Bordeaux tours and excursions

Boat tours

Get to know Bordeaux from a totally different angle with a 90-minute boat cruise along the Garonne. You get a guided commentary in English and French aboard either the Aquitainia or the Burdigala as you discover centuries of Bordeaux riverside history.

Wine tours

The Bordeaux tourist office and the Maison du Vin offer excellent guided tours including one-day tours of Bordeaux, the wine merchants' district of Chartrons, as well as tours to the area's vineyards and châteaux. The Bordeaux Wine Experience specialises in English-language wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region.

Arcachon

The Bassin d'Arcachon is France's fourth largest oyster producer. Consequently Arcachon, 55km (34 miles) from Bordeaux, has many seafood restaurants where the excellent oysters can be sampled. Around Arcachon are many sheltered beaches popular with the Bordelais, as well as the Dune du Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe.

Office de Tourisme d'Arcachon (Esplanade Georges Pompidou) can provide further information.

Gironde

Some of the world's greatest wines are produced in the Gironde estuary, the area around Bordeaux. It is possible to visit the vineyards and châteaux, but is best to make an appointment in advance. Among the most celebrated are châteaux Latour Martillac, Margaux, Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild.