15 Best Things to Do in Reims: Cathedral, Champagne and More
What are the best things to do in Reims on a first visit? Start with Notre-Dame Cathedral, book one Champagne cellar tour, and leave time to explore the city centre on foot. You’ll fit that combination comfortably into a day trip. With two or three days, add Saint-Remi, a museum and an excursion into the vineyards.
If you’re short on time, keep those first three priorities.
You’ll find Reims compact enough for an easy city break, but its attractions are spread beyond the cathedral square. Champagne houses occupy several neighbourhoods, while the vines begin a few kilometres outside the city. This guide brings together 15 of the best things to do in Reims and the main things to see in Reims, with realistic choices for one, two or three days.
What to do in Reims in one, two or three days
| Time in Reims | Suggested itinerary |
|---|---|
| One day | Notre-Dame Cathedral, a walk through the historic centre and a pre-booked cellar tour |
| Two days | Add Saint-Remi Basilica and museum, the Boulingrin district or another museum |
| Three days | Spend time in the Champagne vineyards or visit Épernay |
You’ll need to set the time of your cellar tour first. Departures are scheduled, tours in English can fill up, and late arrivals may not be admitted. Build the rest of the day around that booking. If you’ve only got one day, you can cover the main sights; two nights give you a better balance of heritage, Champagne and unhurried meals.
1. Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral
You’ll want to begin outside at the western façade. Construction of the present Gothic cathedral started after the fire of 1210, and most of the building was completed in about sixty years. The Centre des monuments nationaux counts 2,303 statues across its sculptural programme. Look for the Smiling Angel, the Gallery of Kings and the scenes carved around the three portals.
Inside, you’ll notice the height of the nave and the changing light. Marc Chagall’s windows are in the axial chapel. You don’t need a ticket for the cathedral, although visitors must respect services. Allow about 45 minutes for an independent visit, longer if you want to study the sculpture outside.
Clovis was baptised in Reims at the end of the fifth century, but he was not crowned in the present cathedral. The CMN records 32 kings crowned in Reims, 25 of them in this building. Keeping those events separate makes the city’s royal history much easier to understand.
The cathedral, the former Abbey of Saint-Remi and the Palais du Tau have formed a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991. If you want more context, the Tourist Office runs guided visits devoted to the building’s architecture, decoration and place in French history.
2. Climb the cathedral towers
You’ll climb 249 steps on the tower circuit. You’ll reach the Gallery of Kings at roughly 40 metres, then pass Henri Deneux’s reinforced-cement roof structure, built after the 1914 fire. The towers rise to 83 metres, but the visitor route doesn’t place you on a platform at that height.
Once you’re up there, you can see monumental statues, gargoyles and parts of the cathedral that are invisible from the square. Visits are seasonal, weather-dependent, unsuitable for people with vertigo and inaccessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Check the CMN calendar and book ahead. Our guide to the Reims Cathedral tower tour explains the route and its practical constraints.
The climb is demanding. Allow about an hour.
3. Tour the Champagne cellars
A guided cellar visit is one of the essential things to do in Reims. Several houses on the Saint-Nicaise hill use ancient chalk quarries known as crayères. These cellars belong to the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars property inscribed by UNESCO in 2015.
Veuve Clicquot and Taittinger are among the major houses open to visitors. Pommery, Ruinart and G.H. Martel offer different approaches. One tour may focus on family history, another on the architecture of the chalk pits, contemporary art or the stages of production. You’ll usually finish with a tasting, but the number and type of wines vary.
Compare the tour language, duration, accessibility and tasting before choosing a famous name. The underground galleries stay cool throughout the year, so bring an extra layer even in summer. If you visit during a busy period, you’ll often find that English-language places sell out first.
A tasting isn’t a meal. If you’re driving, appoint a driver or choose an organised excursion. The Tourist Office maintains a current list of houses open to the public and links to their booking systems.
Book early.
4. Walk through Reims city centre
From the foot of the cathedral, you can follow an easy walking loop through Place Royale, the town hall, Boulingrin Market, Porte de Mars and Place Drouet-d’Erlon. Along the way, you’ll see the architecture of the post-war reconstruction. After the destruction of the First World War, architects and craftspeople gave central Reims a distinctive Art Deco character.
Look up. Many of the best details are above shop level.
The Carnegie Library is worth entering for its mosaics, woodwork and geometric decoration. Farther north, the Roman Porte de Mars recalls the ancient city. A guided Art Deco walk can help you spot ironwork and façade ornament that are easy to miss. For a break, try the Boulingrin district, Place du Forum or the streets around Drouet-d’Erlon.
5. See the Palais du Tau from outside
Beside the cathedral, the Palais du Tau was the archbishop’s residence and received sovereigns before and after their coronation. It has been closed to visitors since January 2023 for a major renovation. The building is due to become a museum devoted to the coronations of the kings of France. The CMN announced an opening in late 2026 or early 2027, but the date should be checked before travelling.
You can still view its architecture from the cathedral square and Square Henri-Deneux. Don’t plan an interior visit for now. A number of older travel guides still describe the museum as open.
6. Explore Saint-Remi Basilica and Museum
About twenty minutes on foot from Notre-Dame, the former Abbey of Saint-Remi contains two major attractions. The basilica combines Romanesque and Gothic architecture in a quieter atmosphere than the cathedral. It houses the tomb of Saint Remi, the bishop traditionally associated with the baptism of Clovis.
