--- title: "Tour Philippe le Bon, Dijon: Tower Climb Booking and View" description: "316 steps up the dukes' 46-metre tower to a 360-degree view of Dijon's roofs. Guided climbs only, booked at the tourist office. Driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/tour-philippe-le-bon lang: en updated: 2026-10-02 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/tour-philippe-le-bon.png --- # Tower of Philip the Good (Tour Philippe le Bon) > Tower of Philip the Good: Climb 316 steps up the dukes' 46-metre tower for a sweeping view over Dijon's rooftops. Tower of Philip the Good is in Dijon (Côte-d'Or), 44 min by road (48 km) from Beaune. Allow under 1 hour · UNESCO World Heritage · Private driver from Beaune: €120 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Tour Philippe le Bon rises from the centre of the ducal palace. At 46 metres it was both a lookout and a statement of ducal power. A spiral staircase of 316 steps leads to a terrace with a 360-degree view over the glazed roofs and many steeples of old Dijon. ## Key facts - Type: Heritage - Location: 35 km north-east of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.3219, 5.0416 - 44 min from Beaune - Allow under 1 hour - UNESCO World Heritage - Where: [Dijon · Côte-d'Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) - Official website: [destinationdijon.com](https://www.destinationdijon.com/moments-a-vivre/ma-vue-panoramique-a-46-metres-de-haut/) - From Beaune: ≈ 44 min · 48 km - €120 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 44 min by road (48 km), €120 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 Philip the Good built the tower in the mid-15th century as part of his new ducal lodging, on the site of an older tower. Its lower floors served the ducal apartments, while the upper rooms were made for show, with a monumental fireplace on the top floor. The staircase is carved with vine branches, snails and the duke's emblem, the flint and steel, and ends under a fine rib vault. Later centuries found new uses for the height. An observatory was installed at the top in the 18th century, and in the 19th century the tower carried a station of the Chappe optical telegraph. Today the tourist office runs small guided climbs every day. In season, some weekend visits end with an aperitif on the terrace, where kir is served. ## What you will see The climb is guided, in a small group of up to 18 people, and takes less than an hour. You pause on the way, including at the 199th step, beside a small wooden door watched over by a carved bat. At the top, orientation tables help you read the view: the semicircular square below, the city's steeples, and on clear days the hills toward the Jura. ## Planning your visit Climbs are guided only and are booked at the tourist office at 11 rue des Forges, next to the tower. There are several climbs a day, but groups are small, so book ahead in busy periods. The staircase is a narrow spiral, so good shoes help. Check the official website for times. ## Did you know? In the 19th century the top of the tower served as a station of the Chappe optical telegraph, which relayed messages across France by visual signals from tower to tower. ## Around Tower of Philip the Good What to combine with Tower of Philip the Good on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) (1 km away): Burgundy's historic capital, city of the Valois dukes and northern gateway to the Route des Grands Crus. - [Marsannay-la-Côte](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/marsannay-la-cote) (7 km away): Gateway to the Côte de Nuits and Burgundy's only village appellation making red, white and rosé. - [Fixin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/fixin) (10 km away): A quiet wine village with Napoleon in the woods, a Romanesque church in the vines and firm reds. ### Châteaux - [Château de Montmusard](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montmusard) (1 km away): The surviving wing of a daring neoclassical pleasure house designed by Charles De Wailly. - [Château de Fontaine-lès-Dijon (Maison natale de saint Bernard)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-fontaine-les-dijon), 3 km away: The hilltop birthplace of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, overlooking Dijon. - [Château de Marsannay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-marsannay) (7 km away): A modern wine château at the northern gateway to the Côte de Nuits. ### Things to do - [Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy (Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/palais-des-ducs-dijon), 1 km away: The seat of Burgundy's dukes and later of its Estates, now Dijon's town hall and museum. - [The Owl’s Trail (Parcours de la Chouette)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/parcours-de-la-chouette), 1 km away: Follow bronze owl arrows set in the pavement on a self-guided walk through old Dijon. - [Church of Notre-Dame, Dijon (Église Notre-Dame de Dijon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/notre-dame-dijon), 1 km away: A 13th-century Gothic church with a famous clock, false gargoyles and Dijon's lucky owl. ### Restaurants - [Loiseau des Ducs](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/loiseau-des-ducs-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): The Loiseau signature in Dijon, served beneath the vaults of a sixteenth-century mansion - [La Maison des Cariatides](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-maison-des-cariatides-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A chef couple from Le Bristol regains a star behind one of Dijon's most ornate Renaissance façades - [CIBO](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/cibo-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred table in old Dijon that sources everything within 200 kilometres ### Events - **Saturday, 10 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Show les papilles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/show-les-papilles-dijon): Dijon's free festival of taste at the Cité internationale de la gastronomie et du vin. