Loire Valley Wine and Castles Small-Group Day Trip from Paris
Description
Stroll through the châteaux of Chenonceau, Chambord, and Amboise on this full-day tour from Paris to the UNESCO-listed Loire Valley. Admire Chenonceau’s amazing floral gardens, and marvel at the sheer grandeur of Chambord, the largest chateau in the valley. At Amboise, see the quarters of King Francois I and the tomb of Leonardo Da Vinci. Learn from an informative guide about each site, and fit in souvenir shopping along the way.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Chambord Chateau is the biggest chateau in the Loire Valley! It has hundreds of delicate spires and a double helix staircase that is sure to impress you with its genius design and magnitude. You'll learn about Chambord with your guide and then have at least an hour of free time to visit it on your own and take amazing souvenir photos..
Chenonceau is very unique! Known as the Ladies Chateau as it was owned and built up by, mostly, powerful women, and they left their feminine touch throughout it. You'll learn about its fascinating history, including why it was built over a river, from your guide then have free time to explore inside and admire the gorgeous decor.
Amboise Château is one of the oldest Royal castles in France. From its hilltop perch, it has gorgeous views over the untamed Loire River and the charming medieval town of Amboise. You'll learn all about its torrid history from the guide and then have free time to explore the castle ramparts and take amazing pictures.
Visit the tomb of the great Leonardo Da Vinci and see where he spent the last 3 years of his life in the service of the French King. No visit to the Loire would be complete without learning about Da Vinci. His architectural genius was very important to the Renaissance Chateau in the Loire. (not always accessible)
The Medieval town of Amboise will charm you with its plaster and timber-framed houses and tiny winding streets. You'll enjoy free time for lunch in the beautiful town of Amboise. There are dozens of little restaurants and bakeries for you to choose from. Your lunch is not included in our tour price.
While wine is not the focus of this tour before you leave Amboise your guide will take you to a cute little wine shop where you will be given a short wine sample tasting of three different wines. The Loire Valley is known for its production of white wines so you will taste some of them to make your visit to the Loire even more authentic.
On your way to the Chambord Chateau, we'll pass by this lovely 1,000-year-old castle and its beautiful flower garden that is along the Loire River. If you ask about it the guide will be happy to share its history with you and, if time permits, stop for a few photos of it as well.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age of all participant is 7 years old
- It is necessary to be able to walk at a moderate pace in order to keep on schedule.
- Not recommended for travelers who have trouble walking or climbing steps.
Reviews(675)
The three castles were beautiful and the trip was flexible enough to tour independently. The small group/van was very comfortable and easy.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the beautiful Loire Valley castles and appreciated the comfort and flexibility of the small-group tour. We’re so glad the experience was easy and worthwhile. We hope to welcome you again on another adventure! - Alice
Amazing trip! Visiting the Loire Valley castles was an unforgettable experience, and it was made even better thanks to our guide, Wesley. His explanations were, informative, and full of interesting historical details. He was always attentive, friendly, and happy to answer our questions. On top of that, his driving was excellent! we felt completely safe and comfortable throughout the journey. We highly recommend this tour!
Great castles to visit, we left on time and were back an hour earlier. I would have enjoyed to have the wine tasting after lunch, and to have more time at the last castle. But it was overall well organized trip. I enjoyed having time to explore on my own.
Thank you Karim Antony for a great trip - despite the brutal heat wave. All parts of the trip from pickup to passes and breaks were perfect. Recommended.
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the trip and that Karim made your experience smooth and enjoyable despite the heat wave. We truly appreciate your recommendation! Kind regards, Alice
We really enjoyed the day. Ryan did a wonderful job of filling in the history and helping understand what we were seeing. He was very thoughtful and a lot of fun. We had a couple of us that had some mobility issues and he accommodated as much as possible. I definitely recommend this tour to anyone.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted you enjoyed the Loire Valley tour and that Ryan made the experience informative, engaging, and comfortable for everyone. We truly appreciate your recommendation! Regards, - Alice
Exactly as advertised. The castles are phenomenal. The guide gives a 5-minute presentation before each castle then you explore on your own at your own pace. Bring a hat, water, sunglasses, and very comfortable shoes - it’s a LOT of walking and a LOT of steps/climbing. Definitely worth the value but it’s a long day!
Great way to see a lot of castles in one day. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Be aware that this is A LOT of time in a van in one day..... about 6 hours total. It was nice not to have to figure out routes, etc. and just relax and enjoy the day. If you have a tendency to get car sick this might not be the best tour for you.
Family of 4 (two kids ages 15 and 11) took this all-day tour with Julien. We were very thankful for the air conditioned van, especially with record breaking temperatures this week in France. We were the only family on this tour and Julien was extremely informative and helpful as our guide. We had enough time at each castle and even had time to grab a drink or snack at each location. Highly recommend this tour. Our kids weren’t as engaged in the history so we also enjoyed forced learning on holiday!
The Loire Valley region is so beautiful and offers many must see destinations. This trip included visits to 3 remarkable castles, lunch on our own in an excellent local restaurant, and a wine tasting which was very fun. Our guide, Julian, was the perfect host. He was the exact right amount of information and guidance and then time to explore on our own. He was an excellent driver and a great communicator. Julian is a lifelong Parisian and he is very knowledgeable. The castles are all very unique and the gardens and surrounding grounds were beautiful to explore. This was a great value and well worth the time. We especially enjoyed the countryside after a week in the city.
Thanks so much for your kind words, really glad you enjoyed the Loire Valley trip, the castles, wine tasting, and the countryside. Great to hear Julian took good care of you. Hope to see you again soon! - Alice
Great trip, beautiful places, wonderful guide. 3 sisters, age 66-70 and they took great care of us. We couldn't have asked for a better trip.
