Loire Valley Castles Tour: 2-Day Private Trip

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Embark on a captivating 2-day private tour of the enchanting Loire Valley from Paris. Explore 6 magnificent castles, enjoy wine tasting, and experience the luxury of a Mercedes minivan. Book now!

Duration: 2 days

Cancellation: 6 days

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Highlights

Paris — Chambord Castle — Amboise Castle — Wine Tasting Clos Luce Castle — Amboise City

Palais Garnier - 07:30 Hotel pick-up. Enjoy a comfortable 180 km drive on the highway in our air-conditioned Mercedes minivan, taking approximately 2.5 hours. The guide will provide insightful information about French history related to the Loire Valley…

Paris — Chambord Castle — Amboise Castle — Wine Tasting Clos Luce Castle — Amboise City

Chateau de Chambord - 10:00 - 11:45 Explore Chateau de Chambord. The guide will share the castle’s history and construction details. Known for its French Renaissance architecture, the Château de Chambord was built from 1519 to 1547 by Francis I and is the largest castle with 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 84 staircases. Its open double-spiral staircase, possibly designed by Leonardo da Vinci, is a highlight.

Plou Et Fils - 12:45 Enjoy a wine tasting of at least 7 wines at a historic family winery. Learn about centuries-old winemaking traditions and savor local wines with expert explanations.
13:30 Depart for Amboise City.

Chateau Royal d’Amboise - 13:45 Free time for lunch in Amboise City, offering numerous restaurants and cafes. Assistance with table reservations is available.
15:00 to 16:30 Enjoy skip-the-line access with a guide to Château Royal d’Amboise, using a Histopad to explore the castle’s history and rooms. This grand 15th-century residence of King Charles VIII showcases the transition from Gothic to Renaissance architecture. Discover the castle’s rich history, including its role as the birthplace of princes, the reign of kings, and the final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, whose grave can be seen in the chapel.

Le Chateau du Clos Luce - Parc Leonardo da Vinci - 16:30 - 18:00 Visit Château du Clos Lucé and Parc Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci spent his last three years here. Located just 400 meters from Château Royal d’Amboise, it is connected by an underground passageway. Built by Hugues d’Amboise in 1471, it was once owned by King Charles VIII and later by Leonardo da Vinci, who lived there at Francis I’s invitation from 1516 until his death on May 2, 1519. Today, it is a museum dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci’s life, work, and legacy. Clos Luce is among Time Magazine’s top 100 extraordinary destinations to explore in 2021. Enjoy free time in Amboise City.
18:30 Hotel accommodation.

Amboise City — Chenonceau Castle — Chaumont Castle — Blois Castle — Paris

Amboise - 08:30 Depart from your hotel to Chenonceau Castle, a drive of approximately 30 minutes.

Chateau de Chenonceau - 09:00 - 11:00 Arrive at Château de Chenonceau. Enjoy exploring the castle and its picturesque surroundings. Known as the “ladies’ castle,” it is celebrated for its association with notable French women like Catherine de Medici and its stunning architecture, including unique arches over the River Cher.
11:00 Depart for Chaumont Castle, a 45-minute drive (40 km).

Chateau De Chaumont Sur Loire - 11:30 - 13:00 Arrive at Château de Chaumont. Founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 15th century by Charles I d’Amboise, it has been a protected monument since 1840 and is now open to the public. In 1559, Catherine de Medici compelled Diane de Poitiers to accept Château de Chaumont in exchange for Château de Chenonceau. Diane de Poitiers spent her last three years here.
13:00 Depart for Blois City.

Chateau Royal de Blois - 13:30 - 14:45 Arrive in Blois City. Enjoy free time for lunch, with assistance available for restaurant reservations.
15:00 - 17:00 Visit Château Royal de Blois. Located in the heart of Blois City, it was home to several French kings. Joan of Arc visited in 1429 to receive a blessing from the Archbishop of Reims before leading her army against the English. The castle features four distinct architectural styles, with 564 rooms, including 100 bedrooms each with a fireplace, and 75 staircases.
17:00 Depart for Paris, a drive of approximately 2.5 hours.

Paris - 20:00 Return to Paris with a drop-off at your hotel.

What's Included

Live Guide during the whole trip
All Fees and Taxes, Bottled Water
Mercedes E220/E300 or Mercedes Minivan
Guided Visits to 6 Loire Valley castles (tickets included)
Wine tasting of 7 wines during local vinery visit

What's Not Included

Gratuities and Souvenirs
Meals and Drinks
Hotel Accommodation. We can arrange hotels at competitive rates, 4* Chateaux-Hotels available

Additional Information

Enjoy a premium, live-guided, 2-day private tour of six renowned Loire Valley castles, complete with entrance tickets. Visit Chambord, Amboise, Clos Lucé, Chenonceau, Chaumont-sur-Loire, and Blois. Travel in style with a Mercedes Minivan or Mercedes E220 business car, and benefit from convenient door-to-door pick-up. Despite the number of castles, the…

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings

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(5 Ratings)

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Peculiartravels

Jun 15, 2023

Great 2 day trip with Chateau, Wine and learning - Fabulous trip! My sister and I wanted to see Loire Valley and Castles but neither of us wanted to drive. What we got was better than we imagined. Valerie was one of the best tour guides I've ever had. She employed a perfect mix of history, art and architecture without overwhelming or boring us. We really liked that she was great about starting us off at each chateau but then we could take our own time to explore and meet back up. Bonus was that she is also a great photographer and got a few videos and photos of my sister and I that were really special. We went to Chenanceau, Aboise, Clos De Luc, Chambord, Blois and Chaumont sur Loire. We also did the option to stay in a Chateau which was completely worth it, we just wish we could have stayed longer. The winery they took us to was beyond perfect with having been in the family for 23 Generations!! Our driver Roman was great and always greeted us with a smile. So yes I highly recommend booking this trip with Valerie and Roman, they made a 2 day trip not only enjoyable but memorable. Thank you!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kyle_v

Nov 19, 2022

Wonderful personal guided tour of the valley - Overall a wonderful and personal experience. They picked us up at our hotel and drove us to 3 different locations each day, including wine tasting on the first day. The host was very knowledgeable and taught us a lot during our trip. Everything was set up for us and he has a great relationship with the winery for the tasting and tour. It can be a little rushed at times, but they will work with you on what you want to spend more time on than others, the only restraint being the closing times of the castles. Thank you very much!

Review provided by Viator

Julibug1122

Sep 1, 2023

ALERT! Very expensive. - My friend and I booked this trip for August 29, 2023 and paid in full ($2,574.30) February 2023. We expected a private luxurious minivan with expert tour guide to visit 6 castles with wine tasting. The driver picked us up August 29 2023 in a small Mercedes sedan with no adjustable seats, limited leg room for a 2.5 hour drive to the Loire Valley. He did not introduce himself or ask our names and was frequently texting while driving. I was surprised to learn that HE was also the guide for the 1st day, CYRUS and owner of Clewel travel agency with offices in Paris and Riga Latvia. En route he gave us a (middle school level) lesson on how to order in a French restaurant, and quizzed us on the number of champagnes available in the world (haha Americans always say 2) and proceeded on a long soliloquy on how French wines are labeled. He dropped us at the gate of Chambord and we used a self guided IPad for the castle tour. At the 2nd stop Amboise, we paid for our lunch at a restaurant. He then said the wine tasting would occur the 2nd day at 1 winery with 7 glasses of tasting wine servings. We shared our confusion with Cyrus thinking this was a wine and castle tour. He then arranged 2 visits to local wineries along with the lovely Chateau Chenonceau. Cyrus gave an expert tour which poses the question why he was so dismissive initially. The Chateau Belmont was the not quite luxurious but still nice hotel (190 euro/ room with breakfast). The second day we were picked up by a driver and very young, not so experienced tour guide IIya. He was nice, so/so English and fell asleep on the way back to Paris. We visited 2 lovely wineries and Chaumont. If you take this trip check the details. While Cyrus rearranged the itinerary which we appreciated it was very expensive for the service provided. Would not recommend.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kathryn_s

Aug 30, 2023

CAUTION high cost low yield! - Booked this 6 castle with wine tasting experience thinking there was a wine tasting with each castle. The two castles visited the first day were lovely. The wine tasting portion of the trip was actually 1 vineyard on day 2. We shared our confusion with driver Cyrus and he quickly booked two wine tastings venues the first day. The hotel was comfortable but not luxurious. The second day of the trip two additional wine tasting and one castle were visited. The driver and guide on day 2 were friendly but not an experienced tour guide as described. We expected a roomy van with adjustable seats not a small Mercedes sedan with no adjustable seats and limited leg room. Be careful when booking, this is a high cost trip. Recommend checking the details first. Clewel is the travel agency with offices in Paris and Riga Latvia that fulfilled this booking via Viatar booking from TripAdvisor site. READ recent reviews. Wish we had.

Review provided by Viator

Richard_k

Jun 15, 2023

Avoid - Horrible experience! The tour guide who accompanied us in the van was inexpeirenced, read from an iphone and was just beginning. The owner who met us at each site was extremely knowledgable &informative but only spent 30 - 45 minutes with us at each venue...he didn't accompany us in the van during 2 days travelling . VIATOR was unresponsive to our inquires prior to the trip. They requested we speak to the sub-contractor for all inquiries.

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $1,119

up to 7 guests

2 - Adult