Médoc and Margaux from Bordeaux: which wine tour to book?
4 min read
The answer first
If Médoc is the part of Bordeaux wine you want, take the half day. The half-day Margaux tour with wine tastings takes 4 hours, costs €90 per person and is rated 4.6/5 from 441 reviews. If you also want Saint-Émilion, the full-day tour combines both banks.
What the half-day tour does
The page describes a small group, limited to 8, leaving from 2ter Rue Mably in Bordeaux by air-conditioned minivan, with an English-speaking guide who also drives. The itinerary shows about 50 minutes each way, one hour at a first château in the Margaux appellation, a 10-minute photo stop at Château Margaux, and a second hour at a Grand Cru classified château. Plan on seeing the famous gates, not the inside: Château Margaux is a photo stop on this tour. The tastings are 3 wines at the first estate and 2 at the second, and the page lists estates such as Château Siran, Dauzac and Marquis de Terme as examples, adding that châteaux and schedule may vary.
The full day: both banks
The full-day wine trip to Saint-Émilion and Margaux lasts 9 hours and costs €180, rated 4.8/5 from 756 reviews. It covers three wineries and at least 8 wines, a walk through Saint-Émilion and a picnic at a château. One reviewer found the van tight and the third winery tacked on, and wanted more time in Saint-Émilion. If the village is your priority, see our Saint-Émilion guide.
The tourist-office bus
The Bordeaux Wine Roads half-day tour at €58 runs a different area each day. According to the page, Médoc is on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with two château visits and 2 wines at each, by bus, from the tourist office at 1:30 PM, back by 6:30 PM. The guide speaks French and English. The page says it is not suitable for people with mobility impairments.
Rules that matter
The half-day tour says children under 16 and pets are not allowed; the full-day tour lists children under 16 as not suitable and does not allow pets. Both exclude unaccompanied minors. The page suggests a private tour if you have children. Arrive 15 minutes early, with no delay possible. Tips and personal expenses are not included.
Driving yourself
You can compare rental cars for Bordeaux and visit châteaux on your own, but you would need to ask each château whether it receives visitors and on which terms, and the driver will not be tasting. A tour takes care of both.
Who it suits
- Red wine lovers who want the left bank.
- Travellers without a car, who get transport and a driver-guide.
- Small groups and couples, because the Olala tours cap at 8.
It suits less well families with children under 16 and anyone who wants to step inside a famous château, which this tour does not promise.
Side by side
| Tour | Duration | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| Half-day Margaux tour | 4 hours | €90 |
| Full day: Saint-Émilion and Margaux | 9 hours | €180 |
| Bordeaux Wine Roads half-day tour (Tuesday and Saturday: Médoc) | 5 hours | €58 |
Our recommendation
Book the half-day Margaux tour. See all options on our page for Médoc and Margaux tours.
