Season guide · Bordeaux · France
Bordeaux in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cool, damp and quiet, with low prices, a Christmas market in December and empty museums; some châteaux limit visits. Expect highs up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 34 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 12°C (54°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 34
- Crowds
- Very quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C (50°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 12 | 9.1 h | 1/5 |
| February | 12°C (54°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 10 | 10.4 h | 1/5 |
| December | 11°C (52°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 12 | 8.8 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 19°C (66°F), and 34 of the year's roughly 118 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 1/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Winter sales — citywide shop discounts (usually from early or mid-January)
- February: Carnaval des Deux Rives — street carnival parade (usually February or March)
- December: Christmas market on the Allées de Tourny (usually until late December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Bassins à Flot
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).
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Views
- Food
- Architecture
Architecture · Triangle d'Or and Quinconces
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
Victor Louis's neoclassical theatre, opened in 1780, has a portico of twelve Corinthian columns topped by statues of the nine Muses and three goddesses.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Museum · Victoire
Musée d'Aquitaine
Start upstairs with the 18th-century port rooms if your time is short; they connect most directly to what you see on the quays.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Gallery · Chartrons
CAPC musée d'art contemporain
Bordeaux's contemporary art museum occupies the Entrepôt Lainé, an 1820s warehouse built to store colonial goods such as coffee, cocoa and sugar.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Experience · Bassins à Flot
Bassins des Lumières
Visit on a hot or wet afternoon; the bunker stays cool, and weekday mornings are quieter.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Day trips in winter
- Dune du Pilat (About 1 hour 20 minutes by train and bus) — Europe's tallest sand dune rises more than 100 metres above the Atlantic at the mouth of the Arcachon Bay, with forest on one side and the ocean and Banc d'Arguin sandbanks on the other.
- Sauternes (About 45 minutes by car) — Rolling vineyards along the Ciron river produce the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Bordeaux?
It is a trade-off: Cool, damp and quiet, with low prices, a Christmas market in December and empty museums; some châteaux limit visits. The best months overall are May–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Bordeaux in winter?
Highs of up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 34 rainy days over the season.