--- title: "Grottes d’Azé: Guided Tour of Two Caves near Cluny" description: "Two Mâconnais caves: an underground river and a prehistoric cave with cave bear and lion bones. Guided tours, booked ahead. Private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/grottes-d-aze lang: en updated: 2026-10-02 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/grottes-d-aze.png --- # Azé Caves (Grottes d’Azé) > Azé Caves: Two caves in the Mâconnais hills: an underground river and a prehistoric cave of bears and lions. Azé Caves is in Azé (Saône-et-Loire), 1 h 06 by road (85 km) from Beaune. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours · Private driver from Beaune: €235 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. At Azé, in the hills of the Mâconnais, guided tours lead through two caves. One has been carved by an underground river; the other is a prehistoric cave where cave bears and cave lions left their bones, and where people lived very early. Inside, the temperature stays at about 12 degrees all year. ## Key facts - Type: Nature & viewpoints - Where: Azé · Saône-et-Loire - Location: 65 km south of Beaune · Mâconnais - Coordinates: 46.4392, 4.7621 - 1 h 06 from Beaune - Allow 1.5 to 2 hours - Azé - Nearby: [Viré-Clessé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vire-clesse) - Official website: [grottes-aze71.fr](https://grottes-aze71.fr/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 06 · 85 km - €235 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 06 by road (85 km), €235 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History The prehistoric cave, known as the Balme de Rochebin, bears witness to one of the oldest human occupations in Saône-et-Loire. Excavations from the 1950s onwards uncovered flint tools and great numbers of animal bones, above all of cave bears, which came deep into the cave to hibernate. Remains of cave lions were found too, as well as traces from the Bronze Age, the Gallo-Roman period and the Middle Ages. A local association, the Société des grottes d'Azé, opened the caves to visitors and ran them from 1963 to 2001, while continuing to explore. The caves and their surroundings, more than four hectares planted with large trees, have been a protected site since 1933. A new visitor building opened in 2020, with an interpretation area on the geology and the finds. ## What you will see The guided walk leads along the gallery of the underground river, where water has sculpted the rock and left formations in surprising colours. In the prehistoric cave, reconstructed skeletons and bones show the animals that lived here. Audio guides in English, German and Dutch are available. In July and August a special tour links geology with a tasting of three local wines. ## Planning your visit The caves open every day from early April to early November and close in winter. Visits are guided only, last about an hour and a half and must be booked; arrive at the reception at least 15 minutes before your tour. Bring a warm layer, even in summer. The site also has a campsite and a swimming pool. Azé lies a short drive from Cluny and the vineyards of Viré-Clessé; check the official website for opening times. ## Did you know? Together with the chasm of Blanot, a few kilometres to the north, the Grottes d'Azé are among the very few caves in Saône-et-Loire open to visitors. ## Around Azé Caves What to combine with Azé Caves on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Viré-Clessé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vire-clesse) (6 km away): Two neighbouring villages of the Haut-Mâconnais, joined in one appellation for generous Chardonnay. - [Pouilly-Fuissé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/pouilly-fuisse) (18 km away): Burgundy's great southern white, grown beneath the limestone cliffs of Solutré and Vergisson. - [Saint-Véran](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-veran) (21 km away): Fresh Chardonnay from villages that wrap around Pouilly-Fuissé, beneath the Roche de Solutré. ### Châteaux - [Château de Vaux-sous-Targes](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-vaux-sous-targes) (4 km away): An Italianate villa of 1830 in the Mâconnais, built by a Basque shipowner on a medieval moated site. - [Château de Besseuil](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-besseuil) (5 km away): A 17th-century manor among the Viré-Clessé vines, now a hotel and restaurant with its own organic vineyard. - [Château de Boutavent](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-boutavent) (5 km away): A spur-top castle that guarded the Grosne valley for the lords of Brancion, then for Cluny. ### Things to do - [Domaine Fichet](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/domaine-fichet-ige) (4 km away): A family estate in the hamlet of Le Martoret at Igé, whose growers trace their roots back to 1408. - [Mont Saint-Romain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/mont-saint-romain) (6 km away): A summit of almost 580 metres in the Mâconnais hills, with a rooftop viewing table facing the Alps. - [Cave de Lugny](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cave-de-lugny) (6 km away): A 1927 cooperative, the leading producer of Mâcon-Villages, with a shop below the Charmes vineyard. ### Restaurants - [La Marande](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-marande-montbellet) (9 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A family-run country house in the northern Mâconnais, starred since 2014. - [Le Raisin](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/le-raisin-pont-de-vaux) (14 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A family house in the Bresse, a short hop across the Saône from the Mâconnais vineyards. ### Events - **Sunday, 18 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [La Tournuscimes](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/la-tournuscimes): Burgundy's biggest organised walk, on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback through the autumn Mâconnais. (Sport · Chardonnay) - **The third weekend of April, Saturday and Sunday; the 25th edition was held on 18 and 19 April 2026.** · [Printemps du Cru Viré-Clessé](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/printemps-du-vire-clesse): The whole Viré-Clessé appellation opens its cellars on the third weekend of April. (Wine festival · Viré) - **A Thursday in May, from late afternoon into the evening; in 2026 it fell on 14 May.** · [Chardonnay Day à Chardonnay](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/chardonnay-day): The world's favourite white grape is toasted in the Mâconnais village that gave it its name. (Wine festival · Chardonnay) - **Late August; in 2026 it opened on 23 August in Ozenay, then ran from 26 to 29 August in Viré and Tournus.** · [Détours en Tournugeois](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/detours-en-tournugeois): Brass bands, street theatre and village dances between Tournus and the Mâconnais vineyards at the end of summer. (Culture · Tournus) ## Questions about Azé Caves ### How far is Azé Caves from Beaune? Azé Caves is about 1 h 06 from Beaune by road (85 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €235 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Azé Caves take? For the visit, allow 1.5 to 2 hours. ### When is Azé Caves open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (grottes-aze71.fr) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Can a private driver take us to Azé Caves? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:aze): €235 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: