For vacations and weekends to be successful, everyone needs to have a good time, young and old alike. Whether you want to learn, play or just have a good laugh, we’ve found the best places in the capital of Gironde to spend the best possible family vacation! All you have to do is choose.
Marvel at Zoo Bordeaux Pessac
We’re not sure whether children love stuffed animals because of the animals, or whether they love animals because of the stuffed animals, but it’s a fact: our kids love animals. So if taking your kids to the zoo already makes you the parent of the year, wait until you see what the Bordeaux Pessac zoo has in store for you. In addition to a stroll among the lions, white tigers and elephants, you’ll have the chance to enjoy several unforgettable experiences. Set off on an adventure and fill up on memories!
📍 Location: 3 Chemin du Transvaal, Pessac
📆 Date: open Tuesday to Sunday
🎟️ Adult ticket from age 12 €19.50 and children’s ticket (ages 3 and 11) €14.50
Spend the afternoon at Cap Sciences
In the heart of Hangar 20, you’ll find a genuine center dedicated to science, offering a multitude of exhibitions, animations, events, conferences and tours. It’s an exciting place for the curious, especially young people! Indeed, several areas are dedicated to them: Le carré des 3 à 6 ans, le Labo Miam! offering culinary experiments for children aged 6 to 12, and Cap Sciences Juniors inviting 8- to 14-year-olds to try out scientific workshops! The little extra? Cap Sciences also organizes customized birthday parties! On the program? workshops, experiments, discoveries… and, of course, a snack with your friends!
📍 Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux
Stroll through the Parc Bordelais
With its 28 hectares, Bordeaux’s largest green space welcomes you for a breath of fresh air. This little corner of the countryside in the city center is bursting with activities – it’s simple, there’s never a dull moment here! Children will love hurtling through the various play areas, riding on the carousel, or simply running around on the grass. And once they’ve had a good picnic, all that’s left to do is sit back and watch the oldest little theater in France, and let Guignol make us laugh. And if you’ve got any time and energy left, go and say hello to the animals. The park’s lake is home to numerous swans and ducks, and if you look hard enough, you may even come across goats, donkeys and pigs.
📍 Location: Rue du Bocage, 33 000 Bordeaux
📆 Open daily from 7 a.m.
🎟️ Free admission!
Enjoy the many activities at Parc La Coccinelle
Located just outside Bordeaux on the way to the Bassin d’Arcachon, this amusement park is designed for children of all ages. As you enter the park, you’ll come across rides, water attractions and inflatable games. But the further you go, the more you’ll realize that this isn’t the only thing this park has to offer. There’s also a mini-farm, where your kids can bottle-feed goats and carry chicks in their hands.
📍 Location: Parc la Coccinelle, Parc de Loisir la Hume, 33 470 Gujan Mestras
📆 Open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from mid-April.
🎟️ From €16 (free for children under 2)
Take a break in front of the water mirror, place de la Bourse
“Mirror, mirror, tell me who is the most beautiful in the kingdom… ” Check it out for yourself on Place de la Bourse! This Bordeaux landmark has become a must-see for children, especially during the summer months. Take advantage of the cycle path along the quays for a family outing on bikes or rollerblades. Continue your efforts and take a break in one of the many green spaces around Place de la Bourse and its famous mirror! Between reflection and mist, the two cycles of this curious fountain will delight the imagination of young and old alike.
📍 Location: Miroir d’eau Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux
Introduce them to classical music with Candlelight
Looking for a way to introduce your children to classical music without breaking the bank? The Trianon theater, the Victoire theater and the Cité du Vin host candlelight concerts! Whether you’re a fan of the great classics like Mozart and Chopin, or the music of the Bridgertons, you’ll find plenty to please your ears, as the program promises to be rich all year round!
Take a dip in the Grand Parc swimming pool
Here’s to the seeds of champions in the wake of the historic Olympic Games! After more than a year and a half of renovation work, the doors to the Grand Parc swimming pool have reopened to everyone’s delight. New layouts (notably in the sports pool), more functional spaces and all in a more environmentally-friendly building. Léon Marchand has a lot to live up to!
📍 Location: Piscine du Grand Parc – 60 cours de Luze, Bordeaux
📆 Open every day except Fridays
🎟️ Admission from €1 for a child and €2 for an adult for families living in Bordeaux