Editor’s Note: This itinerary for visiting the Beaune region of France, (arguably the wine tasting capital within Burgundy), is written by one of our Winetraveler experts from a first-person perspective. This style of itinerary offers unique insight into why visiting these regions can be so special. Sometimes unexpected experiences can be the best.
- Wine Tours and Getting Around Beaune Burgundy
- Where to Stay in Beaune Burgundy
- Wine Tasting in Beaune: Self-Guided Options
- Worthy of Your Time: More Places To Taste Wine in Beaune
- Top Things to Do in Beaune Burgundy
- The Wines of Beaune
- Frequently Asked Questions about Visiting Beaune Burgundy for Wine Tasting & Tours
I’ve mentioned before that my family had the opportunity to live in and travel through Europe as part of a family sabbatical. Well, when we mapped our route driving from Spain through France and to Germany, we had originally planned to spend time touring the city of Dijon. However, we never made it.
Instead, we stopped early owing to exhaustion and the waning patience of our two children (and thereby us) and opted to stay a few days in the beautiful village of Beaune. Located in the heart of the Burgundy wine region, it really made more sense for us as Winetravelers anyway. So while we went wine tasting in Burgundy with kids in tow, this Burgundy itinerary also works for anyone.
Truth be told, the reason we ended up staying three nights in Beaune, rather than moving on to Dijon, is owed entirely to the proprietor of the hotel we found by chance. We really hadn’t done our research on Beaune, as we expected to be in Dijon, but Hotel Le Home had good reviews and was easy to find.
Once we arrived, we were greeted by our host Mathilde with much enthusiasm. A mother herself, she immediately recognized the deteriorating family situation and graciously offered us a suite of adjoining rooms for the price of one. It was off-season, and she had the availability, as well as tremendous empathy.
The arrangements worked perfectly as the kids had their space and we had ours. (I should note, this is also where our children hatched a plan to form their own country – no parents allowed – and wrote a constitution, laws, and monetary system and declared war with the enemy parents!) The months, and years, of ensuing laughter, comradery, and hours of entertainment, were all sparked by this happenstance stay owing to the graciousness of Mathilde.
The exquisitely dressed and very fashionable proprietor also spent a considerable amount of time with us mapping out a fabulous family itinerary for our two-day visit. She took the time to understand our interests and offer numerous ideas for both the children and adults from which we could easily choose to fill our days.
Outlined below are the options we chose to spend our days accommodating everyone’s interests and creating some amazing memories that will not soon be forgotten.
Wine Tours and Getting Around Beaune Burgundy
Our situation was slightly different than most, as we arrived in Europe via Spain and ended months later in Italy. If you should find yourself in a similar situation, I highly recommend the long-term car rental program through Renault. We had unlimited mileage, an English GPS system, and insurance. And as a bonus, we were also able to rent an automatic transmission!
However, if like most, you’re traveling for days or weeks, Beaune is easily accessible by train from most major French cities. You can plan train travel in advance here. Or you can also rent a car at the airport, which will give you more flexibility and freedom. Beaune is only a three-hour drive from Strasbourg and Paris and just less than two hours from Lyon. Get updates on flight deals into France here.
Once you’ve made it to Beaune, we highly recommend utilizing some of the local knowledge to experience the region from a local’s perspective. One of our favorite privately guided day trips is offered by Melanie of My French Tour. She’ll take you around in a vintage car and customize your day based on your travel preferences. Plus, you’ll get to stop at locations and have experiences you would otherwise miss.
If you’re looking for more of a luxury experience, Bourgogne Gold Tour offers local expertise and stops at the most iconic wineries and sights across Burgundy. See it all from the comfort of a Mercedes Benz. This is one of Winetraveler reader’s favorites when visiting the region. The same company offers a full-day trip to both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. This is a special tour that can be customized, offered by local guides who really know the wines of the region. You’ll get to meet the winemakers and have one of the most immersive experiences in Burgundy.
More Trending Beaune Burgundy Wine Tours & Wine Tasting Options
Where to Stay in Beaune Burgundy
Obviously, I recommend Hotel Le Home, but Airbnb and TripAdvisor also provide numerous options for your stay from luxury accommodations including Hôtel Le Cep & SPA Marie de Bourgogne to more family-friendly, budget options like Accor Hotels’ Ibis in the city center (with prices this low, splurge and opt for two rooms to offer a little more space with the kids!).
