Stand on the opposite riverbank at dusk and the whole of the Port of the Moon turns gold at once: the crescent of 18th-century quays, the arches of the old gates, the flat sheen of the Water Mirror catching the sky. It is the single view that explains why Bordeaux looks the way it does, and it costs nothing but the tram ride across the river.
The city suits travellers who like to walk, who are happy to spend a morning in a museum and an afternoon in a wine cellar, and who would rather see a working city than a stage set. The historic core is compact and largely pedestrian, and the tram network reaches most of what is described below.
This guide covers the sights and experiences in and around the city centre, from the grand squares and Gothic churches to the wine museum and the riverside districts, and ends with a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Bordeaux
1. Place des Quinconces
This is the broad, leafy square at the focus of the west riverbank, and the natural place to start orienting yourself. The ornate Girondins Memorial commemorates those guillotined here after that faction lost the power struggle with the Montagnards in 1793, as the Revolution descended into the Reign of Terror.
The square is also a transport hub, with just about every city bus and tram route passing through it, which makes it a practical base for the day. The National Opera is on Place de la Comédie, 100 m south of the square, if you want to combine a look at the square with an evening performance of opera, ballet or musicals.
2. Port of the Moon
The elegant waterfront crescent centred on Place des Quinconces is what earned Bordeaux its UNESCO citation. The quays and the buildings behind them give the city its distinctive face.
The best time to see it is at dusk, and the best vantage point is the opposite riverbank, where you get a sublime view back across the water. Pair it with a walk along the quays earlier in the day so you can see the facades up close before they turn gold.
3. Place de la Bourse and the Water Mirror
Place de la Bourse is surrounded by grand buildings, and on the other side of the boulevard you can admire their reflections in the Water Mirror, a thin skin of water that in warm weather becomes a playground for children scampering through it.
The Musée National des Douanes sits on the south side of the square, a surprisingly informative museum of border control and customs and their smuggler opponents down the centuries. Signage there is only in French, so non-francophones should get the audioguide. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00.
4. Cathédrale St-André
This grand church on Place Pey Berland was built from 1170 in Gothic style, was trashed during the Revolution, and was restored from 1803. You can climb the detached bell-tower, Pey-Berland, for a view over the surrounding rooftops.
Opening hours vary through the week: Monday 15:00 to 19:00, Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 19:00, Sunday 09:30 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 19:00. Check the day before you go, since the split midday hours catch people out.
5. Musée des Beaux-Arts
This is an enlightening walk through the history of western art. Start in the south wing, which runs from the Renaissance via the Flemish masters to the end of the 18th century, then continue in the north wing through the major 19th and early 20th-century movements.
It is at 20 Cours d'Albret, on the west side of the Hôtel de Ville, but you need to enter from Cours d'Albret. It opens Wednesday to Monday, 11:00 to 18:00, and adult admission is €8 with a concession rate of €4.50. Temporary exhibitions are in the annexe, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, on Place du Colonel Raynal 200 m north.
6. Musée du Vin et du Négoce
At 41 Rue Borie, this museum covers the history, old equipment and new technology of 2,000 years of wine production in the region. It is the most useful introduction to Bordeaux's wine before you commit to anything more ambitious.
It is open daily 10:00 to 18:00, and the entry fee includes a taste of two wines, with grape juice for children. Adult admission is €12, with students, teachers and children at €5. If you want to go further, a variety of tours and tastings including châteaux, vineyards, city routes and wine and cookery classes are organised by the Office de Tourisme.
7. Musée d'Aquitaine
This brilliant museum at 20 Cours Pasteur has exhibits running from the Old Stone Age through Roman times to the early modern period, which makes it a good way to place the city in its region.
It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 18:00. Adult admission is €8 and concession €4.50, including the temporary exhibition. It is close to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, so the two can be split across a morning and an afternoon.
8. Musée d'Art Contemporain (CAPC)
The building alone is remarkable: the Entrepôt Lainé is a huge 19th-century warehouse for food imports, at 7 Rue Ferrère. Most of the space is given over to changing exhibitions and installations, and the permanent collection display also rotates.
It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 18:00, with admission at €8 and €4.50 concession; prices are reduced whenever there is no temporary exhibition. Église Saint-Louis des Chartrons, a large 19th-century Gothic church, is on Rue Notre Dame 200 m north, so the two fit naturally together.
9. Basilique Saint-Michel
This flamboyant Gothic church on Place Meynard was built from the 14th to the 16th century and has a detached bell-tower. It is open daily 09:00 to 19:00.
