Cirque de Cilaos day tour: Breakfast, 400 turns, lentil fields

Breakfast at sunrise, the switchback road, a panoramic view of the cirque, lentil fields and a wine tasting

A full-day guided tour of Cirque de Cilaos on Réunion Island with a French-speaking guide and hotel pickup, starting with breakfast and covering the famous 400-turn mountain road, viewpoints over Palmiste Rouge and the cirque itself, a wine cellar tasting, and self-guided time in the craft zone and church. The tour runs 7 to 8 hours and includes bottled water, coffee, pastries and juice. Lunch is on your own.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Cirque de Cilaos with breakfast

• Breakfast at Rivière de bras cilaos
• Drive the road with 400 turns
• Viewpoint over Palmiste rouge village
• Pass through Bras Sec village
• Panoramic view of village and Piton des Neiges
• Visit lentil fields and wine cellar at Ilet à Cordes
• Lunch at local rush pond (not included)
• Self-guided visit to craft zone
• Self-guided visit to Notre Dame Des Neiges Church
• Return to hotel

The experience

The day starts before the road gets busy. Your guide picks you up from your hotel and drives you to Rivière de Bras Cilaos, where breakfast (pastries, juice and coffee) waits. Then comes the famous road with 400 turns, engineered into the mountainside to climb into the cirque. The switchbacks are the route itself, not a hurdle to endure. They are how you enter this landscape at all.

Once inside, the tour hits the stops that frame the cirque. A viewpoint over Palmiste Rouge comes first, then the village of Bras Sec. The panoramic view (the one the operator names as the most beautiful) opens onto the cirque floor and Piton des Neiges beyond it. From there you head to Ilet à Cordes to walk the lentil fields and visit a wine cellar where you taste the local production. The guide leads these parts. The craft zone and Notre Dame Des Neiges Church are yours to explore on your own pace. Lunch is not included, but the tour stops at a local rush pond where you can eat.

The whole day is 7 to 8 hours, with driving time counted inside that. Bottled water comes with you. The guide speaks French. Groups get decreasing rates. Private excursions are arranged separately.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup.
• a French-speaking guide for the full day.
• breakfast (pastries, juice, coffee) at the start.
• bottled water throughout.
• a wine tasting at the Ilet à Cordes cellar.
• self-guided time in the craft zone and at Notre Dame Des Neiges Church.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (under 9)

GroupUp to 16

Live guideFrench

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Run Excursion

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a guided introduction to the cirque with a driver who knows the switchback road and the stops, and you're comfortable with a mix of guided sections and self-led exploration. The group size and pace work for families and mixed fitness levels, though lunch is separate and the day runs long enough that you'll want to pace yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 9).

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 is the 400-turn road like, and how long does it take to drive?

The famous road with 400 turns is the engineered route into Cirque de Cilaos itself, climbing the mountainside through switchbacks. Driving time is included in the tour's total 7 to 8 hours, and the road is part of the journey, not a separate leg.

What does the wine tasting at the cellar involve?

At the Ilet à Cordes stop, you visit a local wine cellar and taste the wine produced there. The tasting is included in the tour.

Is lunch included, and where do we eat?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. The tour stops at a local rush pond where you can buy and eat lunch on your own.

Can I explore the craft zone and the church on my own, or does the guide lead those?

The craft zone and Notre Dame Des Neiges Church are self-guided visits, so you explore them at your own pace while the guide is not leading a group activity.

What's included in the breakfast, and when do we eat it?

Breakfast (pastries, juice and coffee) is served at the start of the day at Rivière de Bras Cilaos, before the drive up the 400-turn road begins.