Bordeaux Wine Vacations was created by a small group of Bordeaux locals who all share the same story. We came from around the world, fell in love with this city, and never left. We’re Americans, Brits, and French nationals who proudly call Bordeaux home.
What started as a passion for showing friends and family around our favorite estates and neighborhoods grew into a mission to share the very best of Bordeaux with guests from across the globe.
We’re not a big, out-of-touch travel agency. We’re a small, hands-on team that loves introducing people to the wines, food, and easy rhythm of life here “à la bordelaise.”
Every tour we design is personal, built from years of exploring the region’s châteaux, vineyards, restaurants, and back roads. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a week, our goal is simple: to make your time in Bordeaux feel effortless, authentic, and unforgettable.
American-born, Daniel has lived in France for over fifteen years and has called Bordeaux home for most of that time.
After earning a degree from the Université de Bordeaux, meeting his Bordelaise wife Eve, and building a career in international business, he turned his love of showing off the region into a professional passion.
Daniel founded Bordeaux Wine Vacations to share the city, stories, and wines that made him fall in love with France in the first place.
Raised quite literally in the vineyards of southwest France, Guillaume (pronounced Gee-Yum) has a passion for wine and hospitality that began early.
He spent a decade abroad working in wineries, restaurants, and the travel industry before returning home to Bordeaux.
Today, he designs and leads personalized wine tours that showcase the essence of Bordeaux’s culture and gastronomy with the warmth only a local can offer.
As Program Coordinator, Margot is the architect behind every Bordeaux Wine Vacations itinerary, handpicking estates, sequencing each day with care, and making sure that from the first visit to the last glass, nothing is left to chance.
Her deep knowledge of Bordeaux and an instinct for the kind of detail that turns a good trip into an unforgettable one made her a natural fit for the world of luxury travel.
Beatriz brings a rare mix of warmth, precision, and organizational professionalism to everything she does.
With a background in customer service and hospitality, she has spent her career making people feel taken care of, whether in a fast-paced reception or a one-on-one call. If you need anything, Beatriz is here, making sure every detail is in order and every journey runs exactly as it should.
Born in Brittany and adopted by Bordeaux, Thomas has spent years immersed in the wines and stories of the region, most notably as a lead guide at Château Léoville Poyferré.
He knows Bordeaux (and especially the Médoc) better than the back of his hand, adapts to whatever the day calls for, and has a gift for making guests feel completely at ease. Plus, he’s quite possibly the most patient chauffeur in the entire city, and one of the most enjoyable people to spend a day with.
Audrey knows Bordeaux the way only a local can: the best estates, the wines worth seeking out, and the stories most visitors never hear.
After earning a Master’s in Luxury Wine Tourism and working across some of the region’s most celebrated Grand Cru estates, she brings a depth of knowledge that goes well beyond the guidebook. Warm, spontaneous, and genuinely passionate about sharing her city, Audrey has a way of making every guest feel like they’re exploring Bordeaux with an old friend (who just happens to know everything).
We created Bordeaux Wine Vacations to share what we love most about living here: a breathtaking historic city surrounded by vineyards, cuisine, and world-class wines. Our approach is simple: private tours, local expertise, and genuine hospitality.
Travel in France should be easy, comfortable, and fun.
We take care of all the details so you can focus on the good stuff like sipping great wine, eating well, and living like a Bordelais for a few unforgettable days.
Step 1: Let’s Chat
We start with a friendly phone conversation to get to know you and hear all about your dream Bordeaux vacation: what you love, what you’d like to see, and how you enjoy traveling.
Step 2: Trip Planning
We’ll send a custom program draft with ideas and options that match your interests, so you can share feedback and fine-tune the experience.
Step 3: Confirm Your Itinerary
Once we’ve refined the plan together, we’ll confirm your itinerary. This is also when you’ll pay the deposit, so we can begin securing all your reservations.
Step 4: We Do the Heavy Lifting
Our team books every château, hotel, and activity in your itinerary, double-checking each detail so everything runs seamlessly.