It sits in the Saint-Michel quarter, which is also where you will find Jeux Barjo at 12 Rue Saint-James, 100 m north of the Grosse Cloche. That bar specialises in board games ancient and modern, with staff on hand if you want to try something unfamiliar, and it also stages tournaments. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 14:00 to 00:00 and Sunday 14:00 to 22:00.
10. Église Saint-Pierre and Place de Parlement
Place de Parlement is an elegant pedestrian plaza lined with eating places, and Église Saint-Pierre, 150 m south of Place de la Bourse on Place Saint-Pierre, is a 15th-century church with a flamboyant Gothic portal.
The stained glass windows are gloriously backlit by the afternoon sun, so time your visit for the later part of the day. The plaza is a good place to stop for a meal afterwards.
11. Porte Cailhau and Porte de Bourgogne
Porte Cailhau is one of the old city gates. You can pay a few euro to enter the gatehouse, but there is not much within and only a limited view, so it is reasonable to admire it from outside.
Porte de Bourgogne was a medieval city gate, though the present Romanesque arch was built in 1757. Both are easily folded into a walk between the waterfront and the Saint-Pierre quarter.
12. Place Gambetta and MADD
Place Gambetta, with its upmarket mansions, sits just outside the former walls, with Porte Dijeaux the city gate. It is a useful landmark on the walk south from Quinconces.
The MADD-Musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design de Bordeaux is at 39 rue Bouffard. Combine the two with the Cathédrale St-André, which is a short walk away.
13. Place de la Victoire and Rue St-Catherine
Place de la Victoire, with an archway, is at the foot of Rue St-Catherine, the main shopping street. It is a straightforward place to end a walk through the old town.
Because it is a shopping street rather than a sight, treat it as a route rather than a destination, and use it to link the southern churches with the centre.
14. Jardin Botanique du Jardin Publique
This garden on Rue de la Course began as a garden of medicinal herbs in 1629, and the present garden dates from 1858. It is free to enter, with a €5 charge for exhibitions.
It opens daily 07:00 to 20:00 from April to October and 07:00 to 18:00 from November to March. The Muséum de Bordeaux - sciences et nature is 100 m south, an extensive natural history museum on three floors, open Tuesday to Sunday 10:30 to 18:00. An offshoot garden, Jardin Botanique de la Bastide, opened across the river in 2003.
15. Palais Gallien
This is the scrappy ruin of a Roman amphitheatre from the 3rd century AD. It is a fragment rather than a spectacle, and worth the time mainly if you are already interested in the Roman layer of the city.
Set your expectations accordingly and combine it with the Jardin Botanique du Jardin Publique, which is in the same part of town.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Place des Quinconces, where the transport hub makes arrival simple, and look at the Girondins Memorial. Walk down to Place de la Bourse, see the reflections in the Water Mirror, and spend an hour in the Musée National des Douanes on the south side of the square. Then walk 150 m south to Église Saint-Pierre on Place Saint-Pierre, where the stained glass is at its best in the afternoon sun, and continue to Place de Parlement for lunch.
Afternoon. Head to the Cathédrale St-André on Place Pey Berland and climb the detached bell-tower, Pey-Berland. From there, walk to the Musée des Beaux-Arts on Cours d'Albret and give the south and north wings the time they need, or substitute the Musée d'Aquitaine on Cours Pasteur if you prefer history to art. Finish the afternoon at the Musée du Vin et du Négoce on Rue Borie, where the entry fee includes a taste of two wines.
Evening. Return to the waterfront for the Port of the Moon at dusk, crossing to the opposite riverbank for the view back across the water. If you want a performance, the National Opera is on Place de la Comédie, 100 m south of Place des Quinconces.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the Port of the Moon?
At dusk, from the opposite riverbank. That is where you get the sublime view back across the waterfront crescent.
Do I need a car to visit the vineyards?
You can tour the vineyards independently, but then you need a car, and there is a fraught conversation to be had about who is driving afterwards. A variety of tours and tastings, including châteaux and vineyards, are organised by the Office de Tourisme if you would rather not drive.
Which museum should I choose if I only have time for one?
For wine, the Musée du Vin et du Négoce, whose entry fee includes a taste of two wines. For art, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, where the south wing runs from the Renaissance to the end of the 18th century and the north wing continues into the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Is the signage in Bordeaux's museums in English?
Not always. At the Musée National des Douanes the signage is only in French, and non-francophones should get the audioguide.
Pick your dates, book the wine museum, and let the rest of the day arrange itself around the river.