Bordeaux itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 days

Bordeaux rewards a slow half-day more than a checklist. The city centre is compact and flat, so a single day covers the riverfront, the old town and one museum without rushing. Two days let you add a wine visit, which is what most travellers come for. Three days open up a day trip: Saint-Émilion for vineyards, Arcachon for the bay and dunes, or the Médoc châteaux by car.

If you are arriving from Paris on the TGV and leaving again, treat Bordeaux as a two-night stop. One night gives you an evening and a morning, which is enough for the Miroir d'eau at dusk and a market breakfast, but not for wine country. The parent France guide suggests 2–3 nights for Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion, and that matches what the city asks of you.

Start in the old town around Place Pey Berland and the Cathédrale Saint-André, then walk to Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d'eau, the shallow granite pool that mirrors the 18th-century facade. The water is switched on in cycles, so check the timing if you want the reflection. From there the quays run north to the Cité du Vin, a 20–30 minute walk or a short tram ride.

The Cité du Vin is the one paid attraction most visitors build a day around. Allow two to three hours. If wine museums are not your thing, the Musée d'Aquitaine and the Musée des Beaux-Arts are cheaper alternatives. Finish with dinner in the Chartrons or Saint-Pierre district; the city's food scene is covered in the where to eat page.

You have two ways to do wine. Stay in the city and use the Bordeaux Wine and Trade Museum, a tasting bar or a half-day tour that drives you out to a château. Or take the train to Saint-Émilion, a small medieval town surrounded by vineyards, and walk or book a tasting there. The train is the cheaper option; a guided tour costs more but removes the planning.

The Médoc, north of the city, is harder without a car or a tour, because the châteaux are spread out and many visits need a booking. If you want a single famous name, Saint-Émilion is the easier day. If you want the big classified estates, book a half-day or full-day tour from the city rather than trying to piece it together by bus.

Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat are the classic coast day: a train to Arcachon, then a bus or bike to the dune. The dune is Europe's tallest sand dune and the climb takes 20–30 minutes. Summer weekends are busy, so go early. The Arcachon guide covers the bay, the oyster towns and the boats.

Saint-Émilion can also fill day three if you kept day two in the city. Further north, Soulac-sur-Mer is a quieter coastal option with a train link. If you would rather stay in Bordeaux, use the extra day for the Bassins des Lumières, a former submarine base now used for large-scale art projections, and the Botanic Garden.

Bordeaux is cheaper than Paris for food and stays but not cheap. A mid-range hotel room runs about €90–160 a night in 2026, more during Vinexpo and harvest events. A two-course lunch at a neighbourhood bistro is about €15–22; dinner with wine about €30–50 a head. Trams and buses are a few euros per ride, with day passes available. Museum entries are mostly under €15, and the Cité du Vin is the outlier at about €22–26.

Book the Cité du Vin and any château tour ahead in summer and during wine fairs; walk-in space disappears. Sunday and Monday are quiet for shops and some restaurants, so check opening days before you plan a food-led day. The city is flat and the tram is easy, so you rarely need a taxi inside the centre.

If you are coming from the airport, the tram or shuttle into town is the cheap option; the airport transfer page has the detail. For the wider region, the getting around France page explains TGV booking and rail passes. Buy a French eSIM before you land if you want data from the moment you arrive.