Step 5: Final Payment Due
90 days before your trip, you’ll make your final payment, and we’ll finalize any last-minute touches or special requests.
Step 6: Receive Your Tour Packet
Around 45 days before departure, you’ll receive your complete Tour Packet via an online portal and offline PDF with your confirmed itinerary, reservation details, daily summaries, restaurant suggestions, free-time recommendations, and helpful packing tips.
Step 7: Bienvenue à Bordeaux!
As soon as you arrive, we’ll roll out the Bordeaux-red carpet and handle everything from here. All you have to do is relax, stroll, sip, and enjoy the wine-cation of a lifetime.
We typically plan two château visits on a full touring day, sometimes one on a lighter or half day. We keep the pace relaxed on purpose. You’ll have time to walk the cellars, taste properly, enjoy a real lunch, and not feel rushed from one appointment to the next. Some guests want to add a third visit on certain days, and that’s easy to arrange. Others prefer to slow things down even more. We build the rhythm around what feels right for you.
Absolutely, and we encourage it. If there’s a château you’ve always wanted to visit, tell us and we’ll do our best to make it happen. Bordeaux availability varies and can’t be guaranteed for specific dates, so the earlier we know your wish list the better. Reservations made more than six months out significantly improve the odds of securing the big names. A few of the most famous estates are also simply closed to visits right now, so we’ll always be straight with you about what’s realistic and suggest wonderful alternatives when needed. Between the prestigious names and the family-run gems, we’ll build a lineup that fits exactly what you’re hoping to taste.
Pricing varies depending on what you’d like your trip to include. Since every itinerary is custom-built, we design each program around your preferences, from hotels and châteaux visits to meals and private experiences.
Most of our tours average between $700 and $1000 per person, per day, depending on the level of comfort and style you’re looking for. Once we chat and learn more about your travel plans, we’ll outline clear options so you can see exactly what fits best.
Yes. Your château visit and tasting fees are included in your program. We work from a set budget for tours, visits, and meals, and we use our local contacts to get you the best possible experiences within it. Some estates cost more to visit, others offer a deeper range of wines to taste, and we balance all of that so you get the most out of every day.
Only some, and that’s by design. Most programs include a few standout lunches, often a fine-dining château lunch or a gourmet meal with wine pairings. On other days we simply reserve a table for you at a local favorite so you can order what you like and pay at the restaurant. In our experience this is what guests prefer, since it keeps things flexible rather than locking you into a set menu every day. Dinners are generally left open so you can explore Bordeaux’s restaurant scene in the evenings, and we’re always happy to recommend and reserve spots for you.
Quite a bit, and we think that’s part of what makes a trip feel like a real vacation rather than a packed tour. Most programs include at least one full free day in Bordeaux, plus open evenings throughout for dinner and exploring at your own pace. Your arrival day is intentionally relaxed too, more of a gentle introduction to the city than structured touring. On free days we’ll point you toward our favorite neighborhoods, markets, museums, and restaurants, and we’re always reachable if you’d like a reservation or a recommendation along the way.
The deposit is $995 per person and goes toward your total trip cost. It officially secures your travel dates and allows us to begin making all of your château and hotel reservations. The remaining balance is due 90 days before your trip.
We use carefully selected 4- and 5-star hotels, always with breakfast included. In the city we often place guests at properties like the Intercontinental for a more luxurious stay, and we have favorite boutique options as well. In Saint-Émilion we love using Château Grand Barrail and other charming village stays. And yes, you can absolutely upgrade. We handle the reservations on your behalf and simply pass the cost through, so if you’d like a nicer room category or a specific property, just tell us, and we’ll take care of it. Some guests also prefer to book their own accommodations or use an Airbnb-style rental, which is no problem at all.
If you need to cancel your trip, we’ll always do our best to assist. Please note that the deposit at the time of booking ($995 per person) is non-refundable. Refunds on the remaining balance are based on when we receive your written notice of cancellation:
All refunds are processed within 10 business days of receiving written notice. In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, we’ll do everything possible to recover and refund as much as we can from our partners.
