The Tours

There are the popular attractions of the Loire Valley of course – the must sees – as well as those sights, sounds and tastes that you may not uncover if you are in a large group. We are a family run company and we live here so we can take you to local attractions which will not be on the menu for those on larger coach tours.

We keep the numbers down so that we can give you and your party the level of service we want to provide and at the same time this ensures that we can pay attention to the details that will make your break one which is enjoyable from start to finish.

The majority of our guests visit us as part of a wider European visit, and as such many wish to maximise their time with us. In addition, most guests travel to us by train via Paris. So we start our tours on the morning of the first day, with collection from Tours railway station. Starting the tours this way on the first morning avoids a ‘lost’ day travelling to us for an afternoon/evening arrival.
If you would prefer to arrive the day before the tour starts, we are happy to welcome you late afternoon with a pick up from our local train station. We will provide accommodation that evening, transportation to a local restaurant, and breakfast the next morning, before your tour starts.

Our Classic Tour:

This tour incorporates the favourite visits of our guests over recent years, and includes a good mix of the best of the different places to visit in the area so guests can experience the sights, sounds and tastes of the region. The itinerary for this tour is as follows:

Day 1 – your first day starts with collection from Tours railway station. From here, we will travel to the east of Tours to visit chateau Chenonceaux built over the river Cher, followed by a trip into Amboise for lunch. Time in the afternoon to visit either the chateau at Amboise or Chateau Clos Lucé, where Leonardo de Vinci lived, before a wine tasting on the way home.
Day 2 – visit to Villandry – famous for its magnificent gardens (worth a visit at any time of the year) and Chinon with its medieval town centre and chateau, plus a visit to one of the following – Rigny Ussé chateau, Langeais chateau, Azay le Rideau chateau or les Goupilleres troglodyte village. There will also be a wine tasting visit (red and rosé wine) on this day.
Day 3 – visit to Fontevraud Abbey – burial place of Richard the Lionheart - plus the historic riverside chateau town of Saumur. There will also be a visit to a sparkling wine producer in Saumur, plus a further visit from the following – Brezé underground chateau, Montsoreau chateau or Pierre et Lumiere caves. Visit to a local market.
Day 4 – departure after a final breakfast with transportation (if required) to Port Boulet station for your onward journey.

The itinerary may change slightly to the above depending on the time of year of your visit and the days of your tour – for example we will visit the market on the days they take place locally!

Private Tours

In addition to this classic tour, we are happy to put together a bespoke itinerary – this is ideal for guests who have special interests (for example if you love gardens and would like to concentrate on visits to parks and chateaux locally famous for these) or if you have certain places/sights you would like to visit which are not part of our classic tour itinerary. Alternatively, if your group would prefer a private tour then we are happy to provide this at the private tour price.

For this tour we send you a short questionnaire once you have booked, asking for your special interests and any places on your ‘must see’ list and put together an itinerary based on your answers. We concentrate our tours in an area roughly one hour’s drive from our base – so approximately anywhere between Tours to the east and Angers to the west.

Accommodation

Accommodation throughout your stay is in our high-quality en-suite rooms and all stays include a French breakfast each morning. In addition, for your evening meals we will take you to local restaurants - each different in style - where you will be treated to true Loire Valley gastronomic experiences.

"Our group of 8 had a fabulous time in the Loire Valley. Mark was our 'guide extraordinaire' taking us to beautiful chateax we've always read about, wonderful restaurants - we loved all the wine tasting, cave exploring and sampling. In one word...'magnifique' - Joanne and friends, USA - September 2011

Useful Information

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