If your idea of a good weekend involves beautiful French villages, fabulous food, even better wine and a château or two, put Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion firmly on your list.

I recently combined one night in Saint-Émilion with two nights in Bordeaux, which works perfectly – you get the slower pace and beautiful vineyards of the wine regions, followed by a time to explore one of France’s loveliest cities.

First stop: Saint-Émilion

We started with one night at Château Hôtel Grand Barrail, just a five-minute drive from the village of Saint-Émilion.

The hotel is a beautiful château surrounded by vineyards, with a spa and outdoor pool, so it’s somewhere I’d recommend actually allowing yourself time to enjoy rather than simply using it as a base.

We booked spa treatments during our stay and ate at the hotel restaurant that evening. Dinner was amazing – right down to the cheese trolley at the end, the French really know how to dine!

Due to our early flight out the one night here worked really well but you could easily stay longer if you wanted a more relaxing break.

Saint-Émilion village

Saint-Émilion is exactly what you picture when you think of a tradtional French wine village: cobbled streets, historic buildings, wine shops, restaurants and vineyards surrounding it in every direction. We spent the first lunch and a couple of hours here exploring. It would also work well as a base for walking and there’s plenty of hotels here.

A private Saint-Émilion wine tour

One of the highlights of our trip was hiring a private driver for the day to take us around the vineyards. We visited three châteaux:

🍷 Château de Pressac
🍷 Château Balestard La Tonnelle
🍷 Château Pour Tourret

All three were great and different from one another. That made the day much more interesting than simply visiting three similar wineries and repeating the same experience.

You learn about how the wine is produced, the differences between vineyards and winemakers and, of course, get to taste the finished product. There’s no need to do a full tour at each winery, but I would recommend doing at least one.

Having a private driver made the whole day incredibly easy. Nobody needs to volunteer to be designated driver in one of the world’s greatest wine regions, plus we used it as a transfer to get back to Bordeaux that evening and took our luggage with us.

Do you need a wine tour?

Not necessarily. There are hundreds of châteaux around Saint-Émilion, and there are lots of different ways to explore them.

You can hire bikes and cycle between vineyards, and we even met a couple who were walking between the châteaux.

Some require you to pre-book a tour or tasting, while others are easier to visit more spontaneously. I’d recommend booking at least a few in advance to avoid disappointment and to plan your journey.

A private driver is a more expensive option, but it gives you the freedom to create your own itinerary and means you can fit several very different châteaux into one day.

Saint-Émilion isn’t the only Bordeaux wine region

Bordeaux is a huge wine-growing region made up of lots of different areas and appellations.

Saint-Émilion sits on Bordeaux’s Right Bank and is particularly associated with Merlot-led red wines. Nearby Pomerol is another famous Right Bank area that can easily be incorporated into a wine trip.

Head to the Left Bank and you’ll find the Médoc and famous wine areas including Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Saint-Estèphe. This is classic château country, with Cabernet Sauvignon playing a bigger role in many of the wines.

South of Bordeaux you’ll find Graves and Pessac-Léognan, while Sauternes is famous for its sweet wines. A bar owner gave us a tip that the Pessac-Leognan region offers really good value for money versus it’s more famous counterparts.

For wine enthusiasts, you could easily turn this into a much longer trip and explore several different parts of the region.

For a first visit, Saint-Émilion is a brilliant place to start. It’s beautiful, easy to explore and gives you that perfect combination of vineyards, châteaux and a lovely village to wander around.

Next stop: Bordeaux

After the vineyards, we headed into Bordeaux itself.

We stayed at FirstName Bordeaux, which I’d happily recommend for a city break. It’s very central, good value for money and within walking distance of the old town, while also being close to the tram for places further afield. Uber was also widely available.

What to do in Bordeaux

We had a full day exploring the city and managed to fit plenty in.

The old town is made for wandering. There are beautiful squares, grand architecture, cafés, wine bars and restaurants everywhere, with Bordeaux Cathedral one of the city’s major landmarks.

La Cité du Vin

Even after spending time amongst the vineyards, La Cité du Vin is worth visiting. It’s much more than a traditional wine museum with an interactive experience exploring wine regions, history and wine culture from around the world.

See Bordeaux from the river

We also took a boat trip along the Garonne, which is a lovely way to see Bordeaux from a completely different perspective.

Between sightseeing, we basically did what Bordeaux does best: ate fabulous food and drank fabulous wine. There are endless restaurants, wine bars and terraces, but I’d really recommend visiting Les Halles de Bacalan – a food market next to Cite du Vin.

Getting there & getting around

We flew easyJet direct from Gatwick to Bordeaux, which makes this a really easy option for a long weekend from the UK.

In Bordeaux itself, you really don’t need a car. The city is very walkable and has a great tram network.

For the wine region, I’d arrange transport separately rather than hiring a car for the whole trip.

We used a private driver for our Saint-Émilion wine tour, which meant we could all enjoy the tastings without anyone having to worry about driving.

It’s also perfectly possible to base yourself in Bordeaux and visit Saint-Émilion as a day trip, but I’d recommend staying amongst the vineyards for at least a night.

How long do you need?

For a short break, I think our combination of 1 night Saint-Émilion + 2 nights Bordeaux worked really well.

If wine is the main focus of your trip, I’d add another night in Saint-Émilion and potentially spend a second day exploring another wine area.

Why this itinerary works

What I loved about this trip was how much variety you get in just a few days. One minute you’re sitting outside a château surrounded by vines; the next you’re wandering through a beautiful French city, visiting a cathedral, cruising along the river or drinking wine in a little bar in the old town.

Saint-Émilion gives you the romantic wine-country experience, while Bordeaux gives you the food, culture and buzz of a city break. Plus they’re close enough together that you don’t waste half your holiday travelling between places.

My tips for a Bordeaux & Saint-Émilion trip

🍷 Don’t just stay in Bordeaux and day-trip to Saint-Émilion if you have the time. Staying overnight in wine country gives the trip a completely different feel.

🏰 Pre-book the châteaux you particularly want to visit. Some are easier to visit spontaneously, but many tours and tastings need reservations.

🚗 Consider a private driver for your wine day. It isn’t the cheapest way to explore, but it’s incredibly easy and means everyone can enjoy the tastings.

🚲 You don’t necessarily need a car. Around Saint-Émilion you can arrange tours, hire bikes or even walk between some vineyards.

👟 Take sensible shoes. Saint-Émilion is beautiful, but those cobbles and hills are much easier without heels!

🍇 Don’t try to visit too many châteaux. Three very different visits in a day worked brilliantly for us and meant we could actually enjoy each one rather than rushing from tasting to tasting.

🚋 Stay centrally in Bordeaux. Being able to walk into the old town and easily hop on a tram makes a short city break much easier.

🧀 And if there’s a cheese trolley… obviously have the cheese.

Would I recommend it?

Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion make a fantastic long weekend for couples, friends or anyone who loves good food and wine.

Make it as wine-focused as you like. Go all-in with private château visits and tastings, hire bikes and explore the vineyards at your own pace, or simply enjoy a beautiful French city, spend a day amongst the vines and drink some very good wine along the way.

Fancy doing Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion for yourself? I can put together a tailor-made break including the right hotels, flights and wine experiences – whether you want a full-on wine weekend or just a very good excuse to eat cheese and drink Bordeaux.