Back to school, All Saints' half-term (17 Oct – 2 Nov), Halloween on a Saturday, then November and the holidays. Cards are the dates. Gold blocks are how to stack a day, especially when the drizzle shows up. Classic here.
We're an escape room in Bordeaux centre, 36 rue du Pont de la Mousque, 7 days. Local agenda, plus the indoor combos that actually fit (rain, groups, couples, families). More by occasion: things to do in Bordeaux. Wet-weather backup: what to do when it rains.
The big back-to-school events in Bordeaux
Three dates in September-October: Heritage Days, FAB, Village des Sciences. Outdoors, often free, sometimes a queue. Combo that works: a visit in the morning, lunch, then an hour indoors in the centre if the sky gives up or the group is done with the riverfront.
After 4pm, Saint-Pierre is 5 minutes from us. Slots 7 days. Saturdays fill once FAB starts.
19 – 20 September · free*
Heritage Days
154 visits, buildings you don't get into the rest of the year. Grand Théâtre and Palais Rohan: book now.
Family · Couple · Unusual
Programme26 Sep – 10 Oct · often free
FAB
Street shows, squares and parks across the metro area. Pick 2 dates, don't try to do the lot.
Friends · Couple · Original
fab.festivalbordeaux.com10 – 11 October · free
Village des Sciences
Cap Sciences, Hangar 20, 2–7pm. Hands-on workshops. Two hours is plenty. Science Festival runs 2–12 Oct.
Family · Teens
Cap SciencesBack-to-school combo
A visit in the morning, an adventure in the afternoon
Morning · Heritage Days or FAB. One unusual visit, one street show. If Grand Théâtre / Rohan is gone: pick a lesser-known site, it's often better.
4pm · Clock Escape. One hour, 2 to 5 players, nothing to bring. The Spy if the group is new, Cursed Temple for mystery, Ghost Ship for pirates. 36 rue du Pont de la Mousque, tram B Grand Théâtre.
6pm · Saint-Pierre. You walk out into the centre. Dinner, a drink, more FAB in the evening.
What to do in Bordeaux during All Saints' half-term
17 October → 2 November 2026 · Halloween in the middle
Sixteen days, kids at home, typical Bordeaux weather: one sunny day, two of drizzle. Bassins des Lumières (Bacalan) and the Foire aux Plaisirs (Quinconces) run the whole period. Animasia and Quais de l'Aventure are weekend hits. The 31st falls on a Saturday, see Halloween.
With family, an escape room from age 8 (Spy / Ghost Ship) slots between two outings: 1 hour, indoors, no queue. Cursed Temple from 14. Indoor detail: what to do when it rains in Bordeaux.
From 3 Oct · ~€16
Bassins des Lumières · Dinosaurs
Immersive show until 3 January. 1h–1h15, Bacalan. Book weekends. Bring a jumper, it's cool in there.
Family · Couple · Rain
bassins-lumieres.com10 – 11 Oct · paid
Animasia
Parc des Expositions, Gate K. Manga, cosplay, games, K-pop. Tram C then 1 km on foot. Early Saturday or you'll queue.
Teens · Friends
animasia.org15 – 18 Oct · €4–8
Quais de l'Aventure
Adventure documentaries at Megarama Bastide. Quiet evenings, often with the filmmakers.
Couple · Friends
lesquaisdelaventure.com9 Oct – 1 Nov · free entry
Foire aux Plaisirs
Quinconces. Rides from 2pm, midnight weekdays, 2am Fri/Sat. The 31st: costumes on top.
Family · Friends
foireauxplaisirs.comWet-weather plan · half-term combo
Bacalan in the morning, city centre in the afternoon
Morning · Bassins. Indoor, ~1h15, cool (jumper). Tram C to Bacalan. Half-term weekends book out.
4pm · an hour dry. Back to the centre (tram C Bourse / Grand Théâtre). Clock Escape: 2–5 players, from age 8 with an adult, 60 min. Slots between Bassins, the fair and dinner. You don't need to fill the whole afternoon.
6pm · Quinconces or Saint-Pierre. Funfair on foot, or dinner. Saturdays, especially the 31st, our slots go early.
Halloween in Bordeaux: ideas and activities
Saturday 31 October · magic, costumes, fantasy.
Witches exhibition at the Musée d'Aquitaine from the 16th, kids' afternoon on the 31st, funfair in costume. Magic, history, imagination.
