Discover the Delicacies of Bordeaux

June 12 – June 19, 2026

Premium packages from $8,195

Savor the flavors and traditions of Southwest France on this immersive culinary journey through Périgord and Bordeaux, led by Sur La Table’s Culinary Director Meredith Abbott. From truffle-studded farm feasts to hands-on pastry workshops, you will explore the region’s most iconic and unexpected delicacies at their source. Visit bustling markets, goat farms, walnut groves, and storied wine cellars—then roll up your sleeves to cook regional dishes alongside local chefs. Deepen your appreciation for Bordeaux wines with a blending workshop and sip your way through renowned vineyards. Along the way, uncover the rich cultural history behind each meal, with stops at medieval castles, riverside villages, and the underground church of Saint-Émilion. This is a journey for the senses—and a true taste of France beyond the guidebooks.

Uncovering the Treasures of 
World-Renowned Bordeaux

Winding through the vineyards of medieval Saint-Emilion

Trip Itinerary

WHAT YOU’LL SEE, DO, AND DISCOVER

Trip Highlights:

  • Step inside working farms to experience regional traditions up close and learn how local producers craft goat cheeses, caviar, duck, and goose products like foie gras, and cultivate the elusive truffle 

  • Expand your culinary expertise through hands-on workshops. Practice making canelés, blending signature Bordeaux grape varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and cook with the season’s freshest ingredients such as summer squash and stone fruits 

  • Tour a local ceramics studio with exclusive access and watch a skilled artisan shape kitchenware on the pottery wheel  

  • Savor the world-famous wines of the Bordeaux region through guided tastings alongside walnut-based apéritifs that reflect the flavors of Southwest France 

  • Travel with confidence under the guidance of your Travel Ambassador Meredith Abbott, Culinary Director for Sur La Table who offers insight, support, and a deep passion for French cuisine 

  • • Arrive at the Bordeaux-Merignac airport independently and transfer by coach to Périgord, known for its pastoral beauty and celebrated gastronomy, for the first stop on the program. After checking in at Hôtel Le Centenaire, you will have time to settle in and refresh before gathering with your fellow travelers for the official opening event of the culinary journey. Enjoy your first meal together at the welcome dinner at the hotel’s Michelin-recommended restaurant, where the focus is on farm-to-table seasonal ingredients 

    Included Meals: Dinner
    Accommodations: Hôtel Le Centenaire

  • • Begin your day with a guided walking tour of the old city of Sarlat, considered the jewel of Black Périgord. Stroll cobblestone streets lined with medieval and Renaissance architecture and explore the grand Cathedral. Your tour concludes at Sarlat’s vibrant Saturday market where your guide will share local insights and culinary highlights of a typical French weekend market.  

    • Lunch is on your own – return to a spot you found along the walking tour or eat your way through the stalls of the Saturday market! 

    • In the afternoon, step back in time with a private guided tour of Beynac Castle, a dramatic cliffside fortress with sweeping views and centuries of history tied to the Hundred Years War. From there, head into the countryside for a visit to a local chèvrerie (goat farm) for a private tour with the owner and his 70 goats. Learn all about the goat cheese making process, from herd care and milking to aging. Sample the region’s iconic Cabécou cheese, a flat and round goat cheese that demonstrates the flavor-changing properties of the aging process.  

    • Return to the hotel and freshen up before dinner at a nearby restaurant featuring a three-course meal inspired by the region's finest ingredients. Seasonal specialties like black truffles, walnuts, and protected-status Périgord strawberries take center stage in this memorable meal. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 
    Accommodations: Hôtel Le Centenaire

  • • The morning begins with a private visit to a working, organic walnut grove, where the prized Périgord walnut is transformed into oils, liqueurs, and other regional delicacies. Explore the mill and sample products that showcase the deep, earthy flavor.  

    • Next, visit a locally owned duck and goose farm committed to sustainable and humane practices. Learn how classic French specialties such as foie gras, pate, and confit are crafted, then enjoy a picnic-style lunch on the farm featuring these iconic dishes. Your meal will be perfectly paired with sweet regional wines like Sauternes and Monbazillac that are classic companions to foie gras.   

