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Bordeaux

France travel guide

What to see in Bordeaux

Pale stone façades along the Garonne, the world capital of wine and a city made for walking.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 7 must-see places
  • Best time: from March to June and from September to November
  • Typical food: Canelés
Photo: Gzen92 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Bordeaux highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d’eau

    The great 18th-century square reflected in the city’s most photographed water mirror.

  2. La Cité du Vin

    The wine museum, shaped like a decanter, by the river.

  3. Cathédrale Saint-André

    Gothic, with its separate bell tower: the Pey-Berland tower, which you can climb.

  4. Rue Sainte-Catherine

    One of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe.

  5. Grosse Cloche

    An old gate in the city walls, with its great bell.

  6. Les Chartrons

    The old wine merchants’ district, with antique shops and markets.

  7. Pont de Pierre

    The first bridge over the Garonne, commissioned by Napoleon.

Day trips from Bordeaux

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Bordeaux

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Bordeaux are from March to June and from September to November.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec with warnings
  • from December to February

    Cold and short days

    In winter it’s cold in almost the whole country and it gets dark early; it’s milder on the Mediterranean coast.

    What to do: It’s the season of the Christmas markets in Alsace, and Paris has fewer people: wrap up and make the most of the morning light.

  • July, August

    High season

    In July and August the Riviera, Provence and Mont-Saint-Michel fill up, and in August many neighbourhood businesses close for the holidays.

    What to do: Book well ahead, start early at the famous sights or go in June or September.

Typical food of Bordeaux

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Bordeaux from your kitchen).

Canelés
Photo: Roboppy at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.5

Canelés

Little cakes from Bordeaux, caramelised and crunchy outside and soft inside, with vanilla and rum. They’re said to have been invented by nuns using the egg yolks left over from winemaking.

  • Serves 12
  • 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 500 ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 50 g butter
  • 2 eggs and 2 yolks
  • 250 g sugar
  • 100 g flour
  • 50 ml rum
  • Butter for the moulds

How to make it at home

  1. Heat the milk with the split vanilla pod and the butter. Leave to cool slightly.
  2. Mix the sugar with the flour, add the eggs and yolks and then the milk little by little.
  3. Add the rum, cover and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
  4. Grease the canelé moulds well and fill them almost to the top.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes at 240 °C and then about 1 hour at 180 °C, until very dark on the outside.

The trick: The long rest of the batter is what gives them their texture: don’t skip it.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a bistro. The dishes you can’t miss are in the France guide.

Frequently asked questions about Bordeaux

What to see in Bordeaux?

Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d’eau, La Cité du Vin, Cathédrale Saint-André, Rue Sainte-Catherine, Grosse Cloche and Les Chartrons.

What to see in Bordeaux in one day?

Don’t miss Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d’eau, La Cité du Vin, Cathédrale Saint-André, Rue Sainte-Catherine, Grosse Cloche and Les Chartrons. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Bordeaux?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Bordeaux are from March to June and from September to November.

What day trips can you take from Bordeaux?

Saint-Émilion, Wine tasting and Dune du Pilat.

What is the typical food of Bordeaux?

Canelés. Little cakes from Bordeaux, caramelised and crunchy outside and soft inside, with vanilla and rum. They’re said to have been invented by nuns using the egg yolks left over from winemaking.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.