Bordeaux Wine Day TourSaint-Émilion Afternoon Wine Tour With Two Grands Crus
This Saint-Émilion afternoon wine tour runs 5.5 hours from central Bordeaux and costs $119.90 per person. Bordeaux Wine Trails meets you at 1:30 PM in front of the Bordeaux tourist office, drives you out in an air-conditioned minivan and caps the group at 8. The booking includes a guided walk through the medieval village, two winery visits with 5 to 6 tastings, an extra glass at the final winery and a French apéritif of wine with local delicacies at the second. It suits travellers whose mornings are taken, or anyone who wants Saint-Émilion without a full-day commitment. You can see how it stacks up against every other Bordeaux wine day tour on the comparison site before you book.
About This Tour
Bordeaux Wine Trails runs this half-day trip to Saint-Émilion from central Bordeaux as an afternoon tour. The minivan leaves at 1:30 PM from in front of the tourist office and the whole circuit lasts 5.5 hours.
The group is limited to 8 people, which keeps attention high at both wineries. You visit a Grand Cru or Grand Cru Classé château, walk the medieval streets with your guide, then finish at a family-run estate with a last glass of wine served as a French apéritif with local delicacies.
$119.90 per person, priced for ages 18 to 75. Kids from 12 can join.
5.5 hours, departing 1:30 PM. Return time not stated.
In front of the Office de tourisme de Bordeaux, 12 Cours du 30 Juillet. Tram B or C to Quinconces.
Maximum 8 guests with an English-speaking local guide in person.
2 winery visits with 5 to 6 tastings, an extra glass at the final winery, and a French apéritif at the second. No lunch.
Lunch, hotel pickup and drop-off, and gratuities are not included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Check Dates and Availability
Afternoon departures run from the tourist office at 1:30 PM. A minimum of 2 booked travellers is needed for the tour to run.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, tastings and who it suits
The Saint-Émilion afternoon wine tour costs $119.90 per person for 5.5 hours, with 5 to 6 tastings across 2 wineries, an extra glass and a French apéritif, in a group capped at 8.
Key takeaways
- Meets at 1:30 PM at the Bordeaux tourist office, 12 Cours du 30 Juillet. See the full day plan.
- No lunch, so eat before you go. The same operator's Graves and Saint-Émilion picnic day is a full day with a picnic.
- Want a morning slot instead? The Saint-Émilion Village and Grand Cru Half Day offers morning or afternoon departures.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Check dates in the availability widget above.
What the Price Actually Covers
At $119.90 per person this is a mid-price half day. The listing is clear about what is inside the fee and what is not, so here is the breakdown before you commit.
What Is Included
Your $119.90 covers the air-conditioned minivan, the English-speaking local guide, pickup and drop-off in central Bordeaux, the guided walk of the medieval town, both winery visits, 5 to 6 tastings, an extra glass at the final winery and the French apéritif of wine paired with local delicacies at the second winery. No official château tasting fee is published separately, all tastings sit inside the tour price.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minivan transport | Yes | Air-conditioned, pickup and drop-off in central Bordeaux |
| English-speaking guide | Yes | Local guide with the group all afternoon |
| Village guided walk | Yes | About 1 hour including some free time |
| First winery visit | Yes | Grand Cru or Grand Cru Classé château, 75 minutes |
| Second winery visit | Yes | Family-owned estate, 60 minutes |
| 5 to 6 tastings plus extra glass | Yes | Extra glass served at the final winery |
| French apéritif | Yes | Wine paired with local delicacies at the second winery |
| Lunch | No | Eat beforehand, the tour runs 5.5 hours |
| Hotel pickup and drop-off | No | Meet at the tourist office |
| Gratuities | No | At your discretion |
| Bottled water | No | Bring your own bottle, refills at each winery |
Oak barrels in the ageing cellar of Château La Rose Brisson, Saint-Émilion. Photo: Grand Parc - Bordeaux, France from France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives a stop-by-stop itinerary with durations. Here is how the 5.5 hours unfold, from the tourist office pavement to the return drop-off.
