline. 

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Bordeaux Wine Region

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[13.3 miles]

France’s premier wine-growing region is home to over 8,500 wineries (or chateaux) producing some 800 million bottles a year, 89 percent of which are red wines, including the legendary Grands Crus or ‘First Growths’ of the Medoc.

Best for ages: 18+ | £40

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