Bordeaux, located in the southwest of France, is a city famed for its wine, history, and memorable architecture. It has tons of restaurants, shops and cafes, so there is plenty to enjoy. Bordeaux is right next to the fabulous wine region of Saint-Émilion, which produces some of the world’s best bottles of red. It’s only 31 miles away from the city, so it’s a must to add to your visit. So, if you are planning to stop by in Bordeaux and need some ideas of what to do, check out this guide on how to spend 48 hours in Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion, France.
This is just one post of my larger France series: 14-Day France Itinerary: Explore Paris, Bordeaux, and More
How to get to Bordeaux
There are a couple ways to get to the city, depending on where Bordeaux falls on your wider France itinerary. Here are a couple of options:
- Fly to Bordeaux – the Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD) serves both domestic and international flights. However, you can’t fly directly to Bordeaux from the United States, so you’d have to fly into Paris, Nice, or Lyon first (you could also find direct flights from London and Dublin). Then you can look for a connecting flight to Bordeaux.
- Take a train – France’s TGV high speed trains are often the easiest way to go from one French city to another. A TGV train can get you to Bordeaux from Paris Montparnasse in two hours, or about five hours from Avignon. Sometimes you can find a direct train between the two, otherwise you can transfer in between stations (it’s pretty easy). Check out Trainline for routes and tickets.
- By car – rent a car and drive five hours from Paris to Bordeaux.
Where to stay in Bordeaux
There are a couple of fun areas to find a hotel or an AirBnB to stay in. We stayed near the Bordeaux City Center, or Place de la Bourse, which offers plenty of shopping, restaurants and some great historic landmarks. You can also check out the Saint-Pierre District, where nightlife and dining is prevalent. If you want a less touristy, more quiet area, check out spots in Chartrons, where you can enjoy antique shops, galleries, and wine bars.
Traipse through Place de la Victoire
Start your day at Place de la Victoire, on the southern end of Bordeaux’s shopping street rue Sainte Catherine. The impressive square is recognized by the 18th-century arc and the marble obelisk at its center. Its proximity to the busiest street in the city, the University campus, and the numerous cafes and bars give it a very young and happy vibe.
Walk around Place de la Bourse
Make sure to check out Place de la Bourse, a masterpiece of classic French architecture from the 18th century, during the reign of King Louis XV. The square was originally built to celebrate Bordeaux’s economic importance and open the city toward the river, symbolizing trade and exchange.
Right nearby, you’ll find one of the most popular attractions in Bordeaux – le Miroir d’eau! This modern monument, built in 2006, is the world’s largest reflecting pool (at 37,000-square-foot reflecting pool). The surface is made from blue granite covered in water, reflecting the Place de la Bourse.
See the Grosse Cloch and Quartier de la Grosse
The Grosse Cloche (the big bell) is part of the Porte Saint-Éloi, which was once one of the main gates in the defensive walls surrounding Bordeaux during the Middle Ages. It was built in the 13th century and was originally part of the old city hall.
Walk through to the Quartier de la Grosse, which is right past the bell tower. The medieval streets are full of fun shops, bakeries, food and charm.
Go to happy hours in the city
There are a lot of restaurants. Everywhere! And there are a lot of places to sit down, have a drink and people watch. Happy hour deals tend to be much longer than what we have in America, which provides ample opportunity to split a bottle of wine or enjoy an espresso martini. A couple spots I enjoyed sitting outside: Les Cafe des Arts and La Belle Epoque.
Plan a day trip to Saint-Émilion
If you are in Bordeaux for more than a day, you should prioritize a day trip to Saint-Émilion. It’s like a storybook! The village is named after Émilion, a monk who settled in the area in the 8th century. His influence helped establish a monastic community and contributed to the development of the region’s wine culture.
Saint-Émilion is part of the Bordeaux wine region and is particularly famous for its red wines, predominantly made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. The region produces some of the most prestigious wines in the world. So if you like wine at all, I really recommend it!
