2-day Private Loire 6 Castles trip by Minivan with Wine tasting

2 days (ID: 162340)

Private Tiered Pricing Mercedes minivan Mercedes E220/E300

Overview

A high-quality Live-guided 2-day Private trip Hotel pick up included for 2 to 7 clients to 6 Top Loire Valley castles, Accommodation and Tickets included: Chambord, Amboise, Clos Luce, Chenonceau, Chaumont-sur-Loire, Blois.
Mercedes Minivan, extra long with adjustable seats, drives faster than a bus or minibus. Despite the large number of castles, the tour is quite relaxing.
We bring You as well to the local Wine producer where You can get explanations how it is being made for centuries and taste local wines.
15 other Private and Small-group Experiences in/from Paris by our company.

Itinerary

Day 1: 07:30 Departure to Loire Valley

07:30 Pick-up from Your hotel. There are 180 km to drive on highway by our comfortable air conditioned Mercedes minivan. It takes about 2,5 hours. The Guide will give You general Information about the French history connected to the Castles of Loire Valley.

Day 1: 10:00 - 11:45 Arrival at the Loire Valley at Château de Chambord

10:00 - 11:45 Visit of Chateau de Chambord. The Guide will tell You the history of the Castle and its construction. The Château de Chambord is one of the most popular castles because of its French Renaissance architecture. The building was constructed from 1519 to 1547 by Francis I (Francois 1-er) and is nowadays the biggest castle with its 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 84 staircases. The castle is also known because of its open double-spiral staircase. The two spirals ascend the three floors without ever meeting. Leonardo da Vinci may have designed the staircase.

12:45 to 13:30 Wine Tasting

12:45 to 13:30 Wine Tasting of minimum 7 wines at a local family vinery existing since many centuries. You will learn how wines have been making for centuries and have afterwords the wine tasting of local wines with explanations.

13:30 Departure to Amboise city

Day 1: 13:45 - 16:30 Arrival in Amboise. Lunch time. Chateau d’Amboise visit.

13:45 Free time for Lunch in Amboise city where You'll find many restaurants and cafes. We can help You as well with the table reservation.

15:00 to 16:30 Skip-the-line access with Guide to Chateau d’Amboise with Histopad explaining to You the history of this Castle and of each room. Amboise is the grand 15th-century residence of King Charles VIII and an example of the transition of Gothic to Renaissance architecture. Learn the history of the castle Amboise which is known as birth place of princes, the reign of Kings, and the death of the greatest Renaissance master, Leonardo Da Vinci! You can see the chapel with his grave.

Day 1: 16:30 - 18:00 Visit of Château Clos Luce

16:30 - 18:00 Visit of Leonardo da Vinci Chateaux Clos Luce with Parc. In this castle Leonardo da Vince spent last three years of his life. The Château du Clos Lucé is a castle located just 400 meters away from Château Royal d'Amboise to which it is connected by an underground passageway. Built by Hugues d'Amboise in 1471, the palace belonged once to the French king Charles VIII and afterwards to Leonardo da Vinci who lived there at the invitation of Francis I from 1516 until his death on 2 May 1519. Today it is a museum about Leonardo da Vinci's life, work and memory Clos Luce is of top 100 extraordinary destinations to explore 2021 by time magazine.
Free time in Amboise city.

18:30 Hotel accommodation.

Day 2: 08:30 Departure to Chateau de Chenonceau

08:30 Departure from Your hotel to Chenonceau castle. It takes max. half an hour drive.

Day 2: 09:00 - 11:00 Arrival at the Chenonceau castle

09:00 - 11:00 Arrival at the Chenonceau castle. Visit of Chateau de Chenonceau. Time to enjoy the Castle and walking around the Castle taking pictures. Chenonceau is nicknamed the "ladies’ castle", remarkable for its feminine history of famous women of France such as Catherine de Medici as well as for its stunning architecture as well as unique aches over the River Cher.

11:00 Departure from the Chenonceau castle destination Chaumont Castle. It takes about 45 min (40 km)

Day 2: 11:30 - 13:00 Arrival at Chateau de Chaumont Sur Loire

11:30 - 13:00 Arrival at Chateau de Chaumont Sur Loire. The castle Château de Chaumont was founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 15th century by Charles I d'Amboise. Protected as a monument historique since 1840, the château became the French state ownership and is now open to the public. Catherine de Medici forced in 1559 Diane de Poitiers, to accept the Château de Chaumont in exchange for the Château de Chenonceau. Diane de Poitiers spent here last 3 years of her life.

13:00 Departure to Blois city.

Day 2: 13:30 - 17:00 Arrival in Blois city. Lunch time. Chateau de Blois visit

13:30 - 14:45 Arrival in Blois city. Free time for Lunch. We can make for You the reservation at a good restaurant.

15:00 - 17:00 Visit of Blois castle. The Royal Château of Blois is located in the center of Blois city. It was a residence of some French Kings, Joan of Arc also went there by 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her army to battle against the English. The castle comprises several buildings of four different architectural styles. There are 564 rooms in the castle, including 100 bedrooms with a fireplace in each, and 75 staircases.

17:00 Departure to Paris. It takes about 2,5 hours drive.

20:00 Coming back to Paris

20:00 Coming back to Paris. Drop off at Your hotel.

What's Included

Visits to 6 Loire Valley castles, tickets included
Mercedes E220/E300 business class car for 2 - 3 people or Mercedes Minivan for 3 - 7 people
Hotel accommodation in Double Room one night with breakfast
Wine tasting of 7 wines during local vinery visit
All Fees and Taxes
Bottled water

Exclusions

Gratuities and Souvenirs
Meals and Drinks

Reviews

peculiartravels

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!!

15 June 2023

Tripadvisor

Kyle_V

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!

19 November 2022

Viator