Saint-Pierre and the old centre
First-timersBetween the river and the cathedral: narrow streets, the Place de la Bourse, restaurants and most beds.
Bordeaux city guide
Things To Do In Bordeaux
The wine capital, with the largest urban UNESCO site in the world, a river full of eighteenth-century façades, and a student population keeping the prices honest.
10
Hostels in the city
8.9
Average, from 6,777 reviews
1,810 ha
The UNESCO-listed city centre, the largest urban site in the world
65 million
Bottles a year across the region
2 hours
From Paris by TGV
Eighteenth-century stone, cleaned up and put to work
Bordeaux spent the 1990s and 2000s scrubbing two centuries of soot off its limestone, pedestrianising the centre and building a tram network, and the result is one of the best-looking cities in France.
The eighteenth-century riverfront along the Garonne — a long curve of uniform pale façades — is what got the centre UNESCO-listed, at 1,810 hectares the largest urban world heritage site anywhere.
The Miroir d'Eau facing the Place de la Bourse is a shallow sheet of water that alternately reflects the buildings and disappears into mist, and it is free and constantly full of people.
The wine is the reason the city exists. Saint-Émilion is forty minutes by train, the Médoc châteaux an hour by road, and the Cité du Vin at the northern end of the quays does a serious job of explaining all of it.
Seventy thousand students keep the bars and the restaurants cheaper than the reputation suggests. Two or three days.
Where to stay
A flat, walkable centre along a river bend, with the student quarters just behind it.
Saint-Michel and Capucins
Value and marketsSouth: the covered market, a diverse and cheaper quarter, and the best food for the money.
Chartrons
Wine and quieterNorth along the quays: the old wine merchants' district, antiques, and the Cité du Vin at the far end.
Victoire and the student quarter
NightlifeSouth-west around Place de la Victoire: cheap bars, late nights and seventy thousand students.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 6 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
How long have you got?
The routes we would walk, in the order we would walk them.
Things to do
Things to do in Bordeaux
Walk the quays. The eighteenth-century riverfront runs for kilometres in pale limestone, and the Miroir d'Eau opposite the Place de la Bourse alternates between a perfect reflecting pool and a cloud of mist. It is free and it is the image of the city.
The Cité du Vin, about €22, is a wine museum in a building meant to look like wine swirling in a glass. It is more interesting than it sounds and the ticket includes a tasting on the top floor with a view over the river.
Climb the Tour Pey-Berland beside the cathedral, about €7, for the view over the roofs.
Saint-Émilion is forty minutes by train: a medieval wine village built over a monolithic church carved into the rock, and the easiest vineyard day from any French city.
The Marché des Capucins on a weekend morning is where Bordeaux eats oysters and drinks white wine at nine in the morning, and it is the most enjoyable hour in the city.
Free things
Free things to do in Bordeaux
The Miroir d'Eau and the whole eighteenth-century quayside are free, and the walk from the Pont de Pierre to the Cité du Vin takes about forty minutes along the river.
The Place de la Bourse, the Grand Théâtre exterior and the Porte Cailhau all cost nothing.
The Jardin Public and the Place des Quinconces — one of the largest squares in Europe — are free and open.
Several municipal museums are free for their permanent collections, including the Musée d'Aquitaine, which covers the city's history including its major role in the Atlantic slave trade, a subject Bordeaux has only recently begun to address publicly.
The Marché des Capucins is free to walk and is the best food market in the city.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Bordeaux
Wine first, obviously. A glass of decent Bordeaux in a city wine bar is €4 to €7, which is remarkably little given where you are standing. Château visits run €15 to €35 and generally need booking.
The Marché des Capucins is the best value in the city: oysters from Arcachon with a glass of white at €10 to €14 a plate, eaten standing at nine in the morning on a Saturday, which is the local ritual.
Canelés — small caramelised rum and vanilla cakes with a dark crust — are the city's own pastry and cost about €1.50.
