Three days on the Garonne: the old town on foot from the Miroir d'Eau to the Pey-Berland tower, a wine day from the Cité du Vin to a Saint-Émilion estate by train, then the Dune du Pilat and Arcachon oysters, or a Médoc château if you would rather drink than climb.
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Checked October 10, 2026. That’s the day we last confirmed the hours, prices and closed days.
May, June and September are the months: warm, long evenings, the Miroir d'Eau running. Harvest is late September into October and the estates are busy but at their best. July and August are hot and the coast is packed; Bassin oysters are at their least good then too. Winter is mild and quiet, with the mirror switched off and short hours at the tower.
Saint-Pierre or around Place de la Bourse for the old town on foot and the river at night. Chartrons for wine bars and a calmer street life ten minutes north. Near Saint-Jean station is practical for the day trips but a tram ride from everything else.
TBM trams A, B, C and D cross the center; a ticket is €1.90 and good for an hour of connections, €2.10 if you buy it from a bus driver. Buy in the TBM app or at the platform machines and validate on board; tapping a bank card on the validator was only being trialled on a couple of bus lines at the last check, so do not count on it. The old town, Chartrons and the right bank are all walkable from the quays.
Saint-Pierre · 45 min
The 18th-century square with a two-centimetre sheet of water in front. The mist cycle runs roughly every quarter hour from spring to fall, off in winter; go early for the reflection without the crowd.
Saint-Pierre · 60 min
Rue du Parlement Saint-Pierre, Place du Parlement, Rue des Bahutiers: the medieval port quarter behind the river façade. Coffee on Place du Parlement, then drift south toward the Porte Cailhau.
Saint-Éloi · 20 min
The 15th-century belfry over Rue Saint-James, the last gate of the old walls. Free to walk under and photograph; the inside opens only on tourist-office visits in summer.
Pey-Berland · 75 min
The cathedral is free; the separate bell tower is 229 steps and €9 (free under 26), by timed e-ticket from pey-berland.fr, so book the day before. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; it shuts over lunch in winter.
€9
Capucins · 60 min
The covered market ten minutes south, open Tuesday to Sunday mornings, shut Monday, with stalls closing around 1:30 p.m. Order oysters and a glass of white at Chez Jean-Mi's counter, or a plat du jour at a tapas or Basque stand.
Centre · 75 min
Just over a kilometer of pedestrian street, Place de la Victoire to the Grand Théâtre. Chains at the south end, Galeries Lafayette in the middle; the side streets around Cours de l'Intendance have the better shops.
Centre · 20 min
The city's rum-and-vanilla cake, caramelized outside and custardy inside. Baillardran is the famous name and on every corner; La Toque Cuivrée is cheaper and locals will argue for it.
€2
Quinconces · 60 min
The Girondins monument at the top of one of Europe's largest squares, then the river path north toward Chartrons or back south past the Bourse as the light drops.
Quinconces · 90 min
One dish, no choice and no reservations: walnut salad, a sliced entrecôte in the secret sauce, thin fries, seconds brought to the table. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the line forms before; stand in it, it moves fast.
€25
Bacalan · 135 min
Tram B to the stop of the same name; open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April to October, 6 p.m. in winter, with a short closure in late January. The self-guided tour takes a good two hours and ends with a glass at the eighth-floor Belvedere.
€23
Bacalan · 60 min
Ten minutes on foot along the docks: the wartime submarine base turned into a projection hall. The 2026 program is Matisse and Frida Kahlo; buy a timed ticket online, most days close at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m.
€16
Chartrons · 60 min
Tram B two stops back to Chartrons, or a 20-minute walk down the quay. The antique dealers' street has a row of bistros: order the plat du jour and a glass of Côtes de Bourg.
Saint-Jean · 60 min
The TER from Saint-Jean takes about 35 minutes and runs roughly hourly, around €10 each way; buy in the SNCF Connect app. The station is 1.5 kilometers below the village, a 20-minute uphill walk through the vines or a short tuk-tuk ride in season.
€10
Saint-Émilion · 75 min
Château Villemaurine and Château Guadet are a few minutes' walk from the center and run visits with a tasting of two or three vintages; book a late-afternoon slot online a week or two ahead. Expect an hour and around €20 to €30.
