Champagne vineyard tour Epernay: 3 tastings private guide
Taste your way through the villages that made Champagne, without arranging the route yourself
A private half-day tour from Epernay visits the UNESCO-listed vineyards and villages of Hautvillers, Aÿ-Champagne and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ with a guide and private transport. You tour a family producer's press and cellar, taste 3 Grand Cru and Premier Cru Champagnes there, then sample Ratafia, Fine de la Marne and Marc de Champagne at a distillery stop. Pickup is included within 6 kilometers of Epernay. The tour runs 3.5 hours and operates in the morning or afternoon.
More experiences you might like
- 28 reviews
- 4.71★
- Duration
- 7h–8h
- Tue–Sat
- 09:30
- 36 reviews
- 4.86★
- Duration
- 2h 15m
- start times · Every day
- 2
- 113 reviews
- 4.84★
- Duration
- 3h 30m
- start times · Mon–Sat
- 2
- 109 reviews
- 4.91★
- Duration
- 5h
- Mon–Sat
- 12:00
Step-by-step itinerary
Champagne vineyard and village tour
- Visit Avenue de Champagne in Epernay
- Tour Church of Dom Pérignon in Hautvillers
- Enjoy panorama and vineyard tour in Hautvillers
- Taste 3 Champagnes at family producer
- Discover village and vineyards of Aÿ-Champagne
- Taste Champagne alcohols and aperitifs
- Pass through Premier Cru village Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
- Admire panoramic view at Mont du Gruguet
- Drive through village of Mutigny
The experience
The tour starts with Avenue de Champagne in Epernay itself: the street the operator calls "the most expensive avenue in the world," lined with the mansions and cellars of houses like Moët & Chandon and Pol Roger. A guide explains the history of the buildings and the 100 kilometers of cellars beneath them that hold 200 million bottles. From there, the route moves into the villages where Champagne actually began.
In Hautvillers, the "Cradle of Champagne," you enter the church where Dom Pérignon is buried: the monk whose experiments in the 17th century shaped how Champagne is made. The guide tells his story and settles whether he invented it or not. Then the tour climbs to a viewpoint in the UNESCO hillsides overlooking the Marne Valley, the exact landscape where Dom Pérignon worked. This is where you stop at a family producer's property: you walk through the press house, the winery and the cellar, and taste 3 different Grand Cru or Premier Cru Champagnes with commentary on how they were made.
The second half moves through Aÿ-Champagne, the village that was the center of the Champagne industry in the 16th century and still holds the headquarters of houses like Bollinger and Deutz. You pass the famous vineyards planted mostly with Pinot Noir and learn about the terroir and sustainable viticulture. At the Goyard Distillery, the oldest in Champagne, you taste the three essential Champagne spirits: Ratafia, Fine de la Marne and Marc de Champagne. The tour also stops at Mont du Gruguet, a panoramic viewpoint where you can see both the Côte des Blancs (the Chardonnay kingdom) and the Marne Valley vineyards where Champagne was born, and passes through the small village of Mutigny with its early 16th-century church overlooking the vines.
What’s included
- Private transportation with a guide who drives.
- visits to Hautvillers, Aÿ-Champagne, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Mutigny.
- entry to Dom Pérignon's church.
- a tour of a family producer's press house, winery and cellar.
- tasting of 3 Grand Cru or Premier Cru Champagnes with commentary.
- tasting of Ratafia, Fine de la Marne and Marc de Champagne at the Goyard Distillery.
- stops at panoramic viewpoints in the UNESCO hillsides.
- pickup within 6 kilometers of Epernay.
Options for this experience
2 optionsBefore you book
Lasts 3h 30m, runs Monday to Saturday at 09:30 and 14:00, from € 255 per person, with a live guide in English and French, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.
Prices and times updated yesterday
Operated by Aÿ-Champagne Experience
Is this one for you?Choose the morning tour if you want the vineyards and villages before the afternoon crowds gather, or the afternoon departure if you're arriving in Epernay in the morning. Either way, the fixed schedule and private transport mean the route, timing and tastings are arranged. You show up and the day unfolds without you building it.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and French.
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 taste on this tour?
You taste 3 different Grand Cru or Premier Cru Champagnes at a family producer's cellar, with the guide explaining each one. Later, at the Goyard Distillery, you sample the three essential Champagne spirits: Ratafia, Fine de la Marne and Marc de Champagne.
Where does the tour pick me up?
The tour includes pickup anywhere within 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) of Epernay. If you're staying outside that radius, public transportation options are available nearby.
What is Dom Pérignon's church like in Hautvillers?
The church in Hautvillers holds the grave of Dom Pérignon, the monk whose experiments in winemaking shaped Champagne in the 17th century. The guide takes you inside and tells his story as part of the tour.
Can I choose between morning and afternoon?
Yes, the tour operates as either a morning departure or an afternoon departure. Both follow the same route and last 3.5 hours. You choose which fits your schedule when you book.
What is the Côte des Blancs that the tour mentions?
The Côte des Blancs is a UNESCO-listed hillside region where Chardonnay grapes are grown for Grand Cru Champagnes. From the Mont du Gruguet viewpoint, you can see it across the valley from the Marne Valley vineyards where Pinot Noir dominates.
Is this tour physically demanding?
The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You spend time walking through vineyards and villages, visiting a producer's cellar, and stopping at viewpoints, but there are no strenuous hikes or climbs.
Champagne vineyard tour Epernay: 3 tastings private guide
3h 30m · EN · FR
from € 255 per person