Best Champagne Houses to Visit (and How to Book Them)
Champagne is split between a few grandes maisons and a great many growers, so the useful question is which houses to visit and how to get in. According to their own visit pages, Moët & Chandon says you can visit without a booking (it recommends booking) and Pommery says tickets can be bought on arrival; Taittinger, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot and Mumm sell their tours through online booking, Larmandier-Bernier asks for an appointment, and Krug is not open to the general public. The visitable grandes maisons sit in two cities: Reims, with chalk cellars under Taittinger, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Mumm and Pommery, and Épernay, with Moët & Chandon on the Avenue de Champagne. The growers of the Côte des Blancs make wine of a different character to the négociant blends, and Hautvillers is the village tied to Dom Pérignon. Pick three or four that match your kind of trip.
Planning a trip to Champagne?
Compare hotels, vineyard B&Bs and rentals across Booking, Airbnb and more in one search.
We may earn a commission
Where these wineries are
Numbered pins mark 8 of our 10 picks across Champagne. Tap a pin to jump to that winery. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
At a glance
| # | House | Sub-region | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taittinger | Reims | First-time visitor essential |
| 2 | Ruinart | Reims | Architecture and contemporary art |
| 3 | Moët & Chandon | Épernay | Avenue de Champagne anchor |
| 4 | Veuve Clicquot | Reims | Choosing your tasting length |
| 5 | Maison Pommery | Reims | Art and cellars, guided or self-guided |
| 6 | G.H. Mumm | Reims | Cellar tour in Reims |
| 7 | Hautvillers | Hautvillers (Vallée de la Marne) | Dom Pérignon village pilgrimage |
| 8 | Larmandier-Bernier | Vertus (Côte des Blancs) | Off-the-beaten-path grower |
| 9 | Pierre Péters | Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (Côte des Blancs) | Serious oenophile |
| 10 | Krug | Reims | Icons to know about (not open to the public) |
Top-rated wine tour in Champagne
Moet et Chandon Tasting and Fun Private Tour in Champagne
From $540.97 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (22 reviews)
A top-rated regional tour, not tied to any one winery on this list.
Taittinger
The most natural first cellar visit in Reims. Taittinger's own page places the visit eighteen metres underground, in galleries, cellars and Gallo-Roman chalk quarries listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, on the site of the former Saint-Nicaise Abbey. The house says it welcomes visitors for tastings in its cellars all year round and offers four tasting experiences to choose from.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Book onlineTickets are sold on the house's online booking site (book-a-visit.taittinger.fr), linked from the official experiences page. Fees are shown only inside that booking system.
- Visit policy
- Open all year round per the house; choose from four tasting experiences. Chalk cellars are cool, so wear warm layers. Walk-ins are not mentioned on the page.
A tour in Reims (may not visit this winery)
Check-out Reims: Discovery Vineyard and Tasting Champagne Coutant
From $79.89 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (19 reviews)
Ruinart
The house that calls itself the first ever Maison de Champagne, with chalk crayères that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only one in Reims, per its own page. The page puts them at a depth of approximately 40 metres on two levels. The visit pairs the cellar walk with a guided tasting of two cuvées, and Ruinart runs a contemporary art programme alongside.
- Tasting
- Adult €90 (2-hour cellar visit with a guided tasting of two cuvées)
- How to book
- Book onlineBook through the 'Book your visit' button on the official Ruinart cellar-visit page. Tours are in French and English; the format is 2 hours for 12 places.
- Visit policy
- Walk-ins are not mentioned; the page directs you to book. The cellars are 12°C, so wear suitable clothing.
A tour in Reims (may not visit this winery)
Check-out Reims: Discovery Vineyard and Tasting Champagne Coutant
From $79.89 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (19 reviews)
Moët & Chandon
The first stop on the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, with 28 km of underground cellar network on its own description. The standard visit is a guided cellar tour with a tasting; premium formats go up to vintage tastings and a vineyard tour. It is the one grande maison here whose own FAQ says you can visit without a booking.
- Tasting
- From €48 (Imperial Moment Tour, 1h30, two glasses)
- How to book
- Book onlineBook through the online booking system on moet.com (cellar-tours page). The house recommends booking because places are limited.
- Visit policy
- Walk-ins: its FAQ says 'Yes' to visiting without a booking, but recommends booking. Open daily 9:30AM to 5:00PM with regular departures through the day. Guided tours in English or French; about 1h30. The cellars are cool all year, so bring warm clothing.
Bookable tour that mentions this winery
Moet et Chandon Tasting and Fun Private Tour in Champagne
From $540.97 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (22 reviews)
Veuve Clicquot
The Reims visit centre offers five tour formats from a 1-hour Yellow Label cellar tour with a tasting up to a 4-hour La Grande Dame session, in cellars the house describes as UNESCO World Heritage-listed Crayères. The visit centre is also home to Café Clicquot, open to all visitors.
- Tasting
- From €36 (Brut Yellow Label cellar tour with tasting, 1h00)
- How to book
- Book onlineBook tickets on the official visit page. For public tours the page gives an email address for visits; use it or the booking form.
- Visit policy
- Opening days change by season, and the centre is closed for a stretch over the winter holidays; the visit page lists them (open daily in summer, Wednesday to Sunday in early winter). Hours 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Walk-ins are not mentioned. 30 min walk from the city centre.
Bookable tour that mentions this winery
Champagne Private Tour Veuve Clicquot Tasting from Reims Epernay
From $615.15 per person4.9 / 5 Viator rating (17 reviews)
Maison Pommery
The Reims visit that pairs the Domaine Pommery cellars and crayères, which the house says are listed by UNESCO, with the contemporary art exhibition Expérience Pommery and a museum on Madame Pommery. Guided and self-guided ('visite libre') options are both offered, so it also suits a mixed group where not everyone wants a long tasting.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Book onlineBook from the official visit page; the standard cellar visit is 1h with a tasting of your choice. A notice on the page also lists partner booking sites (Winalist, Champagne Booking, Rue des Vignerons).