€25
Saint-Émilion · 75 min
The 12th-century church is seen only on the tourist office's guided tour from Place des Créneaux, around €10 to €15 and an hour, tickets on the day. Check the last departure on arrival; if you missed it, climb the bell tower above.
€12
Saint-Émilion · 90 min
A wine bistro beside the church with a long list by the glass: duck, a cep omelette in fall. Check the last train back before you sit down, usually mid-evening; otherwise eat in Chartrons.
Saint-Jean · 60 min
About 50 minutes from Saint-Jean, roughly twice an hour, around €12 each way. For wine instead, take the Médoc line: Margaux is 45 minutes, and Château Marquis de Terme or Château Ferrière are a walk from the station, booked ahead.
€12
Arcachon · 35 min
From the stop outside Arcachon station, 25 minutes to Dune du Pilat; it runs all year except Sundays and public holidays, with a 101 Express in July and August. Pay the driver or tap the Baïa app; the dune itself is free.
€2
Pyla-sur-Mer · 90 min
Europe's tallest sand dune, around 100 meters, with the Atlantic on one side and pine forest on the other. A staircase goes up from April to the fall, otherwise it is a slog in soft sand; carry water and go barefoot.
Arcachon · 75 min
Bus back to the station, then two minutes to the covered market, where oyster stands serve six or a dozen with bread, butter and a glass of white for under €20. In July and August the oysters are milky from spawning.
€18
Arcachon · 90 min
Walk the Jetée Thiers and the beach, then up the hill behind the casino into the Ville d'Hiver, the 19th-century villa quarter built for winter cures. The Parc Mauresque viewpoint looks over the whole Bassin.
Arcachon · 75 min
Fifty minutes to Saint-Jean, then tram C to Stalingrad on the right bank, or tram A across the Pont de Pierre.
€12
Bastide · 60 min
A former barracks on the Quai des Queyries turned into a street-art yard, indoor skatepark, workshops and organic grocery; free to walk around. Cross the Pont de Pierre on foot and look back at the left bank façade as the lights come on.
Bastide · 90 min
The big organic canteen in the old warehouse, open late Thursday to Saturday and until early evening the rest of the week. Burgers, a plat du jour and craft beer from the hall; eat outside in the yard when it is warm.
€25
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Pins are approximate. Tap one for the stop; the directions links open Google Maps.
From Bordeaux-Mérignac (BOD), tram A runs from outside the terminal to the center in around 40 minutes for a normal €1.90 ticket; it is the option most people should take. The 30'Direct shuttle goes straight to Saint-Jean station in about half an hour for around €9 online or €10 on board, useful if you are connecting to a train. From Paris, the TGV from Montparnasse is just over two hours.
About €70 to €110 a day per person for meals, tickets and trams. A Saint-Émilion or Arcachon day adds €20 to €25 in trains, and an estate visit with a tasting €20 to €30 a head.
Plans change. Ask Chat and it proposes a reshuffled day you can apply, or just answers the question.
Enough for the old town, one wine day and one day out. Add a fourth day for the Médoc as well as the coast; a fifth, the Bassin's oyster villages or a night in Saint-Émilion.
Not for Saint-Émilion or Margaux: both have TER stations within walking distance of estates that take visitors. Pomerol, Sauternes and the far Médoc are easier with a car or a small-group tour from the tourist office.
Day 2 in the city: the Cité du Vin and the Bassins des Lumières are indoors and take most of a day together, with a Chartrons wine bar after. In Waystop, ask Chat for a rain plan and it adds a second version of the day you can switch to.
Yes; they are sold all year on the Bassin and at the Capucins. In July and August they are milky and softer because they are spawning, which is why locals wait for September.
Same country first, then the cities people tend to pair with Bordeaux. Want two or three in one go? String them together in the trip builder.
Add your dates, your hotel and who’s coming, then ask Chat to change anything: it proposes the edit and you tap Apply. Want a long lunch instead of a museum? Just ask. Every place is checked against Google Maps before it lands on your day, and Chat can tell you when to leave for the next stop. Going on to another city? Build a multi-city trip.