3 Day Weekend in Bordeaux | Things to Do in Bordeaux, France
If you want to visit France beyond Paris, an itinerary for a weekend in Bordeaux is the perfect option. I hadn’t considered a trip to Bordeaux until a chance encounter while travelling South East Asia led me straight to this beautiful French city. In a small bar in Siem Reap, my partner and I met three French travellers who went on to become friends of ours.
A year on from backpacking South East Asia, we spent a weekend in Bordeaux, staying with our friends and experiencing a truly unique time with locals. I’ve written this Bordeaux itinerary for 3 days in Bordeaux weekend, guided by locals so it’s a reliable and fun itinerary to follow.
I really loved my Bordeaux weekend trip and as my first time to a French city (I’ve only previously been skiing in Les Deux Alpes and Disneyland in Paris), it’s inspired me to look into more trips to France!
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Where is Bordeaux?
Bordeaux is a charming French city in the South-West of France. The city is the most famous wine region of France (and the French surely know how to make and drink wine). Bordeaux itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site alone so simply walking around the city, you can marvel at wonderful architecture and scenes.
Population of Bordeaux – Roughly 250,000 people
How Many Days to Visit Bordeaux?
I could suggest, like other European cities, a week in Bordeaux to enjoy the life there but I think 3 or 4 days in Bordeaux is the perfect time to sample the city and come back another time.
How to Get From Bordeaux Airport to City Centre
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport is the international airport and I flew here from Bristol Airport in the UK. My return flights cost just £70 (the joys of cheap flights in Europe).
I got the local bus (the 1+) from the airport straight to the city centre (Stop name was Gambetta Meriadeck) which cost me €8 and took about 40 minutes. This bus comes to the airport every 10 minutes which gives me such joy not waiting around forever. The bus is, as usual, cheaper than a taxi but there are taxi options waiting outside the airport and I wanted to start my Bordeaux weekend as soon as I landed!
Where to Stay in Bordeaux for 3 Days
We were lucky to stay with our friends during our weekend in Bordeaux so I can’t recommend their place but I can recommend the area in which we stayed (Bordeaux Historical District). This location was perfect because it was near tram stops, bike rentals and walkable to top attractions in Bordeaux. The area is about a 15 minute walk to Pont de Pierre (Bordeaux Bridge) which we’ll be visiting in this Bordeaux itinerary.
I always use booking.com to book my stays (of course not this time as staying with friends is obviously the best way) but you can find your accommodation in Bordeaux on booking.com for the easiest way to follow this guide to Bordeaux.
Bordeaux 3 Day Itinerary
Weekend in Bordeaux Itinerary – Day 1
To begin with what to do in Bordeaux, you’ll be exploring the city by bike and experiencing local Bordelaise life.
Breakfast at a Local Boulangerie
Before you start the weekend in Bordeaux, you have to do the most French thing possible, and enjoy a pastry breakfast. I can personally recommend visiting Le Fournil de Nina, a patisserie I visited to get my breakfast (and baguettes for the picnic later in the Bordeaux itinerary). I didn’t see any tourists and there wasn’t a breath of English in earshot or on the menu so I learned how to order pain au chocolat in French. If you want a French breakfast off-the-beaten-path, visit Nina’s.
Bordeaux by Bike
I think the best way to explore Bordeaux on the first day would be to hire a bike and cycle your way through the city. Bordeaux is perfectly equipped for cyclists with bike lines prioritised on busy roads, easy rental booths and lock-ups available everywhere. Alternatively, book a guided bike tour of Bordeaux here.
I rented a bike from a station near my accommodation as part of the TBM (Bordeaux Transport). You’ll spot them easily because there’s bikes lined up with a pay station to unlock the bikes and away you go. You can drop them off at any other stations around the city so they are really handy.
When you rent a bike from a station like this, make sure you have a card to pay the deposit which they take if the bike is not returned. I’d suggest using a Monzo card that is perfect for overseas use.
Explore Architecture of Bordeaux
The entire city feels like a fairytale with its rustic, beige walls and high-rise, majestic buildings and it’s easy to see why it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don’t miss places like Palais Rohan, La Cité du Vin and Pey Berland main square where you’ll find the big cathedral.
Our friends taught us a lot while exploring the architecture in Bordeaux about its history so I would suggest going on a guided tour to hear first-hand from locals about their city. See below some options from Get Your Guide for tours of Bordeaux.
GetYourGuide Bordeaux:
See the Grosse Cloche (Big Bell) – A Must-See On Bordeaux Trip
One of the best things to do in Bordeaux is visit and photograph the Big Bell, known locally as Grosse Cloche, and stands in the heart of the city. If you’re spending your Bordeaux weekend on Bastille Day, VE Day, Remembrance Day or on the first Sunday of each month, make sure you’re there at noon to hear the bell ring on these special occasions only.
Local Supermarket
Before or after visiting a local supermarket in Bordeaux, return the bikes to a station for the day because once you have some famous Bordeaux wine, you can’t drink and ride! If you’re opting out of the wine, keep the wheels.
Want a great fact about France? Supermarkets give their unsold food to charities as instructed by the law!
Head to a local supermarket anywhere in the city where you see locals visiting. Here get your classic supplies for an outdoor picnic and ensure you have some local goods in there. For a Bordeaux picnic we bought some recommended cheese and wine (obviously), grapes, crackers, cured meat, pate and bread.
