Loire Valley Day tour
Highlights: 2 or 3 castles, wine tasting, private boat ride, cooking lesson with a private chef, visit of a goat farm, etc.... in fact everything you want !
Date: All year along
Transportation: Fully chauffeured private luxury car with your guide
Accommodation: N/A
Overview
You don’t have much time, but there is this one castle you have always wanted to see, this wine you have heard so much about, this market/church/restaurant you just need to check while in France…You don't have to worry, we will organise it for you :
We will pick you up at 9:15am in a luxury Audi or Mercedes, directly at your hotel or guest house so that you don't have wait for others to join before departing, (Yes , we know, many visitors complains about the "small group" tours, where you must follow the pace and spend the day waiting for the others passengers, crowed in a mini van... but this is NOT the idea of a private tour with Riverloire :).
Here are some great ideas of the day tours of the Loire Valley we organize :
The icons of the Loire Valley tour :
Visit the Chateau of Chambord and Chenonce and why not add a wine tasting in a private cellar, the visit of a goat farm or a private boat ride on the river with a glass of Vouvray ?
The craddle of the Renaissance tour :
The Royal castle of Amboise and Clos lucé, the last residence of Leonardo da VInci. Our friendly guide will walk with you in the charling litlle town of Amboise for a a true discovery of the Loire Valley culture and history.
Medieval times, costumes and wines of the Loire Valley :
The castle of Villandry and its beautiful gardens, Langeais and a tour int he wine country of Chinon and Bourgueil, some of the best wines of the Loire Valley !
A one day private cruise aboard a traditionnal boat privatized for you
The bargeman and the captain will be happy to welcome you onboard. You will discover the charm of the manual locks and you will have the opportunity to actually pass under the arches of the prestigious Chenonceau castle.
A private cooking Class with one of the best Chef of the Loire Valley.
Yes, a Michelin star chef is a friend of us, and will share with you some of his secrets in the kitchen of a private manor ! While your "chef d'oeuvre" are baking, follow the landlord in his personnal and taste some great wine of the Loire Valley.Tell us about your secret dream and we will arrange a special day tour just for you, to make your Loire Valley dream comes true.
And many others great sites of the Loire Valley, like Chateau de Blois, Chaumont, Cheverny or Azay le Rideau, or explore the wine areas of Vouvray, Montlouis, or Sancerre, or discover the Loire Valley from above with a hot air balloon ride or onboard an helicopter.
Tell us your dream, what you like and don't like. Claire, Josepha or Thierry will make you great suggestions for you memorable day tour in the Loire Valley. Challenge us !
Itinerary
This day tour is one of our guest favorites, as it gives an overall view of the region, but once again, all our tours are custom made and we will be happy to craft a special itinerary just for you.
Willing to discover some of the greatest Loire Valley Chateaux and learn more about the French Renaissance? Then this tour is designed for you!
Morning:
A RiverLoire member will pick you up at Saint Pierre des Corps train station/ or your hotel and a short drive will lead you along the Cher River. You will start the day with a privately guided visit of the icon of the Loire Valley: the Chateau of Chenonceau.
Chenonceau is a supreme example of Renaissance architecture, set on its arches of stone, withstands the challenges of time. Inside, you will discover magnificent furniture. You will then appreciate the two lovely gardens, designed by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici.
Lunch:
Have lunch in Amboise at the foot of the castle and take a short walk in the pedestrian streets of this renaissance town.
Afternoon:
you will enjoy the private guided tour of the Royal Castle of Amboise. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, this truly royal castle introduced Italian style and taste into the Loire Valley.
Then your guide will walk you to the Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s last residence, located at 10 minutes’ walk from the castle of Amboise. The gardens and grounds display his inventions, a beautiful tribute to a genius.
Finally a short drive across the vineyards will lead us to Vouvray for a visit of a troglodyte wine cellar and a wine tasting, to beautifully finish the day !
Price & inclusions
Each day tour is different with its own compenent, but the price of a typical day tour will start at € 190,00 per person on a basis of 4 persons.
It includes:
- Welcome and pick-up at the train station or at your hotel by your private guide (remember, with Riverloire you don't have to go to a point of collect nor wait for other people)
- All transportation in a deluxe vehicle
- All the entrance fees
- The gourmet lunch with drinks included
- Wine tasting, as per the intinerary
- Fees and taxes
If you’ve just returned from this “Loire Valley Day tour” tour we’d love to hear from you...
The organisation of the Thierry Macalat and his colleagues were excellent. We were very well looked after and they went out of their way to understand what we were interested in and then to add value to the experience.
Carel (Ireland), a tripadvisor review (5 stars) - July 2023
I am so glad I hired river loire for my day trip to Loire Valley
My only regret is that I didn’t stay longer than one day. Next time I will plan to stay for at least 2-3 days
Claire was instrumental in getting our trip personalized for two adults and two kids
She adapted the trip so that our kids wouldn’t be bored just going to castle after castle. Our guide Nicolas was really good as well. He said he hadn’t given tours to young families before but I wouldn’t have known at all as he was so good with the kids. He recommended a canal ride which was wonderful and the girls loved it. We also visited a goat farm and saw many animals . The lunch that Claire arranged was the best meal we had thus far on our trip
The backdrop was a view of Chambord castle !! Merci beaucoup à Nicolas and Claire from River Loire. Don’t hesitate to book their services !!
Elizabeth (USA), a tripadvisor review (5 stars) - June 2022
A group of four of us scheduled a day trip out of Paris with Riverloire and we all agreed it was a wonderful experience.
The instructions to travel to St. Pierre Des Corps were very clear and we made it without any trouble at all. We were greeted by our guide, Flor, right at the train platform and she led us to the private van that would chauffeur us around for the day. I really appreciated how easy the company and Flor in particular made everything. No surprises, no complications, just straightforward and easy.
We went on our way to see Chenonceau and Flor gave us a fascinating history lesson about Henry II, Diane de Poitiers, and Catherine de Medici. I teach European history for a living so I ate up every word. Flor was knowledgable and funny. I learned a lot from her! We arrived at the Chateau which was a dream. I'd always wanted to visit so I was like a kid in a candy store. If I annoyed Flor by lingering in each room, she never showed it. She was patient and seemed to know everything about the castle.
We eventually left and went for a tasty lunch in Amboise and then traveled to another Chateau. This one was less impressive and really could've been left off the itinerary. We then went to a winery outside of Tours and walked through the troglodytes (wine caves). We finished with a tasting of Vouvray and bought some very delicious wine to ship back to the states. Flor was kind enough to drop us off in the Tours city center where we had dinner plans. All in all Riverloire provided and unforgettable experience for us and I am so glad we booked through them. I intend to book a longer experience with Riverloire the next time we're in France. A two or three day Loire tour would be incredible.
If I had one issue it was that the itinerary said we we would walk Chablis vineyards and we never did. Also, I wish the wine tasting had been more extensive. But these are small quibbles on an otherwise lovely trip. I would definitely recommend this company and I would book with them again without hesitation.
Scott (USA), a tripadvisor review (4 stars) - March 2022
When I realised that the strikes would make our planned arrival by train and original itinerary impossible, I at first thought I would have to cancel our day tour of the Loire Valley. However, as soon as I had contacted Thierry by telephone, he tentatively proposed a practical alternative, which was refined and confirmed in a very short time. The end result was that we were able to have a tour that was only a little shorter than originally planned, and which cost me only a few euros more. Considering the short notice, this was a very good result.
The taxi driver, Jerome, who took us from Paris to Chambord, was punctual, pleasant and a very good driver.
The tour itself was excellent. The passion and knowledge of our guide, Marine, made every moment interesting. She was unfailingly friendly and helpful, right to the last minute (when she escorted us in the rain to ensure that we would be on the correct platform for our train).
I have been to the Loire valley several times before, and had visited two of the three sites we went to, but I felt I learned new things on this tour. The other members of my party had not visited this area and my hope in organising this tour was that they might come to understand why I love it so much. I think that objective was achieved.
I plan to use the services of Riverloire again,and would recommend it to others, whether they are first time visitors or not.
Christina (USA) a review from TripAdvisor (5 stars) - December 2019
Keith (USA), a tripadvisor review (5 stars) - May 2019
Nicole (USA) - May 2019
Brad (USA) - April 2019
Courtney (USA), a tripadvisor review (5 stars) - November 2018
This was the perfect way to spend a day in the Loire Valley. Thierry picked us up, whisked us away for day focused on local wines, and quickly immersed us in the local culture. We walked in vineyards, through caves, and tasted wines; we ate lunch at a delightful restaurant that had each of the four of us smiling with satisfaction, we visited a lesser known and out of the way castle, and finally visited a community wine co-op where we tasted the local wines, filled a small cask from the tank, travelled to a private cave where each of bottled our own as a souvenir, followed by yet another tasting with cheese. Not only was the day and our host a total joy, we finished the excursion feeling like we had truly experienced the culture and the area.
Tim (Italy), a tripadvisor review (5stars) - October 2018
Lindsay (USA), a tripadvisor review (5 stars) - September 2018
Pages
Send us your review