Meet at 1:30 PM and Drive Out
Your guide waits in front of the Bordeaux tourist office at 12 Cours du 30 Juillet. The listing is blunt about punctuality, the van leaves on the dot, so arrive a few minutes early. The drive to Saint-Émilion takes about 60 minutes, and on the way the guide talks through Bordeaux's vineyards and quizzes the group on wine knowledge.
There is no hotel pickup, so plan your morning to be at the tourist office in time.
First Château, 75 Minutes
The first stop is a Grand Cru or Grand Cru Classé château in Saint-Émilion or Pomerol. The visit walks through the stages of the winemaking process and ends with a tasting of the estate's wines as part of the 5 to 6 pours. The specific château is not named in advance.
The Village, 60 Minutes
Next comes Saint-Émilion itself, with a short guided walk of about 60 minutes along the medieval streets, including some free time if the van left Bordeaux on time. Wear closed shoes, the cobbles are steep. The operator is honest that you cannot fully explore the village because of strict appointments at each château.
If you want longer there, organise your own day trip by train on another day.
Second Winery and Apéritif, 60 Minutes
The last visit is a family-owned winery in the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru or Pomerol appellation. After the expert tasting, a final glass of wine is served with local delicacies, the French apéritif that gives the tour its name. It is a relaxed close rather than a meal, so plan dinner back in Bordeaux.
Return to Bordeaux
The minivan brings the group back to the drop-off in front of the tourist office. The tour lasts 5.5 hours in total. Return time is not stated by the operator.
Drinking Wine in Bordeaux: Saint-Émilion, Wine Tours and Châteaux
A travel vlog from Saint-Émilion with château tastings. Third-party video by The Traveling Mangoes. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This is a good listing, but several common needs disqualify it. Check the exclusions below before booking, each one has an alternative that fits better.
No Lunch on an Afternoon Tour
Lunch is excluded, and the apéritif at the second winery is a glass of wine with local delicacies, not a meal. On a 5.5-hour afternoon this matters, so eat a proper lunch before the 1:30 PM start. If you want food built into the day, the Saint-Émilion and Médoc Day with Lunch includes a French-style picnic at a Saint-Émilion winery, and the same operator's Graves and Saint-Émilion Picnic Day serves a gourmet picnic at a château in the vines.
Children Under 12 and Non-drinkers
Kids from 12 can join but there are no children under 12 and no pets, and the pricing is set for ages 18 to 75. The minimum drinking age is 18, so under-18s cannot taste. Every passenger counts.
Wheelchair Users
Saint-Émilion village is not wheelchair accessible and the operator asks you to contact them for alternatives. The village's steep cobbled alleys make this a firm limit, not a soft warning.
Solo Travellers
The tour needs a minimum of 2 people to run. If the minimum is not reached the operator cancels and refunds in full, so a solo booking carries some risk of cancellation.
No Hotel Pickup
Pickup and drop-off are in central Bordeaux only, at the tourist office. If you stay outside the centre, allow time for the tram.
Weather and Group Size
The operator can cancel for bad weather, and the group is limited to 8 people.
Getting to the Start and the Rest of Your Day
The meeting point sits in the middle of the tourist district, easy by tram. The tour starts at 1:30 PM, which leaves the morning free.
Finding the Meeting Point
The tour meets in front of the Office de tourisme de Bordeaux at 12 Cours du 30 Juillet. Take tram line B or C to Quinconces. A single tram ticket costs €1.90 and the network runs from about 04:30 to midnight.
The Monument aux Girondins on Place des Quinconces is a 54 m column.
Before the Tour
The morning is yours. The CIVB Bar à Vin at 3 Cours du 30 Juillet pours Bordeaux by the glass, staffed by sommeliers. One listing shows 2 glasses for €3 and another says from about €2 a glass.
It is open Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 22:00. A light lunch nearby before the 1:30 PM start is wise, since the tour includes no meal.
After the Tour
The van drops you back at the drop-off point in central Bordeaux. If you want more wine context on another day, La Cité du Vin sits on tram line B in the Bacalan district, with its own stop. And if this taste of Saint-Émilion leaves you wanting a full day in the village, the train from Gare Saint-Jean takes around 30 to 35 minutes, with the station a 20 to 30 minute walk below the town.
