★★★★★
Full day in the crus from Lyon
Small and larger wineries, every wine good, and lunch was our favourite meal of the trip. We mentioned cheese and the guide fitted in a stop at a local fromagerie.
Bradley C. · October 2025
Beaujolais Crus Wine Tour from Lyon: a Full Day in the North
The crus, northPlace Bellecour, 9 amMax 8 guests
The day to book if you want the named wines of the northern Beaujolais and the time to taste them properly. You meet at the Bellecour tourist office at 9 am and ride in a minivan of eight at most. You spend about three hours at an estate around Fleurie, lunch at a village restaurant, then three more in Romanèche-Thorins.
Bellecour at 9, the crus by mid-morning
9 am on Place Bellecour
The tourist office pavilion, and back to the same door at the end of the day.
Two family estates
One around Fleurie, one in Romanèche-Thorins, with cellar and vineyard time at each.
Six to seven hours
Long enough for a proper lunch and two unhurried visits.
A child fare
Children book at a lower rate, and the minivan carries infant seats.
English or French
Your driver-guide leads in either, and translates for the growers.
4.9 from 65 reviews
With a Badge of Excellence, and eight guests at most in the minivan.
Fleurie and Romanèche-Thorins: two family estates
The north of the Beaujolais is where the ten crus grow: the villages whose names go on the label instead of the region's. Inter Beaujolais describes the soil here as often sandy, and half of it granite in origin. This day spends its hours among them rather than passing through.
Your first estate is around Fleurie, where the council's appellation sheet counts about 840 hectares, 90% of them on pink granite. You get about three hours there: the vines, the cellar and a tasting. The pour is a tasting dose of about an ounce a glass, so you can try a range without losing the afternoon. One guest counted ten wines at the first stop and four at the second.
After lunch you head north on the road of the crus to Romanèche-Thorins, one of the two communes of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, whose windmill stands above the vines. The second family estate shows you its cellar and pours its wines. Comparing every beaujolais wine tour first? The fares from Lyon sit side by side, with what each one pours.
Lunch: a village restaurant, at your own expense
Lunch is not in the fare, and guests call it a highlight anyway. Your guide takes the group to a village restaurant, often with a view over the vines, and you order and pay for your own. One guest found it lasted about two hours and tied the day together.
Bring a card or euros for it, and for any bottles you buy at the estates. Plan to eat with the group: one guest who packed sandwiches was told at the table that it would be rude not to order. If you would rather have lunch in the fare, the Land Rover day includes it.
Why a full day rather than a half
A half day in the crus gives you two tastings and a lot of road. The full day gives you the same two estates with time: about three hours at each, a sit-down lunch between them, and a guide who explains the terroir and the French classification on the way.
Guests who knew little about wine said they understood the classification by the end. Guests who knew a lot liked the small family producers, where the owner often pours. If you have only the morning, the crus half day covers the same half of the region in four hours.
How the six to seven hours run
- 9 am, Place Bellecour. Your driver-guide meets you at the tourist office pavilion.
- North to the crus. The drive out, with the region and its wines explained on the way.
- Around Fleurie, about 3 hours. A family estate: vines, cellar and a tasting.
- Lunch in a village. A restaurant chosen by your guide, at your own expense.
- Romanèche-Thorins, about 3 hours with the drive. The second family estate, its cellar and its wines.
- Back to Place Bellecour. Guests have been back around 4:30 pm; allow for the traffic.
Who this suits: a first full day among the crus
Book this if
You are staying in Lyon, have a whole day, and want the named crus of the north with time at each estate and a proper lunch. It suits couples and friends, solo travellers who want company for the day, and families: children book at a lower fare and the minivan carries infant seats.
Book something else if
You have only half a day: the crus half day leaves the same kerb, and the afternoon crus tour leaves at 2 pm. You came for the golden-stone villages: the Golden Stones half day stays in the south. You want lunch paid in the fare: the Land Rover day and the private Signature day include it. You want both halves in one day: the full day through both halves tastes near Oingt, then at Fleurie. Every shared start sits on beaujolais wine tour from lyon.
What the fare covers and what it doesn't
In the fare
- Wine tastings (alcoholic beverages; tasting dose 1 oz a glass)
- Driver/guide
- Local guide
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Not in the fare
- Lunch
- Restroom on board
The 9 am start at the tourist office pavilion
Meet at the ONLYLYON tourist office pavilion on Place Bellecour, Lyon 2e, across the street from the Royal Hotel at 20 Place Bellecour, at 9 am. The day ends back at the same spot. The square is near public transport, and the team in the pavilion is there from 9 am if you need directions.
There is no hotel pickup: everyone meets on the square, so plan your morning around a 9 am start in Lyon 2e.
Know before you go
- Lunch is on you. Bring a card or euros for the restaurant and for any bottles.
- No restroom on board. The minivan stops at the estates and the restaurant.
- Dress for the weather. The day runs in all weather, and part of it is in the vines.
- It needs a minimum. If too few people book, you are offered another date or a full refund.
- Not for wheelchairs. The day is not wheelchair accessible, though strollers are fine.
- Children come with an adult. They book at a lower fare, and the alcohol is for over-18s only.
What travellers say about the crus full day
★★★★★
Full day in the crus from Lyon
We tasted outdoors in the sun and stopped at a chapel above the valley. The two-hour lunch is not in the price, so bring a card for it and the wineries, but it pulls the day together.
Jacob F. · July 2024
★★★★☆
Full day in the crus from Lyon
A friendly guide who knew the wine inside out, two wineries, and lunch at a restaurant with a view over the vines.
Amy H. · July 2024
Frequently asked questions
Is lunch included?
No. The group eats at a village restaurant your guide picks, and you pay for your own meal. For lunch in the fare, the private Land Rover day serves it in the vines or at a restaurant.
Which crus do you taste?
The day visits a family estate around Fleurie and another in Romanèche-Thorins, the home of Moulin-à-Vent. Each estate pours its own range, so the exact wines change from day to day.
Can children come?
Yes. Children book at a lower fare, must travel with an adult, and are served no alcohol. The minivan carries infant seats.
Does it pick up at my hotel?
No. The day starts at the tourist office pavilion on Place Bellecour at 9 am and ends there. For a pickup, see the private days.
What time do you get back?
The day lasts six to seven hours. Guests have been back on Place Bellecour around 4:30 pm.
What if too few people book?
The day needs a minimum number of guests. If it falls short, you are offered another date or a full refund.
Other ways into the Beaujolais vineyards
Ready for a full day among the crus?
Check dates for the 9 am start on Place Bellecour, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability