Alsace Wine Tour Questions
Prices, whether the tasting is in the fare, the castle ticket, where each day starts, ages and cancellation. Ready for your Alsace Wine booking? The answers below settle most of what you need first.
Two answers matter more than the rest. First, whether the tasting is inside the price: on most days it is, but not on every day. Two never pour and two sell it on the spot. Then where the day begins, because Colmar sits closer to the vineyard and Strasbourg has far more departures. Every tour card says both.
Is the wine tasting included in an Alsace wine tour?
On most of them, yes, and the half day from Colmar and the vineyard walk near Colmar each pour six wines. Some do not: the Colmar-and-castle day and the open-top bus never pour at all, and the 4 Wonders day and the Riquewihr walk sell the tasting as an extra you buy on the spot. Every card here says which.
How much does an Alsace wine tour cost?
Fares run from $36 for a two-hour walk in Riquewihr to $878 for a private day for up to four people. A half day with the tastings paid for starts at $114, and a full day at $155. Check whether the tasting is in the fare before you compare two prices.
Should an Alsace wine tour start in Strasbourg or Colmar?
Colmar sits closer to the vineyard — 26 km from Haut-Kœnigsbourg against Strasbourg's 55 km — so a day out of Colmar reaches four villages where a day out of Strasbourg reaches two or three. Strasbourg has far more departures and more shapes of day, from ninety minutes to ten and a half hours.
How long is the Alsace Wine Route?
More than 170 km, crossing 119 communes from Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south, with a separate enclave around Wissembourg. It was inaugurated in 1953, which makes it one of the oldest wine routes in France.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes. Some departures run only if at least two adults are booked, and the smallest group on the site is six people. All but one refund in full up to 24 hours before departure, so booking early costs you nothing.
Are any of the tours adults only?
Several are. Both Ophorus Wine Route days and the private tasting in Strasbourg are 18 and over. The Colmar-and-castle day and the villages day trip take children from four, and the estate lunch at Gertwiller has a children's menu.
Is entry to Haut-Kœnigsbourg included?
On the castle day from Colmar, the Ophorus Colmar day from Strasbourg and the private Tesla day, yes. On every other tour that passes it, it is not. Paid separately the adult ticket is €12, or €16 with the audio tour.
How many wineries will I visit?
Two on a half day and three on a full day. Village day trips and the walks usually stop at one. The half day from Colmar and the vineyard walk near Colmar each pour six wines at a single estate.
Is lunch included?
On one tour only — the estate day at Gertwiller, where an Alsatian meal with a wine beside each course is in the fare. Everywhere else you buy your own, and both Ophorus listings warn that snacks are not served with the tastings.
Can I visit the wine route without a car?
Yes. Every tour that leaves Strasbourg or Colmar starts at a kerb you can walk to, and the open-top bus runs a loop between six villages on a day ticket. A few do expect you to reach the start yourself: the Gertwiller estate, the vineyard walk near Colmar, the Colmar old-town walk and the Riquewihr walk.
What is the best time of year for an Alsace wine tour?
Late spring to early autumn puts you in a green or golden vineyard with everything running. The open-top bus runs only from 3 April to 11 October. December brings the Christmas markets, and both Ophorus days out of Strasbourg move their return point. Nothing runs on 25 December or 1 January.
What grapes will I taste?
Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, and Crémant d'Alsace as well. Ninety per cent of the wine made under AOC Alsace is white.
What is an Alsace Grand Cru?
One of 51 delimited sites, each now an appellation in its own right, planted mainly to Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris or Gewurztraminer. They account for four per cent of what Alsace makes, on parcels of three to eighty hectares.
What is the cancellation policy?
Almost every tour here refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. The exception is the RHINE VALLEY day trip from Strasbourg, which needs two days' notice. Each card prints its own window.
Which Alsace villages will I see?
It depends on the tour: Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Kaysersberg, Hunawihr, Turckheim, Obernai, Mittelbergheim and Dambach-la-Ville. The four-village days cover Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr.
