Bordeaux Shore Excursions- Graves, Sauternes, St. Emilion-Private Tours

SHORE EXCURSION: GRAVES & SAUTERNES WITH ST. EMILION TOUR: 9 Hours (8 Hours from Bordeaux)
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SHORE EXCURSION: GRAVES & SAUTERNES WITH ST. EMILION - PRIVATE TOURS FROM BODEAUX, LE VERDON, ARCACHON

Shore Excursions Include: Services of a professional driver guide; tolls, fuel and parking.

Not Included: Small entrance fee to castles/wineries.

Departure Points: Bordeaux, Le Verdon, Arcachon

Tour Length from Bordeaux: 8 Hours

Tour Length from Le Verdon & Arcachon: 9 Hours

Note: Sundays are not recommended for this tour, as many castles are not open for wine tasting on this day. Order of sights visited may vary depending on departure point. Castles mentioned in the tour description may not be available at the time of booking. Some estates only admit a very few number of participants at certain times of the day while others have closing days or only take advanced reservations.

This delightful day trip or shore excursion, featuring a trip to charming town of St. Emilion, starts with a visit to two famous chateaux (castles) in the wine-producing regions of Graves and Sauternes for wine tastings.

Sauternes is renowned for its sweet white dessert wine, made from a mix of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes – and Botrytis Cinerea, a bacteria known as “noble rot” because it actually helps bring out the sweetness. Meanwhile, Graves, the first place in Bordeaux to export wine, is one of those rare regions that produces reds, dry whites and sweet wines equally well.

You can choose from a number of beautiful historic chateaux to sample the sweet stuff, or let your guide surprise you. One option for wine tasting in Bordeaux is the Château d’Arche, located at the heart of a 40-hectare vineyard on the rolling hills surrounding Sauternes.

The rest of your day will be spent with a tour of medieval town of St. Emilion, originally founded by a Breton monk in the 8th century. Here you can walk along the original city walls and climb the steep cobblestone streets exploring wine cellars, artisan studios, and art galleries. You can also pay a visit to the famous underground church carved out of solid limestone, whose sheer volume makes it the largest of Europe. The town’s founding monk lived in a small hermitage carved out nearby of a natural cave.

If you haven’t already imbibed too much, you can sample St. Emilion’s hallmark dessert, a sweet mini-cake called cannelé shaped like a cascading fountain, with a glass of chilled Sauternes. A perfect way to end a perfect day.