Bordeaux: Atlantic Slave Trade Walking Tour + River Cruise｜France

This 2.5-hour walking and boat tour explores Bordeaux’s complex past as one of France’s main slave-trading ports. Discover the hidden history behind Bordeaux's elegant façades, grand squares and waterfront during this walking tour and river cruise exploring the city's connection to Atlantic trade and slavery.

Beginning in the historic Chartrons district, once the heart of Bordeaux's merchant community, learn how local trading families built vast fortunes through international commerce linking Europe, Africa and the Americas. As you walk through streets lined with impressive townhouses and former merchant residences, uncover the economic networks that helped transform Bordeaux into one of France's most prosperous cities.

Continue through the historic center to explore the monuments, squares and institutions shaped by this period of growth. At Place de la Bourse and along the riverfront, discover how wealth generated through colonial trade contributed to the construction of the city that visitors admire today.

Along the route, your guide examines the realities of the Atlantic slave trade and the experiences of the thousands of men, women and children who were forcibly deported through commercial systems connected to Bordeaux. Visit sites of remembrance and reflection that preserve the memory of this difficult chapter in history.

The experience concludes with a cruise on the Garonne River. From the water, admire Bordeaux's UNESCO-listed waterfront while gaining a new perspective on the river that made the city's commercial expansion possible. Combining history, architecture and memory, this tour offers a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped modern Bordeaux.