A Splendid One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary

Even one day in Strasbourg is a dream come true.

It did not take much for the capital of the Alsace region in northeast France to charm us completely: part French and part German, with a dazzle of its own magic, Alsace is a region like no other, and Strasbourg is quick to show that off.

Known for its wine, food, and idyllic half-timbered houses, Strasbourg is a new favorite destination of ours, and we will absolutely be back.

Trying to narrow it down and decide what to see in one day in Strasbourg? Here’s what to do.

One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary: Square with Cafes
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What to See in Strasbourg in One Day

First, pick up a Tasty Trips Pass.

When we first got in contact with Tourism Alsace and they offered us a Tasty Trips pass to use during our time in Strasbourg, we weren’t entirely sure what it was–but once we started using it, we quickly realized that it was not only one of our favorite things about our time in Strasbourg, we can’t understand why every city doesn’t have one!

Once you have your Tasty Trips pass in hand, simply use it as a self-guided food tour of Strasbourg, making your way to different shops and restaurants throughout the city and sampling food and/or drinks at each.

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No schedule, no group–simply follow the map to quick tastings of gingerbread, munster cheese, wine, a pretzel, a kougelhopf, and more at various participating shops around town.

It’s a fabulous way to get a taste of Alsatian food and gastronomy, and it includes a surprising amount of food, as well!

Note: The Tasty Trips Pass is not available while the Christmas markets are going on.

Book your Tasty Trips self-guided tour today!

One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary: Pretzel from Tasty Trips Pass

Visit the Strasbourg Cathedral.

Also called Notre-Dame (not to be confused with the one in Paris), the opulent Strasbourg Cathedral is located in a central square, not far from the canals and right near the Strasbourg Tourism office.

There are a few things you need to be sure to do here: check out to beautiful interior, visit the impressive astronomical clock that is inside, and climb the tower–the view of Strasbourg from the top is incredible!

While you’re nearby, be sure to spend some time wandering around the Strasbourg Cathedral Square–it is incredibly picturesque!

Strasbourg in One Day Itinerary: Strasbourg Cathedral

Take a Batorama Boat Tour.

With only one day in Strasbourg, there’s no time to waste: with a boat tour, you’ll be able to get an overview of Strasbourg’s history, see the European Parliament, and experience views of Strasbourg from the water (including the beautiful La Petite France), all in one fell swoop.

With limited time, it’s a great way to work through some of the best things to see in Strasbourg quickly, and also leave room in your schedule for things closer to the center of town.

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Wander through La Petite France.

This is the Strasbourg you see on Instagram, Pinterest, and tourism adverts: La Petite France is Strasbourg’s most picturesque neighborhood, home to colorful half-timbered houses that are perched right on the edge of the canals and plenty of pedestrian bridges over the canals so you can search for that perfect view.

We couldn’t get enough of La Petite France, and I recommend spending around half of your one day in Strasbourg here (several of the stops on the Tasty Trips Pass are in this area as well).

One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary: La Petite France Canals

Taste some Alsatian wines.

Alsace is known for its wines, and they are delicious.

With only one day in Strasbourg, you won’t have time to visit the Alsace Wine Route outside of town, but luckily, plenty of vineyards offer tastings at storefronts set up in the city as well.

Prices range dramatically depending on how big of a tasting it is and what is included, so if you’re a wine buff, do some research before you arrive.

Your Tasty Trips Pass does include a small wine tasting (one glass), but we’d recommend spending a bit more time on the region’s famous wine!

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Check out the Alsatian Museum or the Historical Museum of Strasbourg.

As the capital of the Alsace region, Strasbourg has plenty of museums to choose from–but one day in Strasbourg isn’t enough time to justify spending much of it inside.

I recommend picking just one museum–the Alsatian Museum covering life in the region in the 18th and 19th centuries (it was founded in 1902 as pushback against the Germanization of Alsace, which was then under German rule), and the Historical Museum of Strasbourg (which covers the history of the city from the 13th century to 1800) are both highly recommended.

One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary: Streets of Strasbourg

Grab dinner in a winstub.

