The Ultimate Bordeaux 3-Day Itinerary

After spending six weeks in Bordeaux, I’m sharing how to spend 3 days in this special city in France.  Bordeaux is a city I have fallen in love with and one of the best city breaks in Europe.

Also known as “Le Port de la Lune” (“the moon’s port”), Bordeaux is one of France’s most historic cities. Bordeaux was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 for its “Port de la Lune” (Port of the Moon), a historic area centered around its old harbor and the adjacent cityscape. That is how much Bordeaux is celebrated for its 18th-century urban design and architecture.

I love the mix of its vibrant cultural scene, markets brimming with fresh produce, and abundance of good restaurants. It has incredible access to the Atlantic Ocean and is close to famous vineyards like Saint-Emilion, Pauillac, or Médoc. 

To my friends, I often call Bordeaux a “mini Paris” — but better. It has a very laidback feel to it but still that classic French beauty you find in grand architecture, incredible dining, and important historical sights. Plus, in less than hour, you can take a day trip from Bordeaux to the vineyards or the sea.

Since Bordeaux is compact, it is ideal for enjoying a slow-paced experience in the city coupled with some of these day trips. A 20-minute stroll can weave you through one, if not two, neighborhoods. It wouldn’t be impossible to cover most of the city in a day if you were walking at a fast clip.

So if you’re looking to plan the best of Bordeaux into a concise itinerary, I’ve put my favorites into this. It’s my favorite coffee shops in Bordeaux, the best restaurants in the city, and all of the incredible things to do in one spot.

Short on Time? Here’s the Ultimate Bordeaux Itinerary (3 Days):

Where to Stay

Choose Downtown Bordeaux for the heart of the action or Chartrons for a leafy, local vibe. If I had to choose my favorite hotels to stay at in Bordeux, they would be:

• Mama Shelter ($$, Downtown), for a trendy, central, and vibrant stay
• Villas Foch ($$, Chartrons), for an elegant stay with neighborhood charm
• Hôtel La Zoologie ($$, Downtown), for a unique, modern design stay

Day 1: Old Quarter and Chartrons

• Morning: Arrive by TGV from Paris (2 hr) by mid-morning, drop bags, and start at Place de la Bourse with its Miroir d’eau. Explore Old Bordeaux, admiring Saint-André’s Cathedral and Porte Cailhau. Lunch at Le Bouchon Bordelais with veal chop and Bordeaux wine.
• Afternoon: Bike to Chartrons via Uber app, wandering Rue Notre Dame’s cafes and boutiques. Grab coffee at L’Alchimiste (pair with a cream puff from Dunes Blanches chez Pascal) or an eclair at Boulangerie Au Pétrin Moissagais.
• Evening: Dine at Chez Dupont in Chartrons for foie gras or sole with lemon butter (book ahead).

Day 2: Markets and Wine Tasting

• Morning: Breakfast at Books and Coffee with views of Grosse Cloche, then explore Marché des Capucins. Enjoy oysters with Entre-deux-Mers wine at Chez Jean-Mi. Stroll to Basilique Saint Michel, Peu Berland tower, and Les Puces de Saint Michel flea market.
• Afternoon: Head to Château Pape Clément in Pessac (30-min bus 24 from République) for wine tasting and blending lessons, or take a 35-min train to Saint-Émilion for tastings at Le Cloître des Cordeliers and macarons at Nadia Fermigier.
• Evening: Back in Old Quarter, dine at L’Entrecôte for rib steak with secret sauce and Bordeaux reds.

Day 3: Day Trip to Arcachon Bay and Dune du Pilat

• Morning: Grab canelés at Baillardran, then take a 50-min train to Arcachon. Walk the port, beach, and shops.
• Afternoon: Lunch at Le Pitt for a seafood platter with bay oysters. Bus (line 101) to Dune du Pilat, Europe’s highest dune, for stunning Atlantic and forest views.
• Evening: Return to Bordeaux for dinner at Bo-Tannique, savoring creative dishes and natural wines.

Things to Do

Wine Tours from Bordeaux

• Saint Emilion Wine Tour Tasting Half Day from Bordeaux
• Half-Day Wine Tour Across Bordeaux’s Vineyards
• Médoc Region Half-Day Wine Tour with Winery Visit & Tastings from Bordeaux

Other Tours to Consider

• Bordeaux Old Town Food and Wine Walking Tour
• Bordeaux’ Best Boulangeries & History Walking Tour

Helpful Guides to Plan Your Trip

Planning to visit Bordeaux? Don’t miss my Bordeaux travel guide and recommendations for the best boutique hotels, restaurants, things to do, coffee shops, and day trips from Bordeaux! If you’re coming from Paris, don’t miss my Paris itinerary and recommendations for where to stay in Paris.

The Complete Bordeaux 3 Day Itinerary

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Bordeaux Travel Tips Before You Arrive

Time of Year to Visit Bordeaux

Spring (April to June) and early fall (September to October) are Bordeaux at its finest — vineyard-lush, crowd-light, and just warm enough to sip rosé alfresco. Summer can be great, but expect a surge of tourists and lots of sun.

Amount of Time in Bordeaux

A refined three-day stay lets you savor Bordeaux’s highlights — from Left Bank château tours to riverside dining in Chartrons. Wine lovers or architecture aficionados? Consider stretching to five days in the city. However, you could even stretch it out to a week if you like.

Getting Around Bordeaux

Bordeaux’s sleek tram network and walkability make navigating the city effortless. You don’t need a car for the city itself, so plan to do some walking, utilize Ubers for longer distances, or consider hopping on the tram. For vineyard-hopping, local tours or rental cars are your golden ticket to getting to the countryside or sea.

How to Get to Bordeaux

By Train from Paris

Hop aboard the high-speed TGV and arrive in Bordeaux in just over two hours — it’s a seamless journey and one of the easiest train routes in France.

By Plane

Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD) welcomes direct flights from major European cities, with swift access to the city center via shuttle, taxi, or rental car in less than 40 minutes.

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Where to Stay in Bordeaux

I spent 6 weeks based in the Chartrons neighborhood of Bordeaux, and have to say it’s one of my favorite experiences to date. So my recommendation is either to pick somewhere right in the city center if you want to be in the thick of it, or choose Chartrons if you want a leafy green neighborhood experience, about 15 minutes out of downtown.

Chartrons Hotel Recommendations:

1. Villas Foch ($$), for an elegant stay with neighborhood charm
2. Maison Heym ($$): for a cozy, design-forward guesthouse with local charm
3. Mondrian Bordeaux Les Carmes ($$$): for a stylish, upscale stay with chic, modern flair

Downtown Bordeaux Hotel Recommendations:

1. Mama Shelter ($$), for a trendy, central, and vibrant stay
2. Hôtel La Zoologie ($$), for a unique, modern design stay
3. Hôtel de Sèze ($$), for an elegant, classic French stay near Place des Quinconces
4. Yndo Hotel ($$$), for a luxurious boutique stay with bespoke charm

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Day 1: The Old Quarter and Chartrons 

Editor’s Note: Ironically enough, when you “live” somewhere, you don’t take your camera out as much as you think you will. So while these are all of my preferred spots in Bordeaux, I don’t have photos for everything because, well, we were living.

Morning: Arriving in Bordeaux

With a two-hour train from Paris, you can arrive in Bordeaux by mid-morning. Drop your bags off at your hotel and jump right into the historic quarter. 

Start at Place de la Bourse, an iconic Bordeaux landmark home to the iconic reflecting Miroir d’eau. You can walk into Old Bordeaux from there. Don’t miss the Gothic-style gargoyles of Saint-André’s Cathedral, located on Place Pey Berland, and the medieval Porte Cailhau.

