--- title: "Beaune in One Day: Walking Plan, Sights and Vineyards" description: "See the Hôtel-Dieu at 9.00, the Collégiale, a wine cellar and the 2.5 km ramparts walk, then spend the afternoon in Pommard, Volnay and Meursault." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/beaune-in-one-day lang: en updated: 2026-10-07 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/guides/beaune-in-one-day.png --- # Beaune in one day: the Hôtel-Dieu, wine cellars, ramparts and an afternoon in the vineyards > One day in Beaune covers the essentials if you start at 9.00: the Hôtel-Dieu (allow 1.5 to 2 hours), the Collégiale Notre-Dame, a cellar tasting and the 2.5 km ramparts walk all sit in a compact old town you can cross on foot in 10 to 15 minutes. Spend the morning in town and the afternoon in the vineyards of Pommard, Volnay and Meursault, 5 to 10 km away. Written and checked by Côte Privée, updated 7 October 2026 ## In short - The Hôtel-Dieu opens every day; from 1 April to 15 November 2026 it is open from 9.00 to 19.30, and the ticket office closes an hour before the site. - Beaune's main market is on Saturday morning until 13.00; a smaller market of about 25 traders runs on Wednesday from 7.00 to 12.30. - The ramparts walk is about 2.5 km with 17 signed stops; allow 1 to 2 hours. - The Marché aux Vins, opposite the Hôtel-Dieu, opens daily; most other wine houses in the old town take bookings for cellar visits. - Pommard is 5 km and Meursault 9 km from Beaune, so a 4-hour afternoon allows two or three tastings. An hour-by-hour day in Beaune's old town, cellars and markets, then the nearby vineyards. ## What are the main sights in Beaune and where are they? The Hôtel-Dieu, the Collégiale Notre-Dame, the ramparts, a wine cellar and, on Saturday, the market; all lie inside or on the edge of the walled old town. | Place | Where it is | Time to allow | Good to know | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices Civils de Beaune | Rue de l'Hôtel-Dieu, in the centre | 1.5 to 2 hours | Founded in 1443; glazed-tile roofs and the 50 m Grande Salle des Pôvres | | Marché aux Vins | Directly opposite the Hôtel-Dieu | About 1 hour | Tasting in the former church of the Cordeliers; open daily | | Collégiale Notre-Dame de Beaune | North of the centre, about 5 minutes on foot | 45 minutes to 1 hour | Romanesque church; tapestries of the Life of the Virgin shown at set times from April to October | | Remparts de Beaune | All around the old town | 1 to 2 hours | About 2.5 km with 17 signed stops | | Marché de Beaune | Covered halls and squares opposite the Hôtel-Dieu | 1 to 2 hours | Saturday morning; smaller market on Wednesday morning | | Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne | Southern entrance to town, near the motorway exit | 1.5 to 2 hours | Visitor centre on Burgundy wine; open daily | ## What does a one-day walking plan for Beaune look like? Start at the Hôtel-Dieu when it opens, keep a cellar for late morning, and give the afternoon to the vineyards or the ramparts. - 9.00 Hôtel-Dieu. Arrive at opening, when it is calmer, and follow the route from the courtyard to the Grande Salle des Pôvres, the kitchen and the pharmacy. - 10.45 Marché aux Vins, across the square, for a self-guided tasting of five wines in the old Franciscan church. On Saturday, walk round the market first. - 11.45 Walk about five minutes north to the Collégiale Notre-Dame de Beaune. Maison Jaffelin and Maison Joseph Drouhin have their cellars beside it if you prefer a guided visit instead of the Marché aux Vins. - 12.45 Lunch in the old town, or a picnic from the Fromagerie Alain Hess on the place Carnot. - 14.00 Option one: an afternoon in the vineyards, described below. - 14.00 Option two: the ramparts walk, then a guided cellar visit at Domaine Chanson or Bouchard Aîné & Fils around 16.00, and an aperitif in town. ## How long should you spend at the Hôtel-Dieu? Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices Civils de Beaune, which opens every day of the year. Founded in 1443 as a hospital for the poor, it cared for patients for more than five centuries and is now a museum. The visit runs from the Cour d'Honneur under its patterned roofs to the Grande Salle des Pôvres, 50 metres long and 16 metres high, then the kitchen and the pharmacy. In 2026 it opens from 9.00 to 19.30 between 1 April and 15 November, and from 9.00 to 12.30 and 14.00 to 18.30 in winter; the ticket office closes an hour before the site. Booking online saves queuing in high season, and anyone holding a TER ticket to Beaune less than 48 hours old can buy a reduced-price ticket alongside a full-price one. ## Which day is market day in Beaune? Saturday morning is the main market, from early morning until 13.00; a smaller food market of about 25 traders sets up on Wednesday from 7.00 to 12.30. On Saturdays around 180 traders spread from the covered halls across the place de la Halle and the place Fleury, selling vegetables, cheese, meat, spices and farm produce. The halls are the same ones where the Hospices de Beaune auction their wines each November. Come early for the best choice, and pair the market with the Hôtel-Dieu, directly opposite. ## Which wine cellars can you visit in Beaune? Several wine houses open their cellars in or beside the old town, most of them bookable online and a few minutes apart on foot. - Marché aux Vins: self-guided tasting in the cellars and chapels of the old Cordeliers church, opposite the Hôtel-Dieu, open daily. - Maison Patriarche Père et Fils: about five kilometres of vaulted galleries, visited on your own, with a tasting at the end. - Maison Joseph Drouhin: historic cellars under the oldest part of town, next to the Collégiale, by appointment. - Maison Champy: a house founded in 1720, with old cellars and an 1890 vat house, visited by reservation in small groups. - Maison Jaffelin: a small house working in the old cellars of the canons of Notre-Dame, beside the Collégiale. - Domaine Chanson: barrels on four levels inside a bastion of the ramparts, by reservation only; there are many steps. - Bouchard Aîné & Fils: the Parcours des 5 Sens, a guided sensory visit in an 18th-century mansion just outside the walls. ## How do you walk the ramparts of Beaune? Follow the signed route of about 2.5 km around the old town: 17 stops with panels and QR codes in French and English, in 1 to 2 hours. Highlights include the Tour Renard, the Grosse Tour, the Saint-Jacques wash-house and the Square des Lions on the Saint-Martin bastion. The towers of the Château de Beaune, built after Louis XI took Burgundy, now hold the cellars of Bouchard Père & Fils and can be seen from the walk. A few sections have steps; convenient starting points are near the tourist office or the Collégiale. The Amis des Remparts association runs guided walks from July to October. ## How do you spend an afternoon in the vineyards near Beaune? Head 5 to 10 km south to Pommard, Volnay and Meursault; four hours allow two or three tastings. - With a driver: 14.00 Pommard and the Château de Pommard, 15.15 Volnay for the view over the slope, 15.45 a tasting in Meursault, and back in Beaune by 18.00. [Our 4-hour half day](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) costs €290 per vehicle for up to four guests, with tastings paid to the domaines. - On foot: the signed Circuit n°12, à travers quelques premiers crus de Beaune leaves from the Parc de la Bouzaize and loops about 6 km through the vines south of town in about two hours. - By bike: La Voie des Vignes runs about 22 km from Beaune to Santenay on small roads and tracks; electric bikes make the gentle climbs easy. - Without tasting much: the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne explains the vineyard in about 1.5 hours and ends with a glass, and its panoramic terrace is free. ## What else can you add if you have more time? A museum, a mustard maker or a wine class, all within easy reach of the centre. - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Beaune: permanent collections reopened on 19 September 2026 in the Porte Marie de Bourgogne, with a large section on the Beaune-born painter Félix Ziem. - Moutarderie Edmond Fallot: an independent, family-run mustard maker founded in 1840, with guided tours in several languages, including English, a short walk west of the old town. - Sensation Vin: blind-tasting classes in English and French near the Hôtel-Dieu, a good start to a wine holiday. - Parc de la Bouzaize: a five-hectare park with a lake, a few minutes west of the centre. ## When is the best time to visit Beaune? [Spring and early autumn are the most pleasant](https://www.cote-privee.com/when-to-visit); the town is busiest from May to mid-October and fullest on the Hospices auction weekend in November. [The Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/vente-des-vins-hospices-de-beaune) is held on the third Sunday of November, 15 November in 2026, and the whole town celebrates over the weekend, so book rooms and [restaurants](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants) early. In summer, [the Festival international d'opéra baroque de Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/festival-opera-baroque-beaune) fills weekend evenings. In winter, remember that the Hôtel-Dieu closes from 12.30 to 14.00. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is one day enough for Beaune? For the old town, yes: the Hôtel-Dieu, the Collégiale, a cellar and the ramparts fit comfortably. Add a second day for a full day of tastings along the Route des Grands Crus. ### What can you do in Beaune on a Sunday? The Hôtel-Dieu, the Marché aux Vins and the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne all open daily, so Sunday works well for sightseeing. Many family domaines in the villages are closed, so book any tastings with care. ### Is Beaune a good day trip from Dijon or Lyon? Yes. Dijon is 18 to 30 minutes away by TER and Lyon Part-Dieu about 1 h 40 by direct TER, and Beaune station is about 1 km from the Hôtel-Dieu. ### Where should you park in Beaune? Use the car parks around the ramparts rather than driving into the old town. The Hôtel-Dieu suggests the Louis Véry car park nearby. ### Is Beaune good for children? Yes: the Hôtel-Dieu is visual, the Parc de la Bouzaize has play areas and animals, and the Visiotrain gives a 35 to 40 minute tour of town from spring to autumn. ### Can you see the Hospices wine auction? Seats in the sale room must be reserved in advance, and bidding requires registration with the auction house, but the street festivities and special tastings that weekend are open to everyone. ## Places in this guide - [Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/beaune): The wine capital of Burgundy, with the Hôtel-Dieu, old ramparts and cellars beneath its streets. - [Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu), Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices Civils de Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/hospices-de-beaune-hotel-dieu): Beaune's 15th-century hospital for the poor, crowned by its famous roofs of glazed, patterned tiles. - [Marché aux Vins](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/marche-aux-vins-beaune): Taste Burgundy wines in the cellars and chapels of a medieval Franciscan church facing the Hôtel-Dieu. - [Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, Beaune (Collégiale Notre-Dame de Beaune)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/collegiale-notre-dame-beaune): One of Burgundy's last great Romanesque churches, with five tapestries of the Life of the Virgin. - [Beaune Ramparts (Remparts de Beaune)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/remparts-de-beaune): A 2.5 km walk around Beaune's towers, bastions and gardens, with wine cellars inside the old walls. - [Beaune Market (Marché de Beaune)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/marche-de-beaune): Beaune's Saturday market fills the covered halls and squares facing the Hôtel-Dieu with local produce. - [Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cite-des-climats-et-vins-de-bourgogne-beaune): Burgundy's wine centre, in a striking building shaped like a vine tendril at the entrance to Beaune. - [Maison Patriarche Père et Fils](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/caves-patriarche-beaune): Walk through about five kilometres of vaulted cellars beneath a former convent, then taste the wines. - [Maison Joseph Drouhin](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-joseph-drouhin-beaune): A family wine house since 1880, with historic cellars beneath the oldest quarter of Beaune. - [Maison Champy](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-champy-beaune): Founded in 1720, Champy calls itself Burgundy's oldest wine house, with old cellars and an 1890 vat house. - [Maison Jaffelin](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-jaffelin-beaune): A small Beaune wine house founded in 1816, working in the medieval cellars of the Notre-Dame chapter. - [Domaine Chanson](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/domaine-chanson-bastion-beaune): Visit the massive rampart tower where Domaine Chanson ages its wines, in the heart of Beaune. - [Bouchard Aîné & Fils](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/bouchard-aine-et-fils-beaune): A sensory introduction to Burgundy wine in the cellars of an 18th-century Beaune mansion. - [Sensation Vin](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/sensation-vin-beaune): Blind-tasting wine classes in the centre of Beaune, in French and English, since 2006. - [Alain Hess Cheese Shop (Fromagerie Alain Hess)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/fromagerie-alain-hess-beaune): Beaune's master cheesemonger on the place Carnot, and the creator of the Délice de Pommard cheese. - [Beaune Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Beaune)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-des-beaux-arts-beaune): Beaune's fine arts museum, reopened in 2026, from Neolithic finds to the Venetian views of Félix Ziem. - [Edmond Fallot Mustard Mill (Moutarderie Edmond Fallot)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/moutarderie-fallot-beaune): An independent family mustard mill since 1840, still grinding seeds between millstones on the edge of Beaune. - [Visiotrain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/visiotrain-beaune): A small electric tourist train with commentary that loops through Beaune's old town and past its vineyards. - [Beaune Premiers Crus Walk (Circuit No. 12), Circuit n°12, à travers quelques premiers crus de Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/circuit-premiers-crus-de-beaune): An easy six-kilometre loop from the Parc de la Bouzaize through Beaune's premier cru vineyards. - [Bouzaize Park (Parc de la Bouzaize)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/parc-de-la-bouzaize-beaune): A romantic 19th-century English-style park around the spring of the Bouzaize, just outside the old town. - [La Voie des Vignes](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/voie-des-vignes-beaune-santenay): A 22-kilometre cycle route from Beaune to Santenay through Pommard, Volnay, Meursault and the Montrachet villages. - [Château de Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-beaune): Louis XI's fortress in the Beaune ramparts, now home to the Bouchard Père & Fils wine house. - [Château de Pommard](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-pommard): A Régence château of 1726 and a 20-hectare walled vineyard at the entrance to Pommard. - [Pommard](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/pommard): A red-wine village between Beaune and Volnay, known for deep, firm Pinot Noir. - [Volnay](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/volnay): A hillside village high above the vines, loved for the finesse of its red wines. - [Meursault](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/meursault): The great white-wine village of the Côte de Beaune, with a glazed-tile town hall and 19 premiers crus. - [Santenay](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/santenay): Spa town and wine village near the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, known for its reds. - [Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon): Burgundy's historic capital, city of the Valois dukes and northern gateway to the Route des Grands Crus. - [Route des Grands Crus](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/route-des-grands-crus): Burgundy's historic wine road, about 60 kilometres of vineyards and villages from Dijon to Santenay. ## Sources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- Canonical page: