A self-guided version of a classic 4-day Burgundy tour (originally a guided coach trip, 8–11 June 2026). World fame from essentially two grapes — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — across ~1,000 climats, 600-odd Premiers Crus and 33 Grands Crus. This plan threads all five sub-regions and bases you in Beaune so you unpack once. By the end you'll tell a steely, tank-raised Chablis from a buttery, oak-framed Meursault blind.
Before you go
- Book now: William Fèvre, Joseph Drouhin, Olivier Leflaive (lunch), Domaine Faiveley, Louis Latour, Château de Beauregard — plus the three restaurants.
- From Slovenia: drive (Ljubljana → Beaune ≈ 850 km / 8–9 h) or fly to Lyon (LYS) / Paris CDG and rent a car. Lyon is closest to the Mâconnais end.
- Pack: comfy shoes for vineyard walks, a layer (cellars ~12 °C), a cool bag for bottles, a paper Côte d'Or map (signal drops between villages).
What it costs
Estimate per person, assuming two people sharing a double room and one rental car, flying into Lyon. Excludes wine you buy to take home. Figures are typical June 2026 prices — treat as a planning range, not a quote.
| Item | Notes | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights | Ljubljana/Zagreb → Lyon (or Paris) | €120–300 |
| Car rental, 4 days | Compact, split between two | €110–160 |
| Fuel, tolls & parking | Around the region, split | €30–60 |
| Hotel, 3 nights | 4★ central Beaune, double w/ breakfast (~€180–260/night ÷ 2) | €270–390 |
| 6 cellar tastings | ~€15–40 each (Drouhin ~€38) | €130–190 |
| 3 wine lunches | Olivier Leflaive, Bistrot Lucien, Caveau des Arches | €140–220 |
| Other dinners & food | 2–3 evenings + snacks | €90–160 |
| Hospices ticket & incidentals | Museum, water, tips | €20–50 |
| Estimated total | per person, 2 sharing — excl. wine purchases | ≈ €910–1,530 |
The route, day by day
Day 1 — Mon · Arrival & Chablis → Beaune
Burgundy's northernmost outpost: Chardonnay and nothing else — flinty, mineral, often unoaked. A clean baseline for everything that follows.
Pick up the car, long lunch with a few glasses in the village before your appointment.
Chablis' benchmark and largest landowner; Rothschild/Lafite-owned since 2024. Tasting room Mon–Sat 9:30–18:30, Sun 11:00–16:00.
Check into your 4★ hotel in central Beaune — base for three nights. Evening free; walk the ramparts.
Day 2 — Tue · Côte de Beaune (the great whites)
Walk past the Hospices de Beaune (glazed-tile Hôtel-Dieu — worth a ticket) before a serious start.
One of Burgundy's most eminent houses; cellars on Roman/medieval foundations. Slots 10:00 / 14:00 / 16:00, Mon–Sat, by appt.
- Book — drouhin.com · oenotheque@drouhin.com · +33 3 80 24 84 05
- Map
A "tasting table": sommeliers pour a flight of house wines alongside the meal. Reserve ahead.
- Reservations — olivier-leflaive.com · +33 3 80 21 95 27
- Map
Short stroll from Puligny into one of the most famous white-wine vineyards on earth. Photos, no tasting — pure pilgrimage.
If energy allows, book ahead: Bouchard Père et Fils or Patriarche Père et Fils (large cellar tour). Confirm directly.
Traditional Burgundian cooking in a 15th-century vaulted cellar; deep wine list.
- caveau-des-arches.com · +33 3 80 22 10 37
- Map
Day 3 — Wed · Côte de Nuits (the great reds)
Home of the world's finest Pinot Noir. Go early while the morning is cool.
7th-generation house (est. 1825), delicate terroir-faithful reds; 120 ha, 12 Grands Crus. Slots ~10:30 / 15:00; boutique Tue–Sat.
The most storied Pinot Noir vineyard on the planet, marked only by a simple stone cross. A few minutes, then on.
Bib Gourmand rotisserie cooking, strong local list.
- rotisserie-chambertin.com · +33 3 80 34 33 20
- Map
Back south past the Chambertin vineyard toward the Corton hill — Burgundy's wine "Champs-Élysées".
Historic family estate at the foot of Corton; the Château Corton Grancey cuverie (1832, France's first purpose-built winery, gravity-fed over five levels).
Nightcap at one of the town's many wine bars.
Day 4 — Thu · Mâconnais (Pouilly-Fuissé) → departure
Check out, then ~1 h 10 south to the Mâconnais — value-rich Chardonnay country where Pouilly-Fuissé stands out.
Burrier-owned since 1854; 37 ha of mostly Pouilly-Fuissé and Premier Cru, with views to the Solutré and Vergisson rocks.
Minutes away; a short climb for a panorama over the whole Pouilly-Fuissé amphitheatre.
Return the car at the airport. (If you drove from Slovenia, you're already pointed home south-east.)
Cellar & booking directory
- Domaine William Fèvre — Chablis · visit + tasting (appt.)
- Maison Joseph Drouhin — Beaune · cellar tour + 6-wine tasting (~€38)
- Olivier Leflaive — Puligny-Montrachet · wine-tasting lunch table
- Domaine Faiveley — Nuits-Saint-Georges · visit + tasting (appt.)
- Maison Louis Latour — Aloxe-Corton · visit + tasting (Corton Grancey)
- Château de Beauregard (Joseph Burrier) — Fuissé · visit + tasting (appt.)
- Le Caveau des Arches — Beaune · dinner with wines
- Bistrot Lucien (Rôtisserie du Chambertin) — Gevrey-Chambertin · lunch
- Hospices de Beaune — Beaune · historic landmark
Practical notes
- Opening days: assume cellars close Sunday and often Monday. This route runs Mon–Thu to dodge that — re-check each domaine if you shift days.
- Appointments: email is most reliable for small domaines; state group size, ask about cost and languages, get written confirmation.
- Driving & tasting: France's limit is 0.5 g/L (0.2 for newer drivers) — effectively one small glass. Spit, or don't drive.
- Stay: central Beaune keeps days 1–3 short; book early for June.
- Buying wine: most cellars ship or sell on the spot — bring a cool bag; don't leave bottles in a hot car.
- This plan re-frames a guided tour. Cellars, costs and hours change — always confirm directly before you travel.