Entrecôte à la bordelaise, steak with a red wine and shallot sauce, is the classic main at €18 to €26.
The lunch formule runs €14 to €19, and the student quarter around Victoire is cheaper again.
Nightlife
Going out in Bordeaux
Seventy thousand students make this a proper night-out city, and cheaper than its polished appearance suggests.
Place de la Victoire and the streets around it are the student heartland — cheap, loud and busy every night in term.
Saint-Pierre has the bars in the old lanes, and the Darwin complex, a converted barracks on the right bank, has a warehouse bar, a skatepark and an organic market.
The quays along the river fill with people drinking outside in summer, which is free and is what most of the city does.
A beer is €4 to €7 and cocktails €8 to €12. Trams run to about 1am, later at weekends.
Getting around
Getting around Bordeaux
Trams cost about €1.80 with day tickets, and three lines cover the city including the station and the Cité du Vin. Sections run without overhead wires through the historic centre, drawing power from the ground.
The centre is flat and walkable, and the pedestrianised Rue Sainte-Catherine is claimed to be the longest shopping street in Europe.
The airport is 30 minutes by shuttle for about €8.
TGV reaches Paris in two hours at €30 to €90 depending on booking, and Toulouse in two hours.
For the wine regions: Saint-Émilion is 40 minutes by train, the Médoc needs a car or a tour, and Arcachon with its oysters and the Dune du Pilat is an hour by train.
Costs
What Bordeaux costs
Mid-range for France and better value than it looks. Dorms are €22 to €38, a lunch formule €14 to €19, and a beer €4 to €7.
A day is €50 to €90.
Wine is the surprise: €4 to €7 a glass in city bars for something that would cost three times as much abroad.
The Cité du Vin at about €22 is the main entry. Château visits at €15 to €35 add up quickly if you do several, and a full-day Médoc tour runs €90 to €130.
The quays, the Miroir d'Eau and the free municipal museums cover a lot of the daytime at no cost.
Safety
Staying safe in Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a safe city and the crime affecting visitors is petty theft.
Pickpocketing happens on Rue Sainte-Catherine, around the station and on busy trams.
The Saint-Michel and station areas are scruffier at night without being dangerous, and Place de la Victoire gets very drunk at weekends in term time.
The Garonne is tidal, fast and muddy with a strong current, and the quays have open edges directly beside the bars. It is not a river to go near after drinking.
Wine tasting is the genuine risk here: tasting rooms pour generously, the wines are 13 to 15 per cent, and people underestimate a day of it badly. Spit buckets exist for a reason and using them is normal. Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Bordeaux
Vineyards, the biggest sand dune in Europe, and oysters on the Atlantic.
Saint-Émilion
A medieval wine village over a church carved whole into the rock, with vineyards on every side. The easiest wine day from the city.
Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat
Oyster beds, a belle époque seaside town, and the tallest sand dune in Europe at over 100 metres.
Biarritz
Atlantic surf, the Basque country, and a different region entirely.
What's on
What is on while you are there
A wine festival on the quays, and a harvest that changes the whole region.