Where exactly do tours leave from in Strasbourg?
Three kerbs. 8 Place de la Gare, beside the pharmacy; 17 Place de la Cathédrale, outside the tourist office, at 9:00am; and the Place de l'Étoile coach station.
Where do tours leave from in Colmar?
There are two fixed kerbs: 2 Avenue de la Marne, in front of the Hôtel L'Esquisse, and 6 Rue Turenne, in front of Winstub Brenner, at 1:45pm. The 4 Wonders day instead collects you at a point you choose in town.
How early should I arrive?
Ten minutes before departure on the Ophorus tours. Fifteen on the Tour.Alsace minibus, which waits in the coach-station car park and is black.
What happens if not enough people book?
Some departures run only if at least two adults are booked. If the minimum is not met you are offered another date or a full refund.
How big are the groups?
From four on the private Tesla day to 28 on the open-top bus. Most of the small-group days cap at eight; the Colmar walking tour takes six and the 4 Wonders day seven.
Are the tours wheelchair accessible?
One is: the private Tesla day states wheelchair and stroller access and infant seats. Most of the rest state the opposite, and the visit inside Haut-Kœnigsbourg alone takes in 300 steps.
What language are the tours in?
English on every one, and five are English-only. The half day from Colmar also guides in French, German and Spanish; the Riquewihr walk in German and French; and two coach days carry a French-speaking driver with an audio guide in twelve languages.
Will I be able to buy wine?
Yes, at the cellar door on any tour that visits an estate, usually at the grower's own price. One listing states plainly that there is no obligation to buy.
How much is Haut-Kœnigsbourg on its own?
€12 for an adult self-guided visit, €16 with the audio tour, €8 for 6-17s and €30 for a family of up to four. Under-6s go free, and entry is free on the first Sunday of each month from November to March.
What time does Haut-Kœnigsbourg close?
6:00pm in September and October; 5:00pm in November and December, with a midday closure from 12:00 to 1:00. Last entry is always one hour before closing, and on Mondays the castle opens an hour later, at 10:30am.
Is there a shuttle to the castle?
Yes — line 500 from Sélestat SNCF station, €3 a journey. There are also 150 free parking spaces at the castle itself, six of them reserved.
What is at the Musée Unterlinden?
Colmar's main museum, on Place Unterlinden. It opens Wednesday to Monday from 9:00am to 6:00pm with last entry at 5:30pm, and an adult ticket is €14. It is closed on Tuesdays.
Do tours run in the rain?
Several listings say the tour runs rain or shine. One Ophorus day carries a bad-weather cancellation clause the others do not, and one operator hands out umbrellas.
Is the open-top bus a wine tour?
No. Its own exclusions list winery tours and tastings, and one traveller wrote that if you are thinking it is a wine tour, it is not. It is transport between six wine-route villages, which is a different and useful thing.
Can I walk in the vineyard itself?
Yes, on the guided walk near Colmar. It spends an hour among the vines at an organic estate, then an hour in the cellar and an hour tasting six wines.
Is a private Alsace wine tour worth it?
It depends how you are charged. The full private day is $878 for a group of up to four, which works out near $219 a head at four people, against $193 a head on the shared full day. The 90-minute tasting in Strasbourg is charged per person.
What changes at Christmas?
Both Ophorus Strasbourg tours return just outside the Grande-Île, with the address arranged on the day. The Colmar-and-castle day does not run at weekends between 16 November and 25 December. Neither Wine Route day runs on 25 December or 1 January.
Do any tours pick up at my hotel?
One does as standard: the private Tesla day. The 4 Wonders day collects you at a point you choose in Colmar. Everything else meets at a fixed kerb, and several listings put hotel pick-up in their exclusions.
How far is Colmar from Strasbourg?
About 58 km apart in a straight line down the plain, with a frequent train service between the two. The wine villages sit between them and to the west, along the foot of the Vosges.
Still deciding? The tours sit side by side on Alsace Wine Tours, the practical detail is in the visitor guide, and what travellers made of each day is in the reviews.