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Saint-Émilion
Private Saint Emilion Walking Tour with a Licensed Guide
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private tours
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Walking Tours
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02 hours
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Small Groups ( 2~15 )
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Multi-languages
English Español Italiano
- Highlights
- Program
- Gallery
- Know before
- Meeting point
- Inc. / Exc.
- FAQ
Select options and Book
Check availability
Highlights
- Discover the Highlights of This UNESCO World Heritage village
- Private Tour of the Famous Underground Monolithic church
- Perfect for Those Who Love Enchanting Small Villages
- English speaking licensed guides, local experts
Program & Itinerary
Today, meet your licensed tour guide directly at the village in front of the Saint Emilion tourism office. Then, depart for a 2-hour cultural & historical walking tour of saint émilion village, classified as a Unesco World Heritage site, filled with interesting facts, anecdotes and unique visits. The village makes for a perfect day trip and can be reached very easily from Bordeaux by train or by car.
Uncover the Magic of Saint Emilion
Saint Emilion is all the more charming because it is so different from all the other French medieval villages. Emilian, a Benedictine monk, was born in Brittany in the 8th century, to a modest family. The count who ruled the province chose him to be his financial steward, which turned out to be an unfortunate distinction in his life: Jealous rivals accused him of thievery to discredit him in the eyes of his master and confidant.
After some turmoil, his path eventually led him to a forest where, captivated by the serenity of the area, he dug out a cave and dedicated his life to God. The hermit had performed so many miracles and done so much good around him that his name was given to the place where he had lived (after his death in 767) which became known as Saint Emilion.
Visit The Underground Monolithic Cathedral
Begin your half day tour by the visit of the most famous monument of Saint Emilion: the underground monolithic church. 125 ft long, 66 ft wide and 36 ft high, all you can see from the exterior are a few windows on the one facade and the steeple, topped with a Gothic arrow 174 ft high. Benedictine monks were the inspiration for this church carved out of solid rock which is Europe’s largest monolithic cathedral!
Our licensed tour guides have the privilege of being able to guide inside the monolithic church of st emilion so follow them on a private guided tour just for you and your party. As you enter, following a long gallery, one comes across an altar oriented towards the west, rather than the east as is the Christian tradition. The sobriety of the ornamentation stands in stark contrast with the wealth of lessons to be learned from them.
Once the visit of the underground church is over, follow your guide and stroll through the wonderful small streets of the village. Discover the unique 68 meter high bell tower built between the 12th and 13th century and that is the culminating point of Saint Emilion. Climbing the 96 steps is quite a challenge but the result is that you will admire one of the most stunning views of the area.
Other important monuments that your guide will certainly point out are the Tower of the Kings, where each year the local wine brotherhood announces the beginning of the harvest in September, the Collegiate Church and its cloister as well as the Cloitre des Cordeliers where one can taste the local bubbly called Crémant de Bordeaux.
And Of Course, Learn About The Local Saint Emilion Wines
Your 2-hour walking tour will also include some information about the world renowned Bordeaux wines of Saint Emilion through the history of the Jurade. When John ‘Lackland’ succeeded his brother, Richard Lionheart, to the throne of England in 1199, he signed the ‘Falaise Charter’ which accorded Saint Emilion the statute of a free and independent commune, with the right to be administered by a mayor, twelve members of the Jurade (the town council) and twelve advisers elected by the town’s notables.
These councilmen had vast power that included rendering justice. Wine growing was such an important part of the local economy that they also regulated the manufacturing process and the sale of wine, and even publicly announced the start and the end of the grape harvests.
As you visit Saint Emilion, why not participate in a wine tasting session of St Emilion wines or other wines of the Bordeaux region? Your guide, expert in all the Bordeaux wine regions will be happy to organize a wine tour for you within the village.
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Meet your guide at your hotel, accommodation or dedicated meeting point in Saint Emilion
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Follow a 2-hour guided walking tour of Saint Emilion
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Optional private visit of the underground monuments (entrance fees not included)
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Optional wine tasting session in the village (tasting fees not included)
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End the tour in the village of Saint Emilion
Gallery



Know before you book
- Underground monuments tickets can be purchased during booking process
- Optional wine tasting can be purchased during booking process
- Tour available all year round (except May 1st, Dec 25th and Jan 1st)
- Tour requires minimum 2 passengers (adults) to operate
- Group size of 2 to 15 participants maximum
- Tour is operated in English, other languages on request
- Tour involves some walking, comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- This tour is not recommended for persons with reduced mobility
- This tour is not wheelchair accessible
Meeting point
Departure
Return
Included / excluded
Included
- 2-hour Guided walking tour of St Emilion
- Services of a licensed English speaking guide
- Visit of underground monuments (optional)
- Wine tasting session in the village (optional)
Excluded
- Entrance fees & tasting fees
- Meals and drinks
- Personal insurance and expenses
- Gratuities for the guide
FAQ
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Where will we meet our licensed tour guide?
Your guide will meet you directly at your hotel or accommodation in Saint Emilion village. If you are coming from outside, we will set a convenient meeting point for you, usually in front of the Saint Emilion tourism office. The end of your guided walking tour in Saint Emilion will take place in the village. -
Is your Saint Emilion Walking Tour adapted to everyone?
Our Saint Emilion walking tour involves an important amount of walking. Saint Emilion being a medieval village, it still retains a large number of cobbledstone streets that are difficult to walk on. Therefore we strongly advise that you book this tour only if you are in a good physical condition. This tour is certainly not adapted to persons who have walking difficulties and it is not wheelchair accessible. You will also need to wear comfortable walking shoes. -
Is the price per person or per group?
The pricing for our walking tours is per group of minimum 2 persons to maximum 15 persons. -
Can we adapt the tour to fit our wishes?
Aboslutely, since this is a private tour we will customize the walking tour to your wishes. Let our team of travel professionals know what are your main points of interest and they will designe the tour accordingly. We have already made it possible for you to include an optional wine tasting session in the village as well as the entrance tickets to the underground monumnets if you would like to include any of these on your private tour. -
Is this Guided Walking Tour of Saint Emilion only available in English?
No, our talented, in-house multi lingual guides will be happy to conduct the tour in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese.
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