Fancy an hour of adventure? Fun, intense, and a real kick! Cursed Temple (mystical, from 14), Ghost Ship (pirates, from 8), The Spy (infiltration, from 8). An hour as a team, then you're on foot for the evening in the centre.
From 16 Oct · museum
Witches exhibition
Musée d'Aquitaine. History, legends, imagination. Bal des Sorcières on the 16th at 8pm, €20, with the Opera Ballet.
Musée d'Aquitaine31 Oct · 2:30–5:30pm · €6
Halloween with kids
Workshops, hunt, costumes at the museum. Tickets from 3 October, desk only.
Kids' afternoonEvening of the 31st
Fair + centre
Quinconces after dark, then Saint-Pierre. The centre fills up: indoor activity late afternoon, dinner after.
Friends · Family
Saturday 31st
Fun, intense, and a real kick!
2:30pm · museum if you have kids (desk tickets from 3 Oct). Otherwise the witches exhibition mid-week is quieter.
4pm / 4:30pm · session. Temple for mystery and old magic, Ghost Ship for pirate fantasy, The Spy if the group wants pace without a “Halloween” theme. Immersion, surprises, a real kick! Families from 8 on Spy / Ghost Ship.
6pm · Quinconces. Funfair after dark, costumes, then Saint-Pierre. The 4pm slot on the 31st goes first: lock it.
Best nights out with friends in Bordeaux this autumn
The trap: “we'll see on Saturday”. Animasia, a games night, a FAB show, or a booked session, 1 hour, then Saint-Rémi / Saint-Pierre. Beats dinner-plus-bar.
With friends: 2 to 5 players. Bigger groups (stag/hen, birthday): up to 15 at once, duel mode. Students: −€2 a head. Stag/hen guide: bachelor party in Bordeaux.
Animasia + Game Fest'
10–11 Oct at the Parc des Expos. Game Fest' final on the 16th in Martillac, free. Big teens / geeks weekend: keep Sunday quieter, or go indoor Saturday evening.
Board-game nights
Mériadeck on 7 Oct (free, 4:30pm). Pierre Veilletet on the 16th (book ahead). Toy libraries in Saint-Médard / Le Haillan. Close to a puzzle session, minus the set.
FAB or a documentary
A street show on a Saturday, or Quais de l'Aventure in Bastide. Beats dinner-plus-bar. Follow with a drink in Saint-Pierre, no second car trip.
Escape room · 2 to 5
1 hour, city centre, nothing to bring. Saint-Pierre is 5 minutes after. Three worlds: Temple, Spy, Ghost Ship.
The 3 rooms →What to do in Bordeaux as a couple this autumn
Bassins on a weekday (quieter), FAB or Quais de l'Aventure in the evening, Heritage Days at the weekend. A lot of Bordeaux escape rooms impose a 3–4 player minimum. Ours: from 2. The Cursed Temple record is held by a couple.
How it plays, which room, how to make a night of it: the duo escape-room guide. Duo rate €40/person, drops from 3.
Bassins des Lumières
Weekday if you can. Quieter. 1h15, Bacalan, then back to the centre.
FAB or Quais de l'Aventure
Evening format, without spending a fortune. A show, a doc, dinner.
Heritage Days
19–20 Sep. One unusual visit, then dinner. If the queue is dead: book a room at 4pm.
Escape room for two
From 2 players. Temple if you want a challenge, Spy if it's the first. Duo guide
Book for 2 →Things to do around Bordeaux
Vineyard weekend, Gradignan, Martillac. Classic trap: everything wraps at 5pm and you're home too early. Combo: day out, 6pm a room in the centre, dinner in Saint-Pierre. No second car trip if you park near Grand Théâtre.
16 – 18 October
Vignobles en Scène
Vineyard weekend: tastings, workshops, walks. Book Saturday night. Simpler formats exist than the €130 banquet.
bordeaux.com9 – 11 October · free
Lire en Poche · Gradignan
Parc de Mandavit. ~100 authors, strong kids' line-up. Fri 2–7pm, Sat 9:30am–7pm, Sun 9:30am–6:30pm. Family: add an indoor Sunday if the weather drops.
lireenpoche.fr16 October · free
Game Fest' · Martillac
Eurêkapôle, D111. Games, activities, fairly family-friendly. South of the city without driving to the coast.
Family · Friends
Events not to miss in Bordeaux in November
November is quieter outside and more cinema. FIFIB holds the first week. Simple combo: a screening in the evening, an indoor slot in the afternoon. Utopia / TnBA and 36 rue du Pont de la Mousque are in the same centre.
