Skip to content
LarkTours

Routes · Europe

Bangkok to Bordeaux: the city and Saint-Émilion

Bangkok → Bordeaux → Saint-Émilion

Place de la Bourse
"Bordeaux_place_de_la_bourse_with_tram.JPG" by Phillip Maiwald (Nikopol), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Bordeaux place de la bourse with tram (Bordeaux)
Photo: Phillip Maiwald (Nikopol), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wine capital & vineyard village Best season (general guide): May–Oct

Bordeaux is one of the world's great wine regions, and its city is an elegant port on the Garonne River. This route spends three nights in Bordeaux and three in the village of Saint-Émilion. From Bangkok you'll connect through Paris or another European hub.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Bordeaux: day one, the riverside and Water Mirror; day two, old town and Cité du Vin; day three, dune of Pilat day trip. Then spend days four to six in Saint-Émilion: day four, train or drive to Saint-Émilion; day five, Monolithic church and village; day six, Château visits and tastings.

Bordeaux's centre was restored in the early 2000s, and UNESCO lists the city, called the Port of the Moon for the curve of the river. The Place de la Bourse faces the river, and in front of it the Water Mirror, a thin sheet of water on the stone, reflects the buildings.

La Cité du Vin, a museum about wine and its cultures, has a tasting room with views over the city. The old town's streets are full of cafés and wine bars, and canelés, small caramelised cakes, are the local speciality.

A day trip west reaches the Atlantic coast and the Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe, with views over the ocean and forest.

Saint-Émilion, east of the city, is a medieval village built of golden limestone on a hillside among vineyards. UNESCO lists the surrounding wine-growing area. The Monolithic Church was carved out of the rock, and guided tours visit it and the catacombs below.

May to October is the best season, with the harvest in September and October.

Most châteaux ask you to book visits in advance, so plan tastings a few days ahead and arrange a driver or a cycle tour.

Good to know: Trains link Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion, but a car or a tour makes it easier to visit châteaux. Many wineries require appointments, so book ahead. If you drive, arrange a designated driver or a guide for tastings.

Suggested outline

  1. Bangkok

    Start

  2. Bordeaux

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    A grand riverside city, with the Water Mirror and the Cité du Vin.

  3. Saint-Émilion

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    A hilltop village of limestone among vineyards, with a church carved into rock.

    Saint-Émilion
    "1_Saint-Émilion_aerial_pano_2016.jpg" by Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Bordeaux — Arrive; the riverside and Water Mirror· Bangkok → Bordeaux (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Bordeaux — Old town and Cité du Vin
  3. Day 3 · Bordeaux — Dune of Pilat day trip
  4. Day 4 · Saint-Émilion — Train or drive to Saint-Émilion· Bordeaux → Saint-Émilion (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Saint-Émilion — Monolithic church and village
  6. Day 6 · Saint-Émilion — Château visits and tastings
  7. Day 7 · Saint-Émilion — Travel home from Saint-Émilion· Saint-Émilion → Bordeaux (overland), then Bordeaux → Bangkok (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

Each button opens a live, dated search. We don't show stored fares here: check today's price on the booking site.

Showing dates about a month ahead — change them when you search.

Bordeaux

More about Bordeaux →

Plan the trip: Bordeaux

These links go to partner sites. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Prices and terms are set by the partner.

Saint-Émilion

Nearest airport: Bordeaux Search fares · Bordeaux ↗

Partner links may earn LarkTours a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, availability and terms are set by each partner.