Booking Bordeaux château visits means reserving with each estate on its own terms: an online booking page, a request form, a phone call or an email. Lead times, fees and opening days differ from one château to the next across the Médoc, Saint-Émilion, Pessac-Léognan and Sauternes.
The short answer
Book before you travel. Mouton Rothschild needs at least two months' notice, while Duhart-Milon asks for 48 hours for its Gourmet Visit.
At Duhart-Milon, Haut-Bailly, Lynch-Bages, Pape Clément, Climens, Troplong Mondot and Figeac, an adult's entry-level visit or tasting costs €12.50–80 ($14–86). Château Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Duhart-Milon take visitors Monday to Friday only, and Château Margaux and Mouton Rothschild stop visits during the harvest.
Your options
| Château | Area | Visit from | Days | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouton Rothschild | Pauillac | — | Monday to Friday | Request form, two months ahead |
| Château Margaux | Margaux | — | Monday to Friday, closed in August | Appointment, no tasting for the public |
| Lynch-Bages | Pauillac | €25 ($27) | Monday to Saturday | Website contact page |
| Duhart-Milon | Pauillac | €20 ($22) | Monday to Friday | Tasting without reservation |
| Haut-Bailly | Pessac-Léognan | €20 ($22) | — | Online |
| Pape Clément | Pessac | €12.50 ($14) | All year | Online, reservation only |
| Figeac | Saint-Émilion | €80 ($86) | — | Phone or email |
| Troplong Mondot | Saint-Émilion | €50 ($54) | — | — |
| Climens | Barsac | €45 ($49) | — | Online, email or phone |
| Guiraud | Sauternes | — | Daily | With or without a booking |
Mouton Rothschild and Château Margaux
Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac takes tours by appointment only, at least two months in advance. You send a request with your language, date and number of visitors, and the booking is final only once the château team confirms it. Tours are private, for eight people at most, and last about two to two and a half hours with a tasting.
Château Margaux in Margaux opens its cellars by appointment only, Monday to Friday. It closes on weekends, public holidays, in August and during the harvest, and tasting is only for professionals. Send a request through its contact form or call +33 5 57 88 83 83.
Other Pauillac châteaux
Lynch-Bages runs a 1 hour 30 minute cellar visit at €25 ($27), Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., in French, English or German depending on availability. Its 2 hour 30 minute tasting classes start at €75 ($81) per person, for two people or more.
At Duhart-Milon, the 30-minute Guided Tasting at €20 ($22) needs no reservation, subject to availability. The Discovery Tour at €30 ($32) and the Experience Tour at €40 ($43) are reservation only. The Gourmet Visit costs €60 ($65), starts at 10 a.m. and needs 48 hours' notice.
Pichon Baron opens every day of the year by appointment. Book by phone on +33 5 56 73 17 17 or by email at contact@pichonbaron.com. The visit includes a tasting of three wines.
Pessac-Léognan
Haut-Bailly, a Grand Cru Classé, sells every visit online. A 30-minute tasting of two wines costs €20 ($22), the Classic visit of the vineyard and cellar €50 ($54), and the 2-hour Rendez-vous au Château €110 ($119).
Pape Clément, a Grand Cru Classé de Graves in Pessac, receives visitors all year, by reservation and online. Its visits and tastings cost €25 ($27) and €40 ($43) for 1 hour 30 minutes, and a vineyard and garden visit with wine for adults and grape juice for children starts at €12.50 ($14).
Saint-Émilion
The Saint-Émilion tourist office lists 155 estate visits, priced from €7 ($8). Its château-of-the-day list shows 2 to 4 estates open to the public each day, and reservations with those wineries are compulsory. You can book with an estate directly or join a tour run by the tourist office.
Château Figeac, a 1st Grand Cru Classé A, charges €80 ($86) for a visit of 1 hour or 1 hour 30 minutes ending with two or three wines, in English or Spanish. Book through reception on 05 57 24 72 26 or reception@chateau-figeac.com. Troplong Mondot, a 1er Grand Cru Classé, runs its 1 hour 30 minute Getaway visit with two wines at €50 ($54).
Sauternes and Barsac
Château Guiraud, a 1er Grand Cru Classé in 1855, opens 7 days a week, public holidays included, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with or without a booking. Château Suduiraut receives visitors by appointment: call 05 56 63 61 92 or email contact@suduiraut.com.
Château Climens in Barsac, also a 1er Grand Cru Classé in 1855, takes bookings online, on +33 5 56 27 15 33 or at visite@chateau-climens.fr. The Discovery of Climens costs €45 ($49) for 1 hour, and the Vertical Tasting €110 ($119) for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Booking through the tourist offices
The Bordeaux tourist office's château listings filter for online booking, open on Sunday, crus classés and access by public transport. In Pauillac, the Maison du Tourisme et du Vin books visits at its partner châteaux.
Around Margaux, Château Angludet runs visits at €15–50 ($16–54), daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 1 to October 31. Château Prieuré-Lichine runs visits at €12–35 ($13–38) and opens every day from March 29 to October 31.
Before you go
- Plan weekend visits at estates that open then: Lynch-Bages opens on Saturdays, Guiraud opens every day, and Pichon Baron opens every day by appointment.
- Children's admission varies from one estate to another around Saint-Émilion, and Rayne Vigneau in Sauternes takes children from the age of seven, with no wine for minors.
- Ask about fees when you book at Mouton Rothschild, Château Margaux and Pichon Baron.
- Spit or choose a designated driver if you are driving between châteaux.
For the wider region, see Bordeaux.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I book a Bordeaux château visit?
Mouton Rothschild needs at least two months' notice and confirms each booking itself. Duhart-Milon asks for 48 hours for its Gourmet Visit. Around Saint-Émilion, the tourist office strongly recommends booking château visits in advance, and the châteaux of the day take visitors by reservation only.
Can I visit Château Margaux?
Château Margaux opens its cellars by appointment only, Monday to Friday. It closes on weekends, public holidays, in August and during the harvest. Tasting there is only for professionals. In Pauillac, Mouton Rothschild also takes visits Monday to Friday, with at least two months' notice.
Can I visit a Bordeaux château without booking?
Château Guiraud in Sauternes opens daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with or without a booking. Duhart-Milon in Pauillac pours its 30-minute Guided Tasting at €20 ($22) without a reservation, subject to availability.
Which Bordeaux châteaux are open on weekends?
Lynch-Bages runs cellar visits on Saturdays, and Pichon Baron opens every day of the year by appointment. Château Guiraud opens 7 days a week, public holidays included. Château Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Duhart-Milon receive visitors Monday to Friday only.
