This private full-day tour brings together the three finest experiences Saint-Émilion has to offer: a visit to a prestigious Grand Cru Classé château with wine tastings, a gourmet lunch at the estate, and a certified guide-led visit inside the underground monuments of Saint-Émilion — including the Église Monolithe, the largest underground church in Europe. It is among the most complete and exclusive private experiences available in the Bordeaux wine region.

Why This Tour is Genuinely Exclusive

The underground monuments of Saint-Émilion are not accessible on standard wine tours. Guides must hold a specific cultural heritage certification to lead visits inside these spaces — including the monolithic church, the catacombs, and the hermitage cave of Saint Émilion himself. Ophorus is among the very few tour operators in the Bordeaux region with in-house guides certified for both the cultural and wine dimensions of Saint-Émilion. This combination — Grand Cru wine expertise and certified monument access — in a single private tour is genuinely rare.

Morning: Grand Cru Château Visit and Wine Tasting

Your day begins with pickup from your hotel or accommodation in Bordeaux and a drive east into the Saint-Émilion appellation on the Right Bank. At a carefully selected Grand Cru Classé estate, your guide leads a private tour of the vineyard and cellar, explaining the terroir — the clay and limestone soils unique to this plateau — the grape varieties, and the winemaking philosophy of the estate. The visit concludes with a structured tasting of the château's wines, including its flagship Merlot and Cabernet Franc blends.

Gourmet Lunch at the Château

Lunch is served at the château itself — a gourmet meal featuring seasonal local produce and regional specialities, paired with wines from the estate. It is an unhurried, convivial experience in an exceptional setting, with time to absorb the morning's discoveries before the afternoon.

Afternoon: The Underground Monuments of Saint-Émilion

The afternoon is devoted to the medieval village and its extraordinary underground heritage. Carved entirely from a single limestone rock face between the 9th and 12th centuries, the Église Monolithe de Saint-Émilion is the largest underground church in Europe — 38 metres long, 20 metres wide, and 11 metres high — hollowed out by hand by Benedictine monks over several centuries. Your certified guide will walk you through the full history of the church, the catacombs, and the hermitage cave, bringing the medieval monastic community of Saint-Émilion to life with depth and precision that a standard village walk cannot provide. The cobbled streets, Romanesque bell tower, and panoramic views over the Dordogne valley complete the afternoon before the return to Bordeaux.

This tour is available on request — please contact us to check availability and discuss your preferences.