These are very thorough walking directions – you shouldn’t be getting lost in Bordeaux when following this guide.

However, I definitely recommend that you follow the Google Streetview route of the entire Bordeaux Riverside DIY Walking Tour first, from the comfort of your own home before you head to Bordeaux, as this will allow you to better visualise the entire route before you arrive.

START: The Marché des Capucins market [MAP]:

With your back to the rear entrance of the Marché des Capucins,stroll down the central pedestrian walkway of Place des Capucins (your next destination is the Basilique Saint-Michel, and you will see the spire of the “Flèche de la Basilique Saint-Michel” rising at the end of the street).

Eventually, Place des Capucins ends, and Rue Clare starts. So simply continue down Rue Clare in the same direction (the street becomes Place du Maucaillou, then Rue Gaspard Philippe).

Flèche de la Basilique Saint-Michel [MAP]:

Normally, you can visit “La Flèche”, and climb part of the 114 metre bell-tower. However, the tower is currently closed to the public, while renovation work takes place.

After viewing La Flèche, continue to the Basilique Saint-Michel itself.

Basilique Saint-Michel [MAP]:

After leaving Basilique Saint-Michel, walk cross Place Maynard, before turning LEFT, and heading along Rue des Faures (you’ll now be heading in a northeast direction).

Although Rue des Faures is not actually a pedestrianised street, pedestrians have priority.

At the end of Rue des Faures, turn RIGHT then immediately turn LEFT, and continue along the left-hand pavement of the main Cours Victor Hugo.

Cours Victor Hugo [MAP]:

Although your next destination is on the other side of Cours Victor Hugo, remain on this left-hand pavement for now – as it is wider, and tree-lined  (you will really appreciate the shade of the trees here if visiting Bordeaux at the height of Summer).

Continue along Cours Victor Hugo until you see Rue du Mirail on your left.

Just before the junction of the two streets, you will see a traffic-light-controlled Pedestrian Crossing on your RIGHT. Cross Cours Victor Hugo here.

At the end of the crossing, turn LEFT, then almost immediately turn RIGHT, into the tiny Rue Saint James – where you will immediately see the impressive Grosse Cloche.

Grosse Cloche [MAP]:

After viewing the Grosse Cloche, return to Cours Victor Hugo again, but this time turning RIGHT and following the right-hand pavement (in a similar direction as before).

When Cours Victor Hugo ends, turn RIGHT, into Cours Pasteur. Almost immediately, you will see the Musée d’Aquitaine on your right.

Musée d’Aquitaine [MAP]:

Turn RIGHT on leaving the Musée d’Aquitaine, and continue along Cours Pasteur (heading north as before), until you reach the junction with Cours d’Alsace-et-Lorraine.

You will see the magnificent Tour Pey-Berland diagonally opposite.

Tour Pey-Berland [MAP]:

Tour Pey-Berland offers panoramic views of central Bordeaux. It currently costs EUR9 to climb the 231 steps to the viewing terrace (entry to the ground level only is free for wheelchair users, and a companion too – as you won’t be climbing those steps).

There is an automatic Public Toilet (FREE) near the base of the tower too (the toilet is also wheelchair-accessible).

Behind Tour Pey-Berland, you will see the rear of Cathédrale Saint-André. To reach the front of the cathedral, on Place Pey-Berland, simply walk along this near side of the cathedral.

On Place Pey-Berland you will also see the entrance to the Hôtel de Ville de Bordeaux (don’t go in just yet though – you’ll be back here shortly).

With your back to the front door of the cathedral, walk STRAIGHT AHEAD, along the right-hand pavement of the tiny Rue Elisée Reclus. At the end of Rue Elisée Reclus, turn RIGHT into Cour d’Albret, and after a few metres, you will see the entrance to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux (MusBA) on your right.

This will also give you a great view of this side of the magnificent Hôtel de Ville de Bordeaux building (Palais Rohan).

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux (MusBA) [MAP]:

After visiting MusBA, retrace your steps until you arrive back on Place Pey-Berland again (in front of the cathedral again). Here you will also see the rear entrance to the Hôtel de Ville de Bordeaux.

Again, walk around the side of the cathedral (but on the other side this time), through the pedestrianised Place Pey-Berland. There are a couple of wonderful cafés here, and as it’s delightfully traffic-free, do as the French do: take a seat, enjoy some food/drink – and simply watch the world passing by (and as the public toilet is very close by, at the foot of Tour Pey-Berland, and is accessible too, there are no toileting worries for anyone).

Continue walking clockwise around Place Pey-Berland, crossing the tram tracks, then turn LEFT into the main Cours d’Alsace-et-Lorraine again.

Continue along this left-hand pavement of Cours d’Alsace-et-Lorraine for quite a while (you will cross 5 sidestreets), until turning LEFT-ISH into Place du Palais (again, keeping to the left-hand pavement).

At the end of Place du Palais, you will see the magnificent Porte Cailhau directly ahead of you.

Porte Cailhau [MAP]:

Pass through the arch of Porte Cailhau, and along the left-hand pavement of Rue Porte du Cailhau.

At the end of Rue Porte du Cailhau, turn LEFT, and immediately cross the main road (Quai Richelieu) via the Pedestrian Crossing on your right.

At the end of the crossing, continue STRAIGHT AHEAD onto the riverside walkway, turning LEFT, and continue until you reach the Miroir d’Eau.

Miroir d’Eau [MAP]:

Pass around the Miroir d’Eau, and cross back across the main road again (it’s now called Quai du Maréchal Lyautey) via the Pedestrian Crossing.

At the end of the crossing, turn LEFT, and head towards the fountain in the middle of Place de la Bourse.

Two roads leave from the rear of Place de la Bourse. Take the RIGHT-HAND pavement of the road on the left (as you are looking from the fountain): called Rue Fernand Philippart.

At the end of Rue Fernand Philippart you will come to Place du Parlement.

Place du Parlement [MAP]:

Head diagonally across Place du Parlement, passing the ornate “Fontaine du Parlement”, and turn RIGHT into the pedestrianised Rue Parlement Sainte-Catherine.

At the end of Rue Parlement Sainte-Catherine, turn LEFT, and stroll down Rue Sainte-Catherine (yet another pedestrianised street). After a few metres turn RIGHT into the Promenade Sainte Catherine open-air shopping centre.

Promenade Sainte Catherine [MAP]:

You may be concerned that you will lose your bearings here.

But worry not. It’s very easy to stroll around here, and leave by the correct exit.

Very important though!

You will arrive at street level – on Level 0. However, you will also leave at street level, but on Level 1.

So you need to go upstairs at some point. To do this, there are stairs, escalators – and even a wheelchair accessible lift (door width: 90cm).

To exit, you simply head north (towards “Galeries Lafayette” – which is just outside the northern entrance to Promenade Sainte Catherine, on Rue Porte Dijeaux.

Turn RIGHT onto Rue Porte Dijeaux (also pedestrianised), then turn LEFT at the very first junction, onto Rue Sainte Catherine again.

Continue to the end of Rue Sainte Catherine, where the street opens out onto Place de la Comédie (with the stunning Grand-Théâtre on your right – home to the National Opera of Bordeaux).

Place de la Comédie [MAP]:

Watch out for trams here.

Turn LEFT after passing the magnificent Intercontinental Grand Hotel de Bordeaux building on your left, into the tiny Rue Mautrec.

At the end of Rue Mautrec, you will see the Notre Dame de Bordeaux church directly in front of you.

To continue, head down the other small street which faces Notre Dame de Bordeaux – Rue Jean Jacques Bel.

At the end of Rue Jean Jacques Bel, a Pedestrian Crossing will be right in front of you.

At the end of the crossing, turn LEFT, and continue along the central walkway of Allée de Tourny until you reach the end, and another Pedestrian Crossing, which will take you across the small road in front of you.

At the end of the crossing, turn LEFT-ISH, then almost immediately turn RIGHT-ISH, where yet another Pedestrian Crossing will take you across the tram tracks of Cours de Tournon.

At the end of this second crossing, turn RIGHT, and continue all the way down to Place des Quinconces (and the Monument aux Girondins).

Place des Quinconces [MAP]:

Leave Place des Quinconces to the north of the Monument aux Girondins, where a Pedestrian Crossing will take you across Allées de Bristol.

At the end of the crossing, continue STRAIGHT AHEAD, along Cours du Maréchal Foch (with the tram tracks on your left), until you see the very first light-controlled crossing on your left which will allow you to cross the tram tracks). There is also another automatic Public Toilet here (accessible too).

After crossing, turn LEFT, and then immediately turn RIGHT, into Cours de Gourgue.

Continue to the end of Cours de Gourgue, crossing the sidestreet of Rue Boudet along the way. At the end of Cours de Gourgue, you will immediately see a Pedestrian Crossing.

After crossing Cours de Verdun here, continue STRAIGHT AHEAD into the Jardin Public (follow the path STRAIGHT AHEAD and you will come to the Natural History Museum of Bordeaux.

Where your DIY Walking Tour Of Bordeaux ends.

To return, simply walk back down to Quinconces – a meeting point for most trams in Bordeaux.