Bordeaux, the World Capital of Wine, is renowned for its rich history, elegant architecture, and vibrant culture where 10th-century charm meets modern sophistication. Strolling through its cobblestone streets, you’ll find grand squares, historic landmarks, and lively riverside cafes. A cruise on the Garonne River presents iconic waterfront sights of Bordeaux including Place de la Bourse, Pont de Pierre, and Cité du Vin.
Read on to discover the best cruise options, what to expect, where to board, and everything else to plan a smooth sailing experience on the Garonne River.
💡Did you know? The name, *Bordeaux comes from the French phrase "au bord de l'eau", which means "at the water's edge".*
Planning a Bordeaux cruise is pretty straightforward. Here’s what you need to know.
Here’s a quick overview of the tour operators for your memorable Bordeaux cruise, along the Garonne River.
You can choose from three main types of cruises: a classic sightseeing cruise, a sightseeing cruise with canelé and wine tasting, or a sightseeing cruise combined with a visit to Cité du Vin.
The sightseeing cruises typically last around 1.5 hours, while the combined Cité du Vin visit may take up to 4 hours in total, including the time spent at the museum.
Yes, you can book your cruise last minute, but it’s recommended to book it in advance (at least a week), especially during peak tourist seasons (June–August) and on weekends.
The sightseeing cruise fare includes a live guide and a complimentary beverage. For the wine-tasting cruise, enjoy a live guide, a glass of Bordeaux wine, and a traditional canelé cake.
The cruise only offers snacks and drinks; dining options are not included. Snacks must be purchased separately, and are not included in the cruise fare.
Yes, all the cruises are wheelchair accessible.
Yes, you can bring your children on the cruise. Tickets for children between the ages of 5–11 are available at a discounted rate.
You can cancel the sightseeing cruise tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund, but the combo ticket cannot be canceled or rescheduled.
Bordeaux river cruises operate year-round, but the scenery and experience change with the seasons. Spring and summer offer warm weather and bustling riverbanks; autumn highlights the golden vineyards surrounding Bordeaux; and winter is cold but decked up in pretty Christmas lights.
No, sightseeing cruises are non-stop, lasting around 90 minutes. However, all boats have accessible restrooms on board.
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Excellent difficult both inside and outside. A very complete exhibition about wine and its origins, I loved it.
The City of Wine tour spends too much time on the history and romance of wine and not enough time on the different types of wine. The river cruise was very good, even though it set off late due to a malfunction. The guide was very informative and spoke English very clearly.
Staff very attentive although the presentation by the guide was a little long!!
Yes excellent and outstanding An experience
Interesting comments, but the microphone was cut off, so it was hard to understand. A bit short on explanations
Fun visit with small children Fun and informative at the same time
It is presented in a very entertaining and educational way the creation of a wine from the beginning until we can enjoy it sitting at the table. We are also introduced to different types of wines that we can find in the world with their characteristics.
Great experience inside the cruise. The host spoke in English, French and Spanish and he was fluent in all the 3 languages.
Very interactive and entertaining museum. Free lockers to leave coats or backpacks. Good views from the tasting area
Extraordinary,interactive,interesting museum within the reach of everyone including children. Through your site I saved more than 3 euros.
Very well organized cruise! A big thank you to the guide (Robin) for his professionalism and the quality of his interventions, in addition to being perfectly bilingual and very courteous.
the permanent exhibition enchanted me
Simple and uncomplicated in advance. At the same time, one thing you should have experienced in Bordeaux. Merci :)
No queue, everything as planned.
Inclusions
The City of Wine tour spends too much time on the history and romance of wine and not enough time on the different types of wine. The river cruise was very good, even though it set off late due to a malfunction. The guide was very informative and spoke English very clearly.
Staff very attentive although the presentation by the guide was a little long!!
Interesting comments, but the microphone was cut off, so it was hard to understand. A bit short on explanations
Great experience inside the cruise. The host spoke in English, French and Spanish and he was fluent in all the 3 languages.
Very well organized cruise! A big thank you to the guide (Robin) for his professionalism and the quality of his interventions, in addition to being perfectly bilingual and very courteous.
Inclusions
Too bad the canelés weren't on the boat and the wine was too young. On the other hand, the crew was very empathetic 😉
As described Passionate guide who knew how to captivate us Variety of drinks on board Minimal suggestion for improvement: one small cannelé per person is a bit stingy...
The tour, the concept of seeing Bordeaux from a boat sheltered from the elements. The possibility of choosing a soft drink instead of wine, and in short, my guests really enjoyed this getaway!
A very friendly guide, a pleasant walk.
Very interesting and pleasant hostess
The address for the boat was wrong, so we were almost late getting on the boat.
Inclusions
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
