Bordeaux itinerary: 1 to 5 days
Plans for one to five days in Bordeaux, day by day: the Basilica of St. Michael, the Pey Berland tower, the cathedral and the Place des Quinconces first, then Rue Sainte-Catherine, the Grand Théâtre and the Place de la Bourse, and the fine arts museum, the Musée d'Aquitaine and the botanical gardens as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Bordeaux in 1 day
Day 1
Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux
Flamboyant Gothic basilica with a separate 114 m bell tower, the tallest spire in southern France.
Tour Pey Berland
Free-standing 15th-century bell tower of the cathedral, with a climb to a viewing gallery over the city.
Place des Quinconces
Vast square by the river with the Monument aux Girondins fountain, used for fairs and markets.
Miroir d'eau
The world's largest reflecting pool, in front of the Place de la Bourse, alternating between a thin mirror of water and mist.
Bordeaux Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint-André, a Gothic church where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII in 1137.
Bordeaux in 2 days
Day 1
Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux
Flamboyant Gothic basilica with a separate 114 m bell tower, the tallest spire in southern France.
Tour Pey Berland
Free-standing 15th-century bell tower of the cathedral, with a climb to a viewing gallery over the city.
Place de la Bourse
Eighteenth-century royal square on the Garonne, facing the Miroir d'eau, the largest reflecting pool in the world.
Miroir d'eau
The world's largest reflecting pool, in front of the Place de la Bourse, alternating between a thin mirror of water and mist.
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
Neoclassical opera house from 1780 by Victor Louis, with a grand staircase and guided tours.
Day 2
Rue Sainte-Catherine
Long pedestrian shopping street running from the Grand Théâtre to Place de la Victoire.
Place des Quinconces
Vast square by the river with the Monument aux Girondins fountain, used for fairs and markets.
Bordeaux Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint-André, a Gothic church where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII in 1137.
Bordeaux in 3 days
Day 1
Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux
Flamboyant Gothic basilica with a separate 114 m bell tower, the tallest spire in southern France.
Tour Pey Berland
Free-standing 15th-century bell tower of the cathedral, with a climb to a viewing gallery over the city.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux
Fine arts museum in the gardens of the Palais Rohan, with European paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries.
Place des Quinconces
Vast square by the river with the Monument aux Girondins fountain, used for fairs and markets.
Day 2
Rue Sainte-Catherine
Long pedestrian shopping street running from the Grand Théâtre to Place de la Victoire.
Pont de pierre
Brick and stone bridge built under Napoleon, with 17 arches, the first bridge across the Garonne in Bordeaux.
Place de la Bourse
Eighteenth-century royal square on the Garonne, facing the Miroir d'eau, the largest reflecting pool in the world.
Miroir d'eau
The world's largest reflecting pool, in front of the Place de la Bourse, alternating between a thin mirror of water and mist.
Day 3
Bordeaux Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint-André, a Gothic church where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII in 1137.
Musée d'Aquitaine
Regional history museum spanning prehistory, Roman Burdigala and Bordeaux's role in the Atlantic trade.
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
Neoclassical opera house from 1780 by Victor Louis, with a grand staircase and guided tours.
Bordeaux in 4 days
Day 1
Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux
Flamboyant Gothic basilica with a separate 114 m bell tower, the tallest spire in southern France.
Tour Pey Berland
Free-standing 15th-century bell tower of the cathedral, with a climb to a viewing gallery over the city.
Bordeaux Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint-André, a Gothic church where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII in 1137.
Place des Quinconces
Vast square by the river with the Monument aux Girondins fountain, used for fairs and markets.
Day 2
Rue Sainte-Catherine
Long pedestrian shopping street running from the Grand Théâtre to Place de la Victoire.
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
Neoclassical opera house from 1780 by Victor Louis, with a grand staircase and guided tours.
Place de la Bourse
Eighteenth-century royal square on the Garonne, facing the Miroir d'eau, the largest reflecting pool in the world.
Miroir d'eau
The world's largest reflecting pool, in front of the Place de la Bourse, alternating between a thin mirror of water and mist.