Wine Tasting in Beaune: Self-Guided Options
Marché aux Vins
7 Rue de l’Hôtel Dieu, 21200 Beaune, France
A boutique wine shop located in Beaune’s city center, the Marché is a wonderful place to browse a plethora of regional wines, but also to take a self-guided tour through the caves beneath the shop. Although not a personal tour in the least, it’s a great option with kids. Upon purchase of the tour you receive a tastevin – a traditional tasting cup designed in Burgundy. Although not practical, it is rather romantic. You’re then directed to the cellars which you can explore at your leisure. Bottles are open throughout for you to pour your own samples (or as in our case, the children can pour as they pretend to be sommeliers – questionable parenting aside, our kids had a blast donning accents and spouting their “wine knowledge.”) The caves are fascinating to explore with their numerous rooms and even old church ruins.
Patriarche Père Et Fils
5-7 Rue du Collège/r Paul Chanson, 21200 Beaune, France
A well-known producer in the region, Patriarche also offers self-guided tours which are often a great option with children as you can move at their pace. Interactive video terminals placed throughout the route will guide you through the wine cellars, their history and the great wines aged there. You can also taste a range of 10 Burgundy wines and seek advice from the wine consultants on-hand.
Louis Jadot
62 Rte de Savigny, 21200 Beaune, France
A mere 10-minute walk from Hotel Le Home, Louis Jadot is a name synonymous with Burgundy and Beaujolais. Depending on your time and energy, you can opt for a guided tour or simply walk-in and taste as we did. The tasting room is open to all from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. At 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and 10 a.m. on Saturday, scheduled visits to the winemaking and maturation cellars — followed by a tasting — are available by reservation.
Worthy of Your Time: More Places To Taste Wine in Beaune
Château de Pommard
15 Rue Marey Monge, 21630 Pommard, France
Although today American-owned, Château de Pommard offers an exquisite wine tasting and fascinating tour of the caves and vineyards. We arranged this tour by appointment through our hotel and arrived a few minutes early. As we waited for the tour host, we were shown to a waiting area which doubled as a winemaking museum with years of wine making tools and equipment, including one of the largest wooden wine presses I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to get a feel for just how big it is, other than to say it’s easier to imagine some mythical giants using it rather than actual humans. As for the tour, it was short enough to keep the kids from getting antsy and informative enough that we walked away with a much greater understanding of the soils, vines, region and wine production (as well as several bottles of wine).
Maison Joseph Drouhin
7 Rue d’Enfer, 21200 Beaune, France
Honestly, for me, it doesn’t get much better than the wines of Joseph Drouhin. For the last 139 years, Maison Joseph Drouhin has been in the hands of the Drouhin family, not an easy accomplishment with French estate laws. Today, however, the fourth generation leads the winery with a focus on terroir, exquisite quality and elegance. Production is also completely organic throughout their 90 different appellations. With a tasting room and cellar located in the heart of Beaune within the Duke of Burgundy’s Parliament building, a tasting and tour at Maison Joseph Drouhin is a fascinating discovery of history and wine. Tours are available by appointment only and include a personal tour through the most ancient cellars of Beaune followed by a tasting of six iconic wines from Maison Joseph Drouhin. During this approximately one and a half hour tour, you will also find ancient Roman remnants, nearly 2000 years old.
While the wines of Burgundy are renowned worldwide, I doubt many consider the region as a family destination. But whether you find yourself stopping en route to the Monkey Mountain in Alsace, or specifically plan to take your family to Burgundy because kids or not, it’s a great wine trip, the itinerary outlined here is how we mapped our days with kids in tow. To this day, these moments in Beaune remain a top highlight of our time overseas. Burgundy — and Beaune in particular — is a place you can have your cake and eat it too (or in this case wine and crepes!).
Top Things to Do in Beaune Burgundy
Marché de Beaune
The weekly market at Beaune is a haven for foodies, held every Saturday morning in the town center. Local producers gather to showcase their finest cheeses, meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and a wide variety of other mouthwatering delicacies. This is the perfect opportunity to indulge in the Burgundy region’s culinary culture, chat with the locals, and even pick up some ingredients for a picnic in the nearby vineyards.
