The essentials in five lines
- 4 oak screw presses, each capable of pressing four tons of grapes, occupy the 12th-century winery: this is the room that justifies the visit, detailed on what to see at the château.
- Approximately 50 hectares in one piece make Clos de Vougeot the largest enclosed vineyard in Côte de Nuits, but more than 80 owners share its parcels: read about Clos de Vougeot wine.
- One hour is enough for a self-guided visit, including the film; allow one and a half to two hours with a guided tour and the gift shop — see how much time to plan.
- Only one GetYourGuide product includes entry to the château and lunch with tasting at La Table de Léonce; the others stop outside.
- 1 km on foot from Vougeot-Gilly-lès-Cîteaux station, on the TER Dijon–Beaune line: all routes are on how to get there.
The château on one side, the vineyards on the other
Two separate experiences that are often confused. Here’s what each offers, so you can choose which one to book.
What you’ll see at the château
- The winery shaped like a cloister and its four screw presses
- The vaulted Grand Cellar, which could hold 2,000 barrels of wine
- The dormitory of the lay brothers and its 14th-century oak roof frame
- The kitchens and the courtyard of the Renaissance wing from 1551, with the well
- The film about the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, screened in the Petit Cellier
What a vineyard tour adds
- A stop at the wall, vineyard side, with an explanation of the upper and lower parts of the clos
- Tastings at winemakers’ estates in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune
- A drive past Romanée-Conti, just a few minutes away in Vosne-Romanée
- Transport from Beaune or Dijon, by minibus or private vehicle
- Free cancellation up to 24 h before, with immediate confirmation
The route inside the château, room by room
The directional flow of the visit, in the order you’ll follow.
You enter through the courtyard of honor, cross the winery, then the Grand Cellar, go up to the lay brothers’ dormitory, and exit through the gift shop.
- Courtyard of Honor — The starting point, between the medieval buildings and the manor added in 1551 by Dom Jean Loisier, the 48th abbot of Cîteaux.
- The winery — Built in the shape of a cloister around four monumental screw presses made of oak, each capable of pressing four tons of grapes.
- The Grand Cellar — Vaulted, from the 12th century: it could hold 2,000 barrels of wine and today hosts the Confrérie’s chapters.
- The lay brothers’ dormitory — The oak roof frame from the 14th century, assembled like an upturned ship’s hull.
- The Renaissance kitchens and the well — The wing added in the 16th century, with the courtyard and its well; these rooms sometimes close during receptions.
- The Petit Cellier — The film «Never in vain, always in wine» about the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, in French or English.
- The gift shop — The final room, before exiting toward the vineyard and the Route des Grands Crus.
Allow one hour for a self-guided visit with the brochure, available in French, English, and German, and up to two hours for a guided tour. Temporary exhibitions are added to the route depending on the season; the room-by-room details are on what to see at the château.
How to book a tour
Choose the option
Enter the château, walk through the vineyards, depart from Dijon, or privatize the day: the six options are compared below.
Pick a date
The calendar below shows the actual available departures and the operator’s daily rate.
Immediate confirmation
The booking voucher arrives by email, with the meeting point and exact time.
Free cancellation
Up to 24 h before departure for most options; check the details for the one you choose.
View available dates
The day trip from Beaune is the highest-rated tour in the selection and the one that fills up fastest: 8 h 30, maximum eight people, 14 tastings, with stops at Clos de Vougeot and Romanée-Conti.
Which option for your day?
Three ways to experience the clos: a short walk, a full day, or a private driver just for you.
| Côte de Nuits: guided walk through the vineyards (2 h 30) | My pickFrom Beaune: full-day tour in Burgundy with 14 tastings | Burgundy vineyards: private day tour with driver-guide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 h 30 | 8 h 30 | 7 h |
| Departure | Beaune Tourist Office | 6 bd Perpreuil, Beaune | Pickup in Beaune or Dijon |
| Wines tasted | 6, in a comparative tasting | 14, from village to grand cru | Up to 10, premier and grand crus |
| Clos de Vougeot | Walk through the vineyards, outdoors | Photo stop, outdoors | Outdoor stop, flexible duration |
| Lunch | Not planned | Not included, restaurant recommended by the guide | Not included |
| Group | Maximum 8 | Maximum 8 | Private |
| Languages | French and English | English | English and French |
| Ideal for | Half a morning, a first introduction | Wine enthusiasts, a full day | Families, reduced mobility, custom pace |
| View → | Book this one → | View → |
Photo gallery
The château and its clos in pictures
The presses, the cellar, the courtyard, the wall, and the Route des Grands Crus
The six options that visit Clos de Vougeot
Only one enters the château; the other five stop in front of the wall, with tastings elsewhere on the Côte.
