This DIY Walking Tour of Bordeaux is just 6 kilometres long (almost 4 miles). But almost half of this distance is covered by the boat trip. So you will only be walking for 3-4 kilometres (about 2 miles). An easy one hour walk.

And don’t worry if boats are a problem for you. La Cité Du Vin can also be reached by tram from central Bordeaux too (Line B from Quinconces to La Cité Du Vin stops).

The boat and the tram are both accessible too.

On this return trip between central Bordeaux and the Cité Du Vin, you will pass:

The “Miroir d’Eau” in central Bordeaux > a cruise along the Garonne on a public boat (or a tram ride instead) > the Cité Du Vin > the “Pont Jacques Chaban Delmas” bridge (if you’re really lucky, you will witness it being raised) > the “Cap Sciences” science centre > the Statue Marthe Adélaïde Modeste Testa > returning to the “Miroir d’Eau” (opposite “Place de la Bourse”).

And because it’s a DIY walking tour of riverside Bordeaux, you can take it at your very own pace; stopping for a coffee/snack/drink where, when, and for as long as you like; lingering at the attractions of riverside Bordeaux which interest you (and speeding past those that don’t).

So if you were to simply rush round without stopping, you could easily complete the entire journey (both the boat trip from Bordeaux city centre to the Cité Du Vin, followed by the return walk back to Bordeaux city centre again), in around 2-3 hours. However, I would recommend taking a full day to complete this route from central Bordeaux to the Cité Du Vin and back.