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Visitez plus, dépensez moins !

Disponible en version 24, 48 ou 72h consécutives, c'est le pass indispensable pour profiter pleinement de votre séjour à Bordeaux ! Inclus :

• La Cité du Vin
• Les Bassins de Lumières
• Transports illimités (tram, bus, navette fluviale)
• 15 musées et monuments
• 1 visite de la ville au choix
• Nombreuses réductions

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Van Gogh et Vermeer aux Bassins des Lumières

Du 05 mai au 31 décembre

Via Sensoria, le parcours sensoriel de dégustation à La Cité du Vin

Du 05 mai au 03 novembre

Match de rugby Top 14 : UBB - La Rochelle

Foire à la brocante de printemps

Du 05 mai au 12 mai

La nuit européenne des Musées

Starmania, l'opéra rock

Du 22 mai au 26 mai

Jeux Olympiques - La flamme olympique à Bordeaux !

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Du 27 juin au 30 juin

Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques 2024 à Bordeaux

Agenda du week-end

Expositions

Évènements incontournables

Concerts et spectacles

Ville & Patrimoine

Le miroir d'eau et la place de la Bourse

La Cité du Vin, un monde de cultures

Découverte de Bordeaux en bateau

Les plus belles places et terrasses de Bordeaux

Les Bassins des Lumières

Les Bassins des Lumières, plus grand centre d’art numérique au monde, accueillent des expositions qui nous plongent dans les chefs-d'œuvre des grands noms de l'histoire de l'art. Après Venise, direction l'Espagne. La nouvelle exposition met en lumière les oeuvres des génies Salvador Dalí et d'Antonio Gaudí. Quel que soit le thème, c'est un véritable ballet de couleurs éclatantes qui émerveille les visiteurs.

Vin & Vignobles

Expériences Oenotouristiques

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Nos bars à vins préférés

Les 6 régions viticoles de Bordeaux

Découvrir le vignoble au départ de Bordeaux

Des domaines engagés à visiter

65 % des entreprises viti-vinicoles sont engagées en 2019 dans une démarche environnementale (source CIVB). Biodynamie, chevaux de traits, corridors écologiques... Les domaines ouvrent leurs portes pour faire découvrir ces nouvelles pratiques au cœur des vignes et dans les chais, à l'occasion de visites guidées.

Gastronomie & Art de vivre

Sélection de restaurants gastronomiques

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Sélection de restaurants healthy

Les plus beaux rooftops de Bordeaux

Nature & alentours

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La Dune du Pilat

Le golf à Bordeaux et aux alentours

Jardin public, source d'oxygène

Les belles plages près de Bordeaux accessibles à tous !

Jardin botanique

Réserver une visite guidée

Le site officiel de l'Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux pour réserver vos visites guidées dans la ville et vos excursions dans le vignoble.

Dès 13.00 € / pers.

Dès 169.00 € / pers.

Dès 59.00 € / pers.

Les quartiers de Bordeaux

Vieux Bordeaux et quartier Saint Pierre

Grands Hommes

Saint-Seurin, Jardin Public, Fondaudège

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Pratique pour votre séjour à Bordeaux

Sites & monuments

Musées de Bordeaux

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Transports : se déplacer à Bordeaux

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Gironde Tourism

Bordeaux Métropole Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get in touch

Tourist offices and tourist offices

Home On site Accessible tourism Tourist Offices labeled Tourism and Handicap Bordeaux Métropole Convention and Visitors Bureau

French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese

Accessibility

The Bordeaux Métropole tourist office team welcomes you 7 days a week all year round (except December 7 and January 25). It offers a wide choice of tours of the city on foot with its guides-speakers as well as discovery rides in a small train, cabriolet, Segway or boat. Every day, excursions in the Bordeaux vineyards depart from its premises. The agents of the vineyard counter can advise you on visits to wine châteaux and can book a tasting for you if you wish. Also take advantage of your visit to discover the selection of items in the shop area for gifts and souvenirs. In short, whether alone, with friends or family, you are sure to leave with lots of ideas!

