UNESCO Champagne Tour Epernay: Private Full-Day Tastings

A full day through Champagne's UNESCO valleys, from Dom Pérignon's village to the cellars of Avenue de Champagne

A private full-day tour of UNESCO Champagne heritage sites departing from Epernay, with a guide who explains the history of Reims Cathedral, Hautvillers village and the Marne Valley vineyards. You visit a family producer's press and cellar for tastings of 3 Grand Cru and Premier Cru champagnes, taste three regional spirits (Ratafia, Fine de la Marne, Marc de Champagne), pass through the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay with its 200 million bottles in underground cellars, and share a convivial lunch with a bottle of champagne for two. Pickup is included within 6km of Epernay. The tour runs 7 to 8 hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Champagne UNESCO sites and tastings

• Visit Reims Cathedral and learn history
• Pass by Colline Saint-Nicaise Champagne Houses
• Tour Hautvillers Church and Dom Pérignon grave
• Enjoy Hautvillers panoramic vineyard views
• Visit independent producer and taste 3 Champagnes
• Discover Aÿ-Champagne village and Grand Cru vineyards
• Taste Champagne alcohols and aperitifs
• Have convivial Champagne lunch with a bottle for two
• Pass through Mareuil-sur-Aÿ Premier Cru village
• Drive along Avenue de Champagne in Epernay

The experience

You start at Reims Cathedral, the coronation site of French kings and a UNESCO World Heritage landmark. Your guide walks you through its interior and history, then points out the Colline Saint-Nicaise hillside across the way, where Champagne houses like Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot and Pommery have mined chalk pits since the late 18th century, the same chalk that makes the region's soil. That geology is the foundation of everything that follows.

The route then moves to Hautvillers, the village where Dom Pérignon is buried in the church, and where the guide settles whether he actually invented Champagne or simply perfected the method. You stand in the UNESCO-listed hillsides overlooking the Marne Valley, the exact landscape where Dom Pérignon ran his experiments. A family-run producer opens their press, winery and cellar to you, and you taste three different champagnes there with explanation of how they're made. Depending on the season, this stop may shift to a Côte des Blancs village or Aÿ-Champagne instead, but the tasting and cellar visit stay the same.

Aÿ-Champagne itself gets its own stop. A Grand Cru village that was the center of the Champagne industry in the 16th century, when the wines were called "Wines of Aÿ" and French kings kept their own presses there. You walk through the historic streets and see the headquarters of houses like Bollinger, Deutz and Ayala, planted mainly with Pinot Noir vines. The tour also crosses Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, a Premier Cru village in the same UNESCO zone, home to smaller houses like Billecart-Salmon and Philipponnat. Between stops, you taste three essential Champagne spirits from the Goyard Distillery (Ratafia, Fine de la Marne and Marc de Champagne) the oldest distillery in the region.

Lunch is at a local dining spot, not a tourist trap. You get a bottle of champagne for two, plus charcuterie, cheese, bread and salad or a farm meal, depending on the day. The final stop is the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay itself, called "the most expensive avenue in the world" for its grand mansions and the 200 million bottles stored in 100 kilometers of cellars beneath it. Your guide explains the history of the houses (Moët & Chandon, Perrier Jouët, Pol Roger), and the production buildings that line the street.

What’s included

• Private transportation and a private guide who speaks English or French.
• lunch with a bottle of champagne for two people.
• tastings of three Grand Cru or Premier Cru champagnes at a family producer's cellar.
• tastings of three Champagne spirits (Ratafia, Fine de la Marne, Marc de Champagne).
• pickup within 6km of Epernay.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to Saturday

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Child (under 18)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 21 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Aÿ-Champagne Experience

Is this one for you?At 7 to 8 hours, this tour fills a full day and leaves no room for other activities, which is what makes it possible to move unhurried through five UNESCO sites, sit down for a proper lunch, and spend real time inside a working cellar instead of rushing past the famous houses on Avenue de Champagne.

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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 (under 18).

What is Dom Pérignon's actual connection to Champagne, and where do I see his grave?

Dom Pérignon is buried in the Church of Hautvillers, the village known as the "Cradle of Champagne." Your guide explains his role in perfecting the champagne method during your visit to the church and the surrounding UNESCO-listed hillsides where he conducted his winemaking experiments.

Do I actually go inside a champagne house, or just pass by the buildings?

You visit a family-run independent producer's working site (their press, winery and cellar), where you taste three champagnes with commentary on the production process. The Avenue de Champagne stop in Epernay is a commented passage through the street itself, not an interior tour of the grand houses.

What champagnes and other drinks do I taste during the day?

You taste three different Grand Cru or Premier Cru champagnes at the producer's cellar, plus three regional spirits from the Goyard Distillery: Ratafia, Fine de la Marne and Marc de Champagne. Lunch includes a shared bottle of champagne for two people.

Is the lunch included, and what if I have dietary restrictions?

Lunch is included at a local dining bar, typically gourmet platters of charcuterie and cheese with bread and salad, or ready-made farm meals, pâtés and regional biscuits, with a bottle of champagne for two. Tell the operator about food allergies or dietary needs when you book.

How far can I be from Epernay for pickup, and do I need to arrange my own transport?

Pickup is included within 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) of Epernay. Your private guide and driver collect you from your hotel or accommodation in that zone. Public transportation options are available nearby if you fall outside the radius.