From Paris: Small-Group Loire Valley Castles Full-Day Tour

About This Experience

The highest-rated Loire day trip leaving Paris with any real volume of reviews: 4.9 out of 5 across 276 of them. It is a minibus rather than a coach, the guide stays with the group all day, and it fits three châteaux — Chenonceau, Amboise and Chambord — into twelve hours.

What the guide does here is unusual and worth understanding, because it is what the reviews keep praising. The guiding happens outside each château, using old maps and prints to explain what you are about to walk into, and then you go in on your own ticket. The operator is explicit about this: the Includes box says 'tour guide outside of each château'. If you want a guide narrating room by room, this is not that tour.

The route starts at Chenonceau, where the gallery crosses the Cher and the two gardens face each other. Twenty minutes later you are at the Château Royal d'Amboise, on the terrace above the town, with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert. Chambord closes the day with the largest château in the valley and just under two hours to walk it.

Food is not included at all — the Excludes box says so in one word — so plan to buy lunch at Amboise or Chambord. Tours run rain or shine.

Highlights

• Discover some of the most beautiful castles of the Loire Valley
• Use old maps and pictures to get a better understanding of court life
• Marvel at the delicate arches of the Château de Chenonceau
• Learn more about the Loire Valley region and its main players

What's Included

• ✓ Round-trip transport from Paris by air-conditioned minibus
• ✓ A driver-guide with the group for the whole day
• ✓ Entry ticket to Château de Chenonceau (1.5 hours inside)
• ✓ Entry ticket to Château Royal d'Amboise (1.5 hours inside)
• ✓ Entry ticket to Château de Chambord (1 hour 45 minutes inside)
• ✓ Guided commentary outside each château, with historic maps and prints

Not Included

• Food and drink of any kind, including lunch
• Guided tours inside the châteaux — the guide works outside them
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Tips

Good to Know & Caveats

• Tours operate rain or shine

Meeting Point

Meet your driver-guide outside the café La Flamme at 6 Avenue de Wagram, 75008 Paris, near the Arc de Triomphe. Look for a grey minibus.