Bike through the vineyards
The coolest thing I did in France was book an 8-hour e-bike tour through Saint-Émilion. Here is the exact one I signed up for, which included a long ride past the most beautiful vineyards and chateaux. If you think it’s too long, I promise it’s easy! You stop a lot for various activities which will give your body a break, but I assure you the whole experience is leisurely. We stopped at both Chateau Southard and Chateau La Monde where we experienced a couple wine tastings as well as an explanation of how the wine is created. We had a beautiful picnic spread of fresh bread, cheeses, meats, espresso and cookies. We also biked to town and saw the main historic landmarks and did some shopping.
See the Monolithic Church
The Monolithic Church is named after its unique construction – it’s carved from a single block of stone! It’s carved into a limestone hill beneath the village of Saint-Émilion. You can sign up for an official tour, but walking around it it is plenty. Walk inside to see the altar and impressively vaulted ceilings. Then climb to the top of the church to see panoramic views of the area.
Try the original macarons
Did you know that the original macarons are said to be from Saint-Émilion? Created sometime in the 1600’s, these cookies are different than the Parisian style ones we know now. Instead of the rainbow cookies we see at other shops, these macarons have soft, almond flavored cookies that sandwich a rich chocolate filling. I really liked them!
Close to the Monolithic church, walk to Macarons de Saint-Émilion – Nadia Fermigier. They sell these goodies in small packages that you can take to go.
Eat some good food
Bordeaux has some amazing food to try, so here were my favorites!
Le Michels – located in Bordeaux’s city center and Place de la Bourse, this is a great place to get French classics with a twist. Grab a table outside and order a bottle of wine. I loved their Croque Madame, a grilled ham and cheese with a fried egg on top.
La Fine Bouche – this was an experience! If you like fancy tasting menus with adventurous eats, make a reservation here in advance. This restaurant presents French cuisine, and the tasting menu includes several small dishes, main dishes, an assortment of breads and cheeses and of course a fresh dessert. Reserve here.
Books & Coffee – If you plan to get breakfast in Bordeaux, stop at this charming brunch spot. It has a menu of both breakfast and lunch as well as an assortment or pastries and coffee. It’s pretty close to the bell tower, so plan to walk through it before or after!
Cassanade – This is a dessert and pastry shop well-known for canelés, a traditional pastry from the Bordeaux region. These treats are small, caramelized cakes with a custardy interior and a dark, crispy exterior, typically flavored with vanilla (although they had savory ones, too!). These treats have an interesting history – egg whites were actually used to help clarify wine, which means that Bordeaux had a lot of egg yolks just sitting around. So, nuns in convents started using all the yolks to bake these canelés and give them to the poor and hungry! There are a couple different Cassanade shops throughout the city.
Pepite Cookie – just tasty cookies. We got these after dining at Le Michel’s. Get the hazelnut or chocolate chip! They are thick cookies, kind of like Levain, but small!
I was also informed that Aviono and L’agape are good options for dinner, although we didn’t have time to try them!
What to wear in Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a city with a lot of walking to do! When I went in September, I was sure to pack comfy shoes, a light jacket, a couple dresses, pants (ones you can bike in, perhaps), short sleeve sweaters and layers. The mornings could be somewhat brisk but it would feel very warm by the afternoon.
Where should Bordeaux go in my larger itinerary?
It’s easiest to put Bordeaux in the middle of your itinerary, since it’s convenient to fly in or out of Paris. Here’s my full itinerary that you can check out at my larger blog post:
- 2 days in Nice
- 1 day trip to the Gorge du Verdon (in Provence)
- 2 days in Avignon
- 2 days in Bordeaux (including a day in Saint Emilion)
- 4 days in Paris
- 1 day in Champagne country
- 2 days dedicated to travel
I hope you enjoyed this quick guide and feel like you know how to spend 48 hours in Bordeaux, France! It’s a great place to enjoy the wine, tour some vineyards and see some history.
Other Travel Guides
Check out my other travel itineraries for your future trips:
How to Spend 48 hours in Nice, France
How to spend five days in Paris, France (including Champagne)
How to spend 10 days in Europe: Dublin, Paris and London
Pin this!
