When you book one of our Bordeaux road trip itineraries, we’ll help you discover the beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage city and its stunning surroundings.

We think exploring France by car is the best option, because it gives you the freedom and flexibility that you don’t get with transported tours. This means that if you particularly like a place and want to spend more time there instead of visiting another place on your itinerary, you can. And you can get off the beaten tracks easily.

This itinerary includes some of the best things to do in Bordeaux city center, as well as the famous vineyards of Médoc and Saint-Émilion, and the beautiful Arcachon Bay on the coast. It combines culture, history, and the world-renowned Bordeaux wines and oysters, so we think it offers something for everyone.

We invite you to browse our self-drive tours in the Bordeaux region

Here’s our suggested 4-day itinerary for a Bordeaux road trip.

Pont de Pierre Bridge in Bordeaux
Pont de Pierre Bridge in Bordeaux
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Pixabay CC0

Day 1: Bordeaux City

We have selected a centrally-located premium B&B for travelers that book with us. This allows you to explore the city on foot or tram, and the wider Bordeaux region by car, all at your own pace. We have tested the B&B ourselves and we know you will receive a warm welcome!

Highlights in Bordeaux city include: Rue Sainte-Catherine, Place de la Bourse, the Cité du Vin, and the Bassins des Lumières.

We recommend beginning your tour of Bordeaux in the heart of the city. You may start your day with a walking tour from the Tourist Office near the Esplanade des Quinconces

This may include: 

  • The 18th-century Place de la Bourse
  • The stunning Miroir d’Eau.
  • A walk along the Garonne river
  • The Pont de Pierre
  • The 15th-century Porte Cailhau, once the main gate to the city
  • The Rue Sainte-Catherine, the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe
  • If you like markets, you may enjoy a visit to the Marché des Capucins, where you'll find local produce, cheese and wine, and some lunch options
  • La Cité du VinBordeaux’s famous wine museum is a must for wine-lovers. Here you will learn about the history of wine in Bordeaux and the world, including exhibits that show the techniques used to make wine, and have some wine-tasting opportunities.

If you prefer to have a private guided tour of Bordeaux with a local expert, we work with some fantastic guides and can arrange this for you! Here's an interview with a Bordeaux tour guide we work with.

We include a selection of restaurants for lunch and dinner in your personal guidebook, if you book one of our Bordeaux tours!

Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux
Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux
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Unsplash CC0

Day 2: The Médoc Wine Region

Today, you will drive north to the Médoc wine region, home to world-famous vineyards.

One of the most scenic routes through the Médoc passes through vineyards and historic estates between Bordeaux, Margaux, and Pauillac.

You’ll get to Margaux first, where you can visit the castle, a stunning 19th-century, neo-Palladian-style villa on a renowned wine estate. The village is also very pleasant to drive around or explore on foot.

Pauillac is a charming village with cobblestone streets and more exceptional wine châteaux.

If you book a Bordeaux tour with us, we will share with you our favorite Bordeaux winery, which is located between Margaux and Pauillac.

If you’re ready to head back to Bordeaux city by mid-afternoon and aren’t too tired, we suggest an artistic change of scenery for later in the day. We love to recommend the Bassins des Lumières, a former submarine base that was converted into a digital art exhibition space. Huge images of famous masterpieces are projected onto the walls of the space, which reflect on the water below in a stunning effect. You can see the latest exhibitions on their website.

If you have booked one of our France tour packages, we can book a guided tour and wine-tasting for you at one of the family-owned estates.

Day 3: Saint-Émilion

On Day 3, we recommend visiting the medieval village of Saint-Émilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll definitely want to take the opportunity to visit one of the local wine estates. For our booked travelers, we will recommend a family-owned, organic estate offering guided tours and tastings.

For lunch, you may pick up local specialties from the market or enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants in town. We have several bistros that we like to recommend to our travelers.

You may also be interested in visiting the Église Monolithe, an underground church carved entirely from rock. You can find out more information at Saint-Émilion’s tourist office.

On our driving tours of France, we recommend our favorite scenic driving routes, so that even the car journey is an enjoyable experience!

Saint Emilion, Bordeaux
Saint Emilion, Bordeaux
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France Just For You

Day 4: Arcachon Bay

Drive south out of Bordeaux city to visit the sandy beaches of Arcachon Bay, famous for its oysters.

The Dune du Pilat is an absolute must-see in this area. At 100m above sea level, it’s Europe’s tallest sand dune, with the Atlantic ocean and Arcachon Bay on one side, and pine forests on the other. From the visitor center, you can climb to the top of the dune and enjoy sweeping views across the bay

For lunch, there are a number of waterfront restaurants in Arcachon that serve freshly harvested oysters. They pair beautifully with a glass of Bordeaux white wine!

France Just For You Founder Emilie with her family in Arcachon Bay
France Just For You Founder Emilie with her family in Arcachon Bay
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France Just For You

Why Travel With France Just For You?

At France Just For You, we craft personalized self-drive tours of France that showcase the best of France, including Bordeaux. Our itineraries provide detailed driving routes, we’ll arrange for you to stay at premium B&Bs or boutique hotels we’ve tested ourselves, and recommend activities that immerse you in French culture, based on your interests. 

Enjoy a stress-free travel experience with the support of our trip-planning team, Emilie, Laura and Sarah. 

You can reach us at travel@france-justforyou.com if you have any questions or complete the trip planning form below to tell us about your ideas for your dream trip to France!

Tell us about your dream trip to France!

FAQ

The best months for a Bordeaux road trip are May, June, September, and October. These months offer mild weather, fewer tourist crowds, and vibrant vineyard scenery. 

Avoid July and August, when the region can become very hot and busy, or January and February, when the weather is cold and many attractions are closed. For more information and a month-by-month guide, check out our blog post on the best time to visit Bordeaux.

We recommend spending at least 3-5 nights if you’re touring the Bordeaux region and visiting other regions. This will give you time to enjoy some of the best things to do in Bordeaux, visit some of Bordeaux's wine regions, such as Médoc and Saint Emilion, and enjoy wine-tastings at a few different wine estates. 

Longer Bordeaux region tours will give you the time to visit some of the region’s villages and the beautiful coastal areas.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Sandy & Dennis
Emilie and Guillaume planned a wonderful trip for us. The B&Bs we stayed in were outstanding. Every recommendation -from restaurants to walks to things to do and see -was wonderful. They were very responsive to all our questions and concerns. I recommend them VERY highly and without reservation.
Linda & Michael
When we received our packet, I was amazed with all the info. Emilie put into it for our trip. We needed more time in the day for places on our daily agenda that we did not get a chance to visit. We will just have to return and finish them on the next trip to the Loire. Flo and Phil's, Les Bournais was a charming place with wonderful accommodations …
Elizabeth
My husband and I just returned from two magnificent weeks in France that included four nights in Paris, four nights in the Loire Valley, two nights near Mont Saint Michel, three nights in Bayeux, near the WWII Landing Beaches and one night at a CDG airport hôtel. We stayed in charming B&Bs with equally charming hosts who recommended great places to …
Sandra
We are a group of Wine Aficionados and we recently traveled to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and Paris and were very impressed with this service. It took us quite some time to formalize (and agree) what we wanted in terms of places and wineries we wanted to visit, but in the end "France Just for You" came through with excellent organization and …
Leo
My wife and I traveled in Provence and Dordogne in early April 2018. Whie the weather was mostly on the rainy/windy side, the trip was so well planned and organized, with so much to see, that we did not pay much attention to the weather. All B&Bs were excellent in terms of accommodation, food (sic!) and very welcoming. All hosts were bi-lingual and …
Naomi
My boyfriend and I spent a week in Paris last month and we decided that we would do a couple of day-tours outside of the city during our trip. We really wanted to avoid the typical tour-bus day-tour and the crowds that come along with these kinds of tours – we wanted something more personalized that would allow us to go at our own pace. I found the …