    • In the afternoon, travel to Saint Léon Sur Vézère, a storybook village known for its artisanal heritage and designated as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Stroll through its charming lanes on a guided walking tour before heading into a ceramic studio, where you will witness a potter at the wheel crafting kitchenware for the region’s top restaurants. There is time to browse the local jewelry, woodcarving, and sculpture studios. Afterwards, you will return to the hotel where dinner and your evening are at leisure.  

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
    Accommodations: Hôtel Le Centenaire 

  • • Bid farewell to Les Eyzies and journey west to Bordeaux. Your first stop is a truffle farm where you will be welcomed by the owners for a behind-the-scenes tour of the plantation. Discover the secrets and gain an in-depth understanding of the legendary “black diamond” industry, and sample their exquisite house-made truffle butter, freshly produced on the premises.  

    • Next, enjoy a scenic lunch at Le Château des Reynats, a refined countryside estate where the menu celebrates local ingredients like black truffle and wines from nearby appellations like Bergerac. 

    • In the afternoon, visit a sturgeon and caviar farm in the heart of White Périgord on 20 hectares nestled between two rivers. This eco-conscious farm specializes in sustainable caviar production, using river-fed pools powered by solar energy. Your tasting here includes caviar butter, sturgeon filets, and pure caviar, all thoughtfully paired with a glass of sparkling wine.  

    • By evening, you will arrive at Château Fage. Unwind and reflect over a relaxed dinner at the hotel, where the region’s flavors continue to shine. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
    Accommodations: Château Fage

  • • Start your day immersed in the heart of wine country with a visit to a prestigious Domaine in Saint-Emilion. Surrounded by flowering vines and panoramic views of the countryside, you will tour the estate’s historic cellars and meet the winemakers to learn more about their blending techniques, aging processes, and classification system.  

    • The morning culminates in a vineyard-side entrecôte lunch party where your meal will be cooked in front of you on vine stocks and be served with the estate’s acclaimed wines, including their Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé. 

    • In the afternoon, continue to the medieval village of Saint-Emilion for a walking tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore cobblestone streets, hidden courtyards, and ancient architecture before descending underground for a private tour of the 12th century wine caves and a monolithic church carved from limestone.   

    • That evening, return to Château Fage to freshen up before dinner at a local restaurant for a seasonal three-course meal.  

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
    Accommodations: Château Fage

  • • Begin the day with a private cooking class at Ambe Tour Pourret, a wine estate known for its commitment to culinary arts. Guided by expert chefs, you will prepare a seasonal menu inspired by regional ingredients and the specialties you have encountered throughout the journey. Sit down to indulge in your creations over lunch, thoughtfully paired with wines, and receive recipes to re-create the dishes at home.  

    • In the afternoon, visit a local vineyard for a guided tasting and cellar tour. Learn about their unique terroir as you explore their white and red cellars. Enjoy a curated cheese and wine pairing featuring the property’s signature vintages. Throughout the visit, explore the estate’s collection of vintage automobiles, antique wine tools, Toby jugs and the “memory” of the Château, a cellar where a century of vintages sleep.  

    • That evening, enjoy a group dinner at the elegant, bistronomic restaurant Comptoir de Sèze. The menu features dishes such as beef entrecôte, fresh oysters, and Saint Emilion macaroons. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
    Accommodations: Hotel de Sèze

  • • Begin your final day with a guided walking tour of Bordeaux, exploring the city’s stunning architectural wonders and rich cultural history. Learn how this elegant riverside hub evolved over the centuries, from Roman roots to wine capital of the world.  

    • Enjoy lunch at a cozy cheese bar in the heart of Bordeaux where expertly selected cheeses are paired with the perfect regional wines for a truly indulgent tasting experience. 

    • In the afternoon, take part in a hands-on, private baking workshop where you will learn to prepare the region’s signature pastry, canelé. Learn the origins and techniques behind this signature sweet and enjoy your freshly baked creations.  

    • After some free time in the city center, return to your hotel to freshen up before the evening festivities. 

    • Celebrate the Culinary Journey with a farewell dinner aboard a Garonne River cruise. Take in the illuminated city skyline as you enjoy a chef-prepared meal made with local seasonal ingredients like artichokes, cherries, melon, veal, or cod. Raise a glass to an unforgettable week of food, wine, and discovery. 

    Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
    Accommodations: Hotel de Sèze

  • • Depart hotel for individual flights home

    Included Meals: Breakfast

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Fete_de_la_Truffle_Sarlat

Discover the Delicacies
of Bordeaux

June 12 – June 19, 2026

8-Day Premium Travel Package from $8,195 pp

(based on double occupancy; excluding flights)

Questions? Contact our travel provider at 877-298-9677

FAQs

  • A deposit of $1000.00 (unless otherwise specified) is due to secure your space on the tour. Deposits are refundable up to 50% until 120 days prior to departure. Your deposit is due upon reservation. Your final balance is due upon receipt of your invoice, 90 days prior to departure. If you are making a reservation within 90 days of the trip’s departure, full payment will be required upon confirmation.

    Once you reserve your trip and pay your deposit, you will be sent a confirmation email with our Terms and Conditions, insurance information, and a Participant Information Form. Your Guest Services Advisor will reach out when it’s time to book airfare after a minimum of 10 travelers have enrolled on your departure. Final trip details will be sent roughly 2–3 weeks before departure.

  • To get in touch with your travel provider
    Email: reservations@academic-travel.com
    Phone: 1-877-298-9677 (M-F, 9am-5pm ET)

  • Airfare to and from the starting and ending point of the program is not included in the price to give you maximum flexibility in choosing your preferences for air travel. This way you can use frequent flier upgrades, depart from your airport of choice, or add pre- and post- trip extensions with no constraints. Please refrain from booking your airfare until your Guest Services Advisor reaches out to confirm your departure.

    All drinks (wine and soft drinks) are included in the trip price for all group meals. Any additional alcoholic beverages are not included in the program price.

    Tips to local guides, restaurant staff, bell staff, and drivers are all included in the trip price. Your Trip Leader and Travel Director are taken care of and will not accept tips. The only time tips are not included is during free time and meals on your own.

  • Chef Meredith Abbott is the Culinary Director and Travel Ambassador of Sur La Table. A Seattle-based, classically trained executive chef and chef educator, she fuels her passion for inspiring confidence in the kitchen with an endless curiosity and extensive knowledge across many culinary disciplines. True to the Sur La Table mission, Meredith encourages building cooking skills that translate to a lifetime of celebration at the table.

  • Our trips have a maximum group size of 25 people. They are large enough to meet new people with diverse backgrounds, but small enough to be on a first-name basis with everyone.

  • Solo travelers are welcomed with open arms and there are usually a good number of them on our trips. Group meals generally take place at medium to large tables, and our Travel Directors ensure that everyone is included in conversation. Because our trips are priced for doubles sharing a room, there is a supplemental cost for those who choose to have the privacy of their own room.

  • Our trips are designed to give our travelers special insight and understanding of the places we visit. The talks and commentary by our hosts and local guides are what make our itineraries special, and this kind of curated experience cannot be obtained on one’s own. For this reason, our trips generally do not incorporate long periods of free time during the day, although night times and some meals will be at leisure.

  • Travelers should be in good health and able to walk up to 2 miles (with stops) over uneven terrain and be able to navigate stairs unassisted. In city centers, we try to walk from place to place due to traffic restrictions and in keeping with our commitment to environmental sustainability.

  • Every effort will be made to try to accommodate any special dietary requests you may have. Please discuss your requests with us when signing up for a trip.

  • We’ll send you a detailed clothing and equipment list well before departure so you know what you’ll need. We provide the rest: comfortable accommodations, an engaging daily itinerary, expert trip management and access to people and places that will thrill and delight you.

  • Deposits will be 50% refundable 120 days prior to departure. Cancellation between 119-91 days before departure: 100% of deposit is forfeited. Cancellation between 90-61 days, 50% of the trip price is forfeited. Cancellation within 60 days of departure: no refund. You always have the option to transfer your deposit to a future Sur La Table Culinary Journey departure up until 90 days prior to departure with no penalty.

  • We strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance to help protect your investment and provide you with financial recourse should you face trip cancellation or interruption due to sickness or quarantine. When purchasing a policy, please consult with a trip insurance agent to review what COVID-19- related contingencies are covered. While we will do our best to recover any unused portion of your trip due to sickness, it is often the case that payments cannot be refunded. We recommend using our partner insurance provider, Travel Insurance Services, which offers three different policies for you to choose from.

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Space is limited to 25
travelers — reserve your spot today!

Please call us to inquire about this trip
1-877-298-9677