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Bordeaux tourism office

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Some people prefer avoiding tourism offices and  want to discover the place all by themselves,  others  can’t imagine their stay  vithout a visit to the tourism office.

Entirely restored in 2015, the Bordeaux tourism office is the perfect starting point for your discovery of Bordeaux.

In addition to information on anything and everything about the town, you can purchase 'passes' and tickets for the main attractions, transport included, at very reasonable prices.  

Don’t forget to visit the boutique for quality  souvenirs of your stay in Bordeaux.

Phone :+33 5 56 00 66 00

Opening hours : 9 am to 7 pm

Website : www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk

Location :  

12 Cours du 30 Juillet, 33000 Bordeaux

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Bordeaux - city and visitor guide

The historic capital city of aquitaine.

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  Bordeaux - the great port of southwest France

Tourist attractions in Bordeaux

• The Place de la Bourse -  Stock exchange square (photo top of page) is a crescent of fine 18th century buildings facing the waterfront.
• The Cathedral - A large late gothic cathedral, whose bell tower, the tour Pey Berland,  is separate from the cathedral itself. Visitors who climb the tower are rewarded with a breathtaking view over old Bordeaux.
• The Stone Bridge.  Bordeaux's oldest road bridge across the Garonne. Built in the mid nineteenth century, it has 17 arches and is 487 metres long.
• The Grand Theatre . Bordeaux's historic theatre is the only surviving example in France of an 18th century theatre complete with its interior.
• The waterfront . A long pedestrian area along the edge of the River Garonne, very popular with local residents and with visitors. In particular admire the Water Mirror, in which the buildings of the Place de la Bourse are reflected.
• The Fine Arts museum. Bordeaux's Musée des Beaux Arts is one of the larger provincial art galleries in France, particularly known for its collection of French and Dutch art. It includes works by Van Dyck, Reubens, Titian, Chardin, Delacroix, Corot, Boudin, Bonnard, Matisse and others.
• Porte de Cailhau - Built in 1495, the Cailhau gate is the oldest of the surviving former gates of the old fortified city of Bordeaux. 
• St Michael's Basilica - 14th to 17th century flamboyant gothic basilica - the largest church in Bordeaux. Its 114 metre spire makes it the second tallest church building in France . Listed by Unesco as part of the Santiago de Compostella pilgrimage route from Le Puy .
• Grosse cloche - the Big Bell - Late medieval (15th century) municipal clock tower and bell tower standing where there was once a gate to the old city. The current bell and clock both date from the 18th century. The bell weighs 7.75 tonnes, and is rung at midday on the first Sunday of each month.
• The Bordeaux Wine and (wine) trade museum. (just north of the central area). Located in old Bordeaux, this museum is a more authentic experience than the out-of-town Cité du Vin . Located in cellars close to the old wine wharves, and run by a wine history association, it tells the story of Bordeaux wine. Visits include wine tasting. ► Tickets
• Musée d'Aquitaine.  the Bordeaux local history museum. Tells the story of Bordeaux from prehistory to today, including the story of the port of Bordeaux and transatlantic trade.
• Eglise Notre Dame - One of the finest ornate baroque churches in France, particularly the exterior.

Places to visit near Bordeaux

• Médoc  40 km northwest of Bordeaux, to the south of the estuary. Médoc is home to the most prestigious of the Bordeaux estates. Its Grands Crus, such as Château Margaux, are among the most expensive wines in the world.
• Saint Emilion , Another top wine producing area, east of Bordeaux. The little town of Saint Emilion, with its steep cobbled streets, wine merchants, and medieval "monolith" (underground) church; is a Unesco world heritage site.
• Libourne - small town 40 km east of Bordeaux, at the upper end of the tidal reaches of the Dordogne. Historic city with medieval gateway and attractive market square.
• Citadelle de Blaye.  50 km north of Bordeaux. Standing guard over the Gironde estuary north of Bordeaux, the citadelle of Blaye is one of the major locations of the Unesco "Vauban" world heritage sites. A classic example of late 17th century military fortifications.
• The château de Roquetaillade near Langon, 50 km southeast of Bordeaux.  The impressive exterior of this 14th century  fortress is more or less authentic, but the interior is pure 19th century gothic revival, by Viollet-le-Duc.
• Arcachon . Bordeaux's seaside resort, on the Atlantic coast. The bay of Arcachon is popular for sailing, and just near the town is the Dune du Pilat, Europe's largest sand dune..
• The silver Coast - La côte d'argent - the Atlantic coast south of the Gironde has mile after mile of sandy beaches, but few seaside resorts. Behind the seashore are miles of sand dunes and behind them are pine forests
• Zoo de la Palmyre  On the north side of the Gironde estuary, at Royan, towards the mouth, the Palmyre zoo is one of the best in France.

Accommodation 

Location and access.

• By air   Bordeaux airport is well served by direct flights from  the UK and Ireland   For details see  Fly to France . 
• By train   Bordeaux is accessible by direct high-speed trains from Paris Gare Montparnasse in about two hours. It can also be reached by direct train services from Biarritz, Toulouse, Marseille, Strasbourg and Lille.   For timetables and online tickets, see  Trainline.com   .
• By car  Bordeaux can be reached by car from Calais in between 8 and 9 hours via Rouen and Tours, and in 6h30 hours from Le Havre, via Le Mans and Tours.

Bordeaux hotels

Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux

Top ways to experience Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux and nearby attractions

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Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Bordeaux City Sights Walking Tour (From $15.81)
• Bordeaux Vineyards Wine Tasting Half-Day Trip (From $61.61)
• Bordeaux Gironde Wine Day Tour Medoc (From $610.67)
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• (0.03 mi) Hotel des 4 Soeurs
• (0.03 mi) Hotel de Normandie
• (0.09 mi) InterContinental Bordeaux - Le Grand Hotel, an IHG Hotel
• (0.11 mi) Hotel De Seze
• (0.07 mi) Hotel Majestic Bordeaux
• (0.01 mi) Canelés Baillardran Quinconces
• (0.01 mi) Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux
• (0.02 mi) Caneles Baillardran Cafe
• (0.02 mi) Bar a Vin
• (0.03 mi) Fuxia

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Bordeaux City Tour, Bordeaux - Centre

Discover the city at a leisurely pace in this open top bus

Guided visit in the heart of the city of Bordeaux, discovering its major monuments, such as the Grand Theatre, Place de la Bourse, Porte Caillhau and the Cathedral of Saint Andre.

With the crossing of the Garonne river you will enjoy an exceptional overview of the renovated quays. Audio commentary is available onboard and in many languages, including English and French.

How to book

Tickets are available from the Tourist Office in the centre of Bordeaux, or you can reserve online by using the Enquiry link on this page.

The buses operate daily throughout the year:

March – April : 10:45 – 12:15 – 14:30 – 16:00 May : 10:30 – 11:45 – 14:00 – 15:15 – 16:30 June : 10:45 – 12:15 – 14:30 – 16:00 July – August : 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45 – 12:30 – 14:00 – 14:45 – 15:30 – 16:15 – 17:00 -17:45 – 18:30 September : 10:30 – 12:00 – 14:15 – 15:45 – 17:15 October : 10:45 – 12:15 – 14:30 – 16:00 November (1 to 13) : 10:45 – 12:15 – 14:30 – 16:00 December (17 to 31) (except 25/12) : 10:45 – 12:15 – 14:30 – 16:00

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The 19 best things to do in Bordeaux

Y ou’re not long in Bordeaux before discovering that all the centre – and half the entire city – is a Unesco World Heritage site. The accolade is in recognition of the unity of its classical and neo-classical architecture and urban development. It’s what you go to Bordeaux to experience – then use as a setting for civilised eating and drinking. The star attraction is the Cité du Vin, an innovative and engrossing overview of the entire subject of wine, not merely of Bordeaux, but of the entire planet. Of course, the place has some other very decent galleries and museums but, once you have done the Cité du Vin, the real appeal is the city itself. Take it at an elegant pace.

For further Bordeaux inspiration, see our guides to the city's best  hotels ,  restaurants  and  nightlife .

Find things to do by area

City centre, sample the best of french gastronomy in one morning.

Sylvie Berteaux and her (English-speaking) colleagues lead Miam Event, which offers terrific gastro-tours of Bordeaux's medieval innards. Present conditions have played merry hell with Miam’s programming, but the essential tours remain, taking in the five food and drink halts –  including Bordeaux’s main marker and a charcuterie store, where nibbles of smoked magret stuffed with foie gras come accompanied by glasses of Sauternes. It’s an outstanding way to spend a morning, and an excellent way to explore the city.

Insider’s Tip:  Beyond the general tour, Miam also organises specific guided visits to Bordeaux's main market, apéritif sessions or tours that include a cooking course and lunch.

Contact:  miamevent.fr

Explore Bordeaux’s Golden Triangle

The Triangle d’Or, Bordeaux’s monumental heart, really is a triangle, bounded by three fine boulevards (Cours Clemenceau, Cours de l’Intendance, Allées de Tourny). Take a stroll amid the harmony of honey-coloured stone, architectural sobriety and flanking trees, past top-end shops, bars and restaurants. The focal point (though it’s actually on the edge) is the Place de la Comédie, overseen by the Grand Theatre with its magnificent neo-classical façade. The Corinthian columns announce a blue and gold auditorium as sumptuous as the inside of a courtesan’s jewel box. The best way to experience the place is, obviously, at a concert,  but there are also 50-minute guided visits for €10 (£8.50). Check the website, opera-bordeaux.com, for details online.

Insider’s Tip:  Make sure to visit the nearby Esplanade des Quinconces. As the biggest (almost 30 acres), emptiest square in France, it’s difficult to overlook. Note the statues of philosophers Montaigne and Montesquieu and take a look at the most delirious, symbol-filled fountain you’re ever likely to see – Le Monument aux Girondins.

Price:  Free

Stroll along the scenic riverfront

Nowhere is Bordeaux’s renewal more evident than along the banks of the broad, idle Garonne River. Less than two decades ago, the detritus of dead port activity – derelict warehouses, no-go zones, lost souls – littered the quays, driving a wedge between river and town. Subsequent transformation has been profound. What was once abandoned is now tailored open space, gardens and greensward. Old warehouses on the Quai de Bacalan have become shops, jaunty bars and cafés and the dirt has been blasted from the merchants’ premises. There’s no finer city riverscape in Europe.

Insider’s Tip: The best lookout is from the Pont de Pierre stone bridge. The long line-up of magnificently regular buildings – all arches, slate roofs and thin chimney stacks – shows how Bordeaux managed trading wealth with style and substance.

Price: Free

Take in the city’s most magnificent façade

The finest bit of the riverfront is the Place de la Bourse, open to the river but enfolded on three sides by the Palais de la Bourse – the most sumptuous expression of Bordeaux’s confidence. This was the business exchange in the days when traders had wigs and standards. It has the harmonious grandeur of Versailles, but shorn of the effeteness, and makes for a great photo pit stop.

Insider’s Tip: The miroir d’eau – a great expanse of shallow water out front – reflects the palace, as if opening up a different dimension. The effect at night, when floodlit, is mesmerising.

Contact: bordeauxpalaisbourse.com

Browse local artworks from the Renaissance and beyond

Next up, spend an afternoon inside the Musée des Beaux Arts. Its northern wing is full of decent works from the Renaissance – as you'd expect, there's much yearning and beseeching and many Virgins. The southern wing houses a collection of art from the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2024, commemorating the 150th anniversary of Impressionism, the museum receives on loan masterpieces by Manet and Monet.

Insider’s Tip: Look out for animal paintings by Bordeaux-born Rosa Bonheur, notably the hugely powerful horses of her Treading Wheat in the Camargue. Bonheur met Queen Victoria, was a friend of Buffalo Bill and, during her life, sold paintings for a fortune. Post mortem, she fell from favour. Now she is esteemed once more, and about time, too.

Contact: musba-bordeaux.fr

Sample the city's wine bars

Not long ago, wine, like straight lines, was old hat for French groovers. Now it's branché, and wine bars abound in Bordeaux. For proof, pick up the Urban Wine Trail leaflet, or download the app from guide-bordeaux-gironde.com, and stroll round the city's selection of wine bars, populated by sharp young folk snapped into sharper clothes. The city is now fruity, cultivated and mature, with floral and mineral notes and a lingering sensation of elegance. For immediate uncorking.

Insider's tip: Don't miss The Wine Bar at Le Boutique Hotel (whose sommelier will fox you fine). Daily blind tasting sessions are held by a sommelier from 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, for €50 (£43).

Contact:  hotelbordeauxcentre.com

Entertain yourself with quirky modern art

Artistic endeavour finds its loudest expression at CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art, a warehouse-turned-museum containing a bracing mix of works from the great – via the intriguing – to the absurd. Key works from 40 artists – covering 1960s to the present day – constitute the permanent collection on the former warehouse’s second floor. If names like Raphaël Zarka, Toni Grand or Daniel Dezeuze mean anything to you, then this is your place.

Insider’s Tip:  The museum’s rooftop Café du Musée serves drinks and snack meals, including a lunchtime play-du-jour from 11am to 5pm. You may lunch there, midday-2pm, without paying to visit the museum. You’ll eat and drink surrounded by works by British land artist, Richard Long.

Contact: capc-bordeaux.fr

Enrich your bottle knowledge at a museum dedicated to wines

France has long struggled to come up with a worthwhile wine museum: the country had lots, but they were tedious. So, the £63 million Cité du Vin was given a warm welcome when it flung open its doors. The grand, shiny swirl of a building rises by the Garonne river, taking wine into new realms of entertainment, rendering it fun even for those who can't tell a cabernet sauvignon from a dandelion and burdock. The six-storey building is a hi-tech romp of panache, insight and enormous inventiveness – grabbing you by all senses for an interactive waltz through wine and its attendant subjects: art, culture, agriculture, civilisation and sensuality. There are wine tastings, plus a panoramic restaurant up top. The whole was overhauled to even higher standards in 2023. Your afternoon’s booked solid – it’s well worth the €22 (£19) entry fee. Meanwhile, a new “sensory circuit” – Via Sensoria – matches wine to seasons, and to different forms of art, under expert guidance. It takes an hour and needs booking, and paying for, separately. Doing both the permanent exhibition and the Via Sensoria the same day will cost €37.40 (£32).

Insider’s Tip: Particularly memorable parts of the exhibition include a banqueting chamber alive with holograms and a floor show tackling wine, food and festivity through the ages. Look out for a terrific moving boat show, too.

Contact: laciteduvin.com

Visit the world’s biggest digital art show

No doubt about it, the old wet docks, or bassins-à-flot, is one of the key happening districts of Bordeaux. Like ex-docks everywhere, the huge site is going urban chic – apartment blocks, hotels with spas and “signature cocktails”, warehouse restaurants and bars – but without effacing memories of tough work and far horizons. Across the wet docks from the Cité du Vin glower the thousands of tons of reinforced concrete which housed the German U-boat pens in the Second World War. In recent times, and brilliantly, their vast interior has been transformed into a pharaonic canvas for the Bassins-des-Lumières, the world’s biggest digital art show. The 2024 exhibition projects some 500 works by Dutch masters – Vermeer, Van Gogh - onto the former sub base walls, the massively reproduced works moving then segueing into one another, reflecting in the water and enveloping you in the artists’ worlds. Accompanying music billows round the cavernous space. The whole is intoxicating.

Contact:   bassins-lumieres.com

Price:  £

Do some shopping in the city’s artistic quarter

When the English, Irish and Dutch arrived to dominate the Bordeaux wine trade, local worthies wouldn’t have them in the city centre. So they set up beyond the town boundary – in the Chartrons. Long ago enfolded into the city, the district retains its mixed identity of fine-wine houses and narrow workers’ streets. They are now complemented with a mildly bohemian mix of antique shops – notably on Rue Notre Dame – as well as bars.