Oh, I could have one of these picnics right now!
Bordeaux Picnic With Locals
We rode the tram with our packed picnic to Angelic Park across the bridge with views of Bordeaux attractions listed later in this itinerary and a spot to watch the sunset. We enjoyed the picnic and playing boules (outdoor team game) with our local friends and their friends.
Charles Dickens Pub
After we watched the sun go down, we went to a well-known bar called The Charles Dickens. I really wanted to visit this pub after they declared their love for Welsh fans during Euros 2016. It was a great atmosphere and the best pub in Bordeaux for 3 days.
Weekend in Bordeaux Itinerary – Day 2
On the second day of the Bordeaux weekend, we visit city squares, stroll along the river and enjoy some of the best parts of French cuisine: bread, duck and wine!
Things to Do in Bordeaux
Place des Quinconces – Bordeaux City Square
Visit Place des Quinconces at the start of the day for some history of Bordeaux. This is the largest city square in Bordeaux with aesthetically-pleasing trees, sculptures and statues to marvel at and learn the city’s history.
Place du Parlement – Bordeaux City Square
All of the Bordeaux attractions to see today are within walking distance of one another so our next stop is a typical European square with a fountain in the centre. At Place du Parlement, you can enjoy a tasty ice-cream and some people-watching.
World’s Largest Reflection Pool
Next is an iconic Bordelaise landmark, Place de la Bourse. This is a must-see on your Bordeaux trip. Right in front of the impressive building is the world’s largest reflection pool called Le miroir d’eau so kick off your shoes and run through the water or stand back for an iconic photograph in Bordeaux.
Read here for more reasons to visit Bordeaux for 3 days!
Bridge of Bordeaux – Pont di Pierre
Just a short walk from the reflection pool, you can marvel at and walk across Pont di Pierre. There’s nice views of the city from here and then you can stroll along the Garonne River. This is one of the best things to do in Bordeaux. Watch out for some pop-up stalls along the way as we managed to catch a vintage car show.
Duck for Dinner
In the evening, take your pick from one of the fine restaurants in Bordeaux to enjoy real French cuisine and wine from one of France’s best wine regions. This is a must for what to do in Bordeaux in 2 days or 3 days.
Our restaurant had a large bar dedicated to all types of bread and different bread slicers; a truly French sight in my opinion. The walls were decorated with old French flyers and shelves of French wine (of course). The menus were in French and so our friends helped us figure out what each dish was as well as recommend the duck (trust French people on their French food).
Wherever you choose, go for the duck (la cane) which is a French speciality and guaranteed to be delicious in any Bordelaise restaurant. While in France, you could always try escargot though…
Clafoutis Dessert
If there’s something sweet you must try in Bordeaux, then it’s clafoutis. We were lucky enough to have one home-made by our friends but they are sold all over the city. Clafoutis is a French baked, cherry dessert with a flan-like batter. Lovely way to finish two days in Bordeaux.
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Weekend in Bordeaux Itinerary – Day 3
Discover a French Sunday market, try a Bordelaise hangover cure and more French food on your final day of 3 days in Bordeaux.
Marché des Capucins
This was my absolute favourite thing to do in Bordeaux. The local market called Marche des Capucins is a truly Bordelaise experience. We got there early with wicker basket in hand and felt like a local sampling five types of cheese, dazzled by the coloured fruit aisles and picking the freshest local produce for that evening’s dinner. Visiting this farmer’s market is one of the best things to do in Bordeaux.
Read Next: The Best Street Food Market in Berlin, Germany
Bordeaux Hangover Cure
While at the market, we sat with hundreds of locals to test if a Bordeaux myth was true. They say that white wine and oysters is the best hangover cure so we found a free table at the corner of the market next to a truck of vegetables being unloaded, stall holders persuading customers of their produce and waited for our order. And out came the huîtres et vin blanc (and some prawns for good measure) and we put the myth to the test.
The verdict? Well, it was delicious to say the least because these oysters were so fresh especially with a little lemon squeezed on top. As a hangover cure, I mean it’s white wine so if you’ve had a heavy one the night before then it’s the hair of the dog really. But, I’m taking their word for it that it’s the perfect cure!
There are many day trips from Bordeaux you can take like wine-tasting in Saint Emilion or a half-day trip to Margaux. How about going to see the coast such as Arcachaon Bay and the nearby sand dunes where the option for fresh oysters is endless? See Get Your Guide options below:
Saint Michael Neighbourhood
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon and we took a stroll through Bordeaux’s Saint Michael neighbourhood where there’s always something delightful occurring.
There’s the Basilica of Saint Michael, an elaborate Gothic church to marvel at and we saw pop-up stalls in the square just in front. There was a woman playing an old piano next to dozens of books sprawled on the ground.
I particularly enjoyed the aesthetic of the area’s houses: some with overarching greenery, lines of dried chillies and window shutters straight out of Beauty and The Beast.
A Final Dinner
Bordeaux is not short of quality restaurants. I mean, this is France after all! If you find a place that has maybe outdoor seating, mull over the menu, order the waiter’s wine recommendation and enjoy your final dinner in Bordeaux.
A large part of my weekend in Bordeaux was unique because I was lucky to be hosted by my local friends. If you want a similar experience you can try Couchsurfing, Air BnB, guided tours and meet-ups in Bordeaux!
Thanks for reading about my Bordeaux weekend trip.
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