The guide to Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion by train covers the options, and the page on Saint-Émilion covers the monuments worth your time.
Sources: Tramway de Bordeaux, Bar à Vin du CIVB
Itinerary
Stop by stop, with the durations stated in the operator's listing.
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Start
Meet at the tourist office
Meet your guide in front of the Bordeaux Tourist Office at 12 Cours du 30 Juillet. The van departs at 1:30 PM sharp, so be early.
-
After the start, 60 minutes
Drive to Saint-Émilion
Head out of Bordeaux by minivan while the guide introduces the region's vineyards and tests your wine knowledge.
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After the drive, 75 minutes
First Grand Cru château
Tour a Grand Cru or Grand Cru Classé château in Saint-Émilion or Pomerol, learn the winemaking stages and taste its wines.
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60 minutes
Guided walk of the village
Arrive in Saint-Émilion for a short guided walk along the medieval streets, with some free time if the schedule allows.
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60 minutes
Family winery and French apéritif
Visit a family-owned winery in the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru or Pomerol appellation, taste with an expert, then enjoy a last glass of wine with local delicacies.
-
End of the tour
Return to Bordeaux
The minivan brings the group back to the drop-off in front of the tourist office in central Bordeaux.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of where this listing is strong and where it will frustrate you.
What we genuinely like
- 5 to 6 tastings plus an extra glass is a generous pour count for a half day at $119.90
- Group capped at 8 with a live English-speaking guide, not an audio tour
- The French apéritif of wine with local delicacies at the second winery adds a food moment without a sit-down meal
- 1:30 PM start leaves your morning free for the CIVB wine bar or the Miroir d'eau
- Two wineries in different settings, a Grand Cru or Grand Cru Classé château and a family-owned estate
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
The honest downsides
- No lunch and no real meal, the apéritif is a glass of wine with small delicacies, so eat beforehand on a 5.5-hour afternoon
- The van leaves at 1:30 PM sharp, latecomers lose the tour
- Only about 1 hour in the village and the operator says you cannot fully explore it because of fixed château appointments
- The châteaux visited are not named in advance
- No hotel pickup, you meet at the tourist office yourself
- Needs a minimum of 2 travellers, and the operator can cancel for bad weather
Who it's NOT for: Skip this one if you need a morning departure, a sit-down lunch, wheelchair access in Saint-Émilion or a guaranteed named château.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this Saint-Émilion afternoon wine tour cost?
It costs $119.90 per person, priced for ages 18 to 75 with kids from 12 able to join. Compare it against the Saint-Émilion Half Day, 8 Wines if the number of wines is your main filter.
What time does the tour leave Bordeaux?
It meets at 1:30 PM in front of the Bordeaux tourist office at 12 Cours du 30 Juillet, tram B or C to Quinconces, and leaves on the dot. A tram single costs €1.90. For a morning slot, look at the Saint-Émilion Village and Grand Cru Half Day instead.
How many wines do I taste?
You get 5 to 6 tastings across 2 wineries, plus an extra glass at the final winery and a French apéritif of wine with local delicacies at the second. If you want a third estate, the Saint-Émilion Day Trip, Three Châteaux is a full day.
Is lunch included?
No, lunch is not included, and the apéritif at the second winery is a glass with local delicacies rather than a meal. Eat before the 1:30 PM start. The same operator's Graves and Saint-Émilion Picnic Day includes a gourmet picnic at a château in the vines.
Can children come on this tour?
Kids from 12 years old can join, but children under 12 and pets are not accepted, and the minimum drinking age is 18 so younger teens cannot taste. For children under 12, compare the other Bordeaux wine day tours.
How much time do I get in Saint-Émilion village?
About 1 hour of guided village tour including some free time. The operator warns you cannot fully explore the village because of strict appointments at each château. For a village-only day at your own pace, take the train, around 30 minutes each way, as covered in the Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund. The operator can also cancel for bad weather, or if the minimum of 2 travellers is not reached, in both cases with a full refund. Compare other options among the wine day tours from Bordeaux.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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