One day in Bordeaux

Day by day

1. Day 1: Place de la Bourse and Miroir d'Eau and Porte Cailhau

   Place de la Bourse and Miroir d'Eau, Porte Cailhau, Grosse Cloche and La Cité du Vin, then Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Place de la Bourse and Miroir d'Eau

      Come at dusk, when the floodlit façades reflect in the water; the pool is usually switched off during the colder months. Allow 30–45 minutes.

   2. Late morning

      Porte Cailhau

      Photograph it from Place du Palais, then walk five minutes to Place du Parlement for a coffee. Allow 30 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Canelé

      Specialist canelé shops and pâtisseries across the centre, particularly around Rue Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Pierre; mini versions are sold by the bag.

   4. Afternoon

      Grosse Cloche

      Walk under the arch and continue north along Rue Saint-James and Rue du Pas-Saint-Georges to reach Saint-Pierre's squares. Allow 15 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      La Cité du Vin

      Allow at least two hours for the permanent tour before heading up to the belvedere, and arrive by tram B (stop La Cité du Vin). Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux

      A ballet or opera ticket in the upper tiers is often the least expensive way to see the auditorium.

Before you go

• La Cité du Vin: Timed tickets can sell out on summer weekends and holidays; buy online a few days ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Musée d'Aquitaine (Victoire): Start upstairs with the 18th-century port rooms if your time is short; they connect most directly to what you see on the quays.
• Swap in CAPC musée d'art contemporain (Chartrons): Check the programme before you go; the main nave is sometimes closed between exhibitions.
• Swap in Bassins des Lumières (Bassins à Flot): Visit on a hot or wet afternoon; the bunker stays cool, and weekday mornings are quieter.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 4–6 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.8 hours in December to 15.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The old town, the Triangle d'Or and the riverfront are close together and largely pedestrianised; Rue Sainte-Catherine runs for about a kilometre through the centre.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Bordeaux
• 3 days in Bordeaux
• 5 days in Bordeaux

Questions travellers ask