Bordeaux 3-day Itinerary
France
Where to go and what to see in Bordeaux to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Wine City
Photo Anaka – City du Vin – XTU Architects
Last updated: 10 November, 2022
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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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Bordeaux 5-day Itinerary
France
Where to go and what to see in Bordeaux to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
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Overview >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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Overview >Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
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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Overview >Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Halles de Bacalan
Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[0.1 miles]
Although it only opened in 2017, this vast new food hall by Wine City has become one of the most popular foodie hangouts in the city, with a mix of stalls run by farmers, chefs and producers.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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Experience
Museum of the Sea & Navy
Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[0.6 miles]
A maritime museum covering ships, sailors, marine art and science, with model ships and real boats (including the Defi Francais from the America’s Cup). Nearby, seemly crashing into the port, is Suzanne Treister’s flying saucer sculpture, the Vaisseau Spatial.
Best for ages: 4+ | £6
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Submarine Pens
Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[1.2 miles]
An indestructible relic left behind by the Nazis, Bordeaux’s former submarine pens, is now the setting for extraordinary art, science, sound and light shows – and the world’s largest centre of digital art.
Best for ages: 4+ | £15
Experience
Darwin Eco-System
Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France[1.6 miles]
An army barracks on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, abandoned in 2015, has become a laboratory for the future, where everything is organic, recycled, sustainable and green, with special events, sports, street art, food, and more.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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