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What is the best 2-day itinerary for the Alsace Wine Route?
In brief
Day 1: leave Strasbourg heading north to south through Obernai, Barr or Mittelbergheim, Haut-Koenigsbourg castle and Ribeauville at the end of the day. Overnight in Riquewihr or Colmar. Day 2: Riquewihr at dawn before the coaches, Kaysersberg, a winstub lunch, Eguisheim, then finish in Colmar. Around 130 kilometers of driving in total.
Two days are enough to see the best of the Alsace Wine Route if the itinerary is well built. The principle here: travel north to south to avoid backtracking, keep the busiest villages for early morning, and place tastings at the right moments. Below is the hour-by-hour plan with distances, realistic driving times and overnight options between the two days. Still unsure how long to stay? Our guide on how many days you need for the Wine Route compares 1 to 7 day formats.
Day 1 morning: Strasbourg, Obernai and the Barr vineyards
Leave Strasbourg around 8:30 AM. The A35 motorway then the D426 bring you to Obernai in about 35 minutes (30 km). Allow 1 hr 30 min on site: the market square, the belfry, the six-bucket well and the old town lanes. Around 10:45 AM, continue south: Barr is 8 km away (12 minutes) along the vineyard road that hugs the parcels. Barr is a riesling capital with several estates open for late-morning tastings. A quieter alternative: Mittelbergheim, 2 km further, listed among the most beautiful villages of France and known for its Zotzenberg grand cru. First tasting around 11:15 AM, then lunch locally or on a terrace in Andlau. Arriving by train? See our guide to the Wine Route from Strasbourg for car-free access.
Day 1 afternoon: Haut-Koenigsbourg then Ribeauville
Around 2 PM, head for Haut-Koenigsbourg castle: 25 km from Barr, about 35 minutes including the hairpin climb. The visit takes 1 hr 30 min: restored halls, the great bastion, and a panorama over the Alsace plain reaching the Black Forest on clear days. Then drive down to Ribeauville: 15 km, 20 minutes. You arrive around 4:30 PM, just as the tour groups leave. Walk up the Grand Rue towards the three castles overlooking the village. This is the right slot for a second tasting: Ribeauville cellars welcome visitors until 6 or 6:30 PM. A quiet end of day before reaching your accommodation, 10 minutes away by road.
Where to stay overnight
Two logical options. Riquewihr, 5 km from Ribeauville, lets you sleep within the ramparts and enjoy the village quietly in the evening and at dawn: guesthouses in old winegrower buildings, small charming hotels, apartments rented by wine estates. Book early, capacity is limited. Colmar, 15 km away, offers far more choice at every budget: city-center hotels, old-town bed and breakfasts, apartment residences. Colmar's advantage: dinner in the Little Venice district and easier parking. Riquewihr's advantage: being already on site for the next morning's first stop, before visitors arrive.
Day 2 morning: Riquewihr before the coaches, then Kaysersberg
Riquewihr is best discovered between 8:30 and 10 AM, before the tour buses arrive. The rue du General de Gaulle, the Dolder tower, the estate courtyards and the ramparts are then almost empty: it is the finest moment of the day in the most visited village of Alsace. Around 10:30 AM, drive to Kaysersberg: 10 km, 15 minutes. Albert Schweitzer's hometown deserves 1 hr 30 min: the fortified bridge over the Weiss, the Sainte-Croix church and its altarpiece, and the climb to the castle for the view over the rooftops and the Schlossberg grand cru vineyard. A late-morning tasting is possible at a valley winegrower. To place these stops among the other villages, see our ranking of the most beautiful villages of the Wine Route.
Day 2 afternoon: winstub lunch, Eguisheim and Colmar
Have lunch in a Kaysersberg winstub: choucroute, baeckeoffe or tarte flambee among wood panelling, the classic Alsatian experience. Around 2 PM, head south to Eguisheim: 18 km, 25 minutes skirting Colmar. The village is explored in concentric circles: follow the rampart street that loops around the half-timbered houses, then reach the Chateau Saint-Leon square. Allow 1 hr 30 min to 2 hrs with a final tasting; Eguisheim counts many estates, several on the Eichberg grand cru. Around 4:30 PM, finish in Colmar (7 km, 15 minutes): Little Venice, the Maison des Tetes, the tanners' district. Return to Strasbourg in 45 minutes on the A35, or add an extra night.
Seasonal variants
In December, the itinerary becomes a Christmas market circuit: Obernai, Ribeauville (medieval market on weekends), Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim host some of the finest markets in Alsace. Days are short, so trim the program: Haut-Koenigsbourg can give way to more time in the villages, illuminated from 5 PM. During harvest, from mid-September to mid-October, the parcels come alive and some estates let you watch the cellar work; tastings then require booking. In spring and summer, stretch the breaks: vineyard trails from Barr or Kaysersberg, terraces, and flower-decked villages late into the evening.
Practical organisation: driving or private chauffeur
By car, count around 130 km over the two days, plus tolls and fuel. Village centers are pedestrian: paid car parks sit on the outskirts, a 5 to 10 minute walk away, and fill quickly in high season. Above all, the driver must hold back at every tasting. A private chauffeur removes these constraints: everyone tastes freely, you are dropped as close as possible to each village center, and the itinerary adjusts in real time to weather or preferences. FJ13 operates this format by sedan or van, departing from Strasbourg, Colmar or your accommodation. You can book a ready-to-book Wine Route tour for each day, or build your own custom itinerary following exactly this program.
Frequently asked questions
Can I follow this itinerary in reverse, from Colmar?
Yes. Starting from Colmar, begin with Eguisheim and Kaysersberg on day 1, overnight in Riquewihr, then Ribeauville, Haut-Koenigsbourg, Mittelbergheim and Obernai on day 2 before finishing in Strasbourg. Our dedicated guide from Colmar details access and driving times.
How many kilometers and how much driving in total?
About 130 km from Strasbourg to Colmar following every stop, which is 3 to 3.5 hours of cumulative driving over two days. No single leg exceeds 35 minutes: the road stays a pleasure, not a constraint.
How many tastings should I plan over two days?
Four to five tastings spread across both days: one late morning and one late afternoon each day, plus an optional extra. Beyond that, palate fatigue sets in. With a chauffeur, everyone can taste without restriction.
Is this itinerary doable without a car?
Partially by public transport: trains to Obernai, Barr and Colmar, buses to Ribeauville and Kaysersberg, but Haut-Koenigsbourg and the links between villages cost a lot of time. A private chauffeur follows this program with no connections and no timetable constraints.
Should I book Haut-Koenigsbourg and the cellars in advance?
In high season and in December, the castle's online ticketing avoids the queue. For tastings, a phone call the day before is enough at most estates; cellar visits with food and wine pairings need booking a few days ahead.
Ready to plan your day?
Build your custom itinerary or browse our ready-to-book tours.