Épernay and Champagne Open-Top Bus Tour with 3 Tastings

This tour turns the Champagne region into something you can feel fast. You’ll ride the Impériale on an open-air terrace, glide down Avenue de Champagne, and still get hands-on tasting moments.

I especially like the combo of three guided tastings plus snacks and soft drinks, so you’re learning as you sip, not just sampling. I also like the Hautvillers stop with a sabrage demonstration, which makes Champagne culture click in minutes.

One thing to consider: there’s no winery visit. You’re seeing and tasting, but you’re not walking through cellar tours or doing a full production deep-dive.

Key points to know before you go

• Open-top Impériale ride: real views along Épernay’s famous boulevard
• 3 Champagne tastings included: guided, with time to ask questions
• Hautvillers photo break: plus the Dom Pérignon connection
• Sabrage demo: a show with practical Champagne culture behind it
• Optional Aÿ extension (2 hours): adds time in a major Champagne village tied to Bollinger
• Small group (max 20): easier conversation with your guide

Riding the Impériale open-top terrace through Épernay’s Champagne Avenue

The best part of this experience starts before any glass touches your lips: the ride. You start at the Épernay tourism office at 7 Av. de Champagne, then climb onto the Impériale, where the open-top setup makes the city feel more like a moving viewpoint than a typical bus ride.

As you travel along Avenue de Champagne, you’ll get a direct line of sight to what makes Épernay so iconic. You’re not just passing buildings; you’re moving down the prestige corridor that Champagne visitors come to recognize.

There’s also music on board, which helps the whole thing feel like an afternoon plan rather than a strict lecture. And because the group size is capped at 20, it’s easier to hear your guide and catch the little explanations that make the history and geography feel real.

Your guided 3-tasting flight: what you’ll actually learn

This tour includes a tasting of three Champagne flutes for adults, plus snacks and soft drinks. That mix matters: it keeps the pace friendly if you’re not a “start with the strongest glass” type of person.

What you’ll get is guided, not random. The tasting is presented with an Imperial-selected approach, and one group noted tasting included rosé, a blanc de noirs, and a Champagne made with three cépages. Even if your exact flight varies, the goal is consistent: help you learn the difference between styles and what to notice when you taste.

A guide (often Marie-Antoinette, and sometimes other hosts are part of the group experience) can also walk you through basic tasting basics—how to look, how to smell, and what to ask yourself before you decide if you like it. If you’ve ever felt like Champagne tasting is too “fancy” for you, this format is a good on-ramp.

Hautvillers and the Dom Pérignon connection you can see, not just read

The tour continues to Hautvillers, a picturesque village tied to one of Champagne’s most famous names: Dom Pérignon. You’re not stuck staring out the window here, either—there’s a real stop time built in, including time for views and photos.

Expect the kind of setting that helps you understand why people built Champagne culture where they did. Hautvillers gives you a village-scale look at the landscape, plus the atmosphere that makes visitors slow down for a few pictures.

The schedule gives you breathing room. You get about 30 minutes on the way through the route area, then additional time in Hautvillers itself for the tasting and demo segment. That structure is smart for first-timers: you get context first, then the drinking and storytelling.

The sabrage demonstration: fast fun with real meaning

In Hautvillers, the tour shifts from sightseeing into show-and-learn. There’s a sabrage demonstration paired with your Champagne time—designed to turn a tradition into something you understand, not just watch.

If you’ve never seen sabrage done, it’s one of those moments where the region stops feeling abstract. It’s loud, dramatic, and oddly instructional: you learn that Champagne isn’t only about vineyards—it’s also about celebration, technique, and performance.

You also get 2 glasses of Champagne tastings at this stage. Combined with the other tasting part, you end up with three total flutes across the tour. The pace works well because it breaks the tasting into chunks instead of dumping all the Champagne at once.

And yes, you’ll be surrounded by people who are curious. The energy tends to be positive, not stiff. This is the part where asking quick questions to your guide can pay off most, because it connects what you’re seeing to what’s in your glass.

The optional Aÿ extension for Bollinger fans (the 2-hour option)

If you choose the longer option (about 2 hours), the route continues to Aÿ (Aÿ/Ay). This is where the tour adds a village level up in prestige, tied to Bollinger.

You’ll get around 30 minutes there. That’s not a full day exploring Aÿ, but it’s long enough to feel the place and take in the Champagne-village vibe beyond Épernay and Hautvillers.

This extension is a good match if:

• You’re a Bollinger fan and want your visit to acknowledge that connection
• You’d like the tour to cover more than one major Champagne village
• You want a slightly longer tasting experience without switching to a full winery tour

If you pick the shorter timing, you’ll still get the core experience—Avenue de Champagne, Hautvillers, tastings, and the sabrage moment—just with less time away from Épernay.

Back in Épernay: using the final 15 minutes wisely

After the Champagne Route segment, the tour returns to Épernay for about 15 minutes. That stop is brief, but it’s useful because it sets you up to keep exploring on your own once the tour ends back at the start point.

I like using this kind of quick return window for practical reasons: you’re not trying to squeeze in a full activity at the end. Instead, you can regroup, grab water or a snack if you want, and then decide what you care about most—architecture along the Avenue de Champagne, a slower walk, or popping into a shop.

Because the tour ends at the same place it starts, you don’t end up doing the awkward “where do I go now?” scramble. It’s a clean handoff from guided learning to self-paced roaming.

Price and time: is $108.37 good value for what you get?

At $108.37 per person, the tour isn’t the cheapest Champagne activity, but the value is pretty clear when you look at what’s included.

You’re getting:

• A guided experience in English
• An open-top ride along Avenue de Champagne
• Multiple stops across key villages
• Three Champagne tastings for adults
• A sabrage demonstration
• Music on board, plus soft drinks and snacks

The biggest tradeoff is also obvious: no winery visit. If what you want most is a cellar walkthrough—tanks, aging rooms, production lines—this won’t replace that. But if you want an efficient, scenic introduction with guided tasting and culture, this format can be a very good deal.

The timing also helps. The tour is about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, which means you can fit it into a day without giving up half your schedule. If you’re working with limited time in Champagne, that speed is a feature, not a compromise.

Who this tour fits best (and who might want something else)

I think this is a strong pick if you’re:

• Visiting Champagne for the first time and want an easy overview
• Curious about tasting technique and style differences, not just buying bottles
• Looking for a fun, memorable Champagne moment (sabrage) paired with real explanations
• Traveling in a small group feel, with up to 20 people
• Planning around an English-language guide

You might want a different type of experience if you’re:

• Hoping for a full winery tour (cellars, production, long tastings)
• Looking for a slow, deep vineyard walk with long stops
• Sensitive to time constraints—because the stops move through quickly, especially if you’re choosing the shorter option

For most visitors, this lands in the sweet spot: you leave with better tasting instincts and a clearer mental map of where Champagne villages fit in the bigger picture.

Should you book this Épernay Champagne Open-Top Bus Tour?

I’d book it if you want a scenic Champagne intro with a guided tasting structure and the kind of culture moment people remember—the sabrage demonstration. The open-top ride along Avenue de Champagne is a big part of the appeal, and the fact that your tasting is guided (not just handed to you) makes the whole thing feel more “worth it.”

Skip it if your top priority is a hands-on winery visit. This tour is about views, villages, and tastings, not cellar tours.

If you’re flexible, the 2-hour option to Aÿ is a nice bonus for anyone who wants to connect the dots to a major name like Bollinger.

FAQ

What is the duration of the tour?

It runs for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on which option you choose.

Where does the tour start and end?

It starts at Office de Tourisme d’Epernay en Champagne, 7 Av. de Champagne, 51200 Épernay, and ends back at the meeting point.

How many tastings are included?

For adults, the tour includes three glasses of Champagne across the experience.

Is there a winery visit included?

No. There is no winery visit on this tour.

Which places does the tour visit?

You travel along Avenue de Champagne, stop in Hautvillers, and then return to Épernay. If you choose the longer option, it also goes to Aÿ.

Does the tour include sabrage?

Yes. There’s a sabrage demonstration during the Hautvillers stop.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes, the tour is offered in English.

How big are the groups?

The experience has a maximum of 20 travelers.

Is cancellation free?

Yes. There is free cancellation, with a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.

If you want, tell me your travel dates and whether you’re considering the 1.5-hour or 2-hour option, and I’ll help you pick the better fit for your schedule and taste goals.