Bike around Bordeaux: The Great Tour of Gironde

Day 1: Arrive in Bordeaux
You will settle into your hotel in the heart of Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage city, the former Roman Burdigala, inseparable from its vineyard. A welcome pack with maps, route details, and your bike will be waiting. The evening is yours to explore the Garonne riverfront, wander the stone streets, and soak up the atmosphere of this vibrant city.
Night and breakfast in 3 or 4-star hotel.

Day 2: Bordeaux – Entre-Deux-Mers (55–60 km)
You will leave Bordeaux along the Garonne River and its beautifully landscaped quays, then follow the greenway trail winding through the hills of Entre-Deux-Mers. You will pass through Créon and Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, two magnificent fortified walled towns. Small vineyard-lined roads will guide you to your evening accommodation.
Night, dinner and breakfast in a charming guesthouse.

Day 3: Sauveterre-de-Guyenne – Bazas (40–50 km)
The route rolls gently between Sauveterre and La Réole, the smallest "Town of Art and History" in France, founded in 977 on the banks of the Garonne. At Fontet the route meets the Canal de Garonne, where the Canal des 2 Mers cycle route carries on under plane trees towards Toulouse; your route instead heads towards Bazas on a véloroute. A detour through Castets-et-Castillon reveals the beginning of the canal with its locks and its small port. You will then continue to Bazas, a medieval town with a magnificent cathedral and an important stop on the Way of Saint James.
Night and breakfast in 3-star hotel.

Day 4: Bazas – Landes de Gascogne Regional Nature Park – Le Barp (70 km)
You will depart from Bazas and cycle through Uzeste, home to the collegiate church housing the tomb of Pope Clement V. After crossing Villandraut and the River Ciron, you will enter the vast pine forest of the Landes de Gascogne. The trail winds through valleys carved by the Ciron, past the lagoons of Gât-Mort, and on to the lakes of Hostens — a shaded paradise for a midday pause. The day ends in the small town of Le Barp, where a charming stone-built hotel with a swimming pool awaits.
Night and breakfast in a charming hotel.

Day 5: Le Barp – Andernos-les-Bains, Arcachon Bay (45 km)
The pine forest gradually thins as you follow a little road to Salles, picking up the cycle track along the Eyre River. You will reach the Arcachon Bay at the Ornithological Park of Le Teich, the maritime window of the Regional Natural Park. From here, you will progress toward Biganos and the charming seaside town of Andernos-les-Bains, a pleasant resort on the bay where you can enjoy bars overlooking the sea, a walk on the pier, or a stroll along the beach.
_Optional upgrade: overnight in Arcachon instead of Andernos, including a boat crossing of the bay (supplement applies)._
Night and breakfast in 2 or 3-star hotel.

Day 6: Andernos-les-Bains – Lacanau (45 km)
From Andernos, you will head along the bay, passing the magnificent Saint Brice site where forest meets the natural shoreline and the oyster-farming port of Arès. A cycle track between ocean and forest runs along fine sand beaches, past rolling Atlantic waves, to the seaside resorts of Le Porge and Lacanau Océan, famous for its surf.
Night and breakfast in 3 or 4-star hotel.

Day 7: Lacanau – Montalivet (40 km)
You will follow the Vélodyssée northward on a bike path through the pines, between lakes and ocean. Leaving the Lac de Lacanau, the trail joins a shady route through the dunes to the seaside resorts of Carcans-Maubuisson and the Lac d'Hourtin. After a last ocean break at Hourtin Plage, you will head north to Montalivet.
Night and breakfast in 2-star hotel.

Day 8: Montalivet – Royan (40 km)
Sandy beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. Seaside resorts like Le Porge, Lacanau, Carcans, Hourtin, Vendays-Montalivet, and Soulac-sur-Mer are all stops along the way. You will then cross the Gironde Estuary from Verdon on a unique ferry ride to discover Royan — its marina and cathedral, considered a masterpiece of modern architecture.
Night and breakfast in 3-star hotel.

Day 9: Royan – Mortagne-sur-Gironde (35 km)
You will leave Royan along the Boulevard Garnier and its beautiful 19th-century villas, then stop at the Park of the Estuary, the nature hub of Charente Maritime, overlooking the estuary. You will cross Saint-Seurin-d'Uzet, the old capital of caviar, and ride south to Mortagne where the winemakers will introduce you to Pineau, Cognac, and Charentais wines. Mortagne-sur-Gironde, perched on wild cliffs with its fishing and sailing port, is a unique site.
Night, dinner and breakfast in a charming guesthouse.

Day 10: Mortagne – Blaye (60 km)
You will ride along the Estuary on a cycling path between marshes and dykes until Vitrezay, the gateway to Gironde. A visit to the Birds Land bird sanctuary leads to a beautiful Voie Verte cycle track ending at the Blaye Citadel — built by Vauban and listed by UNESCO alongside Fort Pâté and Fort Médoc as the Vauban lock.
Night and breakfast in 3-star hotel or charming guesthouse.

Day 11: Blaye – Bordeaux (50 km)
A ferry will take you across the Gironde Estuary and into the heart of the Médoc vineyards, where villages and world-famous wine-making châteaux line the road. Fort Médoc is not to be missed, and a wine-tasting stop is a must before heading toward Bordeaux. The route's grand finale follows the quays of the Garonne back to where it all began.
Night and breakfast in 3 or 4-star hotel.

Day 12: End of tour
Your grand tour of Gironde comes to an end after breakfast. Departure at your leisure.