The Route des Grands Crus in Two Days: a Burgundy Itinerary
Two days is the right length for the Route des Grands Crus: one for the red Grand Cru villages of the Côte de Nuits, one for the whites of the Côte de Beaune. Here is the road north to south, where each day starts, where lunch fits, and which tour covers each day if you would rather not drive between tastings.
How long is the Route des Grands Crus?
It starts at kilometre zero in Dijon, Destination Dijon says, and runs south to Beaune and Santenay. Along it lie the Climats that UNESCO listed in 2015: 1,247 precisely marked vineyard parcels on the slopes of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, running 50 km south of Dijon as far as Maranges.
You can see the boundaries as you go: paths, stone walls, fences and the stone heaps called meurgers. The monks and the Valois Dukes drew the system from the High Middle Ages, and the appellation decrees of 1936 still regulate it.
Which villages does it pass, north to south?
These are the villages the tours stop in or drive through, in road order from Dijon.
- Gevrey-Chambertin: the first village south of Dijon, and the e-bike day's first cellar.
- Chambolle-Musigny: an hour's stop on the Grand Cru route day.
- Vougeot: the walled Clos de Vougeot and its château.
- Vosne-Romanée: the Romanée-Conti vineyard, and a winery on several private days.
- Nuits-Saint-Georges: the town that gives the Côte de Nuits its name.
- Aloxe-Corton: the Corton hill, where the Côte de Beaune begins.
- Beaune: the wine town and the Hôtel-Dieu.
- Pommard and Volnay: just south of Beaune, the 2CV's road.
- Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet: the white-wine villages.
- Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay: the southern end of the road.
What does day one on the Côte de Nuits look like?
From Beaune, take the Grand Cru route day. It leaves the tourist office at 9:30 am and pours 14 wines at two domains, one tasting of 90 minutes and one of 75, from Village and Premier Cru up to one Grand Cru. Between them it drives an hour of the Route des Grands Crus, stops ten minutes outside the Clos de Vougeot, and spends an hour in Chambolle-Musigny. You are back at the tourist office eight and a half hours after you set out.
From Dijon, take the e-bike day. You meet at 78 rue Monge at 9:30 am and ride from Gevrey-Chambertin past the Clos de Vougeot to Vougeot and the Romanée-Conti vineyard, then an hour in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Two cellars pour at least eight wines, and lunch is in the fare. See the Grand Cru route day for its hour-by-hour plan.
What does day two on the Côte de Beaune look like?
From Dijon, take the small-group lunch day. It leaves Saint-Bénigne church at 9:45 am and drives south along the Côte d'Or to spend two hours at a Puligny-Montrachet winery and two more in the cellars of Meursault, with lunch of charcuterie and cheese in the fare. You are back at the church at 5 pm.
From Beaune, the 2CV half day is the lighter choice. It lasts three hours: through Pommard and Volnay in a Citroën 2CV, 50 minutes at a Meursault barrel cellar with five wines, then a drive through Puligny-Montrachet. It leaves you the afternoon for the Hôtel-Dieu.
| Day | Villages | Tour that covers it | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| One, from Beaune | Chambolle-Musigny, the Clos de Vougeot from outside | Grand Cru route day, 14 wines | Beaune tourist office, 9:30 am |
| One, from Dijon | Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges | E-bike day, at least 8 wines | 78 rue Monge, 9:30 am |
| Two, from Dijon | Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault | Small-group lunch day | Saint-Bénigne church, 9:45 am |
| Two, from Beaune | Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet | 2CV half day, 5 wines, 3 hours | Beaune tourist office |
| Either, private | Gevrey-Chambertin to Chassagne-Montrachet | Authentica ten-cru private day | Your hotel in Beaune or Dijon |
Where does the Clos de Vougeot fit?
On day one. The Clos de Vougeot sits on the Côte de Nuits, between Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée. Cistercian monks from the nearby Abbey of Cîteaux built it in the 12th century as a wine farm, and its wall still closes almost 51 hectares of vines.
The shared days stop outside or ride past. To go in, visit on your own: the château opens every day, 9:30 am to 6 pm from April to October and 10 am to 5 pm from November to March, with a guided tour in English at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm for EUR 15 by reservation. Or take a private day with the entry in the fare: 40 minutes with Au Tour du Vin, an hour with À La Française.
Where do you have lunch on each day?
