When you think of “wine regions in France”, which one typically comes to mind? For many itâs Bordeaux – which has excellent wine – but I must say my favorite wine region in France is Alsace! If youâre in need of some convincing, Iâve put together a list of some of the best Colmar wine tours to help you fall in love with the region!
Before I dive into the different tours, I always like to go over some FAQs about the region, or the tours and provide some general travel tips for this corner of the world.
Iâve visited Alsace two separate times and absolutely fell in love! For each tour I list below, I looked into what the tour offers, some reviews and made sure to list the best of the best. I also like to mention what sets each of them apart from the others, to help you choose the tour that is best for you!
So letâs take a look at some of the best wine tours Colmar and Alsace have to offer!
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Tips for visiting Alsace
đThe holiday season is the PEAK season. Alsace is Christmas Market CENTRAL! In fact, Strasbourg, the capital city of the region, is known as the Christmas Capital of Europe. So its no surprise that the peak travel time for this region is during the holiday season. If this is something you want to experience (which I totally recommend at least once), you need to plan everything significantly in advance.
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đ Plan at least 2-3 full days to explore. The best part about visiting Alsace is exploring the adorable, half-timber-framed towns. It truly feels like walking into a fairytale! There are lots of towns to explore along the Alsatian wine route including larger cities like Colmar and Strasbourg. Make sure to give yourself enough time to see it all! Here is our Holiday Itinerary in Alsace exploring some of the cutest towns in the region!
đBase yourself in Colmar. If you are debating to base yourself in Strasbourg or Colmar, Iâd recommend staying closer to Colmar. From experience, the cutest towns are in that area and I preferred Colmar over Strasbourg. Iâd recommend staying there, but do set some time aside to visit Strasbourg as well!
How do I get to the Alsace wine route?
You can easily get to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, by taking a train. For all of my train travel in France, I book my trips using Trainline to find the best routes and deals! The journey will take approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes and trains will depart from Paris Gare de lâEst.
From Strasbourg, you can take a 30-minute train to Colmar, which is again where I suggest spending the most time because this is where you find some of the most beautiful towns in Alsace. To get to wineries and smaller villages from Colmar, you will either need to rent a car or take a tour! I have listed the top Colmar wine tours below that will let you experience the charm of this region through its beautiful wineries and adorable villages.
đđť Find affordable train tickets here đđť
What time of year is best for wine tours?
For most destinations, wine tours are available all year round so there isnât necessarily a ârightâ time to go. Especially since the wine process takes place all year and there will be something to see at each stage of the process.
Generally speaking, spring is an excellent time for wine tours as itâs less hot and busy during the shoulder season. And fall is a particularly fun time for a wine tour to experience the grape harvest!
How many days do you need on the Alsatian wine route?
The Alsatian Wine Route is 170 km in length and stretches from Marleheim, just outside of Strasbourg, to Thann! There are so many adorable villages, beautiful vineyards, and incredible experiences along the wine route, you’ll have plenty of things to keep you busy!
PRO TIP: To get the most out of your visit to Alsace, Iâd HIGHLY recommend renting a car. There are limited public transportation options in this region and renting a car will give you the best chance to get the authentic experience. If this is not an option for you, I also have a CAR-FREE itinerary!
Personally, both of my visits to Alsace have been a minimum of 2-3 full days. When planning your visit, I would refer to the regionâs official website for information about upcoming events or other local experiences. Your length of stay should really depend on how much you want to see and whether or not youâre able to rent a car!
Best Colmar Wine Tours
My top pick
â From Colmar: Christmas Villages and Wine Tasting Tour
â° 8 hours
⨠Includes a visit to a winery, a tasting & stops in 3 towns
đ°~ 130 euros
âď¸ 4.6/5 on GetYourGuide based on +20 reviews
I chose this Colmar wine tour as my top pick because its the most festive one of the bunch. Plus, it stops in 3 of my favorite towns in the region. This is a wine tour list so of course this tour also includes a stop at a local winery and has a tasting included. The reviews I read rave about the guide and the festive, holiday experience.
If youâre short on timeâŚ
â Alsace Half Day Wine Tour from Colmar
â° 4 hours
⨠Includes 2 wine tastings
đ°~ 98 euros
âď¸ 54 5-star reviews on Viator
If youâre short on time but really want to visit the Alsatian wine route up close, this is one of the Colmar wine tours on this list that is entirely dedicated to visiting the local wineries. This tour does not include time exploring the local towns so itâs perfect for those who would like to focus on wine tastings and explore the villages on their own.
Check availability and prices here
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If youâd like the full experienceâŚ
â Alsace Full Day Wine Tour from Colmar
â° 8 hours
⨠Includes 3 wine tastings
đ° ~150 euros
âď¸ 59 5-star reviews on Viator
This wine tour is essentially an extension of the previous on this Colmar wine tours list! This tour is perfect for those who only want to experience wine and would love to explore the wine route at a slower pace as this tour is a whole-day experience. You also get to visit 3 different wineries on this tour, so again perfect for those who want to taste multiple regional wines!
Check availability and prices here
If youâd like the wine tasting to be optionalâŚ
â Alsace 4 Wonders Small-Group Day Trip from Colmar
â° 8 hours
⨠Includes an optional wine tasting and a visit to 4 local villages
đ°Â ~133 euros
âď¸ 234 5-star reviews on Viator
This tour has the best reviews on this list of Colmar wine tours! If your goal is to visit the region however youâd prefer to visit a local wine cave, but not necessarily taste the wine, this tour is for you. The wine tasting on this tour is optional, meaning that it is not included in the price of the tour. As I said, the reviews on this tour are all raves and from what I read, most of the lower reviews were from several years ago. Definitely a tour to check out!
Check availability and prices here
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If youâd like to stay in ColmarâŚ
â
Colmar: Highlights Walking Tour and Wine Tasting
â°Â 2 hours
⨠Includes a walking tour of Colmar and a wine tasting
đ°~45 euros
âď¸ 4.9/5 on GetYourGuide based on +100 reviews
This is another highly-rated tour! However, this tour is perfect for those who would like to explore more of Colmar. Iâd recommend this tour to those who have the time and ability to explore the Alsatian wine route at their own pace or who can pair this tour with one of the other Colmar wine tours listed above. However, if you are really short on time and can only find a few hours in your itinerary, this tour is great since it allows you to experience a local wine tasting and only lasts 2 hours.
Which of these Colmar wine tours will you take!?
I tried to make this list of Colmar wine tours as inclusive as possible. Iâve chosen tours for those who have time to spare, for those who are limited in time, for those who want to explore as much of the region as possible, and for those who want to solely focus on the wine!
I hope youâve found a tour that is best suited for you and even if you havenât, I still strongly suggest exploring this region of France on your own. Itâs an experience you wonât want to miss!
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Did you know? I also offer custom travel planning on Thatch! Whether you are in need of a consultation call to talk over your travel itinerary or are in need of a personalized guide or itinerary, Iâd love to help you with your France travel planning!
