How to travel Burgundy’s Route des Grands Crus

Burgundy’s Route des Grands Crus is not just a road, but a spellbinding pilgrimage through two millennia of viticulture, embodying both the glory of the world’s finest wines and the quiet pride of those who make them. Translating directly as “road of the great vineyards,” the 60km stretch between Dijon and Santenay ribbons through 33 UNESCO World Heritage–protected grand cru (wine of exceptional quality) vineyards and their neighboring villages. Nicknamed the "Champs-Élysées of Burgundy," the storied trail is home to some of the rarest wines on Earth, produced in such small quantities that many never leave France (let alone the region).

Yet a journey along the Route des Grands Crus is not without its challenges: with dozens of villages, innumerable vineyards, and a patchwork of small producers – many requiring advance appointments – it can be difficult to know where to begin. Planning is essential because a car is needed to reach many places and the strict drink-drive limit of 0.05% (50mg/100ml) means that a zero-alcohol approach is recommended for drivers. Still, approached with care, this remains one of the most rewarding journeys in France: not only for the wines themselves, but for the rhythm of Burgundian life unfolding between the vineyards.

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What to know about Burgundian wines?

Although the exact date is debated, the discovery of a 1st-century vineyard just outside Beaune suggests wine has been produced in the Côte d’Or since Roman times. The industry was formalized with the arrival of the Benedictine, and later Cistercian, monks who believed the land was alive with spirits that "spoke" through each vineyard. To better understand these voices, they planted only two grape varieties – pinot noir and chardonnay –so that the nuances of soil and slope could be heard more clearly.

Burgundy’s wines are strictly classified according to the potential of the vineyard. At the base are regional wines, followed by village wines, then premier crus, and at the top, the revered grands crus. Along the Route des Grands Crus you pass through these grands crus – the most coveted parcels, or climats (a word that misleadingly refers not to weather, but to a precisely defined vineyard area, shaped over centuries of meticulous observation). The most expensive bottle of wine ever sold came from here: a 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, produced in Vosne-Romanée, which fetched US$558,000 at auction.

Where should I start and finish?

The Route des Grands Crus begins in Dijon, Burgundy’s official capital, and winds south through the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune before tapering off near the village of Santenay. At just 60km, it is possible to drive the entire route in a day, but the density of vineyards and villages means it is best savored over two or three.

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Most travelers choose to base themselves in Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy and a natural midpoint of the route.

Which airport should I fly into?

Dijon is easily reached from both Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports via high-speed TGV train: the journey takes about 1 hour 40 minutes from Paris’ Gare de Lyon. Lyon–Saint Exupéry is another convenient option, with Dijon around 2 hours away by car or by TGV from Lyon Part-Dieu station. From Dijon, Beaune is just a 30-minute train ride.

How should I travel around?

By car, you have the freedom to detour into side valleys and carry home a case or two – though the obvious challenge is balancing tastings with driving. Rental cars are readily available in both Beaune and Dijon, and most destinations lie within a 30-minute drive of each town. The route is clearly delineated by brown road signs baring a bunch of grapes, but as the roads in the surrounding villages are often narrow and winding, they are best navigated by confident drivers. Free parking is generally easy to find in each village.

For many, the most rewarding way to experience the route is by bike. The Voie des Vignes (Path of the Vines), a dedicated cycling path, threads through vineyards and villages in the southern part of the Route des Grands Crus, beginning at Beaune. Although the path is mostly flat, hiring an e-bike makes the hills effortless and allows you to cover more ground, with plenty of stops for tastings.

When is the best time to go?

The Côte d’Or has four distinct seasons, each in step with the winemaking calendar. In spring (April to May) the vines begin to blossom and the weather is mild, making it an excellent time to cycle or walk around villages. Summer (June to August) offers long, golden days, though tasting rooms are busier and the heat can make cycling more challenging. Autumn (September to October) is the most atmospheric season, as harvest and bottling take place, but this also means many winemakers are unavailable for tastings. In winter (November to March) the vines are bare and the air is crisp, yet many cellar doors remain open, restaurants are quieter and accommodations are easier on the budget.

Do I need to book wine tastings in advance?

Yes, in most cases. Burgundy’s domaines are small, often family-run operations where the winemaker pruning vines may be the same person pouring the tastings. With yields increasingly reduced by climate change, many producers simply cannot afford to open bottles freely. Appointments are therefore the norm, often well in advance, and some domaines are open only to the trade. A little planning pays off: email ahead or ask your hotel to help arrange visits.

More accessible are visits to the region’s négociants (wine merchants). Patriarche Père et Fils owns 5km of vaulted 13th-century cellars beneath Beaune and offers bookable self-guided tours through its tunnels, ending in a tasting. Bouchard Aîné et Fils, another renowned Beaune merchant, hosts tastings several times a day (reserved via email), while Maison Louis Jadot runs daily cellar tours and tastings – 3pm on weekdays and 10am on Saturdays – which must be booked in advance by email or phone.

Outside of Beaune, Château de Pommard in Pommard offers guided tastings and vineyard tours that can be easily reserved online. The historic Château du Clos de Vougeot, on the edge of Vougeot, provides an excellent introduction to Burgundy’s winemaking heritage, with tastings available by advance booking.

What are the highlights along the route?

In the Côte de Nuits, stop in Gevrey-Chambertin, one of Burgundy’s oldest winemaking villages, where traces of 1st-century vineyards were uncovered. South lies Vosne-Romanée, home to the legendary Romanée-Conti and La Tâche vineyards, whose wines are among the most coveted on Earth. Nearby, the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges lends its name to the entire region and hosts Burgundy’s second great wine auction (Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges) on the second Sunday of each March.

Crossing into the Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton is unmissable for its hilltop grand cru vineyards and the Château de Corton André with its striking multicolored Burgundian-tiled roof. Further south, Pommard is renowned for its full-bodied pinot noirs and the elegant 17th-century Château de Pommard. White-wine lovers will want to pause in Meursault, famed for its châteaux and chardonnays, before continuing along through Puligny- and Chassagne-Montrachet, two villages whose names are synonymous with the world’s finest whites. The route concludes in Santenay, marked by a 19th-century windmill and the charm of its upper village, Santenay-le-Haut.