Day 3
Church of the Holy Cross, Bordeaux
Romanesque church of a former Benedictine abbey, with a carved west front, near the Saint-Jean station.
Musée d'Aquitaine
Regional history museum spanning prehistory, Roman Burdigala and Bordeaux's role in the Atlantic trade.
Pont de pierre
Brick and stone bridge built under Napoleon, with 17 arches, the first bridge across the Garonne in Bordeaux.
Jardin botanique de Bordeaux
Historic botanical garden inside the Jardin Public, a landscaped park with a lake.
Day 4
Cité du Vin
A museum of wine cultures in a curving riverside building, with interactive tours and a tasting on the top floor.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux
Fine arts museum in the gardens of the Palais Rohan, with European paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries.
Bordeaux in 5 days
Day 1
Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux
Flamboyant Gothic basilica with a separate 114 m bell tower, the tallest spire in southern France.
Tour Pey Berland
Free-standing 15th-century bell tower of the cathedral, with a climb to a viewing gallery over the city.
Bordeaux Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint-André, a Gothic church where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII in 1137.
Place des Quinconces
Vast square by the river with the Monument aux Girondins fountain, used for fairs and markets.
Day 2
Rue Sainte-Catherine
Long pedestrian shopping street running from the Grand Théâtre to Place de la Victoire.
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
Neoclassical opera house from 1780 by Victor Louis, with a grand staircase and guided tours.
Place de la Bourse
Eighteenth-century royal square on the Garonne, facing the Miroir d'eau, the largest reflecting pool in the world.
Miroir d'eau
The world's largest reflecting pool, in front of the Place de la Bourse, alternating between a thin mirror of water and mist.
Day 3
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux
Fine arts museum in the gardens of the Palais Rohan, with European paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries.
Musée d'Aquitaine
Regional history museum spanning prehistory, Roman Burdigala and Bordeaux's role in the Atlantic trade.
Pont de pierre
Brick and stone bridge built under Napoleon, with 17 arches, the first bridge across the Garonne in Bordeaux.
Day 4
Church of the Holy Cross, Bordeaux
Romanesque church of a former Benedictine abbey, with a carved west front, near the Saint-Jean station.
Jardin botanique de Bordeaux
Historic botanical garden inside the Jardin Public, a landscaped park with a lake.
Day 5
Jardin botanique de la Bastide
Modern botanical garden on the right bank, laid out to show the landscapes and farming of Aquitaine.
Cité du Vin
A museum of wine cultures in a curving riverside building, with interactive tours and a tasting on the top floor.
Watch: Bordeaux in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Bordeaux
May to June and September to October are the best months, with warm, sunny weather and, from about mid-September, the grape harvest in the surrounding vineyards. July and August are hot and busy. Winter is mild but damp and grey, and some châteaux keep shorter visiting hours.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Bordeaux on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Bordeaux on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Bordeaux on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Bordeaux with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Bordeaux with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Bordeaux
- Visit the Place de la Bourse at dusk to see it reflected in the Miroir d'eau, the shallow water mirror on the quay.
- Climb the Tour Pey Berland (about 230 steps) for views; tickets are sold at the tower and entry is limited, so go early.
- City museums such as the Musée d'Aquitaine close on Mondays; the Musée des Beaux-Arts closes on Tuesdays.
- Trams A, B and C cover the centre; the Bordeaux CityPass includes transport and many museums.
- Book Grand Théâtre guided tours online, and plan a separate day for wine trips to Saint-Émilion or the Médoc.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 4.0
- Bordeaux Cathedral: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of the Holy Cross, Bordeaux: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cité du Vin: Oli Lynch, PD
- Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux: unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jardin botanique de Bordeaux: Kaprixo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jardin botanique de la Bastide: J W from France, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Miroir d'eau: Olivier Aumage, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Musée d'Aquitaine: Tiraden, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux: Michel BUZE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Place de la Bourse: Phillip Maiwald ( Nikopol ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Place des Quinconces: Michel BUZE, Public domain
- Pont de pierre: Patrick Despoix, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rue Sainte-Catherine: Flyer84 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Tour Pey Berland: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
