Saint-Michel Basilica, Bordeaux vs Saint-Emilion Monolithic Church
Two churches in Bordeaux. Saint-Michel Basilica, Bordeaux has 2 tickets and tours to book; Saint-Emilion Monolithic Church has 1 ticket or tour to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Saint-Michel is the church of a working quarter south of the centre of Bordeaux, and it comes as part of a neighbourhood rather than as a monument on its own. Entry to the church is free, while the detached bell tower is ticketed and opens only in the warmer months, which is the single most important thing to check before building a plan around it. Walking tours of the quarter combine the basilica with the covered market nearby and the flea market that fills the surrounding squares, and food-led tours use the same route, since this is where the North African, Portuguese and Spanish communities of the city shop.
The underground monuments of Saint-Emilion can be seen only on a guided tour run by the tourist office, and the ticket covers the monolithic church, the catacombs, the hermitage of Saint Emilion and the Trinity chapel in one circuit of about forty-five minutes. Tours run several times a day in French and less often in English, and they sell out in summer, so book at the office on the main square as soon as you arrive or online beforehand.
