UNESCO Champagne tour from Reims: Private full-day with tastings

Four UNESCO sites, three Champagne tastings, one day with your own guide

A private full-day tour from Reims through UNESCO-listed Champagne villages and vineyards, with a guide who drives and narrates. You visit Reims Cathedral, Hautvillers (where Dom Pérignon is buried), the hillsides of Aÿ-Champagne, and the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. Taste 3 Grand Cru and Premier Cru Champagnes at a family producer, sample three essential Champagne spirits, and share a convivial lunch with wine. Pickup is included within 6 kilometers of Reims. The guide speaks English or French. Minimum age is 18.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Champagne UNESCO sites and vineyards

• Travel from Reims to Epernay via Montagne de Reims forest
• Visit Reims Cathedral and learn its history
• Pass by Colline Saint-Nicaise Champagne Houses
• Tour Hautvillers Church and Dom Pérignon's grave
• Enjoy panoramic views of Champagne vineyards in Hautvillers
• Visit independent producer and taste 3 Champagnes
• Discover Aÿ-Champagne village and Grand Cru vineyards
• Taste Champagne alcohols and aperitifs from Goyard Distillery
• Have convivial Champagne lunch with a bottle for two
• Pass through Mareuil-sur-Aÿ Premier Cru village
• Drive through Avenue de Champagne in Epernay with commentary

The experience

How do you see the actual birthplace of Champagne without spending the day coordinating separate tastings and transport? This tour starts at Reims Cathedral, where your guide explains the building's role in French coronations and the chalk pits beneath the Colline Saint-Nicaise that Champagne houses have mined since the 1700s. From there, the route moves through the Marne Valley's UNESCO hillsides to Hautvillers, the "Cradle of Champagne," where you visit the Church of Dom Pérignon and learn whether he actually invented the wine or simply perfected it.

The tasting happens at a family-run producer in the historic vineyards, where you walk through the press, winery and cellar while the owner explains the production process, then taste 3 different Grand Cru or Premier Cru Champagnes with commentary. The route also passes through Aÿ-Champagne, a Grand Cru village that was the center of the Champagne industry in the 16th century and still houses major houses like Bollinger and Deutz. You'll stop at viewpoints overlooking the vineyards (the kind of spot where the photos actually look like the place), and learn about grape varieties, terroir and sustainable viticulture. Beyond the Champagnes, you taste three essential Champagne spirits: Ratafia, Fine de la Marne, and Marc de Champagne from the Goyard Distillery, the oldest in the region.

Lunch is at a local spot, not a tourist restaurant, with a bottle of Champagne for two people, charcuterie, cheese, bread and salad. The final stop is the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, where your guide walks you past the mansions and production buildings of houses like Moët & Chandon and Perrier Jouët, explaining the history behind the facades and the 200 million bottles stored in the 100 kilometers of cellars beneath the street. The whole day runs 7 to 8 hours. Pickup is included within 6 kilometers of Reims.

What’s included

• Private transportation with your guide.
• visits to Reims Cathedral, Hautvillers Church, and the UNESCO hillsides of Aÿ-Champagne and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.
• tastings of 3 Grand Cru or Premier Cru Champagnes at a family producer's cellar.
• tastings of Ratafia, Fine de la Marne, and Marc de Champagne from the Goyard Distillery.
• lunch with a bottle of Champagne for two people.
• a commented passage through the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay.
• pickup within 6 kilometers of Reims.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to Saturday

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

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.

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?Book this private tour if you want to set your own pace across four UNESCO sites and a working vineyard: your guide adjusts timing and answers questions as you go, covering Reims Cathedral, Épernay's Avenue de Champagne, Dom Pérignon's village, and Grand Cru vineyards in one flowing route.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

What is Dom Pérignon's actual connection to Champagne?

Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, is buried in the Church in Hautvillers, and your guide tells his story during the visit there. Whether he invented Champagne or perfected the winemaking process is part of what the tour explores.

Do I taste Champagne at more than one place?

Yes. You taste 3 Grand Cru or Premier Cru Champagnes at the family producer's cellar in the vineyards, then later sample three essential Champagne spirits (Ratafia, Fine de la Marne, and Marc de Champagne) from the Goyard Distillery.

What happens at the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay?

The Avenue de Champagne is a commented passage, not a tasting stop. Your guide walks you past the historic mansions and production buildings of famous houses like Moët & Chandon and Perrier Jouët, explaining the architecture and the scale of the cellars beneath the street, which hold 200 million bottles.

Is lunch included, and what does it consist of?

Lunch is included with a bottle of Champagne for two people. The menu typically features gourmet platters of charcuterie and cheese with bread and salad, farm meals, pâtés, and regional biscuits, though the exact location and offerings vary by day. Inform the operator of any dietary requirements or allergies when you book.

How does pickup work?

Private pickup is included within a 6-kilometer radius of Reims. Your guide is also your driver, so you travel together the entire day.