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Bordeaux vineyard walks from Saint-Emilion to Sauternes

Price per person

From 1005€

Type of stay

Hiking

Location

Bordeaux - France

Duration

7 to 8 days

Difficulty

Departures

On request from April 06 to October 30

Capacity

2 people minimum

Reference

Hiking 01

Your stay

A tour of the Bordeaux vineyards and the prestigious Bordeaux wines. We offer a blend of oenological, gastronomic and cultural pleasures…

First stop: Saint-Emilion, founded in the 8th century, and the 8 communes within its jurisdiction were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999. A world first for a wine-growing region! In the heart of the town, we recommend climbing the Tour du Roy and the monolithic church tower, which offer exceptional views over the Saint-Emilion area and the Dordogne valley. The monolithic church was carved out of a single block of stone, and to this day remains the largest underground church in Europe (38 meters long and 12 meters high, with a steeple reaching 68 meters!). A word of advice: wear flat shoes so you can wander around the city and climb the staircases to your heart’s content! Once you’ve discovered Saint-Emilion and (almost) all its secrets, your belly will surely be crying out for food… That’s why you’re sure to love Saint-émilion’s delicious macaroons, which have been delighting gourmets since 1620!

On this tour of the Bordeaux vineyards, you’ll travel from Saint-Emilion, the world-famous vineyard, to Sauternes, also renowned for its 1855 Grands Crus Classés. You’ll also cross the Entre-deux mers region to discover charming, picturesque villages with astonishingly well-preserved heritage. Numerous châteaux and wine cellars bear witness to a golden age, past and present, thanks to their sumptuous architecture. Trails, forest paths, rivers and small roads will take you through these varied landscapes steeped in history. You’ll receive a warm welcome every evening in 3* or 4* hotels and charming bed & breakfasts set among the vines.

You'll enjoy :

Walk through famous vineyards
Unesco-listed medieval town of St-Emilion
Cellar tour and tasting in St. Emilion
Daily walks between vineyards and waterways
The beautiful Entre-deux-Mers region and the town of St-Macaire
The prestigious Sauternes wine estates

Daily program

Day 1 - Arrival in Bordeaux and transfer to St Emilion

Arrival at Bordeaux train station or airport. Transfer by cab to St-Emilion.

You will be welcomed in your hotel or B&B and given your route booklet showing your itinerary.

Night and breakfast in a 3 or 4-star hotel or charming B&B. Dinner on your own.

Day 2 - Discovering the Saint-Emilion vineyards

You’ll begin your stay with a hike in the St-Emilion area (in the vineyards on the Grande Randonnée trails / St-Emilion appellation red wines). The vineyards stretch out all around the city: Châteaux and wine estates are an inseparable part of the landscape, firmly rooted in the land, proud of their history and the men who built them. This landscape was the first non-architectural UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A tour through the characteristic landscapes of the combes and the specific features of the Saint-Emilion vineyards. An exceptional site formed by a succession of vine-covered combes.

Night and breakfast in a 3 or 4-star hotel or charming B&B. Dinner on your own.

Day 3 - Saint-Emilion: Medieval City - UNESCO World Heritage Site

8-day package only

In the morning, visit one of Saint-émilion’s oldest wine estates, the jewel in the crown of Saint-émilion: Le Couvent des Jacobins, followed by a tasting of several vintages of Saint-émilion and/or Pomerol. Duration: ~ 1 h

In the afternoon, a guide will take you on a tour of Saint-émilion’s underground wonders. Built in the shape of an amphitheatre and a veritable open-air museum, the town of Saint-émilion will astound you. Its troglodyte tradition is striking: a monolithic church unique in the world, over 70 hectares of underground galleries carved out of the limestone rock. Monuments and relics from the great Romanesque era line the steep streets, defying the most established rules of time. Its stones, with their soft ochre sheen, carry all the spirit of the city. Duration: 1 hr.

At the end of the day, take a cab to Camiran, in the heart of the Entre-deux-Mers vineyards.

Dinner and overnight stay in a charming bed & breakfast with swimming pool. In the evening, our table d’hôtes will welcome you to discover regional cuisine and wines.

Day 4 - Entre-deux-Mers

Entre-deux-Mers, between the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, is a triangle of land, water and stone, with a surprising cultural variety.

You’ll pass through part of this vineyard, which enjoys an exceptional geographical location on the slopes overlooking the Garonne valley, and extends over 14 hectares where prestigious, ancient Bordeaux grape varieties flourish.

In the late afternoon, you’ll arrive in the heart of a village on the banks of the Garonne. Transfer back to your previous day’s B&B.

Table d’hôtes dinner.

Day 5 - Between the hills and the Garonne

You’ll make your way through a green landscape, along the vineyards and the Garonne River. You can stop off at the little port of Castets en Dorthe, with its locks marking the start of the famous Canal du Midi.

Finally, you’ll arrive in the medieval town of St-Macaire (or Langon), a site protected as a historic monument since 1965. A stroll through the town’s many medieval streets is a must.

Night and breakfast in a bed & breakfast in the heart of the medieval town (or hotel in Langon).

Day 6 - Loop from Saint-Macaire to Sainte Croix du Mont

Above Saint-Macaire, the hills open up magnificent distant views. You can make out the dark stains of the tobacco drying kilns. In this landscape of hills and deep valleys, vineyards give way to meadows and deciduous groves. Numerous windmills and castles provide sweeping views of the changing landscape.

This tour will take you to the Domaine de Malagar, home of writer François Mauriac, which you can visit, and to the tomb of famous painter Toulouse Lautrec.

You can visit Château Laurette (a château producing vin blanc liquoreux) or Château Loubens before reaching the village of Ste Croix du Mont, perched on a hillside and renowned for its sweet wine and spectacular caves, whose walls are covered with fossilized oyster beds and where cellars and even a chapel have been built.

In the late afternoon, return to the hotel in St Macaire and take a cab to Sauternes or Barsac.

Dinner, overnight stay and breakfast in hotel

ATTENTION: in the event of unavailability, accommodation will be in Barsac/Illats in a B&B (or similar) for two nights.

Day 7 - The prestigious Sauternes vineyards

Note: If accommodation in Barsac, short morning transfer to the start of the hike in Sauternes.

Located on the left bank of the Garonne, the great wines of Sauternes are waiting to be discovered. Along the way, you’ll appreciate the local heritage (churches, mills, washhouses…) as well as a varied natural heritage: vineyards, forests and the Ciron, a wild and magnificent little river once used to transport wood. You’ll walk through a vineyard whose unique terroir is the result of two centuries of know-how that has given quality and prestige to the wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

Dinner, overnight stay and breakfast in a B&B

Day 8 - End

Breakfast and transfer to Barsac or Langon train station

rates

Price per person

April 06 to October 30

July and August

7 days – 6 nights

Comfort level :
Top level :

1005 €
1040 €

1055 €
1090 €

8 days – 7 nights

Comfort level :
Top level :

1165 €
1235 €

1225 €
1295 €

Price includes

6 to 7 nights in 3 or 4* hotels (or equivalent) and charming bed & breakfasts (in double/twin rooms)
4 dinners
1 guided tour of St-Emilion and 1 wine-tasting visit to St-Emilion (8-day stay)
Cab transfer from Bordeaux airport or train station to St-Emilion on day 1, and connections during the stay.
Le Carnet de route (map and directions)
1 GPS application
Luggage transfer at each stage
24/7 telephone assistance

Supplement

If arriving by car, transfer on last day from Barsac to Saint-Emilion: +30 € per person

Information :

July and August:

If 7-day version: No departure on Thursday
If 8-day version: No departure on Wednesday

Note: Possibility of booking additional nights in Bordeaux to match dates!

Further information

We take care of transporting your luggage every time you change accommodation, so you can travel light and enjoy your day’s hiking.

Leave your luggage at the reception desk of your accommodation before departure.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll meet them at the reception desk of your new accommodation or directly in your room.

Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (maximum 23 kg) + 1 carry-on.

Your travel file corresponds to the documents or files you receive prior to your trip (usually one month before) and on arrival at your first accommodation.

It includes :

A welcome letter with key practical information:
Baggage transport times
Details of delivery and collection of rental bikes if required
Your local contact and emergency telephone number(s)
Any additional information
Travel logbook including map with route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical information
Necessary voucher(s) to be given to the service provider(s) (only if necessary!)

On request and depending on the tour:

Download the “Evazio” application onto your smartphone for GPS navigation with visual (reading the route on your smartphone screen) and/or spoken guidance.
The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no Internet connection is required.
Loan of a GPS device with pre-recorded tracks
Send GPX tracks of each stage for use with your own navigation device

The type of accommodation is classified into 3 ranges, and this tour is available in comfort or superior versions.

Comfort: The tour features mainly 2 and 3-star hotels (or equivalent) and bed & breakfasts.

Superior: The tour features mainly 3- and 4-star hotels (or equivalent) and charming bed & breakfasts.

Luxury: The tour features mainly 4 and 5 star hotels or equivalent

For the duration of your stay, our telephone assistance service is available:

7 days a week
from 07:30 to 20:30.

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