With its majestic chateaux, historic towns and rolling vineyards, the Loire Valley is one of the world’s best-known World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO. Think magical properties such as Chenonceau, Chambord and Cheverny; towns like Blois, Amboise and Orléans; and internationally renowned wines such as Chinon, Saumur and Vouvray.
Far more than just a collection of fancy aristocratic homes, the UNESCO-listed area extends for 280km along the central section of the river, a ‘cultural landscape’ that combines history, heritage and architecture with the flora, fauna and rural landscape that borders France’s longest river.
So if you really want to get under the skin of this captivating area, it pays to take a tour with an insider who can bring every place zinging vividly to life. Enter Loire Valley Chateau Tours run by husband and wife team Graham and Jacqueline. After careers in Britain’s National Health Service, in education and in retail, the couple moved to France just before Brexit to run a luxury Chambre d’Hôte (guest house) and run tours which take in the most enchanting castles of the Loire Valley.
Tour the Chateaux of the Loire Valley
Tour guests stay at their home in the tranquil village of Ranton, half an hour from the medieval town of Chinon. Built in the 18th century from local Tuffeau stone – building material for the Loire Valley’s signature white chateaux – Maison de Lavande was originally a winemaker’s house and the grape press can still be seen in their underground wine caves.
Tastefully renovated with contemporary but homely furnishings, Maison de Lavande features exposed stone walls and A-framed beams alongside modern facilities and many luxury touches. Relax in the indoor sitting room, chill out in the large garden, or sink into the bubbles of the Jacuzzi.
Guests have a choice of two small group tours – no more than six people – to ensure that everyone receives the same personal service and that guests can get to know each other and share their impressions and experiences of each site.
Six-day tour of the Loire Valley chateaux
Book the Six of the Best tour for a six-day adventure to discover some of the Loire Valley’s most iconic castles and gardens. After settling in to your accommodation at Maison de Lavande, your first night’s dinner is in an atmospheric restaurant in Montreuil-Bellay, listed amongst the elite band of Plus Beaux Detours de France.
Next day you set off by air-conditioned private transport to visit the moated gem of Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, followed by nearby Château d’Ussé, inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Tour the gardens designed by André Le Nôtre of Vaux-le-Vicomte and Versailles fame and taste a range of Loire Valley vintages.
Ussé and Azay-le-Rideau are both utterly magical, but the chateaux step up somewhat in size and grandeur over the next two days. With its elegant arches spanning the river Cher and its formal gardens designed for Catherine de Médici and Diane de Poitiers – wife and mistress of French King Henri II – the Château de Chenonceau is one of the most visited in the Loire Valley. Next stop is Amboise with free time to visit the Royal Chateau, last resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, or maybe his final home at the bijou Château de Clos Lucé just a short walk away where many of his inventions are reproduced as working models in the house and shady park.
After an overnight stay in an elegant town house beneath the castle, you will leave Amboise for the Château de Chambord, entertainment palace for Renaissance king François I. Like statistics? Chambord goes into overload with 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and a chimney for every day of the year! And don’t miss the chance to try out the double-helix staircase thought to have been designed by Da Vinci himself. One person can go up and another go down at the same time without ever meeting!
From Chambord with its vast park and hunting forest, you’ll drive to the Château de Cheverny, home to a famous pack of hunting dogs and the inspiration for Belgian cartoonist Hergé for the Chateau de Mounlinsart in the series of books about boy detective Tintin.
After overnighting again back at Maison de Lavande, your last full day starts in the medieval town of Chinon below the walls of the medieval fortress, a favourite home of Plantagenet King Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. After lunch in a bistro, you will make the short drive to Château de Villandry famed for its outstanding formal gardens. Never thought of planting vegetables amongst your flowers and topiary? You’ll think again after wandering the paths of this horticultural haven.
9-day tour of the Loire Valley Chateaux
If you have more time to spare, book instead on to Seventh Heaven, a 9-day tour that offers additions to the 6-day itinerary. Discover the lesser-known town of Richelieu, founded by Cardinal Richelieu, minister to King Louis XIII and chief villain in Alexandre Dumas’ book, The Three Musketeers. Browse the street market to soak up the colours and aromas of the Loire Valley’s local produce, then head to the medieval Château de Rivau for lunch and a stroll round its 14 individual gardens themed to famous fairy tales such as Tom Thumb and Rapunzel.
Enjoy a free morning in Saumur to visit the hilltop castle, browse the boutiques or maybe take a river cruise. Then discover a range of liqueurs at an artisan distillery and visit a wine domaine producing delicious Crémant de Loire sparkling wine.
You’ll also spend a day visiting three very different but equally enchanting villages – Montsoreau and its antiques market; the flower-fringed streets of Candes-St-Martin both Plus Beaux Villages and Montreuil Bellay with its medieval chateau.
All tours include collection and return to local airports at Tours or Poitiers, or train stations at Chinon, Tours or Saumur, as well as private en-suite accommodation, all breakfasts and a full complement of lunches, dinners or picnics. Tours run from early April to late October and dates can be found on the website, but Graham and Jacqueline endeavour to run similar tours for groups of 2-6 guests at other times on request.
In an area where history oozes from every stone, where the vineyards tell a tale and the wine is divine, and flavour flows from every succulent mouthful, the expertise offered by Loire Valley Chateau Tours will help to satisfy all your senses, making sure you get the very best out of your visit to this enchanting area.
Find out more and book your tour at Loire Valley Chateau Tours: loirevallechateautours.com