It depends on the tour. The Grand Cru route day leaves lunch to you, and the day breaks for it between tastings, so bring money. The e-bike day and the small-group lunch day put it in the fare; on the e-bike day the drinks with it are extra.
The 2CV half day serves no meal, so eat before or after in Beaune. If you drive yourself, the 2CV rental from Jouey comes with a picnic of cheeses, charcuterie, bread and a bottle of Chardonnay or rosé.
Can you ride the route by e-bike?
Yes, with a guide. The e-bike day from Dijon covers the Côte de Nuits from Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits-Saint-Georges with an electric assist, and the transfer from Dijon to the bikes and back is in the fare, along with the helmet. It costs $585 a head, needs two people to book, and takes adults only.
Two things to pack: water, because the listing leaves out a bottle for the ride, and a warm layer for the cellars. In July and August, Dijon averages about seven days a month reaching 30 °C, so the morning suits the rows best.
What is a day in a 2CV like?
Slow, open to the air, and short. The guided 2CV half day carries three guests at most in a classic Citroën, for $275 a head with two to book. Its barrel cellar opens outside the harvest and fermentation period only, so ask about the cellar if you visit in the autumn. The fare is non-refundable.
The 2CV rentals are the other way to do it: you drive. That suits a day of photographs and picnics more than a day of tastings, because somebody in your party stays sober.
Do you need appointments at the domains?
For a tasting, yes. The domains on these tours receive visitors by arrangement, and the tour makes the arrangement: that is much of what its fare buys. If you plan your own days, the custom planner books the visits for you and adds a driver, but the domains' fees of about EUR 150-300 a head are paid on the spot.
The Clos de Vougeot's guided tour also takes reservations, and you should book it before you set the rest of the day around it.
Which base works for both days?
Beaune, if you want the Grand Cru route day and the 2CV. Dijon, if you want the e-bike day and the small-group lunch day. You can mix: À La Française's day with a Beaune option picks up at the Hospices de Beaune at 11 am, so a Beaune hotel still reaches a Dijon-run day.
A private day removes the question, because it collects you at your hotel in either town. The Authentica ten-cru day drives the whole road from Gevrey-Chambertin through Vosne-Romanée to Chassagne-Montrachet, with a walk among Grand Cru plots.
What if you only have one day?
Take a day that tastes on both côtes. The Authentica full day from Place Darcy views the Corton hill, visits a family estate's cellars and walks you in the Côte de Nuits vines, for $166 a head. The Ophorus day tastes at three wineries: Gevrey-Chambertin, Beaune and one near Meursault.
How do you get back to your base each evening?
Every shared day ends where it began: the Beaune tourist office, a Dijon kerb, or the Hospices de Beaune for the Beaune option. The private days drop you at your hotel. If you change towns between the two days, take the TER between Dijon and Beaune in the evening and check SNCF for your date.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune?
Should you do the Côte de Nuits or the Côte de Beaune first?
Can you see both côtes in one day?
Can you cycle the Route des Grands Crus?
Can you go inside the Clos de Vougeot?
Can you visit Romanée-Conti?
What is a 2CV tour?
Where these facts come from
Sight hours, prices and dates come from the official pages below. Everything about a tour comes from its own booking page. Check before you travel, because both change.
- Destination Dijon: vineyard excursions and the Route des Grands Crus
- UNESCO World Heritage: The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy
- Château du Clos de Vougeot: visits
- Bourgogne wines (BIVB): Locating the Bourgogne region
- Météo-France: fiche climatologique, Dijon-Longvic, 1991-2020
Days on the Route des Grands Crus
Burgundy Grand Crus Route Day Tour - 14 Wines Tastings in Domains
Fourteen wines from the Beaune tourist office at 9:30 am, Village and Premier Cru up to one Grand Cru, with the Route des Grands Crus between tastings. Lunch is extra.
From $333 per person
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1 Day E-Bike and wine tour in Cote de Nuits from Dijon
An electric bike through the Côte de Nuits from 78 rue Monge in Dijon: Gevrey-Chambertin cellars, the Romanée-Conti vineyard, then lunch. Adults only.
From $585 per person
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Half-day guided tour on the Burgundy wine Route in a classic car
Three hours in a Citroën 2CV from the Beaune tourist office, through Pommard and Volnay to a Meursault cellar and five wines. One child can join two adults.
From $275 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Pick the côte for each day, then compare every tour on Burgundy Tours.