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Group Travel Tour Operator for holidays the Loire Valley, France

Lavish Loire Valley – Wine, Royalty & Chateaux

  • Chateau de Chenoneau © Chateau de Chenoneau

    Chateau de Chenoneau, Touraine, France, jardin ©Chateau de Chenoneau
  • Tours, Loire, France

    Tours, Lavish Loire, France
  • Sunlight reflecting on a wine glass

    Lake Garda
  • Château d'Azay le Rideau

    Chateau d'Azay le Rideau, Loire, France - Exterior (NCN_AFR)
  • Chateau de Cheverny

    Chateau de Cheverny, Loire, France
7 day tour
From £425 per person - minimum 25 passengers

Discover the Lavish Loire Valley

Considered to have once been the favourite region of French Kings, the Loire Valley boasts a rich and regal history. The area is full of treasures that are waiting to be discovered as it is brimming with vineyards, historic towns and architecture.  The majestic châteaux that are dotted throughout are one of the main draws of the area. Each of the many châteaux has its own unique character.

On this tour you will have chance to also see the two major cities on the Loire, Tours and Blois,  the city of Tours itself is picturesque and full of historical sites and the city of Blois is home to splendid architecture as well as the former Royal Palace; Château Royal de Blois. Because of their ideal locations, these cities are your gateway to explore the stunning Loire Valley. Visit the Château de Chenonceau, arguably one of the most impressive and memorable of all the châteaux in the Lavish Loire Valley. However, do not be put off to see the others.  Also visit Château d’Azay-Le-Rideau, perhaps the most romantic and attractive Château. As well as Château du Rivau, a real gem of the Loire Valley.  Furthermore, in the nearby Caves des Producteurs de Vouvray allows you to sample one of the region’s specialities – wine.


Dates

Dates throughout 2024


Suggested Itinerary

Day 1/2

Travel to the Loire Valley

Depart from your local area in the UK and travel towards Dover for the ferry crossing to Calais. Arriving in Calais, continue through France, stopping in Rouen or similar for an overnight stop. The following morning, continue to your hotel in the city of Tours, your base for the next four nights.

Day 3

Château de Chenonceau and Wine Tasting

This morning, visit the Château de Chenonceau, arguably one of the most impressive and memorable of all the châteaux in the Loire Valley. We then enjoy a wine tasting at the Cave des Producteurs de Vouvray.

Day 4

Tours & Château d’Azay-Le-Rideau

This morning, there’s free time to explore the cobbled streets and elegant fountains of historic Tours. Then, head to the Château d’Azay-Le-Rideau to enjoy a highly recommended visit. Surrounded by and reflected in the river waters, it is perhaps the most romantic and attractive château of them all. Considered an excellent example of French Renaissance architecture, the château is one of the most popular in the Loire Valley.

Day 5

Château de Cheverny & Blois

This morning explore the Château de Cheverny, a lovely place and familiar to fans of the Tintin cartoons as ‘Moulinsart’, the imaginary home of Captain Haddock. The château has belonged to the same family for six centuries and was built in the early 1600s. The interior reflects the history and tastes of the family and the grounds offer an orangery, used as a safe haven for famous works of art during WW2. Afterwards, visit the hillside city of Blois for some free time to explore. Perhaps, in the evening you’d like to see the amazing and immersive light show at the Royal chateau of Blois (every evening April – September).

Day 6/7

Departure

It’s time to leave the Loire and return to the UK. Retrace your steps through France, stopping overnight en route back to Calais, where you will take a return ferry back to Dover before continuing home to your local area.


Featured hotels

Hampton by Hilton Tours  ****

A comfortable based hotel situated in the very heart of Tours City Centre. Perfectly located to explore the stunning sights of Tours, the St Julien Church and Place de Chateauneuf. The Loire valley chateaux and vineyards area also within a 30 minute drive away.  The hotel offers an on-site lobby bar, free breakfast and comfortable rooms with air-conditioning, microwave and coffee maker.

Ibis Tours City Centre ***

Located a 15-minute walk from the centre of Tours, ibis Tours Centre Gare offers free Wi-Fi access and an on-site restaurant. The rooms feature a desk, a flat-screen TV, and a private bathroom with a shower. A buffet breakfast composed of sweet and savoury dishes is served every day. Coach parking is available at the station.

Novotel Tours City Centre ****

This hotel is ideally situated in the town centre of Tours. Recently renovated, rooms are en-suite with minibar, safe, TV, telephone, radio, WiFi and air-conditioning. There is a bar and Novotel Cafe onsite. The TGV railway station and Le Vinci International Congress centre are both within walking distance. Coach parking is at the hotel or the station – about 2 minutes away.


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Dates Half Twin Single Supplement
Dates throughout 2024 From £425.00 per person Price on request

 

Price based on exchange rate of £1.00 = €1.198. All prices are per person based on sharing a double or twin room and a free place in a single room both are based on a minimum 25 full fare paying passengers. Prices do not include UK coach hire or travel insurance. Dates are subject to availability. Smaller groups can be quoted for on request. Greatdays Holidays Limited are a member of ABTA (Y0380) which means you have the benefit of ABTA's assistance and Code of Conduct. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. Greatdays Holidays Limited has an ATOL licence (4279) and all of our air package tours are protected under this licence. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any monies you have paid to us for an advance booking. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this tour are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. Our website policy is to use only copyright free images or images which have been authorised to us for free use by the owner. If you consider an image to be unauthorised or to be your property, please contact us immediately and if invalid we will have the image removed. If your image requires crediting or is missing a copyright statement then we will be pleased to add this to the webpage, contact us at info@greatdays.co.uk

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