Why CityAppTour?
Explore a city in 1 day
Stories from local guides
Pause whenever you want
Affordable
Stress-free navigation with audio guidance
English guide
The gentle pop of champagne corks echoes through ancient cellars as you wander the streets of Reims. This elegant city in France's Champagne region carries both royal heritage and bubbly prestige, with its magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral where French kings were once crowned standing proudly in the city center. The distinctive Art Deco architecture that emerged after WWI gives Reims a unique visual character unlike any other French city.
With your CityAppTour audio guide, you'll walk through centuries of history at your own pace. No need to rush between attractions or strain to hear a guide in a crowded group. Pause whenever you want to sample a glass of local champagne, admire the intricate details of the cathedral's facade, or simply soak in the atmosphere of a charming square. The stories unfold in your ears as the city unfolds before your eyes. Just listen and walk – Reims awaits your discovery.
Besides our audio tour through the heart of Reims, there's much more to experience in and around the champagne capital. Each activity perfectly complements your discovery tour with CityAppTour. Let yourself be inspired by these top activities:
Best time to visit
Spring (April-June) and early autumn (September-October) offer the ideal climate for exploring Reims, with pleasant temperatures and fewer tourists. September is particularly special during the grape harvest when the entire region buzzes with activity. Winter visitors can enjoy Christmas markets and cozy champagne tastings, though some vineyard tours may be limited.
Accessibility
Reims is easily accessible by high-speed TGV train, just 45 minutes from Paris. Within the city, most major attractions are within walking distance of the center. For tired feet, the city's bus network is efficient and affordable with day passes available. If you're planning to visit champagne houses outside the city center, consider booking an organized tour or using the local ride-sharing app.
Opening hours and holidays
Most champagne houses and museums open from 10:00 to 18:00, with last tours often starting at 16:30. Many close for lunch between 12:00 and 14:00, especially smaller establishments. Most attractions close on Mondays, and many champagne houses require advance reservations for tours. National holidays like May 1, July 14, and November 11 may affect opening hours.
Comfortable on the go
Wear comfortable shoes as Reims' historic center features cobblestone streets and the full audio tour involves several hours of walking. The weather in Champagne can be changeable, so a light rain jacket is advisable even in summer. Bring a reusable water bottle – Reims has several public fountains where you can refill.
Local customs and etiquette
The French appreciate when visitors attempt to speak some basic French phrases. When entering shops, a simple "Bonjour" is customary. Champagne tastings follow certain protocols – hold your glass by the stem, not the bowl, and it's perfectly acceptable to use the spittoon if you're sampling multiple champagnes.
The tour is written for adults, with content on French royal history, Gothic architecture and the Champagne wine tradition. Children aged around 12 and up generally follow along well. Younger children can enjoy the walk — the Cathedral's west façade, with its thousands of sculpted figures, tends to hold the attention of visitors of all ages.
Yes — Reims is absolutely worth visiting. The city has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in one historic centre: the Cathedral of Notre-Dame (coronation church of 33 French kings), the Palace of Tau and the Basilica of Saint-Rémi. Add to that the world's most famous Champagne houses, whose cellars tunnel through ancient chalk beneath the city, and Reims offers a combination of monumental history and exceptional food and wine culture that few French cities outside Paris can match. It is just 45 minutes from Paris by TGV.
Plan around 2 hours for the walking tour through Reims' historic centre. The route covers the Cathedral and its west façade, the Palace of Tau, the Place du Forum, the Basilica of Saint-Rémi and the key streets of the city — all at your own pace.
One full day is enough to see the main sights and visit one or two Champagne houses. Two days allows a more leisurely pace with time for the Basilica of Saint-Rémi, a longer Champagne cellar tour, and an evening in the city. Three days makes sense if you want to explore the wider Champagne wine route, the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims and the nearby town of Épernay.
CityAppTour routes are built by content makers who have actually walked the city, researched local history and gathered input from people who know the place well. For Reims, that means telling the full story — 33 kings, a cathedral nearly destroyed in two world wars, chalk cellars dug by Romans and taken over by wine merchants, and the biscuit that has been dipped in Champagne since the 18th century.
A full day in Reims fits in the Cathedral and its famous Smiling Angel, a visit to the Palace of Tau, the Basilica of Saint-Rémi, and at least one Champagne house tour and tasting — Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Taittinger and Pommery all offer visits. End the day with a glass of Champagne and a plate of biscuits roses on the Place du Forum. The TGV makes it an easy day trip from Paris, arriving directly in the city centre.
Ruinart, founded in 1729, is the oldest Champagne house in the world and offers an exceptional cellar tour through Gallo-Roman chalk quarries, with some galleries descending 38 metres. Veuve Clicquot is the most famous name and the easiest to book. Taittinger's cellars under a former Saint-Nicaise Abbey are architecturally stunning. Pommery offers the most theatrical experience, with 18 kilometres of galleries filled with art. All require advance booking, especially in summer.
A CityAppTour audio tour lets you explore Reims entirely at your own pace. You can spend as long as you like in front of the Cathedral's west façade, walk to the Basilica of Saint-Rémi without a schedule, or time your Champagne house visit around your own preferences. No booking required and the tour works offline from the moment you download it.
There is no established free walking tour in Reims of comparable quality or regularity. The city has limited organised tour infrastructure outside the Champagne houses. CityAppTour offers a fixed-price route you can start the moment you arrive — including directly from the TGV station, which is a short walk from the Cathedral.
Reims is the only French city where the entire history of the French monarchy can be read in a single building — the Cathedral, where 33 kings were crowned between 816 and 1825, from Louis the Pious to Charles X. It is also one of only a handful of cities in the world where you can descend into Gallo-Roman chalk quarries turned into Champagne cellars and emerge with a glass of something extraordinary. The combination of Gothic grandeur and Champagne culture is entirely unique.
Yes, the tour works fully offline after downloading. Download it on Wi-Fi before you travel and you have access to all audio, maps and points of interest throughout the day without using any mobile data.
Yes, the tour can be shared with the people you are travelling with. Check the app for the current sharing options and any available group discounts.