Insider’s Tip:  After your shopping spree, refuel at the Cambridge Arms pub at 27 Rue Rode for beer, burgers, pie and chips – and a ceiling entirely covered in Commonwealth flags.

Dive into maritime history

Maybe France’s best maritime museum – certainly the best private maritime museum – Musée Mer Marine covers navigation matters, from dugouts to the QEII, via immigration, the slave trade – once a big earner for Bordeaux – the history and fragility of the sea itself and much else besides.

Insider’s tip: Right on the docks, the Halles du Bacalan serves as market and food court in the modern idiom. Stalls run from empanadas through pizza to south-west France specialities, and without breaking the bank at lunchtime.

Contact:  mmmbordeaux.com

Price:  £

Explore Bordeaux’s liveliest neighbourhood

After the broad acres of the Triangle d’Or and, indeed, the Garonne riverfront, the St Pierre district is where Bordeaux gets in touch with its medieval side. The message from fine old churches dissipates progressively amid a throbbing warren of narrow streets and comely little squares. The ancient urban tangle has more bars and restaurants than you could get round in a year of excess. It grows progressively funkier as you near the Place de la Victoire. Running long and arrow-straight through the middle, the Rue Sainte-Cathérine provides leg-sapping shopping for those not up to the ambitious price-tags in the Triangle d’Or. This, in short, is Bordeaux’s liveliest sector. 

Insider’s Tip:  The ill-lit but utterly unmenacing Place de la Victoire is evening-tide HQ for the city's youth (and those who consider themselves as such). Try eating on the bustling terrace at La Plana for brasserie and southwestern specialities – open 9am to 2am every day of the year – before a drink or two at any of many nearby bars. Le Grizzly is one of the more popular, therefore bouncier, choices.

Immerse yourself in Bordeaux’s fascinating history

As you would expect from the name, the Musée d’Aquitaine covers the history of the region from prehistoric times onwards – and does so in spritely fashion. Sections on the Romans and, much later, Atlantic commerce and the slave trade, are particularly interesting.

Insider’s Tip: Entry to the museum is free on the first Sunday of the month – except for the months of July and August.

Contact: musee-aquitaine-bordeaux.fr

Admire Bordeaux’s landmark churches

Here, just to the south of the centre in the Ste Croix and St Michel districts, round two splendid churches, is where artisans and port-associated tradesmen once clustered. The quieter, tightly-packed streets still bear the dignity of honest hard work – even though elements from the middle-class professional ranks infiltrated the zone long ago. Start in front of the lovely 12th-century façade of the Sainte-Croix Abbey. Then simply stroll back towards the centre, and envision the sailors, deckhands and drunks, the barrel-makers, blacksmiths and butchers who once enlivened these quartiers. Stop at the flamboyant Gothic Basilica of St. Michael, whose free-standing spire is the tallest and most elegant building in Bordeaux.

Insider’s Tip:  Fans of flea markets might like to show up here on Sunday mornings for the market which fills the square around the St Michel basilica.

Contact:  00 335 5694 3050

Ecosystème Darwin

As mentioned, Bordeaux has absolutely embraced contemporary green and sustainable concerns. Across the Garonne on the right bank, former military barracks have brought forth the hip, very green Ecosystème Darwin. It’s an eco-village within the town with an urban farm, skate park, bric-à-brac outlet, brewery, winery, concerts, artisan outlets and any number of other alternative activities built around the biggest organic restaurant in France. More people show up here than to almost any other site in Bordeaux, which shows just how cool everyone is. That said, it’s welcoming for all. I’m old, and felt quite at home there.

Contact: darwin.camp

Price: free

If you’re in Bordeaux on a short break and fancy a wine trip out of town, consider taking an organised trip. This saves the hassle of hiring a car or otherwise making your own arrangements. It also gets you a vineyard ride in a coach or minibus, in the company of someone who generally knows what he or she is talking about. There’s no better way to get a taster of the world’s most famous vineyards.

A good place to start looking is the visitor site, and a good tour for newcomers is Châteaux & Terrors – five hours of visiting different vine appellations, depending on which day of the week you choose to go. It’s from €50 (£43) pp. The Tourism Office’s own  tours start from the office, at 12 Cours du Juillet. But the visiter-bordeau.com siter also lists tours provided by other outfits.

Like A la Française – Bordovino. Let them take you for an afternoon in and around Saint-Émilion, where there are top-notch domaines to visit. This fine old wine town, just 40-minutes outside of Bordeaux, is built like an amphitheatre and has some pretty decent wines to sample. The €95 (£81) price tag for the tour may sound like a lot, but counts as reasonable value for an excellent Bordelais afternoon. Other tour options at alafrancaise.fr/en/bordeaux/us.

Small outfit Wine Cab (00 33 6 63 09 17 17; wine-cab.com) can take up to three adults in (former) London taxis with driver-guides for château visits and tastings. You can also get stuck into wine blending (assemble your own Margaux), the matching of wine to posh food like caviar and other activities too. The outings are expensive – from €140 (£120)pp – but, if you have the cash, you're unlikely to account it wasted.

This beautiful old wine town, a 40-minute drive west from Bordeaux, is built like an amphitheatre and has some pretty decent wines to sample. If you visit only one wine area, this is the one to consider.

Alternatively, potter out up the Gironde estuary to where the really famous Bordeaux wine châteaux (Latour, Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild) rise amid the featureless flatlands like ancien régime seigneurs. One of the most rewarding to visit is the Château Pichon-Longueville-Comtesse-de-Lalande at Pauillac – a manicured spot if ever there was one.

Contact: pichon-lalande.com

Thirdly, and notably if you’re not bewitched by wine, take the hour-long trip out to the coast. Arcachon is an endearing seaside spot with that permanent sense of impermanence that tells you you’re on holiday, however briefly. Excellent oysters from the lagoon, too – eaten round here with little flat crépinette sausages.

How we choose

Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.

Discover Telegraph Wine Cellar’s new wine club. Enjoy expertly chosen bottles at exclusive member prices. Plus, free delivery on every order.

Guided tour of the highlights in Bordeaux old town

The following is a photo guide to Bordeaux's beautiful and historic centre.

Bordeaux is one of France’s most beautiful cities and one of our personal favourites.

Its historic centre boasts 1,810 hectares which are classed as a World Heritage Site. This area lies in a crescent along the left bank of the Garonne river.

A map of the centre can be picked up at the tourist office. From here head to the Place Comedie.

Here you can admire the stunning Grand Theatre, Bordeaux’s opera house. This was built in the late 18th century and has a neoclassical facade with 12 Corinthian columns topped by 12 statues representing the nine muses and the goddesses Juno, Minerva and Venus.

You can wander into the lobby for free and admire the stone staircase, doric columns and statues. To see inside the theatre itself you can either take a guided visit or go and see one of the many excellent performances put on by the theatre.

Opposite the theatre is the splendid Hotel Acquart, also called the Grand Hotel. Another magnificent neoclassical building. Take a look at the two statues holding up the elegant balcony on the side of the hotel.

From the Place Comedie head down the Cours du Chapeau Rouge, a large classical boulevard which has recently received the addition of a huge bronze statue of a head by Jaume Plensa. Bordeaux is hoping to finance the permanent acquisition of this statue, currently on loan.

One of Bordeaux’s iconic sites is the glorious Place de la Bourse with its view over the river and the hugely popular ‘Miroir d’eau’ which was part of the very successful riverfront development project. The Place de la Bourse has at its centre the fountain of the three graces.

At one side is the Hotel des Fermes where goods arriving at the port were recorded. It is now a Customs and Excise Museum.

Opposite is the Palais de la Bourse, once an important trade centre. You can visit the Palace to see the interior covered courtyard, the “Golden Room” and the Grand Staircase.