- Visit policy
- Its visit page says: tickets can be bought on arrival at the domaine (posted alongside a notice about its online booking system). Guided and self-guided visits are listed.
A tour in Reims (may not visit this winery)
Check-out Reims: Discovery Vineyard and Tasting Champagne Coutant
From $79.89 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (19 reviews)
G.H. Mumm
A cellar tour through Mumm's almost 25 kilometres of chalk tunnels in the middle of Reims, followed by a tasting of Mumm cuvées. Several formats are listed, from a Cordon Rouge Experience with one tasting to longer tastings of two cuvées.
- Tasting
- From €30 incl. VAT (Cordon Rouge Experience, cellar tour with 1 tasting, 1h30)
- How to book
- Book onlineBook through the 'Book a visit' buttons on the official Mumm page (English, French, Italian and Spanish versions). For tours in Italian, Spanish, German or Portuguese, email guides@mumm.com.
- Visit policy
- Visits run every day from May 1st to October 31st (10:00 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm); other months have fewer days, see the visit page. Walk-ins are not mentioned. Access to the first level only for visitors with reduced mobility.
A tour in Reims (may not visit this winery)
Check-out Reims: Discovery Vineyard and Tasting Champagne Coutant
From $79.89 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (19 reviews)
Hautvillers
Hautvillers is the hillside village tied to the Dom Pérignon story. Its tourist office is the place to ask about guided walks, so check its website for current options before you plan around it.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Via tour operatorCheck the Hautvillers tourist office website for walks, prices and how to book.
- Visit policy
- Details are on the tourist office's website.
A tour in Hautvillers (may not visit this winery)
Moet et Chandon Tasting and Fun Private Tour in Champagne
From $540.97 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (22 reviews)
Larmandier-Bernier
A Côte des Blancs grower in Vertus, run by the Larmandier family for 8 generations according to its own site, and biodynamically produced for more than 20 years. A good pick if you want the chalk-and-chardonnay side of the region at a small estate rather than a cellar-tour production.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Book by emailThe estate's visits page says to make an appointment: email champagne@larmandier.fr.
- Visit policy
- By appointment only, any morning from Monday to Friday. The site also offers vineyard tours around Vertus to follow on your own.
Pierre Péters
A grower in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the Côte des Blancs Grand Cru villages. Write ahead to ask about a visit.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Book by emailUse the contact details on the estate's own website to ask about a visit.
- Visit policy
- By request. Details on the estate's website.
Krug
Included for completeness rather than as a recommendation to visit. Krug's own contact page says the House of Krug is not open to the general public. The house describes its Krug Ambassades as places around the world where Krug comes to life, run by chefs, sommeliers, restaurateurs, bartenders and fine wine merchants, which is the realistic route to its wines.
- Tasting
- Not open to the general public
- How to book
- Via tour operatorNo public cellar visits. See the Krug Ambassades page on krug.com for the places that serve Krug.
- Visit policy
- The house is not open to the general public.
A tour in Reims (may not visit this winery)
Check-out Reims: Discovery Vineyard and Tasting Champagne Coutant
From $79.89 per person5.0 / 5 Viator rating (19 reviews)
Book Your Champagne Wine Country Stay
Compare hotels, vineyard B&Bs and rentals across Booking, Airbnb and more in one search.
Compare stays near the vineyardsStay22 · We may earn a commission
Where to stay near these wineries
More winery guides in France
Frequently asked
Can I just walk into a Champagne house and ask for a tasting?
At Moët & Chandon, yes: its FAQ says you can visit without a booking, but it recommends booking because places are limited. Pommery's visit page says tickets can be bought on arrival at the domaine. Taittinger, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot and Mumm sell their tours through online booking and their pages do not mention walk-ins. Larmandier-Bernier asks you to make an appointment, and Krug is not open to the general public.
Which Champagne houses are easiest to visit?
Moët & Chandon in Épernay: guided tours in English or French with regular departures through the day, and walk-ins allowed per its own FAQ. In Reims, Mumm runs visits every day from May to October, and Pommery lists self-guided as well as guided visits.
How much do tastings cost at Champagne houses?
Entry fees on the houses' own pages: Moët & Chandon from €48 (1h30), Veuve Clicquot from €36 (1h00), Mumm from €30 including VAT (1h30) and Ruinart €90 for adults (2 hours). For other houses and the growers, confirm the fee on the house’s own page when you book.
Where should I base myself to visit these houses?
Reims for Taittinger, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Mumm and Pommery. Épernay for Moët & Chandon, which says its visitor entrance is a five-minute stroll from Épernay station and that the direct train from Paris Gare de l'Est takes 80 minutes. Veuve Clicquot's visit centre is a 30 minute walk from the Reims city centre. The Côte des Blancs growers and Hautvillers are village visits outside both cities.
Do I need a driver to visit these houses?
For the Côte des Blancs growers and Hautvillers, plan on a car with a non-tasting driver or a driver-led day tour, as they sit in villages outside Reims and Épernay. The Reims houses are in the city, and Moët & Chandon is a five-minute stroll from Épernay station per its own page. Cellars are cool all year, so bring a jacket even in summer.
Ready to plan your Champagne trip?
Get a ready-made day-by-day Champagne itinerary in seconds — then tweak the days, style and pace to suit you. Or browse the full region guide first.
New Guides, Straight to Your Inbox
Get notified when we publish new wine travel guides — region deep-dives, hidden gems, and planning tools.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We respect your privacy.
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.