Staff pick
29 May – 3 Oct
Relâche Festival
Relâche Festival in Bordeaux, France, transforms the city each summer with a dynamic series of free concerts spread across urban spaces. Drawing nearly 80,000…
Staff pick
5 Jul – 4 Oct
Bordeaux Open Air
Bordeaux Open Air in Bordeaux, France, is a free, multigenerational festival dedicated to celebrating electronic music and local talent in the city's lush green…
Staff pick
26 Sep – 10 Oct
Bordeaux Metropole International Arts Festival (FAB)
The FAB – Bordeaux Métropole International Arts Festival in Bordeaux, France, transforms the city and its surroundings into a stage for innovative performances and…
Staff pick
10–11 October
Festival Animasia
Animasia Festival in Bordeaux, France, is a dynamic celebration of Asian cultures and pop culture that has been uniting fans, creators, and enthusiasts since…
Staff pick
2–7 November
Festival International du Film Indépendant de Bordeaux (FIFIB)
Festival International du Film Indépendant de Bordeaux (FIFIB) in Bordeaux, France, is a celebrated gathering for lovers of independent cinema, drawing nearly 20,000 attendees…
Staff pick
2–4 October
Cinopsys Festival
Cinopsys Festival in Bordeaux invites audiences to explore the intersection of cinema and psychotherapy, offering a unique selection of films that delve into personal…
Staff pick
9–11 October
The Spiritives
Spiritives at Bordeaux Palais de la Bourse is a premier gathering for spirits enthusiasts, uniting over 85 international brands alongside renowned distillers, chefs, and…
Staff pick
21 October
Angélique Kidjo
Experience the powerful artistry of Angélique Kidjo as she presents a symphonic tribute to the legendary musicians who shaped African music, including icons like…
Hostels
Where to stay in Bordeaux
A reasonable scene near the centre and the station, with student-driven prices. Live from Hostelworld.
MEININGER Bordeaux Gare Saint-Jean
Dorms from €27 a night
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Sustainable
JOST Hostel Bordeaux
Dorms from €27 a night
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Slo Hostel Bordeaux
Dorms from €26 a night
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Hosho Bordeaux Centre Victoire
Dorms from €29 a night
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Eklo Bordeaux Center Bastide
Dorms from €32 a night
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Central Hostel
Dorms from €26 a night
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When to go
May, June, September and October. September is harvest and the best month of the year here.
Jan
Mild, wet and cheap. Wine bars at their best
Feb
Grey and quiet
Mar
Improving. Vineyards bare but walkable
Apr
Good. Blossom and lengthening days
May
Excellent. Terraces open and the quays in use
Jun
The best summer month. Bordeaux Fête le Vin in some years
Jul
Hot and busy. The quays full every evening
Aug
Hot, and many independents close for the month
Sep
Superb. Harvest across the region and the weather holds
Oct
Very good value. Autumn colour in the vineyards
Nov
Wet and grey. Quiet
Dec
Mild and wet. Christmas market on the Allées de Tourny
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. September is the harvest month across the region, which is when the vineyards are at their most interesting and the châteaux at their busiest — book visits further ahead than usual.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
The doing line rises fast if you visit châteaux — a full-day Médoc tour is €90 to €130 on its own and sits outside these figures.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Bordeaux travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Do I need to do a vineyard tour?
Not necessarily. City wine bars pour good Bordeaux at €4 to €7 a glass, which is remarkable value for where you are standing. If you do want vineyards, Saint-Émilion is 40 minutes by train and does the job without a tour at all.
How do I visit the Médoc châteaux?
Most need booking and transport — they are spread across an hour of countryside with no useful public transport. A full-day tour runs €90 to €130. Saint-Émilion is the easier and cheaper alternative if you just want vineyards and a village.
Is the Cité du Vin worth €22?
Yes, if wine interests you at all. It is more thoughtful than a branded attraction, the ticket includes a tasting on the top floor with a river view, and it takes about two hours.
What is the Miroir d'Eau?
A shallow sheet of water facing the eighteenth-century Place de la Bourse that alternates between a perfect reflection and a cloud of mist. It is free, it runs through the warmer months, and it is the single most photographed thing in the city.
What should I eat?
Oysters from Arcachon with a glass of white at the Marché des Capucins on a Saturday morning, which is the local ritual. Canelés, the city's caramelised rum and vanilla pastry, at about €1.50. And entrecôte à la bordelaise if you want the classic main.
When should I go?
September. It is harvest across the region, the weather holds at around 24°C, and the vineyards are working. Book château visits further ahead than usual for that month.
How careful do I need to be at tastings?
More than people are. Tasting rooms pour generously, Bordeaux runs 13 to 15 per cent, and a day of it adds up faster than it feels. Spit buckets are there to be used and using them is entirely normal.
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