At the châteauLunch and tasting at La Table de Léonce, at Château du Clos de Vougeot
Editor's choiceFrom Beaune: day in Burgundy with 14 tastings
ShortestCôte de Nuits: guided walk through the vineyards (2 h 30)
From
DijonFrom Dijon: half-day tasting, Côte de Nuits & Beaune
Grand crusFrom Dijon: Côte de Beaune, half-day with a stop at Clos de Vougeot
PrivateBurgundy vineyards: private day tour with driver-guide
What travelers say
Excerpts from reviews left on GetYourGuide after these tours.
The most memorable day of the trip: we tasted a Clos de Vougeot and lunch at a small restaurant was very good.
We tasted more than 16 wines, including a grand cru and several premier crus.
Excellent visit, very informative with Pauline; ideal for exploring the vineyards at a leisurely pace.
Departure by minibus from the center of Beaune, and Pauline is very knowledgeable about the winemakers.
Marie brought the region’s history to life.
Paul, a very professional driver, took us to estates we would never have found on our own.
The ratings and number of reviews are live GetYourGuide figures from the operators. Read our detailed reviews ›
Questions I’m asked at the gate
Five short answers before booking anything.
Does a tour "that passes by Clos de Vougeot" enter the château?
No. The stop is made in front of the wall, on the vineyard side, for photos and an explanation of the terroir. Only the lunch at La Table de Léonce includes entry.
Can you visit without booking?
Self-guided visits can be purchased on-site at the ticket office; guided tours, however, depart at fixed times and must be booked, for groups of up to 20 people. Details on schedules and tickets.
How much time should you allow?
One hour for a self-guided visit including the film, one and a half to two hours with a guided tour and the gift shop, half a day if you add the vineyards. See how long the visit lasts.
What is the best time to visit?
Spring and autumn for the light and tranquility; the harvest usually falls in late August or September, but the estates are then in high demand. More details on the best time.
Is it accessible by wheelchair, and with children?
The château has no elevator: stairs and old floors mean limited access, except for the restaurant, which is accessible. See accessibility and children.
These dates don’t work for you?
Browse other visits and tours around Clos de Vougeot and find the one that fits your schedule — instant confirmation and free cancellation up to 24 h before.
Clos de Vougeot, explained
I’ve done the press room tour several hundred times, three summers in a row, and the question that came up most often at the ticket office wasn’t about history: it was "We’ve booked a tour that passes by Clos de Vougeot, do we go inside?" The answer is almost always no. Here’s how to untangle the three things this name refers to, and decide what you’re booking.
The château, the clos, the appellation: three different things
The clos is the vineyard: about 50 hectares in one piece, enclosed by walls, established by the monks of Cîteaux between around 1109 and 1115. The château in the middle is the former winery building turned monument: a winery and Grand Cellar in the 12th century, a Renaissance manor added in 1551 by Dom Jean Loisier, listed as a historic monument in 1949. The appellation Clos de Vougeot, finally, is a grand cru of the Côte de Nuits since 1937, exclusively red pinot noir. The château itself no longer produces wine: it belongs to the Société civile des Amis du Château, which bought it in 1944 and entrusted it on a 99-year lease to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. The vines, however, are shared among more than 80 owners. One wall, one name, dozens of hands: that’s the entire uniqueness of this grand cru.
What you see once inside
The tour follows a one-way route and takes about an hour for a self-guided visit, film included. You enter through the courtyard of honor, then comes the room I always find most impressive: the winery, built in the shape of a cloister, with its four wooden screw presses, each capable of pressing four tons of grapes. Next to it, the vaulted Grand Cellar could hold 2,000 barrels of wine; this is where the Confrérie holds its chapters. Then come the dormitory of the lay brothers with its 14th-century oak roof trusses, the Renaissance kitchens with their well, and the Petit Cellier where the film about the Confrérie is shown. A point of honesty: some rooms close during receptions and private events, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Room-by-room details are on the page what to see at the château, and seasonal schedules on schedules and tickets.
What the tours do, from the road
On the Route des Grands Crus, Clos de Vougeot is the mandatory photo stop: the wall, the roof, the sloping vineyard. GetYourGuide tours stop outside for ten or fifteen minutes, time enough to explain the terroir and understand why the top of the clos, on the slope near the château, has always been considered better than the bottom, which is flatter and more clay-rich toward the main road. They then continue to estates in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, or Vosne-Romanée, where Romanée-Conti can be admired from the path. Two things to know: entry to the château is never included in these tours, and tasting Clos de Vougeot itself is not guaranteed, as it depends on the estate visited. I detail what each option covers on the page for Côte de Nuits wine tours.
Combining both in one day
The best approach, and the one I recommend to my neighbors when they host family, is to visit the château in the morning on your own, then take a vineyard tour in the afternoon, or vice versa. Vougeot is about 20 kilometers from both Dijon and Beaune. By train, the TER Dijon–Beaune stops at Vougeot-Gilly-lès-Cîteaux station, with a 1-kilometer walk (15 minutes) through the vineyards. By car from Dijon, allow 25 to 30 minutes via the D974, passing through Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, and Chambolle-Musigny; from Beaune, about 25 minutes via Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Romanée. Guided tours depart at fixed times: in French at 10 h 30, 14 h 30, and 16 h 30; in English at 11 h 30 and 15 h 30, by reservation and for groups of up to 20 people. With the gift shop, allow one and a half to two hours. The rest of the routes are on how to get there.
What I would book
If you’re only coming once and want to enter, have lunch, and taste on-site, there’s only one option: lunch at La Table de Léonce, three hours, for up to 10 people, with a guided tour of the château before the meal at 11 h 15 in English, or after the meal at 11 h 45 in French. Burgundian menu with four courses, four Burgundy wines including two premier crus selected by the Confrérie, with commentary from the sommelier on the UNESCO-listed Climats. This is for ages 18 and up, Tuesday–Sunday from April to October, Wednesday–Sunday the rest of the year: see the page lunch at the château. If you prefer walking through the vineyards, the 2 h 30 walk from Beaune does the job without taking up the whole day. And if you have a full day and a curiosity for wine, I’d choose the day trip from Beaune, with its 14 tastings and an eight-person minibus; it often sells out, so book early. The six options are compared on all visits, and the current rate is displayed in the booking module.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the Clos de Vougeot?
The building and the vineyards must be considered separately. The château has belonged since 1944 to the Société civile des Amis du Château du Clos de Vougeot, which has entrusted it under a 99-year lease to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. The 50 hectares of vineyards, however, are shared among more than 80 owners and operators: see the details on who owns it.
Can the Clos de Vougeot be visited?
Yes, every day, with self-guided tours using a leaflet, interactive screens, and a mobile app, or with guided tours at fixed times by reservation. The last entry is one hour before closing, and the château is closed on December 24, 25, and 31, as well as January 1. Seasonal opening hours are available on opening hours and tickets.
How much does a meal at the château cost?
I do not display any prices here, as they vary by season and package. Lunch at La Table de Léonce includes a four-course Burgundian menu, four wines (including two premiers crus), and a guided tour of the château; the current rate is shown in the reservation module. What the package includes is explained on lunch at the château.
What is special about the Clos de Vougeot?
One wall, one name, dozens of hands. It is the largest single enclosed vineyard in the Côte de Nuits, about 50 hectares, but it is divided among more than 80 owners, so two bottles from the same vintage may have almost nothing in common. The upper part of the clos, on a slope near the château, is traditionally considered superior to the lower part, which is flatter and more clayey: see Clos de Vougeot wine.
Which are the good vintages, and when should they be drunk?
In the Côte de Nuits, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2019, and 2020 are generally considered great vintages. A Clos de Vougeot is typically drunk between ten and twenty years after harvest, longer for exceptional years; serve it at 16 to 17 °C and decant for one hour if it is young. More details on the vintages.
What is the address, and how do I get there?
Rue de la Montagne, 21640 Vougeot, in Côte-d’Or, about twenty kilometers from both Dijon and Beaune, on the D974. The TER Dijon–Beaune train stops at Vougeot-Gilly-lès-Cîteaux station, one kilometer from the gate, a 15-minute walk. Directions and parking are available on address and access.
Is Clos de Vougeot a grand cru?
Yes, it has been a grand cru appellation of the Côte de Nuits since 1937, exclusively for red pinot noir. The château itself no longer produces wine: there is therefore no "château wine," only Clos de Vougeot wines from the domains that own parcels. The routes along the clos are detailed on Côte de Nuits wine routes.
How many owners are there in the clos?
More than 80. The fragmentation dates back to February 13, 1790, when the abbey of Cîteaux and its assets were confiscated as national property, and later to the division of Étienne Camuzet’s 15 hectares starting in 1920. The full story is on how many owners and in nine centuries of the clos’s history.
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