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Sunday, 11 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Marathon des Grands Crus](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marathon-des-grands-crus): A marathon on the closed Route des Grands Crus, from Dijon to the Clos de Vougeot and back. (Sport · Dijon) - **Friday 23 – Sunday 25 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Salon des Vignerons Indépendants de Bourgogne et du Jura](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/salon-vignerons-independants-dijon): Some sixty independent growers from Burgundy and the Jura pour and sell their wines in Dijon. (Wine festival · Dijon) - **Saturday 31 October – Wednesday 11 November 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Foire internationale et gastronomique de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/foire-gastronomique-dijon): Burgundy's great food fair, held every autumn in Dijon since 1921. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Usually from the last Saturday of November to the first Sunday of January.** · [Les Fééries de Noël de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/feeries-de-noel-dijon): Chalets, vin chaud, an ice rink and a big wheel across the heart of Dijon. (Christmas · Dijon) - **Usually from late November to early December.** · [Les Nuits d’Orient et d’ailleurs](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/nuits-d-orient-et-d-ailleurs-dijon): Dijon's winter festival of music, dance and art from the Orient and beyond. (Culture · Dijon) - **Each year on the weekend after the Saint-Vincent Tournante, usually a Saturday in late January or early February.** · [Saint-Vincent de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-de-dijon): Dijon honours the patron saint of winegrowers with a parade and a tasting village. (Tradition · Dijon) - **Usually a weekend in early June.** · [Grand Prix de l’Âge d’Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/grand-prix-age-d-or-dijon-prenois): France's oldest historic motor racing meeting, on the hills just outside Dijon. (Sport · Prenois) - **Every Sunday from late June to late September.** · [Le Brunch des Halles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/brunch-des-halles-dijon): Summer Sunday brunches cooked by local chefs under Dijon's iron market hall. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Every two years, in even-numbered years; recent editions were held in early July. The next is expected in 2028.** · [Les Fêtes de la Vigne de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fetes-de-la-vigne-dijon): Dijon's international folk festival, born in 1946 and held every two years. (Culture · Dijon) - **Friday 27 – Sunday 29 August 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Golden Coast Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/golden-coast-festival-dijon): Three days of French and international rap in a park on the edge of Dijon. (Music · Dijon) - **Usually a Sunday in mid September.** · [Vélotour Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/velotour-dijon): A playful bike ride through Dijon that opens places normally closed to cyclists. (Sport · Dijon) - **Usually the third weekend of September, during the European Heritage Days.** · [Fête de la Pressée](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-de-la-pressee-chenove): The dukes' giant wine presses come back to life in Chenôve's old village. (Tradition · Chenôve) - **Usually the last days of September and the first days of October.** · [Tribu Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/tribu-festival-dijon): Dijon's festival of world music, jazz and adventurous sounds, at the turn of October. (Music · Dijon) ### Guides about Tower of Philip the Good - [Burgundy with children](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/burgundy-with-children) ## Questions about Tower of Philip the Good ### How far is Tower of Philip the Good from Beaune? Tower of Philip the Good is about 44 min from Beaune by road (48 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Tower of Philip the Good take? For the visit, allow under 1 hour. ### When is Tower of Philip the Good open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (destinationdijon.com) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Is Tower of Philip the Good a UNESCO World Heritage site? Yes. Tower of Philip the Good is part of a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. ### Can a private driver take us to Tower of Philip the Good? 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, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:tourphilippelebon): €120 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: