Visit Burgundy Wine Region: The Complete Guide

What to do in the Burgundy wine region? Top 10 must-sees

Here are the must-sees and best things to do across the Burgundy wine region — a mix of grand cru vineyards, charming villages, and Burgundy experiences we’d recommend to a friend.

1. Visit the Hospices de Beaune

The 15th-century Hôtel-Dieu with its iconic glazed-tile roof is the symbol of Burgundy. The Hospices still own 150 acres of premier cru and grand cru vines, sold at the world-famous Hospices de Beaune wine auction every third Sunday of November. A must-see in Beaune, the wine capital of the region.

2. Walk the Route des Grands Crus from Dijon to Santenay

Burgundy’s wine route — 60 km / 37 mi of D974 road through the Côte d’Or, often called the “Champs-Élysées of Burgundy”. Pass through Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet in a single drive — every village a different climat.

3. Stand in front of the Romanée-Conti vineyard

The most coveted grand cru vineyard in the wine world, just 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) producing the wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The wall around the clos and the simple stone cross at the corner are a pilgrimage for wine lovers — even if a bottle costs the price of a small car.

4. Taste at the Clos de Vougeot

The largest grand cru of the Côte de Nuits at 124 acres (50 ha), with its 12th-century walled vineyard and Cistercian château. Home to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the brotherhood that has shaped Burgundy’s wine culture for centuries.

5. Discover Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet

The two villages of Burgundy that produce some of the greatest white wines in the world — pure Chardonnay from clay-limestone terroir. Both villages are tiny, walkable, and ringed with premier cru and grand cru vineyard parcels you can see on foot. Stop for a tasting at a small domaine — the Chardonnay from Burgundy here is unmatched.

💡 Tip: to book a winery visit in Burgundy with tasting, browse Winalist’s selection of partner domaines on the Côte d’Or, in Chablis and the Mâconnais.

 

6. Explore Chablis and its grand crus

Two hours northwest of Beaune, Chablis is a region apart — purely Chardonnay, no Pinot Noir, on Kimmeridgian limestone soils. The seven grand crus of Chablis (Les Clos, Vaudésir, Bougros, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur, Blanchot) sit on a single hillside above the village. Cool-climate Chardonnay at its sharpest. (Visit our Chablis page)

7. Visit Dijon and its Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne

The historic capital of the Dukes of Burgundy. The Palais des Ducs houses one of France’s finest fine arts museums, and the city itself — with its half-timbered houses, the Owl’s Trail, and the famous mustard shops — is a charming starting point for any Burgundy trip. (Read our Dijon travel guide)

8. Cycle the Voie des Vignes

A 14 mi (22 km) dedicated bike path from Beaune through the Côte de Beaune vineyards down to Santenay. Quiet, flat, and one of the great wine cycling routes of France — passing through Pommard, Volnay, Meursault and the grand cru slopes of Montrachet.

9. Tour the southerly Mâconnais and Côte Chalonnaise

The southerly region of Burgundy, with a slightly warmer climate than the Côte d’Or — sunny, more affordable, and home to Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran and Mâcon-Villages. The Côte Chalonnaise — Mercurey, Givry, Rully, Montagny — is the place to find great white and red Burgundy at half the Côte d’Or price.

10. Eat the Burgundy classics

Beef bourguignon (slow-cooked in red wine), escargots de Bourgogne, coq au vin, gougères (cheesy choux pastries), époisses cheese, Dijon mustard, jambon persillé. Pair with a glass of red Burgundy in winter, white Burgundy with the local fish pochouse, or a Crémant de Bourgogne as an aperitif.