Hospices de Beaune
Next, we continued with a visit to the famed Hospices de Beaune, a hospital that opened in the mid-15th century and was still treating patients as recently as the 1980s. The hospices were designed as a place to treat the poor and served as a model for the hospitals that would come afterward. The Hospice tour came with an audio guide for both adults and children, the children’s version is narrated by a fly and a snake. The fly — quite a morbid creature — described what it was like to drink the blood of patients who filled the barracks back in the early days of medicine. This generated rapturous laughter from our kids who were thoroughly entertained. (Bloodletting was also normal back in the day – eek!)
In all seriousness, the Hospices are a fascinating walk through history and have been supported over the years by a charity wine auction, featuring wines from prestigious vineyards that have been acquired or donated to the Hospices over time. The Hospices produce some of the best wines in Burgundy, and the auction raises millions of Euros to support itself and various other charities. For example, the year of our visit, the auction was held two days after attacks in Paris and generated over $12 million, with a third of that going to support the victims of the attacks.
Edmond Fallot Moutarderie
Fallot makes Dijon-style mustard in the last family-owned Moutarderie in Burgundy and offers tours of the operations facility and museum, complete with a mustard tasting at the end. We must have tried more than 20 different flavors of mustard, most of which were very good and all packed a wallop of spice. The tour itself is entertaining with a decent amount of science and history lessons built in for the kids.
La Cave de l’Ange Gardien
For Winetravelers, a visit to La Cave de l’Ange Gardien is a must. This intimate and charming wine cellar offers tastings of some of the finest Burgundy wines, including rare and aged selections. The knowledgeable staff will guide you through your tasting experience, sharing stories of the region’s rich winemaking history and helping you discover your new favorite bottle.
Parc de la Bouzaize
From strolls around the pond and an afternoon spent on swings, to the exotic birds wandering the grounds, the Parc de la Bouzaize is a great place for the kids to burn off steam. It’s also a great place where they can play on the park equipment while you stroll hand-in-hand around the paths (all while keeping them in sight). And for the little ones, you may even spot Mother Goose!
Le Clos des Remparts
Nestled within the medieval city walls, Le Clos des Remparts is a beautiful and serene garden, perfect for a leisurely stroll or a moment of quiet reflection. This hidden gem is home to a variety of colorful flowers, lush greenery, and even an ancient Roman wall. For adventurers seeking a moment of tranquility amidst their busy itinerary, Le Clos des Remparts is an ideal escape.
Bike Tour Through the Vineyards
For those who crave a little more adventure, a guided bike tour through the picturesque vineyards surrounding Beaune is the perfect way to take in the breathtaking scenery. Several local companies offer half-day or full-day tours, but our favorite is operated by Bourgogne Velo Evasion, complete with a knowledgeable guide who will introduce you to the region’s winemaking traditions and the unique terroir that makes Burgundy wines so sought-after. Don’t forget to stop at a few wineries along the way to sample the local wines and savor the flavors of the region.
City Stroll
The town center of Beaune is a great place to stroll for shopping, art (including some works of Dalí), a tour through the Basilique Notre-Dame de Beaune or a ride on the free carousel. While I can’t recall any particular places we ate, I do know our children enjoyed the crepes, escargot, croque monsieur and good old fashioned hamburgers (actually made from ham!) with frites.
La Table de Levernois
For a truly unforgettable dining experience, make a reservation at La Table de Levernois, a Michelin-starred restaurant located just outside Beaune. The chef’s exquisite menu showcases the finest local ingredients, with each dish expertly crafted to delight the senses. The elegant atmosphere and impeccable service make this an ideal choice for a special occasion or a romantic evening out. Remember to pair your meal with a selection from their impressive wine list to complete the culinary adventure.
The Wines of Beaune
Burgundy reds are made entirely from Pinot Noir grapes and the whites from Chardonnay, so it’s easy to understand what you’re drinking and it’s a very distinctive experience focused on terroir. Compared to Bordeaux, the classification system is based on region rather than vineyard.
The most prestigious wines are single-vineyard, but many other wines draw from multiple vineyards from a single village, such as Beaune, or throughout the region. Burgundian wines are soft and approachable, easy to understand and very easy to drink. And you can absolutely experience them while traveling as a family.
Frequently Asked Questions about Visiting Beaune Burgundy for Wine Tasting & Tours
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