Private Loire Valley Tour from Paris

Your guide and chauffeur will meet you at your hotel, apartment, or chosen address in Paris to start your experience with us.

Settle into your private vehicle and watch the capital gradually evolve into fields, forests and historic villages. During the journey, your guide will introduce the Loire Valley and the royal figures whose ambitions shaped its landscape.

By the time Chambord’s towers appear above the trees, you will already be immersed into French royalty and understand why rulers chose this region for their grandest residences.

King Francis I commissioned Château de Chambord in 1519. He intended it primarily as a hunting residence and a demonstration of royal power, rather than as his permanent home. Today, it is one of the most celebrated chateau in the region!

It combines the basic form of a medieval fortress with architectural ideas introduced to France during the Renaissance. As you explore with your step, step back into history seen in the decoration and monumental staircase that reflect Italian Renaissance influence.

The château contains apartments associated with Francis I and later French rulers, including Louis XIV, the Sun King of Versailles.

Your guide will explain how the rooms were organized and used. Take note, because Chambord was occupied only for short periods, so the royal court had to transport furniture, textiles and other necessities whenever the king visited!

The central staircase, one of the highlights of the visit, consists of two intertwined spirals. Two people can use the staircase simultaneously without meeting, although they may see each other through openings in the central structure.

The design is often connected with Leonardo da Vinci, who spent the final years of his life in France under the patronage of Francis I. This is actually why the Mona Lisa is in France today! No surviving document proves that Leonardo specifically designed the staircase, but his architectural ideas may have influenced it.

After exploring Chambord, we head to our next stop Chateau de Chenonceau, where you have time to enjoy lunch in a magnifient setting.

The itinerary includes approximately one hour for lunch. Food and drinks are not included in the tour price and are paid directly to the restaurant.

Please let us know in advance about allergies or dietary requirements!

This château stretches across the Cher River, its graceful gallery reflected in the water below. Its history was shaped by a succession of influential women, earning it the name “the Ladies’ Château.”

Walk through richly furnished rooms as your guide shares stories of love, rivalry, ambition and survival. Discover how Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici each left their mark on the château and how their famous rivalry transformed both the building and its gardens.

The château has separate gardens associated with Diane de Poitiers, a favorite mistress of Henri II, and Queen Catherine de Medici.

Diane’s larger, geometric garden lies beside the river. Catherine’s more intimate garden offers views of the château’s western façade. Your guide will explain how their different layouts reflect the tastes and status of the two women.

This grand gallery extends approximately 60 meters across the river.

Catherine de’ Medici used it as a reception and ballroom. Centuries later, it served as a hospital ward during the First World War. During the Second World War, the River Cher formed part of the boundary between occupied France and the Free Zone, giving the gallery strategic importance.

Castles tell only part of the Loire Valley’s story.

The Loire Valley is one of France’s most varied wine regions. Vineyards extend along the Loire and its tributaries, producing white, red, rosé and sparkling wines, and have shaped the region for centuries.

Visit a carefully selected wine estate and meet the people who continue that tradition today. Learn how the valley’s soils, climate and grape varieties influence the wines produced here.

Your visit includes a visit to the cellar and vineyard, accompanied by a tasting. The selected vineyard may vary according to the season and availability. Guests must meet the legal drinking-age requirement to participate in the tasting, but children are still welcome to see the spaces!

At the end of the day, settle back into your private vehicle for the journey to Paris.

After a day among castles, gardens and vineyards, your chauffeur will return you directly to your hotel, apartment or agreed address.

You will arrive back in Paris with more than photographs. You will leave with a deeper understanding of the people, passions and ambitions that created the Loire Valley, and hopefully with a few bottles of wine!