Winstubs are traditional Alsatian restaurants, and like Alsace itself, they feel like a cross between German and French cultures, with a little something extra thrown in.

Think of a laid-back German pub–low ceilings, exposed timber beams, low lighting, beer, comfort food like sausages and pretzels–paired with a French country kitchen.

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That’s pretty much a winstub: they’re cozy, they’re relaxed, and they tend to serve incredible food.

There’s no better place to eat dinner in Strasbourg–like in any city, the touristy areas are going to see higher prices and a need to do some research in advance to make a safe bet on quality–but for your one day in Strasbourg, I’d recommend eating at a well-reviewed winstub in La Petite France, where the environment is excellent and the views are lovely.

One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary: Beer

The Strasbourg Pass: Worth the Money?

By following this one day in Strasbourg itinerary, you’ll at least break even with the Strasbourg Pass, and potentially save a few Euros–and for that reason, we recommend purchasing one.

With a little extra time in Strasbourg (the Strasbourg Pass is good for three days) or a desire to knock off a little more sightseeing than what we suggest here, you can easily save even more.

Plus, as a bonus, you’ll have all your tickets sorted out ahead of time and be able to spend your one day in Strasbourg focused on enjoying and eating your way through the city!

Purchase your Strasbourg Pass before you go!

Strasbourg in One Day: Square

More Than One Day in Strasbourg?

You definitely can’t see everything there is to see in Strasbourg in one day: with more time, we recommend more visits to La Petite France and various winstubs, possibly biking across the pedestrian bridge to Germany (Strasbourg really is right on the border!) for the sheer novelty of it, and potentially visiting the European Parliament if you can (there are very limited sightseeing hours).

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The real beauty of more time in Strasbourg, though, is that you have more time in Alsace: head out on the Alsace wine route to tour some vineyards, make your way to the towns of Colmar, Kaysersburg, or Riquewihr for some incredible Alsatian charm, or take a bike tour in the beautiful countryside.

Please make sure that you enjoy the wine route responsibly–if you’re a wine drinker, we recommend making a tour to the vineyards a splurge on your trip. Clearly, driving yourself is not the best option–this is a time that it pays to have someone else be in charge of transportation.

Shop Alsace wine tours leaving from Strasbourg!

One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary: Canals

Getting Around Strasbourg

Strasbourg is compact: if you stay near La Petite France or the Strasbourg Cathedral Square, you likely won’t need any transportation at all while in Strasbourg–we stayed in town for nearly a week using only our own two feet to get around!

The exception to this was coming into Strasbourg from the train station, when we took a tram: Strasbourg’s bus and tram system makes it easy to get around the areas that are a bit further out if needed.

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When to Visit Strasbourg

There is no bad time to visit Strasbourg (or the surrounding villages of the Alsace region), but there are two wildly different seasons that are the most popular for a reason.

First, you can consider a visit to Strasbourg in the spring or summer–Strasbourg in full bloom looks absolutely magnificent, with flowers planted all throughout the parks, along canals, and on the edges of the pedestrian bridges that criss-cross the city.

Sadly, we were just a few weeks too early to see the flowers bloom on our trip in late March and early April.

Second, a Christmas trip to Strasbourg is spectacular–Strasbourg (and Alsace in general) is known for its beautiful Christmas markets, and since the entire city looks like something that belongs in a snow globe, it’s no surprise that their Christmas markets are something special.

Views from Strasbourg Cathedral

Where We Stayed in Strasbourg

The Roof of Strasbourg Airbnb — We loved this adorable Airbnb: it had an amazing view of the Strasbourg Cathedral and a canal from the front window, it was located a short walk from anywhere in Strasbourg we wanted to go, and the apartment itself was cozy and homey. As a bonus, there was a delicious Italian grocer located right next door that sold delicious pesto!

Never used Airbnb before? Sign up with our link for a discount on your first stay!

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Looking for more traditional lodging? Here are a couple of properties in Strasbourg from Booking.com that we would consider be thrilled to stay in:

Apartment Strasbourg Centre Cathedral — Located less than a 5-minute walk from the centrally located Strasbourg Cathedral, you couldn’t ask for a better location in Strasbourg!

