Nouvelle Aquitaine is France's largest region, stretching from the Atlantic coast and Pyrenees mountains in the south to the Loire Valley in the north. It encompasses world-renowned wine regions like Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion, the surf capital of Biarritz, prehistoric wonders at Lascaux, and the dramatic Dune du Pilat. With diverse landscapes, rich gastronomy, and centuries of history, Nouvelle Aquitaine offers an unrivaled travel experience in southwestern France.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Nouvelle Aquitaine through its food.
Bordeaux Wine and Market Walk
A guided morning walk through Bordeaux's food culture, visiting the Marché des Capucins for oysters and saucisse, then sampling Bordeaux wines at the CIVB wine bar and finishing with canelés at a historic pâtisserie.
Includes: Marché des Capucins · Bordeaux wine appellations tasting · Canelé making demo · Chartrons wine merchant history
Bayonne Pintxos and Chocolate Tour
Explore the gastronomic heart of the Basque Country in Bayonne, visiting the covered market for Bayonne ham, sampling pintxos in authentic bars, and discovering Bayonne's 500-year tradition of chocolate making.
Includes: Bayonne covered market · Pintxos bar crawl · Bayonne chocolate history · Espelette pepper tasting
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Tasting
A deep dive into Saint-Émilion's wine heritage with visits to two Grand Cru Classé châteaux, underground cellar tours, and guided tastings of 8 wines spanning different appellation styles and vintages.
Includes: Grand Cru Classé château visits · Cellar tasting room · Wine and food pairing · Medieval village walk
Périgord Truffle Discovery
A seasonal truffle experience in the Dordogne (December-March), visiting a working truffle farm with truffle-hunting dogs, learning to identify black Périgord truffles, followed by a truffle-based lunch at a local restaurant.
Includes: Truffle hunting with trained dogs · Tuber melanosporum identification · Truffle market visit (season) · Four-course truffle menu
Arcachon Oyster and Bay Experience
A morning oyster immersion at the Arcachon Basin with a boat trip to the oyster beds, learning to shuck oysters from a local producer, and a tasting of five different Arcachon oyster varieties with white wine pairings.
Includes: Boat ride to oyster beds · Oyster shucking masterclass · Oyster variety tasting · Cap Ferret views
Médoc Château Wine Route
A full-day private car wine tour along the D2 Route des Châteaux in the Médoc, visiting the village of Margaux, Pauillac, and Saint-Estèphe with tastings at three estates including a Grand Cru Classé.
Includes: Margaux appellation visit · Grand Cru Classé tasting · Pauillac village · Gironde Estuary views
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Nouvelle Aquitaine's food scene.
Street food tours
Pintxos bar crawls in Bayonne and Biarritz; market tastings at Bordeaux's Marché des Capucins
Market tours
Saturday Sarlat market guided tour; Bayonne covered market with local chef; Bordeaux organic Sunday market walk
Restaurant tours
Multi-course wine pairing dinners at Bordeaux châteaux; Basque txikiteo evening bar crawl
Specialty tours
Périgord truffle hunts (Dec-Mar); Arcachon oyster boat experiences; Armagnac distillery tours; Cognac tasting tours
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Nouvelle Aquitaine home with you.
Périgord Secrets Cooking Class
Learn to make the holy trinity of Périgord cuisine—foie gras terrine, duck magret with Sarladaise potatoes, and walnut tart—with a local chef in a farmhouse kitchen near Sarlat.
Basque Kitchen with Chef Manex
A hands-on Basque cooking class in Bayonne covering pipérade, ttoro (Basque fish stew), and gâteau basque with a local chef who sources ingredients from the morning market.
Bordeaux Wine and Food Pairing Masterclass
Learn to pair Bordeaux wines with regional foods—foie gras with Sauternes, oysters with Entre-Deux-Mers, lamb with Médoc—at the Cité du Vin or a Bordeaux wine school.
Canelé Bordeaux Masterclass
Learn the secrets of Bordeaux's signature pastry—the caramelized rum and vanilla canelé—from a Bordeaux pâtissier, including the traditional copper mold technique and tasting of various sizes.
DIY self-guided food tour
Create your own Bordeaux food and wine tour following this market-to-wine-bar route
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Stop 1: Marché des Capucins (6AM-1PM) - oysters with saucisse and a glass of Entre-Deux-Mers
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Stop 2: Baillardran Pâtisserie - fresh canelés straight from the copper molds
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Stop 3: Jean d'Alos Fromagerie - cave-aged Ossau-Iraty and regional cheeses
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Stop 4: Bar à Vin CIVB (11AM-10PM) - 300+ Bordeaux appellations by the glass at fair prices
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Stop 5: La Tupina for dinner - Gascon cooking over the open fire
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
The Bordeaux CIVB wine bar on Cours du 30 Juillet is the best-value wine education in the city—world-class Bordeaux by the glass for €4-8
Foie gras is seasonal—duck foie gras is produced year-round but the finest goose foie gras comes October-January
Périgord truffles are at their peak in January-February; visit Sorges for the dedicated truffle market on Sunday mornings
Saint-Émilion's original macarons at Nouts (since 1620) are nothing like Parisian macarons—they're simple, almond, and utterly delicious
The txikiteo in Bayonne works best starting at 7PM and moving bar-to-bar every 20-30 minutes—order one Txakoli per stop