★★★★★
Afternoon with two family growers, from Reims station
We came as a family of five, and the afternoon went beyond what we had expected.
Robyn T. · Family · Traveller · June 2026
Reims Champagne Afternoon Tour with Family Growers
Family growersFrom Reims stationMax 8 guests
The afternoon to book if you want the people who grow the grapes, not a big house. You leave the Reims station square at 2:00 pm in a van of eight at most. You taste three glasses at each of two family-run wineries and stop at Hautvillers on the way. You are back at the station by 6:30 pm.
Two family growers and Hautvillers in an afternoon
Two family growers
You visit two family-run wineries in the villages, and the entry to both is in your fare.
Six glasses
Three glasses at each grower, poured by the family that made them.
Hautvillers
A stop at the abbey church where Dom Pérignon is buried, and half an hour in the village.
2:00 to 6:30 pm
An afternoon slot, so your morning is free for the cathedral or a house in town.
Eight people at most
A small van and one guide, so you can ask questions at every stop.
4.8 from 643 reviews
A Badge of Excellence, earned over hundreds of afternoons in the vines.
What the six glasses are, and who pours them
A big house in Reims shows you its cellars with a house guide, then pours one or two glasses. This afternoon works the other way round. You go out to the villages and meet the families who grow the vines, press the grapes and make the wine. Each of the two wineries pours three glasses, and each visit lasts about an hour and a half.
Why does that matter? Growers far outnumber the houses. The Comité Champagne counts 16,460 growers and 410 houses, yet the houses ship most of the bottles: 191.9 million of the 266.1 million sold in 2025. So the growers' wines are the smaller share of what leaves the region, and you can buy bottles at both stops to take home.
The two wineries are chosen to differ, and the contrast between them is what makes the process click. Your guide explains what you taste at each stop, from the base wine to the finished blend. Comparing Reims Champagne guided tours? Every fare sits side by side, from the growers' afternoons to the big-house days.
Hautvillers, between the two growers
Between the two wineries the van climbs to Hautvillers, above the Marne valley. Dom Pérignon was the cellar master of its abbey from 1668 until his death in 1715. His tombstone lies in the choir of the Saint-Sindulphe church, which is open all year; the old abbey buildings belong to the house of Dom Pérignon and are not open. You spend about 15 minutes at the church and half an hour in the village.
One myth to leave behind: Dom Pérignon did not create champagne. The Comité Champagne says plainly that nobody invented it; the region was the first to learn how to control the second fermentation. Things to do in Reims Champagne country has more on the village.
How the four and a half hours run
- 2:00 pm, the Reims station square. Meet your guide outside the tourist information point on the Cour de la Gare.
- The first family grower, 1.5 hours. A walk through the cellar and three glasses.
- Hautvillers abbey church, 15 minutes. Dom Pérignon's tombstone, in the choir.
- Hautvillers village, 30 minutes. The lanes and the view over the vines.
- The second family grower, 1.5 hours. Another cellar, three more glasses, time to buy bottles.
- 6:30 pm, back at the station. The van drops you where it picked you up.
Who this suits: first-timers who want the growers
Book this if
You want to meet the people who make champagne and see where it grows, in half a day and at one of the lower fares from Reims. It suits couples, friends and families with children of 10 and over, who arrive in Reims by train and have the morning for the city.
Book something else if
You came for a famous house's cellars, such as Veuve Clicquot's. The full day with Mumm and lunch adds Maison Mumm to two family producers, and the private Veuve Clicquot and Moët day goes to the big names. For a morning slot, the morning growers' tour leaves at 9:20 am. For a bike or an Épernay start, compare every half-day champagne tour from Reims.
What the fare covers and what it doesn't
In the fare
- Local English-speaking guide
- Small group, 8 people maximum
- Entrance fees for visits and tastings at 2 family-run wineries
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- 6 glasses of champagne
Not in the fare
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Other drinks
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Snacks
The 2:00 pm start at the station tourist office
Reims has two tourist offices, and this is the one people miss. Your guide meets you outside the tourist information point on the Reims Centre station square, the Cour de la Gare, 51100 Reims. It is not the main tourist office by the cathedral, a walk away across the centre. Be there five minutes before 2:00 pm.
From September to February the station point opens Monday to Saturday, 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, and is closed on Sundays. The tour meets outside it, so a closed door does not matter. The Reims Champagne map shows both offices, and the van brings you back to the same square at 6:30 pm.
Know before you go
- Eat before 2:00 pm. Lunch, water and snacks are not in the fare, and you taste six glasses.
- Book for two or more. A lone booking is moved to another date or refunded in full.
- No children under 10. The operator does not take them on this shared tour.
- Not for wheelchairs. The van and the cellars are not wheelchair accessible.
- Expect time in the van. The villages are spread out, so plan on part of the afternoon on the road.
- Bring a warm layer. Cellars stay cold in every season, even when the vines are hot.
What travellers say about the growers' afternoon
★★★★★
Afternoon with two family growers, from Reims station
The small producers were the highlight, and not something we could have reached on our own. One warning: about half the afternoon is spent in the car between stops.
Hailey T. · Traveller · September 2026
★☆☆☆☆
Afternoon with two family growers, from Reims station
Not a tour of Reims or Épernay at all: a long drive to a small house, narrow stairs and back gardens, and growers not to my taste. Pick a house in Reims if that is what you want.
Lori D. · Traveller · September 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does this tour visit Veuve Clicquot or Moët & Chandon?
No. Both stops are family-run wineries, not big houses. For a famous house, the full day with Mumm and lunch adds Maison Mumm's cellars to two family producers.
How many glasses do you taste?
Six: three at each of the two family growers. Other drinks, water and snacks are not in the fare.
Where exactly does it start?
Outside the tourist information point on the Reims Centre station square, the Cour de la Gare. It is not the main office by the cathedral, so allow for that if you are coming from the centre.
Can I book on my own?
Yes, but the tour runs with two people or more. If you are the only booking, the operator moves you to another date or refunds you in full.
Is there a morning version?
Yes. The same operator runs a morning tour to two family growers at 9:20 am, back at 1:15 pm, from the same square.
Can children come?
Children aged 10 and over can come, and they taste nothing. Nobody under 18 is served alcohol in France.
Other ways to taste champagne around Reims
Ready for an afternoon with the growers?
Check dates for the 2:00 pm tour, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
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