Historic town of Blaye

Visit the Cité du Vin & Cruise Down the Gironde in Bordeaux, Bordeaux

Overview

When in Bordeaux, designate an entire day to wine! Start with a visit to Bordeaux's famed Cité du Vin museum set in the city center. This modern building is where you'll follow immersive exhibits detailing the world's wine culture through the ages, including that of France. Once you've finished up indoors, board a cruise through the Gironde Estuary to discover the wines and heritage of the Haute-Gironde region.

On the boat, you'll pass the fortified towns of Blaye and Bourg, stopping for lunch at a Côtes de Bourg estate, dining and chatting with the winemaker himself. The astonishingly well-preserved citadel of Blaye has survived countless sieges since the 5th century and contains nearly 1 mile (over 1 km) of ramparts, four bastions, moats, and underground passages. Thanks to its historical importance, it's a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site—and also home to the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux wine appellation.

Discover more unique experiences in and around Bordeaux.

Itineraries with Visit the Cité du Vin & Cruise Down the Gironde in Bordeaux

Luxury Food and Wine Tour: Paris & Bordeaux - 7 Days

Spend a full week savoring the food and wine of France on this itinerary. Sit in the sidewalk cafés and stroll the markets of  Paris before you catch the train to Bordeaux, where you'll cruise through historic towns and vineyards that date back hundreds of years.

Luxury Food and Wine Tour: Paris, Loire Valley, & Bordeaux - 9 Days

A French lunch break can be up to two hours long, but you get nine full days to sample the country's food and wine on this itinerary. Visit the artsy alleys and markets of Le Marais and Montmartre, then travel to the Loire Valley and Bordeaux to tour the vineyards that made French wine famous.