Midpoint — This studio is a very short walk from the Strasbourg Cathedral, St. Paul’s Church, the Historical Museum of Strasbourg, and in the winter, the Christmas Markets!


One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary

Many thanks to Tourisme Alsace for providing us with two Strasbourg Passes, Tasty Trips Passes, and Alsace Passes during our time in the region. All opinions are, as always, our own.

About Kate Storm
Image of the author, Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

24 thoughts on “A Splendid One Day in Strasbourg Itinerary”

  1. Dinner in a winstub sounds fun guys! Mainly because of that comfy cozy environment. Right up my alley. This is one reason why I want to visit Germany soon too. The eateries seem to cozy and intimate to me, which I love. Food seems darn filling too LOL….my mom is from the Black Forest and whipped up brilliant German fare for us as kids, so I know Austrian cuisine is likely similarly tasty and satiating. Thanks guys 🙂

    Ryan

    Reply
    • The winstubs definitely felt very close to German food! They were delicious–we didn’t have a bad meal in Alsace.

      Reply
  2. Strasbourg has been on my list of must-see places for some time now. I love the idea of the tasting pass and agree with you that every city needs this! One of our favorite things to do is take food tours of the area. I feel like it gives you such an insight into the culture. Thanks for the great share!

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  3. Strasbourg is one of the cutest towns I’ve visited in Europe and this is a great roundup of how to spend a day there, I’ll have to do some of the things I missed the first time around when I go back. I also strongly recommend visiting the historic wine cellar at the hospital, which was the highlight of my time in Strasbourg. There is a section of really old barrels you can explore and while I wasn’t able to taste any wines, the few bottles I bought blind were delicious!

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  4. Your photos are amazing. I’ve always meant to do to Strasbourg but it keeps escaping my list somehow. Thanks for the reminder that it is definitely, DEFINITELY, worth my time!

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    • Hahaha I know the problem! It was between Alsace and Etretat for us on this trip, and Alsace just barely won out. 😀

      Reply
  5. This is such a beautiful city! We went during Christmas and you’re right, it was like a snow globe! I wish we could have taken advantage of the Tasty Trips Pass. Sounds perfect!

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    • That sounds beautiful! Whenever we (eventually) do a Christmas winter trip, Strasbourg is definitely at the top of the list.

      Reply
  6. I hope Strasbourg never changes – they have done such an amazing job of preserving the city’s history and culture! I can’t wait to have the chance to visit (… and drink a beer rainbow!).

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      • What is a beer rainbow? I’m in Strasbourg and no one knows what it is. And I googled it and couldn’t find anything about it. Thank you.

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        • It has been a few years, but reading between the lines, it’s what that particular restaurant called their beer flight–because the beers increased in color like a rainbow. 🙂

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  7. Wow, your pictures are lovely. Strasbourg looks like something out of a fairy tale. I would love to spend some time there and explore the Alsace region. Good to know about the card. I pinned for future reference.

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    • That’s exactly it! The nearby town of Colmar that we also visited while in Alsace is one of a few towns rumored to be the inspiration for Belle’s town in Beauty & The Beast, so you’re spot on!

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  8. Didn’t realise that the Strasbourg is half German and the other half French. On arrival from Frankjfurt we were amazed at the beauty and many interes6ts of Strasbourg , however on returning by train from Gare du Strasbourg we were asked on the train by the ticket officer to pay 59 Euros to get back to Frankfurt as we had boughjt a rfeturn ticket Frankfurt to Strasbourg in Germany but had not realised we were in the French side of Strasbourg Petite.
    South African travellers

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    • Yikes, I’m sorry that happened! Being right on the border, I can definitely see how there might be some confusion.

      Hope you enjoyed Strasbourg regardless!

      Reply
  9. Thanks so much for the post! It really helped my husband and me decide what to do for our one full day here.

    He and I both loved Strasbourg!

    From a fellow Mediavine blogger!

    Reply
    • So glad you guys enjoyed Strasbourg, and it’s always great to get to say hi to another Mediavine blogger in the “wild”!

      Hope you guys had a wonderful trip. 🙂

      Reply

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