The Saint-Remi Museum occupies the abbey buildings. You’ll find 17 rooms covering Reims and the surrounding region from prehistory to the Renaissance, with Gallo-Roman, medieval and later military collections. Visit both sites if you want to understand Reims beyond the royal cathedral.
7. Choose a museum that suits your interests
If you’re interested in Second World War history, the Museum of the Surrender preserves the room where the German surrender was signed on 7 May 1945. Musée-Hôtel Le Vergeur combines historic interiors with a collection of prints by Dürer. Fort de la Pompelle focuses on the First World War, while the Foujita Chapel offers a more intimate twentieth-century story through its frescoes and stained glass. Car enthusiasts can choose the Reims-Champagne Automobile Museum.
The Reims Museum of Fine Arts is closed for building work, with reopening planned for 2027. You can’t include it in a current itinerary. Our guide to the best museums in Reims compares collections, accessibility and the time needed at each site.
8. Combine Villa Demoiselle, Pommery and Parc de Champagne
Villa Demoiselle is a Belle Époque house where Art Nouveau meets early twentieth-century decorative art. Inside, you’ll see work associated with Majorelle, Gallé, Daum and Serrurier-Bovy. The current visit includes a tasting and can be combined with Pommery. Check times and prices in the official booking system.
You won’t reach the villa in a few minutes on foot from the cathedral. It stands in the Saint-Nicaise district, close to the Pommery estate and Parc de Champagne. Grouping those three stops avoids unnecessary journeys and gives you a pleasant mix of architecture, cellars and green space.
9. Taste local food at Boulingrin Market
Les Halles du Boulingrin combine a 1920s landmark with a working covered market. On market days, you’ll meet producers, find supplies for a picnic and discover regional food. Opening times vary, so check them before building your morning around the market.
The pink biscuit of Reims is the easiest local speciality to take home. Its dry texture traditionally accompanies Champagne and also works in desserts. A biscuit-factory visit explains how it is made and usually ends with a tasting.
10. Slow down in Parc de Champagne
With broad lawns and tree-lined paths, Parc de Champagne gives you a welcome pause after monuments and underground tours. It’s a good choice for a walk, a picnic or time with children. Its history links the former Pommery park with the experimental sports college created here in the early twentieth century.
If you’d like a longer walk, follow part of the Coulée verte beside the Vesle and the canal. Neither park is a compulsory sight, but both work well when you want a slower afternoon.
11. Visit the planetarium with children or on a rainy day
The Reims Planetarium offers sessions for different age groups and a freely accessible astronomical garden. It’s a practical option in bad weather or during school holidays. You’ll need to check the programme carefully, because each session is designed for a particular age range.
12. Explore the vineyards and Montagne de Reims
The vineyards don’t surround the cathedral, but they begin a few kilometres outside Reims. Villages, wooded slopes and growers in the Montagne de Reims reveal another side of Champagne. Book one house or independent producer, then concentrate on a single area. Don’t try to cross the whole wine region in a day; you’ll leave little time for actual visits.
If you don’t have a car, regional trains between Reims and Épernay stop in several wine-growing towns. A guided excursion is easier if you want to taste at more than one address. If you drive, allow extra time between appointments and never combine tasting with unsafe driving.
13. Spend half a day in Épernay
Épernay is roughly 28 kilometres from Reims. Avenue de Champagne lines up prestigious houses above an extensive network of underground galleries. Allow at least half a day, even if you travel by train. Don’t try to combine central Reims, another cellar, Épernay and several villages in one day.
14. See the historic Reims-Gueux circuit
West of Reims, the former pits and grandstands of the Reims-Gueux circuit still stand beside public roads. Several structures linked to races held between 1926 and 1972 have partial protection as historic monuments. Access is free, but the site is not pedestrianised. Traffic continues along the departmental road, so stay alert and respect closed areas.
15. See Reims after dark and check seasonal events
Notre-Dame and the streets around it feel different after dark. Regalia, the light show projected onto the cathedral façade, runs only on selected dates. The Reims Christmas Market, the Flâneries Musicales festival and other events can also shape your itinerary. You’ll get the most reliable dates from the official calendar a few days before your visit.
Best day trips from Reims
Before you leave the city, prioritise the cathedral, the historic centre and at least one cellar. Then choose an excursion that matches your interests: villages and slopes for Champagne, the Faux de Verzy for woodland, Épernay for Avenue de Champagne, or Reims-Gueux for motor-racing heritage. These places add variety, but they shouldn’t turn your trip into a constant rush.
Getting to Reims and planning your visits
The fastest TGV services connect Paris Gare de l’Est with Reims in about 45 minutes. Reims Centre station is on the edge of the city centre, so you can begin exploring on foot. The shortest road route is roughly 144 kilometres, depending on your starting point and itinerary. Our guide to the distance from Paris to Champagne explains the difference between travelling to Reims and Épernay.
You’ll want to reserve cellar tours, tower visits and guided activities, then keep the rest flexible. Central Reims is easy to walk; buses and trams are useful for Saint-Nicaise, Parc de Champagne and some museums. Don’t rely on old Reims Epernay Pass prices. On 17 October 2026, its official page still announced a temporary interruption while displaying older information elsewhere.
