Welcome To Bordeaux: Private 2-hour Introductory Walking Tour

Nestled in the heart of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in South West France, Bordeaux has been a major trade and commercial hub for centuries, not to mention a world capital of wine. On our private introductory walking tour, you will peel back the layers of the city with your expert guide, combining the most emblematic landmarks of the Old Town with some lesser-known local favourites, and getting a taste of the city’s signature pastry along the way.

On this private 2-hour walking tour, you will:

• Explore Bordeaux’s beautiful Old Town with a local expert guide;
• See a carefully curated selection of the most important sites;
• Get a crash course in Bordeaux’s history from the Celtic town of Burdigala to the charming modern city;
• Admire the grand Grosse Cloche, one of the oldest belfries in France and one of the main gates in Bordeaux's 13th-century medieval ramparts;
• Sample a canele, the city’s most famous sweet treat, at a beloved local patisserie;
• Take in the striking 5-pointed tower of the Porte Cailhau;
• Stroll through the medieval streets of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul, the oldest part of the city;
• Pass by Grand-Théâtre, one of Bordeaux’s most iconic buildings, and learn about the Roman Forum that once occupied the same site;
• See Saint-André Cathedral, where Eleanor of Aquitaine married the future Henry II of England in 1152.

Beginning at a convenient, centrally located meeting point, you'll wind through the city's oldest quarters with someone who knows every doorway's story, tracing Bordeaux's evolution from a Celtic settlement called Burdigala to the elegant, UNESCO-listed city it is today.

The route takes you through Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul, twin medieval neighbourhoods whose narrow, cobbled streets have barely shifted since the Middle Ages. You'll pass beneath the Grosse Cloche, one of the oldest belfries in France and once a working gate in Bordeaux's 13th-century ramparts, before continuing to Place Fernand Lafargue and the soaring, five-pointed silhouette of the Porte Cailhau, a 15th-century gate that still frames views of the Garonne river much as it did five centuries ago. Along the way, there's a pause for something essential: a warm canelé, Bordeaux's iconic pastry, at a beloved local patisserie whose caramelised, custardy little cakes have become a point of civic pride.

From there, you’ll make your way into Place du Parlement and onward to Place de la Comédie, where the Grand-Théâtre will no doubt catch your eye. Your guide will point out that this eighteenth-century neoclassical masterpiece sits atop the site of Bordeaux's Roman forum, and that its grand staircase inspired Charles Garnier a century later when he designed the famous Paris Opera house that bears his name.

The tour continues through the quieter charm of Place Saint-Projet before arriving at Tour Pey-Berland, the freestanding bell tower that has watched over the cathedral quarter for centuries. You'll finish just outside Cathédrale Saint-André, where Eleanor of Aquitaine married the future Henry II of England in 1152, a union that would bind Bordeaux to England for three hundred years and shape its identity as a wine capital. 

Equal parts history lesson and love letter to the city, this introductory walk is built for curious travellers who want more than a checklist of sights. By the end, you'll not only know what Bordeaux looks like, but you'll also have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of Aquitaine’s majestic capital, as well as plenty of insider recommendations from your guide on what to see next.