To get you right into the swing of Bordeaux cuisine, there’s no better place than Le Bouchon Bordelais. Sip your first glass of wine while ordering your meal. I still remember a veal chop seasoned with herb butter and homemade mashed potatoes.

After lunch, if you need a coffee, my two favorite shops were L’Alchimiste (stop by Dunes Blanches chez Pascal Bordeaux for a Dune’s Cream Puff next door) or Café Piha to grab a coffee. Don’t forget to stroll Rue Sainte-Catherine afterward, an iconic shopping street in Europe.

Afternoon: Les Chartrons

To traverse the city to the next neighborhood of Chartrons, one of the best ways is to rent a bike on the Uber app. The bohemian and bourgeois neighborhood is located in the north of Bordeaux on the Garonne River and a great spot to get lost in small streets. Don’t miss a walk among cafes, antique shops, and cute boutiques on Rue Notre Dame, the district’s Main Street.

I called Chartrons home for my time in Bordeaux with my family, and I loved Boulangerie “Au Pétrin Moissagais” — the best eclairs and croissants are here. Coutume is a another fun store to stop into as well. And La Pelle Café is the spot for coffee!

Travel Tip: If you have extra time, extend your wander to La Cité du Vin, ranked among the best wine museums in the world. The Cite du Vin offers an immersive tour around Bordeaux wine and its roots.

Evening: Dinner in Les Chartrons

Head to Chez Dupont, one of Bordeaux’s most timeless atmospheres and talked-about brasseries (I would recommend booking a table). I go there for its fresh produce straight from Marché des Capucins and classic dishes. The foie gras, made by farmers in the south of Gironde, or the sole with lemon butter are a must try.

If you need some other restaurant suggestions, consider:

• Symbiose, for a great French farm-to-table experience
• Papa Lello, for a Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza in a casual setting

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Day 2:  Markets and Wine Tasting

Morning: Bordeaux’s Iconic Markets

Start the day by stopping off at Books and Coffee for breakfast with a view of the Grosse Cloche. This very popular coffee shop is known for its range of beans and has a great bunch menu as well.

Nothing is more exciting than discovering a city through its local food markets. The “Marché des Capu”, as they say, or Marché des Capucins, is the largest one in Bordeaux and a wonderful introduction to the local market.

I highly recommend some freshly shucked oysters, which I loved with a glass of chilled Entre-deux-Mers at Chez Jean-Mi. I spent many mornings here watching the locals with their wicker baskets rushing to their favorite stalls filled with local fruits and vegetables.

Time for a short walk to the gothic-style Basilique Saint Michel, Peu Berland Tower, and Les Puces de Saint Michel (a local flea market open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays). All of these are right by each other, so you can easily see them together. Stop by Les Brocanteurs du Passage Saint-Michel, located in a former banana ripening shed. The 500 m² space features 1960s decor, artwork, and 18th-century furniture.

Lunch: A Bite at Orta

For lunch, stop into Orta. The menu is tapas-inspired, with small dishes featuring a range of local ingredients. There are a lot of vegetarian-forward dishes as well if you’re looking for that too. It’s an easygoing lunch if you have not filled up at the market.

Afternoon: Wine Tasting at Château Pape Clément (in Pessac) or in Saint-Émilion

When it comes to an afternoon of wine tasting in the world-famous Bordeaux wine region of France, you have two options to consider:

Pessac (Château Pape Clément)

The first option is to go to the region of Pessac, where you can actually take a bus directly from République Station in Bordeaux; the bus 24 will bring you straight to Château Pape Clément in 30 minutes. This is an iconic winery where you will learn how to observe wine through its aromas and color before the art of blending. Château Pape Clément is a perfect option if you’re looking to visit a single winery that is easy to access without a car/guide.

Saint-Émilion

About an hour from Bordeaux by car or 35 minutes by train sits the iconic medieval village of Saint-Émilion. Surrounded by vineyards, it feels like a movie scene. This small village has several wine tasting rooms and is close to dozens of wineries. You could also decide to rent a car if you want a bit more flexibility!

Rental Car Tip: I use Discover Cars for our rental cars in Europe, choose full coverage insurance, and opt for trusted companies like Alamo, Hertz, or Sixt.

To access Saint-Émilion, you just need to take the direct train from Bordeaux. You will want reservations at most wineries, and most tasting rooms allow you to walk in. My day trip guide to Saint-Émilion will help you plan your time. 

In the village, Le Cloître des Cordeliers, with its magnificent inner garden, was my favorite place for wine tasting. While in Saint-Émilion, stop at Nadia Fermigier to get macarons. She makes them from an original recipe dating back to the 17th century.

Travel Tip: Don’t want to navigate a day solo in wine country? Hop on one of the many wine tours that depart from Bordeaux all day.

Wine Tours from Bordeaux to Consider

• Saint Emilion Wine Tour Tasting Half Day from Bordeaux
• Half-Day Wine Tour Across Bordeaux’s Vineyards
• Médoc Region Half-Day Wine Tour with Winery Visit & Tastings from Bordeaux

Dinner: Back to the Old Quarter 

As you make your way back to the city, head straight to the Old Quarter. At L’Entrecôte, the star of the menu is the rib steak served with crispy fries and a secret sauce that has been a hit since 1959. Cherry on top, they only have red from the Bordeaux cellars, so you can have a great wine pairing with your meal

 Need more restaurant suggestions for this evening? Consider these:

• Demeter, for its innovative dishes
• Copain Comme Canard, for its duck dishes and 150 wine references

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Day 3: A Day by the Sea

Morning: Start in Arcachon Bay

With such a great location by the coast, take advantage of a day at the Atlantic when visiting Bordeaux by heading to Arcachon Bay, a popular seaside resort town.

As you start your day, stop by Baillardran to stock up on local canelés (Bordeaux’s addictive little chewy cake. Multiple locations throughout the city). It’s the perfect snack to grab before leaving for the day.

To get to Arcachon from Bordeaux by train, head to Bordeaux Saint-Jean, where you can catch a direct train for a 50-minute journey, with trains running every hour.

When you arrive, you can spend a few hours walking around the port city. From there, you can walk out to the beach, enjoy the views, and shop. It’s one of those spots you can easily visit without a car if you want to utilize the trains.  

Lunch: Seafood by the Sea

For all things seafood, head to Le Pitt for a huge seafood platter with a view of the ocean. It’s a popular place to stop for fresh local oysters from the bay. 

Afternoon: Europe’s Highest Sand Dunes

Make your way down to Dune du Pilat, the highest dune in Europe. From Arcachon train station or the market in La Teste-de-Buch, take the bus (line 101). The climb to the top is steep but manageable, and the payoff is an expansive view of the Atlantic on one side and dense pine forest on the other. It’s a popular spot, especially in summer, but it still feels open and peaceful once you’re at the top.

Dinner: Back in Bordeaux

End your trip on a high note and enjoy a last dinner at Bo-Tannique. I appreciate their creative cuisine, filled with seasonal produce and creative plating. The wine list offers a great natural wine selection as well, so be sure to ask for the wine list.

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Bordeaux Places to Add if You Have More Time

Now, with those above said, I do have my list of places I would add in if I have more time in Bordeaux. I have an entire Bordeaux city guide and more things to do in Bordeaux as well.

• L’Opéra National de Bordeaux, to see a performance in one of the most beautiful 18th-century theaters
• Spend a Night at Les Sources de Caudalie, to experience French elegance in the Château Smith Haut Lafitte’s vineyard and have a spa stay. It is the perfect spot to combine spa, wine, and cuisine.
• Librairie Mollat, to stroll through the oldest independent bookstore in France
• Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs, for unbeatable access to an old mansion that you can stroll through to see current art exhibits
• Jardin Public, my favorite outdoor garden in Bordeaux. It’s a lovely spot to grab food to go and bring to enjoy in the park. 

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