Chateaux and Gardens of the Loire

..  The Loire Valley is famous for its chateaux and natural beauty (UNESCO World Heritage Site) its parks and gardens. Visit  some of the best as well as the world famous Chaumont sur Loire Garden Festival.  ..

Tour summary

The chateaux and gardens of the Loire region of France have all been built on such a grand scale that they are bound to impress. Each of the chateaux has its own personality and we have selected four of the most memorable and also different for our tour. We allow a half day to visit each one so that you can enjoy the surroundings at a gentle pace.

Our tour includes a visit to the internationally recognized Chaumont sur Loire Garden Festival. This event takes place every year and is known for its innovative garden designs – with over twenty typically being displayed.

Any visit to France would not be complete without sampling the cuisine. We have included two dinners and two lunches in selected local restaurants in our tour.

Example Itinerary

Day 1:
Flights or train to Tours and then on to Amboise where we stay in a comfortable 3* hotel. Welcome dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 2:
Today we visit the Chaumont sur Loire Garden Festival. Here you will see over twenty innovative garden designs. Even though the designs change every year, you can be sure of some stunning examples of creativity. Lunch - own arrangements. After lunch we make our way to Chateau de Beauregard with its intriguing Garden of Portraits designed by landscape architect Gilles Clément. Evening at leisure in Amboise.

Day 3:
In the morning we visit Chateau de Chenonceau. No visit to the Loire would be complete without seeing this remarkable chateau and its beautiful gardens, which are kept fresh by replacing 130,000 plants during the summer. We take a leisurely lunch in a local restaurant before returning to the hotel. Evening at leisure in Amboise.

Day 4:
After breakfast leave for Chateau de Villandry with its geometrically designed Renaissance gardens. Another chateau not to be missed. After lunch at a local restaurant we visit Chateau de la Chatonniere. Its gardens, surrounding the historic chateau, were only started in 1980’s. Nevertheless they have already received acclaim for the mix of Italian design and English planting, which creates a more rounded look than the geometric shapes seen elsewhere. Farewell dinner in Amboise.

Day 5:
After breakfast we leave for the return journey to UK.