Luxury Weekend Itinerary to Cognac, France
I’m sure you’ve heard of the Cognac spirit, but have you ever thought of visiting this charming French town? It wasn’t on my list until recently, and I’m here to say it’s a must-visit! Even if you aren’t (or don’t think you are) the biggest Cognac fan, it’s an adorable french countryside town surrounded with vineyards and fun activities, what more could you want?! My husband is a big Cognac fan, and I was really happy to learn more about this famous spirit. In this weekend itinerary to Cognac you’ll find all of my recommendations for where to stay, where to eat, where to taste, and more!
Sample Weekend Itinerary to Cognac
Thursday
Check in to Hotel Chais Monnet
Drinks at the 1838 rooftop or bar
Dinner at Les Foudres
Friday
Morning Cognac Tour & Tasting at Martell
Stroll into Cognac town and have lunch at Coq d’Or
Afternoon Tasting and/or tour at Hennessy
Dinner at La Maison
Saturday
Spa morning at Hotel Chais Monnet
Lunch and Tasting at Remy Martin
Afternoon tour & tasting at Jean-Luc Pasquet
Cocktail Making Class at Bar Luciole
Dinner at La Distillerie
Sunday
Morning walk or run through the garden public in Cognac
Enjoy spa amenities and breakfast one last time at Hotel Chais Monnet before check out!
How to Get to Cognac
Cognac is located 1.5 hours north of Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux is actually quite a large city with many accessible flights from all over the EU. We flew directly from London to Bordeaux! If you have time, I highly recommend staying in Bordeaux for a few days as well, but that’s another blog post for another time! From Bordeaux you can grab a rental car or book a car through the hotel.
Where to Stay in Cognac
Hotel Chais Monnet is a luxury property with two Michelin keys and is the perfect place to stay for your weekend itinerary to Cognac. The property is a mix of traditional and modern, with spacious rooms and fabulous onsite dining, activities, and a spa. The location of the hotel is also a plus. If you love to walk and explore, you can easily get to the city center, restaurants and even some Cognac distilleries by foot. If you visit in the warmer months, you can enjoy the indoor / outdoor pool and rooftop bar! We also loved our evenings at the 1838 bar with live music.
Where to Eat for a Weekend Itinerary in Cognac
Dining at Hotel Chais Monnet
A huge bonus to staying at Hotel Chais Monnet is the onsite dining! The breakfast buffet was perfect, complete with fresh squeezed OJ, french pastries and surprisingly great eggs and bacon. For your weekend itinerary to Cognac, you must dine at Les Foudres, a Michelin star restaurant in Hotel Chais Monnet. This dining experience is unlike any other, where you are literally eating inside a cellar or foudre! My favorite part to this dining experience was the local boutique French wines paired with unique dishes. Of course there was also some fabulous Bordeaux on the list!
If you are in the mood for something slightly more casual but still fabulous, I definitely recommend eating at La Distillerie, a contemporary brasserie with a focus on gourmet French cuisine. You can order a tasting menu or do a la carte!
Other Restaurants in Cognac
La Maison is a great restaurant for dinner! It was about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. Here you’ll find innovative french cuisine in a relaxing atmosphere.
Poulpette is one we didn’t get to go to but even the locals were raving about it! It’s a trendy eatery offering innovative dishes with a focus on fresh, local ingredients. Just look out for the days / hours because they were closed on the weekend we visited.
Cognac Distilleries to Visit
A few tours and tastings to Cognac distilleries is a must-do on your weekend itinerary to Cognac! I recommend doing at least one of the larger Cognac Houses (Martell, Hennessy, Remy Martin) and mix in a visit to a smaller producer or two as well. Tip: you don’t have to do tours at all of them! We did a big tour at Martell and just walked in to Hennessy to do a quick tasting without a reservation. Just double check days and times the distilleries are open, but for the most part they were all open on the weekends!
Martell
Martell was a fabulous tour that taught me a ton about Cognac production! It was beautiful, historical, modern, and interactive. We finished with a tasting and some macarons. If it’s your first time visiting, this is a great place to start. From Hotel Chais Monnet it was a 2 minute walk!
Hennessy
As mentioned above, we didn’t do a tour at Hennessy but we also didn’t think we’d be able to visit without a reservation. They have a bar area and luckily it wasn’t too busy so we popped in for a tasting of some Hennessy you can’t get back in the states!
Jean-Luc Pasquet is a great boutique producer to visit emphasizing in organic and biodynamic practices. They have a couple of tour options ending with a tasting!
For other producers check out Remy Martin and Guillon Painturaud.
Additional Experiences for a Weekend Itinerary to Cognac
For your weekend itinerary to Cognac, there are tons of activities to choose from! Here were a few of my favorites that helped round out our weekend:
- Vinegar Tasting at Le Baume de Bouteville: Experience a unique vinegar tasting session, exploring the art of vinegar production in the region.
- Cognac Cocktail Making Class at Bar Luciole: Participate in a Cognac cocktail class, learning to craft signature drinks under expert guidance.
- Explore Cognac City: Stroll through the charming streets, visit the historic Hennessy headquarters, and enjoy the local boutiques and cafés.
- Indulge in the Spa at Hotel Chais Monnet. We did a couples massage and they have great amenities such as a sauna and steam room!
The charming French city of Cognac has so much to offer, perfect for a weekend getaway or a stop on your European vacation! With world renowned Cognac distilleries, amazing michelin star restaurants, luxury hotels, and acres of countryside to explore, this place is worth adding to your list!
For more weekend itineraries, check out my guides to a Weekend in Champagne or my 48 Hour Travel Guide to Lake Como.
