In the morning, we will come and pick you up at your Hotel or Accommodation in Tours. Meet your English speaking driver / guide who is an expert in the local history, especially the Loire Valley and all its famous castles. Once you have met your guide, he/she will go over the program and itinerary of the day with you. Then, board your comfortable, premium A/C vehicle and begin to make your way to the Loire Valley Chateau Route.
Pick up at your accommodation in Tours or surrounding area
Visit Château de Chambord
Free time for lunch at Chambord or surrounding area (at own expense)
Visit of Château de Chenonceau
Possible optional wine tasting at Chenonceau
Drop off at your accommodation in Tours
Depart from Tours and Visit Château de Chambord
Once you have met your guide and boarded your small group vehicle, make your way to the Château de Chambord that will be your first Loire Valley castle visit of the day. It is considered as one of the most beautiful Chateaux of the Loire Valley. After a short drive of about 1 hour, reach the stunning Château de Chambord. Listed since 1981 as a Unesco World Heritage site, Chambord is without a doubt one of the most fascinating Loire Valley Castle to visit.
Located in the heart of the Sologne region of France, Chateau de Chambord was the desire of King Francis 1 (François 1er) who ordered the construction in the early 16th century. Built as a hunting lodge, the castle was not designed to be a permanent residence for the King who only stayed within the castle a few weeks every year. The architecture of the Château is a good example of the Italian Renaissance style that was prized at the time and Château de Chambord was in fact built to impress foreign visitors and ambassadors and demonstrate the power of the young king of France.
The Castle is laid out around a central keep that includes for massive bastion towers at each corner. All in all, Chambord is home to more than 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 84 staircases. The plan of the castle has for central axis the famous double helix staircase that was presumably inspired by the work of the great genius Leonardo da Vinci.
King Francis 1 never actually saw the castle finished and it wasn't until the reign of the King Louis XIV (the Sun King) that the building was actually completed. The shear size of Château de Chambord makes it a difficult place to maintain and after being owned by different persons close to royalty, it is finally preempted by the French State who becomes the sole owner since 1930.
Upon arrival, follow your tour guide for a tour of the Castle. The tour will last around 1.5 hours and your guide will lead you through the main rooms, will show you the famous double spiral staircase and you take you to the top of the Castle to the terraces where you will have a great view of the surrounding area.
After the visit, you will have some free time to discover the Castle of Chambord on your own. If you have purchased the visit of the Château and Gardens during the booking process, then it will be time for you to have a walk through the beautiful French Gardens of Chambord.
Free time for lunch
After your visit of Chambord Castle, you will have some time for lunch, on your own and at own expense. There are several options that can be chosen from that are located at the Château or close by. Your guide will also be able to make suggestions depending on your wishes. After lunch, it will be time to move on and head towards the Château de Chenonceau.
Then Visit Château de Chenonceau
After your time for lunch, we will drive you to Chenonceaux where the castle of Chenonceau is located. The original Château dates back to the 13th century but was later torched and rebuilt to be finally taken by King Francis I as a debt.
The next most important owner was Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II, who transformed the building and added the arched bridge that spans over the River Cher. After the kings death, the Chateau became the property of Catherine de Medici who expelled Diane de Poitiers.
During her time at the Château as owner, Catherine de Medici spent large amounts of money for renovation and embellishments and was known to house spectacular night time parties. It is here that in 1560, the first ever fireworks took place in France.
After the death of Catherine de Medici, the Château passed into several hands including that of Louise Dupin famous for hosting a literary salon that was attended by some of the most famous figures of the time including Voltaire, Montesquieu, Buffon or Marivaux. Famous philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau was Louise Dupin's secretary and tutored her son.
In more recent history, the castle was bought in 1913 by Henri Menier whose family was famous as chocolate makers and the Chateau de Chenonceau is still in their possession today.
After your arrival at Chenonceau castle, begin your tour. Chenonceau is home to an outstanding collection of furniture, tapestries and paintings that included artworks from Rubens, Tintoretto, Van Loo, Murillo, Veronese, Poussin, Van Dyck and many more.
Also, during your tour, you will visit the highlights of the castle including Diane de Poitiers' bedroom, the Green Study, the Gallery and the kitchens. After the visit, you will have some free time to explore the gardens.
Return to Tours
After the visit of Château de Chenonceau it will be time for you to head back towards Tours where we will drop you off and that will be the end of our services. This Loire Valley tour can also be taken as a day trip from Paris.
