Bordeaux Wine Day TourSaint-Émilion and Médoc Wine Tour: Châteaux, Tastings and Lunch
This Saint-Émilion and Médoc wine tour puts both banks of Bordeaux into one 9-hour day. Rustic Vines runs it in an air-conditioned minivan for up to 8 guests, priced at $222.66 per person. The morning covers the UNESCO village of Saint-Émilion, a winery visit and a French-style picnic lunch with wine. The afternoon follows the Médoc Route des Châteaux, where Cabernet Sauvignon leads the blends. More than 10 tastings across 3 châteaux are included, plus a village tasting session. This page explains what the price covers, how the day runs and who should book something else, including Bordeaux wine day tours that skip one bank or add bikes.
About This Tour
Rustic Vines combines Saint-Émilion and the Médoc in a single day for a group capped at 8. You start in the medieval village on the Right Bank, taste its Merlot-led wines, then cross to the left bank for the Médoc Route des Châteaux and its Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines.
Everything on the wine side is in the price: 3 château visits, more than 10 tastings, a village tasting session, a guided village walk and a picnic lunch with wine. You pay only your personal expenses on top.
$222.66 per person
9 hours
Rustic Vines agency near Place de la Bourse, 2 minutes on foot from the Place de la Bourse tram stop
Up to 8 guests, with a wine tour guide who is also the driver
3 châteaux, more than 10 different wine tastings plus a tasting session in Saint-Émilion village
Included. A French-style picnic lunch with wine at a Saint-Émilion winery, with a vegetarian option entered at checkout
Personal expenses only. No hotel pickup
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are shown when you check availability for your date. Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, duration and what you get
This Saint-Émilion and Médoc wine tour costs $222.66 per person and lasts 9 hours, with 3 château visits, more than 10 tastings and a picnic lunch included for up to 8 guests.
Key takeaways
- It is adults only: children under 16 are not accepted. See the rules that rule people out.
- The listing does not name the three châteaux. Read what the price actually covers.
- If you want more Margaux focus, compare the Saint-Émilion and Margaux Full Day instead.
- See how it sits among all Bordeaux wine day tours before booking.
What the Price Actually Covers
The listing prices this at $222.66 per person. Below is what the operator says sits inside that figure, what it leaves out, and where you might still spend money on the day.
Included by the Operator
The inclusions are explicit on the listing: all château visits and wine tastings, a wine tasting session in the heart of Saint-Émilion village, a guided walking tour of the UNESCO village, a picnic lunch, bottled water, a wine tour guide who doubles as the driver, and the air-conditioned vehicle. The tasting count is stated as more than 10 different wines across 3 châteaux. The vegetarian lunch option is free but you must enter it in the special requirements box at checkout.
Not Included
The only exclusion the listing names is personal expenses. That still matters in practice: there is no hotel pickup, so you cover your own tram fare to the meeting point, a single ticket costs €1.90. If you want to buy wine at a château or a macaron box in Saint-Émilion, that comes from your pocket.
Tips are not mentioned either way. No château entry prices are published on this listing and the operator sells the whole day as one ticket, so no official per-château price is quoted here.
The Day Has No Lunch Gap to Fill
This one includes a French-style picnic with wine at a Saint-Émilion winery. What you should plan around instead is the tasting load: more than 10 wines before the afternoon ends, so eat breakfast and use the spittoon if you are driving later.
Cost Lines at a Glance
The table pulls together the money lines from the listing itself. Figures come from the operator's own price and inclusions list, plus the tram fare published by the Bordeaux network.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tour price | Yes | $222.66 per person, adults 18-99 |
| 3 château visits and 10+ tastings | Yes | No official château prices are stated |
| Saint-Émilion village tasting session | Yes | In the heart of the village |
| Guided village walk | Yes | UNESCO medieval village, 30 minutes |
| Picnic lunch with wine | Yes | Vegetarian option entered at checkout |
| Bottled water | Yes | Included |
| Tram to the meeting point | No | €1.90 single |
| Hotel pickup | No | Not offered on this listing |
| Wine purchases and tips | No | Personal expenses |
Sources: Saint-Émilion Tourist Office, Bordeaux wine, Wikipedia
The gates of Château Lagrange in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle. Photo: René Hourdry, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives phase durations but no clock times, so the stops below are described in the order and length the operator states. The published starting times appear when you check availability.
Meet Near Place de La Bourse and Leave the City
The first listed block is 45 minutes: meet your guide at the Rustic Vines agency and drive out. The meeting point is a 2-minute walk from the Place de la Bourse tram stop, or from Parking Indigo Bordeaux Bourse Jean Jaurès if you come by car via Rue Saint-Remi. The listing option says the day starts in Saint-Émilion in the morning.
Village Walk and a Tasting in Saint-Émilion
Two 30-minute blocks follow. First a guided walking tour of the medieval village, which UNESCO listed as a cultural landscape. Saint-Émilion's steep cobbled alleys, known as mounds and escalettes, are steep, so wear shoes that grip.
Then a 30-minute wine tasting session in the heart of the village, your first contact with the Merlot-dominant Right Bank style, where typical blends run about 70% Merlot with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Winery Visit and Picnic Lunch
A 60-minute stop at the first winery in the Saint-Émilion region covers a visit of the property followed by tastings. The next hour is the picnic: a typical French-style lunch with wine, served at the winery. The listing asks for vegetarian requests at checkout, so set them there rather than on the day.
Afternoon on the Médoc Route Des Châteaux
The van then crosses back toward the left bank. The first afternoon block is 60 minutes at a prestigious 1855 Grand Cru Classé of the Médoc region, with a visit and tastings. The 1855 ranking has 61 red estates and almost all of them sit in the Médoc, where Cabernet Sauvignon leads blends at roughly 70%.
The second stop is shorter, 30 minutes of tastings at a family-run estate in the Margaux area. The operator does not name the châteaux on the listing.
Drive Back and End Point
The last listed hour is the drive back to Bordeaux, drop-off and goodbyes. The listing states no return point or return time, so confirm the drop-off with the guide on the day. Count on the 9 hours total from the stated duration.
The Perfect Visit to the Famed Region of the Médoc
How a day in the Médoc runs, château by château. Third-party video by Ultimate Wine Journeys. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing states several hard limits. Check them before you book, because some are firm age and group rules.
Children and Age Limits
This is an adults-only tour priced for ages 18 to 99, and children under 16 are not accepted at all. Travellers who are pregnant are advised against it. If you travel with younger children, the Saint-Émilion Village and Grand Cru Half Day accepts children from 4 with a ticket each, and the Saint-Émilion Afternoon, Two Grands Crus takes kids from 12.
No Pickup, Fixed Meeting Point
There is no hotel pickup. You reach the agency near Place de la Bourse yourself, by tram or on foot from the city centre. If the meeting point matters to you, the Médoc and Saint-Émilion, Three Châteaux with Lunch meets at the Monument aux Girondins on Place des Quinconces instead.
Physical Side and the Village Itself
The listing says all fitness levels are fine, and there is no cycling involved. The only walking is the 30-minute village tour, but Saint-Émilion's lanes are steep and cobbled, which is hard with wheels or unsteady knees. If you would rather ride than walk between wineries, the Saint-Émilion E-Bike Wine Day needs a minimum height of 155 cm and confident cycling.
Group Size, Minimum Numbers and Changing Châteaux
The group is capped at 8, which keeps tastings personal. The châteaux are not named on the listing, so book for the format of 3 estates and 10-plus wines, not for one specific property. For another both-banks day, compare the Saint-Émilion and Margaux Full Day.
Weather cancellations are not offered as a free-cancel category on this listing, so the standard 24-hour rule is the one that counts. Browse the full range of wine day tours from Bordeaux if none of this fits.
Getting to the Start and the Rest of Your Day
The meeting point is near Place de la Bourse. Here is how to reach it, and what fits around a 9-hour day.
Reaching Place de La Bourse
Take the tram to the Place de la Bourse stop, then walk 2 minutes to the Rustic Vines agency. The listing names tram lines C and D for this stop, while other city sources list line B there, so check the line on the day. A single tram ticket costs €1.90 and the network runs from about 04:30 until midnight, seven days a week.
By car, the operator names Parking Indigo Bordeaux Bourse Jean Jaurès, exiting on Rue Saint-Remi, again 2 minutes away. Note that many city-centre streets are restricted traffic zones watched by cameras, so driving into the old town itself brings fines.
Before and After the Tour
The CIVB Bar à Vin at 3 Cours du 30 Juillet pours Bordeaux by the glass, with a listed price of 2 glasses for €3, open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 22:00 except bank holidays. La Cité du Vin sits further out on tram line B at its own stop, opening at 10:00, but a 9-hour tour leaves little time for it on the same day.
Doing Saint-Émilion Yourself Another Day
If the village deserves more than a 30-minute walk, plan a separate Saint-Émilion day by train. The train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean takes 30 to 35 minutes, from about €10, and the station sits below the village, with the walk uphill given as 20 to 30 minutes by one guide and 25 to 30 minutes by another. See the Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion by train guide for times and the walk.
The Médoc, by contrast, really needs a car or a tour.
The Day Step by Step
Durations come from the listing, which publishes no clock times. Starting times appear at booking.
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Start
Meet the guide at the agency
Meet at the Rustic Vines agency, a 2-minute walk from the Place de la Bourse tram stop. The first listed block is 45 minutes: the drive out toward Saint-Émilion.
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After 45 minutes
Guided walk in the UNESCO village
A 30-minute guided walking tour of the medieval village of Saint-Émilion, with its steep cobbled mounds and escalettes.
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Next half hour
Village tasting session
A 30-minute wine tasting in the heart of Saint-Émilion village, your first taste of the Right Bank's Merlot-led wines.
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Next hour
First winery visit
A 60-minute stop at a winery in the Saint-Émilion region, with a visit of the property followed by tastings.
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After 60 minutes
French-style picnic lunch
One hour for a typical French picnic lunch with wine at the winery. Enter any vegetarian request in the checkout box beforehand.
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Afternoon
1855 Grand Cru Classé in the Médoc
The van crosses to the left bank and the Route des Châteaux. A 60-minute visit and tasting at a prestigious 1855 Grand Cru Classé of the Médoc.
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Final stop
Family estate in the Margaux area
A 30-minute tasting at a family-run estate in the Margaux area, the third and final château of the day.
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Last hour
Drive back to Bordeaux
About 60 minutes back to the city for drop-off and farewells. The listing states no separate return point.
What Works and What Does Not
An honest read of this listing against the others on the site.
What we genuinely like
- Both banks in one day: Saint-Émilion in the morning, the Médoc in the afternoon, without renting a car
- Lunch is included: a French-style picnic with wine at a winery
- More than 10 tastings across 3 châteaux plus a village session
- Group capped at 8 with a dedicated wine guide who drives, and bottled water on board
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and a strong record, 4.9 from 532 reviews
The honest downsides
- No clock times are published until you check availability, and the listing gives no return point or return time
- The châteaux are not named, so you cannot book it for one specific estate
- Nine hours and 10-plus wines is a long day, and heavy tastings on an empty stomach catch people out
- No hotel pickup, so you get yourself to Place de la Bourse
- Adults only with no under-16s, and pregnant travellers are advised against it
Who it's NOT for: Not for families with children, pregnant travellers, or anyone who wants a named château guaranteed, in which case the Saint-Émilion and Margaux Full Day or a Médoc Full-Day Wine Tour may suit better.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the Saint-Émilion and Médoc wine tour cost?
It costs $222.66 per person and includes all château visits, more than 10 tastings, the village walk, the picnic lunch with wine and bottled water. Compare it with other Bordeaux wine day tours before deciding.
Is lunch really included?
Yes, the listing includes a typical French-style picnic lunch with wine at a Saint-Émilion winery. A vegetarian option exists, entered in the special requirements box at checkout. The Médoc and Saint-Émilion, Three Châteaux with Lunch also includes a picnic if you want a second option.
Where do I meet the tour?
At the Rustic Vines agency, a 2-minute walk from the Place de la Bourse tram stop on lines C and D. A tram single costs €1.90. Compare other meeting points on the Bordeaux wine day tours page.
Can I bring my children?
No. The tour is adults only, priced for ages 18 to 99, and children under 16 are not accepted. The Saint-Émilion Village and Grand Cru Half Day takes children from 4 with a ticket each.
Which châteaux will we visit?
The listing does not name them. It states a first winery in the Saint-Émilion region, a prestigious 1855 Grand Cru Classé in the Médoc and a family-run estate in the Margaux area. If classified growth wineries matter to you, see the Médoc Full-Day Wine Tour.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure for a full refund. The Saint-Émilion E-Bike Wine Day uses the same 24-hour cutoff.
How many wines will I taste?
More than 10 different wines across 3 châteaux, plus a tasting session in Saint-Émilion village. The tastings are spread over the whole day, so read what the price covers and pace yourself.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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