Be sure to cross over to the river side to enjoy a view of the “golden crescent” in front of you. It is particularly recommended to see this first thing in the morning as the early morning sunlight lights up the buildings of the crescent. From here you can also enjoy a view of the “miroir d’eau’ and of the lively riverside walk along the quais of the river Garonne .

Away from the large classical boulevards and the river discover the narrow streets of a different and more intimate Bordeaux. These narrow streets are filled with interesting boutiques and small cafés. Head for the Place du Parlement, a lively square with a central fountain. This is a popular spot to stop for lunch or dinner and the square and streets surrounding the square are packed with welcoming restaurants.

Nearby the Place Saint Pierre is home to the Eglise St Pierre built in the 15th and 16th century. This area is home to some of the oldest buildings in central Bordeaux.

A short distance from here is one of Bordeaux’s most intriguing sights - the Porte Cailhau. This defensive gateway built in the 15-16th centuries resembles a small Disney castle with its spires and stone decorations. You can go inside to the first floor for free and for a small price go up to the second floor for views over the Place du Palais and a look at the inside of the spires. A very similar building is nearby on the Cours Victor Hugo.

This is the Grosse Cloche and this huge bell-tower has a similar Disney -like style. It was built earlier than the Porte Cailhau and dates back to the 13-15th centuries.Originally it was part of the town hall. Instead of the usual weather vane topped by a cock this one has a leopard - part of the Guyenne coat of arms of which Bordeaux was the capital. It also has an astronomical clock built in 1759.

Another of Bordeaux’s key buildings is of course its cathedral. Unusually the cathedral has a separate bell tower built 8 meters apart from the cathedral. These were built in the 11-16th centuries and renovated in the 19th. The cathedral and bell tower are built in Southern Gothic style.

North of the cathedral and back close to the Grand Theatre is the interesting round glass 'Marcheé des Grands Hommes, an attractive indoor market and small shopping centre. In the rouds radiating out from here you can see both the charming Eglise Notre Dame and the attractive ancient theatre which is now a multi-screen cinema.

Be sure to sample some of Bordeaux's delicious specialities such as their colorfull macaroons - a favourite with our eldest daughter!!

See also the main Bordeaux guide for other highlights in the town...

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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is included in the bordeaux citypass.

• La Cité du Vin
• Les Bassins des Lumières
• Unlimited access to tram, bus, river shuttle for 24, 48 or 72 consecutive hours ( No public transport on May 1st )
• 15 museums and monuments
• 1 Bordeaux city tour

How do I activate my citypass?

By holding it up to the appropriate card-reader upon first use. The card is valid for 24, 48 or 72 consecutive hours. For example, if you scan a 24 hour pass at 2pm, it will be valid until 1:59pm the next day.

For how long is my card valid?

As long as the card is not activated, it is still valid. The voucher received during an online purchase is not a citypass. This is the proof required to show in order to collect the card.

After buying online, where do I collect my CityPass?

You can pick up your CityPass at the Bordeaux Tourist Office welcome desks upon presentation of the voucher (12 cours du 30 juillet).

Can I use my citypass for the park and ride?

Yes. At the entrance, scan your card on the reader to open the barrier, and the same action is required when leaving the car park. The Park and Ride car parks are open from 5am to 1am.

Is it possible to visit the same attraction several times?

No, you may only access each attraction included in your CityPass once.

How do I enjoy the aforementioned special offers?

You will receive a preferential price upon presentation of your valid card.

Are the attractions open to the public throughout the year?

Some close during winter. In order to avoid disappointment, we advise you to check the opening hours on website.

Is there a different price for children ?

Yes there is a Bordeaux CityPass Junior (6-17 years old) with the same advantages.

My trip has been cancelled; can I get my money back?

No, you can keep your card and use it another time before the end of the year or give it to a friend or relative to enjoy.

If my citypass is lost or stolen, can I replace it?

No, in case of loss, theft, misuse or lack of use of the card it can be neither replaced nor reimbursed. If your card should happen not to work at any of our partners (strike, closure due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.) the Bordeaux Tourist Office cannot be held responsible.  

Are you looking for a guided tour of Bordeaux or surroundings?

When are you available.