2 – 7 November
FIFIB
Independent film. This year: Utopia + TnBA, village at Square Dom Bedos. Hold one evening. Full programme later.
fifib.comDecember and Christmas in Bordeaux
Christmas market from late November, school holidays 19 December to 4 January. We'll update this in November. Meanwhile: the riverfront, Pey-Berland, and an escape-room gift card, valid 1 year, instant email. How it works: the article.
27 Nov – 27 Dec · 11am–9pm
Christmas market
Place des Quinconces. Chalets, local products. Pey-Berland: a large natural tree is coming back. Combo: market late afternoon, a session before (it's dark by 6pm, might as well be indoors at 4).
Christmas holidays: 19 December → 4 January. We'll update this in November.
FAQ: things to do in Bordeaux in autumn
What to do in Bordeaux at the start of the season (September / October)?
Heritage Days on 19–20 September (154 visits, book Grand Théâtre and Palais Rohan now), FAB from 26 September to 10 October, Village des Sciences at Cap Sciences on 10–11 October (free). Combo: a visit in the morning, an indoor session at 4pm if the sky drops, Saint-Pierre after.
What to do in Bordeaux during All Saints' half-term?
17 October to 2 November 2026: Bassins des Lumières (dinosaurs from 3 Oct), Foire aux Plaisirs (9 Oct–1 Nov), Animasia (10–11 Oct), Quais de l'Aventure (15–18), Halloween on the 31st. Rain: museum, Cap Sciences or an escape room in the centre. Families from 8: family page.
What to do in Bordeaux for Halloween?
31 October 2026 is a Saturday. Witches exhibition at the Musée d'Aquitaine from the 16th, kids' afternoon on the 31st (desk tickets from 3 Oct), Bal des Sorcières on the 16th, funfair after dark. Magic, fantasy, costumes. With friends: a fun, intense adventure late afternoon (Temple, Ghost Ship, The Spy). A real kick! Then the centre.
What to do in Bordeaux with friends?
Animasia, a games night (Mériadeck 7 Oct, Pierre Veilletet the 16th), FAB, Quais de l'Aventure, Game Fest' in Martillac on the 16th, or an escape room 2–5 players, 1 hour, city centre. Bigger groups: stag/hen up to 15 at once. Students: −€2 a head.
What to do in Bordeaux with family?
Village des Sciences (free, 10–11 Oct), Bassins des Lumières, Foire aux Plaisirs, Lire en Poche in Gradignan (9–11 Oct), Halloween at the museum on the 31st, Heritage Days. Indoor from 8: Spy or Ghost Ship, see family escape room. Cursed Temple from 14.
What to do in Bordeaux as a couple this autumn?
Bassins des Lumières on a weekday, FAB or Quais de l'Aventure in the evening, Heritage Days at the weekend. A lot of escape rooms impose a 3–4 player minimum. Ours: from 2. Duo guide · book for 2.
What to do around Bordeaux?
Vignobles en Scène (16–18 Oct), Lire en Poche in Gradignan (9–11 Oct, free), Game Fest' in Martillac (16 Oct, free). Combo: day out, 6pm a room in the centre, dinner in Saint-Pierre.
What to do in Bordeaux in November?
FIFIB 2–7 November (Utopia + TnBA, village at Square Dom Bedos). Combo: a screening in the evening, an indoor slot in the afternoon. We'll update this in November.
What to do in Bordeaux in December / for Christmas?
Christmas market at Place des Quinconces 27 November to 27 December, tree at Pey-Berland, school holidays 19 December to 4 January. We'll update this in November. Meanwhile: escape-room gift card, valid 1 year.
What to do in Bordeaux when it rains?
Bassins des Lumières, museums, Cap Sciences, cinema, a fully indoor escape room in the centre. More in things to do when it rains in Bordeaux.
What are the more unusual things to do in Bordeaux?
Off-circuit Heritage Day visits, FAB outdoors, witches exhibition, Quais de l'Aventure, our 3 rooms (Temple, Spy, Ghost Ship). For two with no group minimum: duo guide.
What's an original activity in Bordeaux this autumn?
FAB in public space, immersive Bassins, Animasia, Quais de l'Aventure, Vignobles en Scène, or an hour of escape room (mystery, puzzles, 2 to 5 players) before dinner in Saint-Pierre. Beats dinner-plus-bar.