Season guide · Bordeaux · France
Bordeaux in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Patrick Despoix, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Mild days, blossom in the Jardin Public and vineyards coming into leaf; showers are common and April brings the wine trade's en primeur tastings. Expect highs up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 31 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 5°C (41°F) to 21°C (70°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 31
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 15°C (59°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 10 | 11.8 h | 2/5 |
| April | 18°C (64°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 11 | 13.4 h | 3/5 |
| May | 21°C (70°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 10 | 14.8 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 18°C (64°F) against a yearly 19°C (66°F), and 31 of the year's roughly 118 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- April: En primeur week — trade tastings of the latest vintage, mostly for professionals (usually early April)
- April: Marathon de Bordeaux Métropole — night-time road race (usually April)
- May: Foire Internationale de Bordeaux — large trade and consumer fair (usually May)
Good choices for spring
Museum · Bassins à Flot
La Cité du Vin
Opened in 2016 in a swirling gold-toned building on the Garonne, the Cité du Vin is a museum of world wine culture rather than a Bordeaux tasting room.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Views
- Food
- Architecture
Architecture · Triangle d'Or and Quinconces
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
A ballet or opera ticket in the upper tiers is often the least expensive way to see the auditorium.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Museum · Victoire
Musée d'Aquitaine
The regional history museum runs from prehistory, including the carved Venus of Laussel, through Roman Burdigala to Bordeaux's port trade.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Gallery · Chartrons
CAPC musée d'art contemporain
Check the programme before you go; the main nave is sometimes closed between exhibitions.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Experience · Bassins à Flot
Bassins des Lumières
Inside the concrete submarine base built during the German occupation in the 1940s, four vast water-filled bays have become a digital art centre.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Day trips in spring
- Saint-Émilion (About 35 minutes by train) — A UNESCO-listed hilltop wine village of honey-coloured stone, steep cobbled lanes and the Église Monolithe, a church carved out of the limestone hillside.
- Médoc wine route (About 1 hour by car to Pauillac) — The D2 road runs north through Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, past some of the most famous names in wine.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Bordeaux?
Yes: May is among the best months. Mild days, blossom in the Jardin Public and vineyards coming into leaf; showers are common and April brings the wine trade's en primeur tastings.
+What is the weather like in Bordeaux in spring?
Highs of up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 31 rainy days over the season.