Bordeaux Food Tour: Chartrons Market & Garonne River Cruise

Walk a working market, then taste what you found from a boat on the river

A half-day food activity in Bordeaux that starts at a local specialty shop, moves through Chartrons market where your guide hand-picks oysters, cheese, charcuterie and pastries, then boards a private boat for a 90-minute cruise on the Garonne River. You taste the market haul paired with local wines while 18th-century facades drift past. Led by Aurélien, a sommelier and former English teacher, in English or French.

Step-by-step itinerary

Bordeaux market and river cruise

• Start at La Cité du Vin
• Visit local specialty shop
• Walk Chartrons district quays
• Explore Chartrons farmers market
• Board private boat for cruise
• Enjoy market feast with wines
• Relax and view Bordeaux from river

The experience

The morning begins at a charming boutique near La Cité du Vin, where you sample Lillet and regional delicacies before walking into Chartrons. This isn't a guided lecture through stalls. Instead, your guide collects a hand-picked basket as you move through the market (oysters, roasted chicken, cheese, charcuterie, pastries) the best of southwest France gathered in one place. You see the vendors, smell the produce, hear the stories behind what ends up in your basket.

Once the market run is done, you board a private boat for the Garonne. The 90-minute cruise is where the pieces come together: you eat what you found, drink local Bordeaux wines chosen to match, and watch the city's 18th-century quays and facades slip past from the water. There's no rush, no schedule beyond the boat's return time. The meal is the point.

What’s included

• A visit and tasting at a local specialty shop.
• entry to Chartrons farmers market.
• a hand-picked selection of oysters, roasted chicken, cheese, charcuterie, and pastries from the market (equivalent to a full meal).
• local Bordeaux wines and cocktails.
• a 90-minute private cruise along the Garonne River past 18th-century facades.

Before you book

Days and timesSundayDeparts at 10:15

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Délicieux ! Food and History Tours - Bordeaux

Is this one for you?The 4.5-hour span means you move steadily from shop to market to boat with no downtime, so this suits someone who wants a full morning immersed in Bordeaux's food scene rather than a slow, lingering pace at any single stop.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I eat on this tour?

The guide selects oysters, roasted chicken, cheese, charcuterie, and pastries from Chartrons market, enough to make a full meal, which you taste on the boat paired with local Bordeaux wines and cocktails sampled at the opening shop.

Is this tour just walking around a market, or do I actually get to eat?

You walk the Chartrons market with your guide, who picks the products as you go, then you board the boat and eat everything collected, paired with wine. The market visit and the meal are one continuous experience.

What is Chartrons and why does the market matter?

Chartrons is the historic wine-trading district along the Garonne, lined with 18th-century facades from when Bordeaux's port made it a global wine hub. The farmers market there now sits on the riverbank and showcases the region's seasonal produce and local specialties.

How much walking is involved?

You walk through the Chartrons district and the farmers market, then board a boat for the cruise. The tour requires a moderate level of physical fitness but no climbing or strenuous terrain.

Is wine tasting the main focus, or is it about the food?

The focus is the food (the market haul becomes your meal on the boat) with local wines and cocktails chosen to pair with what you've collected, not wine tasting as a separate activity.