Château du Clos de Vougeot opening hours and tickets
Opening hours, season by season
I’ve opened and closed that gate often enough to know both schedules by heart. In high season, from April to October, the château is open from 9:30 to 18:00 and the ticket office closes at 17:30. Off-season, from November to March, it opens at 10:00 and closes at 17:00, with the ticket office closing at 16:30. In both cases, the last entry is one hour before closing, and that hour is non-negotiable: it corresponds to the time needed to complete the tour without rushing.
The real subtlety is Saturday. The château is the headquarters of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, which holds its chapters there, and private receptions are frequent on Fridays and Saturdays. On a reception Saturday, the ticket office stops at 16:30 and the château closes at 17:00. Some rooms—such as the Renaissance kitchens and the lay brothers' dormitory—may also remain closed during these events. If your only free slot is a Saturday afternoon, call the château at +33 3 80 62 86 09 before making the trip; I’ve seen too many visitors discover only half the tour instead of the whole. The details of the seasons are on my page dedicated to the best time to visit.
Self-guided or guided tour?
Both are available every day and tell different stories. The self-guided tour includes a free leaflet in French, English, or German, interactive screens, and a mobile app. The route is signposted, so you won’t get lost, and the film about the Confrérie, “Never in vain, always in wine,” is shown in the Petit Cellier in French and English. Allow about one hour, including the film.
The guided tour must be booked in advance, departs at fixed times, and is limited to twenty people. In French: 10:30, 14:30, and 16:30 (the last slot is cancelled on reception Saturdays). In English: 11:30 and 15:30. With a guided tour and a stop at the shop, allow one and a half to two hours. I must be honest on one point: the quality of the English guided tours varies depending on who leads them. In French, the standard is more consistent. The details of the durations are on how long the visit lasts.
What works
- Open every day, including off-season
- Self-guided tour with a leaflet in three languages and film included
- Guided tours in French at three times, in English at two
- The signposted route works very well without a guide
Good to know
- Guided groups limited to twenty people: book in advance
- Reception Saturdays: early closure and closed rooms
- No elevator, stairs, and old floors
- Closed four days a year, around the holidays
Where to buy the ticket
At the château reception desk in the courtyard, or online on the official website closdevougeot.fr, which is also where you can check the current rates and any exceptional closures. I do not publish any prices here: the rates change, the categories change, and I prefer to direct you to the source rather than give you an outdated figure. For the guided tour, booking is required—twenty places fill up quickly on a spring Sunday.
On GetYourGuide, only one option grants entry: the tasting lunch at La Table de Léonce, which combines a guided tour of the château and a four-course meal. All other tours that “pass by Clos de Vougeot” stop outside, at the wall, on the vineyard side. This is explained in detail on the Côte de Nuits tours.
If you want the French guided tour at 10:30 and a vineyard tour on the same day, choose a tour that starts in the afternoon and come to the château by car or TER in the morning. The reverse almost never works: full-day tours return around 17:45, and the ticket office is already closed.
What you see with your ticket
The ticket grants access to the full tour: the courtyard of honor, the winery with its four screw presses, the 12th-century vaulted Grand Cellar, the lay brothers' dormitory with its 14th-century oak roof frame, the kitchens, and the Renaissance wing with its well, the Small Cellar where the film is shown, followed by the gift shop. There are also temporary exhibitions depending on the season. The room-by-room details are available on what to see at the château.
The château has been classified as a historic monument since 1949 and has housed, since July 4, 2015, the headquarters of the association of the Climats of the Burgundy vineyard, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It no longer produces wine: the vines of the clos belong to more than eighty owners, which is another story.
Before you leave
Wi-Fi, gift shop, and restrooms on site, parking on site. Animals are not allowed. There is no elevator: stairs, thresholds, ancient floors, and limited wheelchair access. To get there, Vougeot-Gilly-lès-Cîteaux train station is one kilometer away, a 15-minute walk: all details are on how to get there.
The option that includes admission
The lunch and tasting at La Table de Léonce is the only GetYourGuide product that grants entry: a guided tour of the château, followed by four courses and four Burgundy wines. Two departures, 11:15 in English and 11:45 in French, reserved for adults.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Clos de Vougeot be visited?
Yes, every day. From 9:30 to 18:00 from April to October, from 10:00 to 17:00 from November to March, with the last entry one hour before closing. The tour is described on what to see at the château.
Do I need to book the guided tour?
Yes: guided tours depart at fixed times and are limited to twenty people. French at 10:30, 14:30, and 16:30; English at 11:30 and 15:30. The self-guided tour requires no reservation.
Does the château close on certain days?
It closes on December 24, 25, and 31, and January 1. The rest of the year it is open every day, with an early closing at 17:00 on reception Saturdays. See the best time to visit.
Can I buy the ticket online?
Yes, on the château’s official website or at the reception desk on site. On GetYourGuide, only the lunch at La Table de Léonce option includes admission.