- Discover the Loire Valley highlights on foot, including picturesque vineyards and palaces
- Tour several lavish châteaux, including Leonardo da Vinci’s magnificent Chenonceau
- Explore celebrated vineyards to meet the producers and sample their drinks at source
- Meet members of the Loire wine brotherhoods, practically unrivalled in their knowledge of the local wines
- Stay in a Renaissance-style château and 17th-century country manor house
Loire Valley: Walks, Wine & Chateaux
7 Days
Excluding Flights From
7 Days
from
Walking & Trekking
Activity Level
Easy & Moderate
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you.
Comfort Level
Classic
Discover regal estates and fine wines in the glamorous Garden of France
Enjoy a walking escape in the Loire Valley, where lavish royal residences meet some of the best winemakers on the planet. During our adventure, we stay in a fabulous chateau near Tours and an elegant country manor in the village of Beaumont-en-Véron – both offering the perfect base for a full immersion in the Garden of France. We stop at majestic castles, including Amboise (the final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci) and Chenonceau, a Renaissance marvel spanning the Cher river. We also tour picturesque vineyards, meeting expert producers and sampling their fine wines.
Highlights
Key Information
- Accommodation: 6 Classic nights (hotels)
- Five days with walking
- Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 18
- Countries visited: France
What's Included
- All breakfasts, one lunch, two dinners and three wine tastings
- All accommodation
- All transport and listed activities
- Tour leader throughout
- Group arrival and departure transfers available from the train station
What's Not Included
- Travel insurance
- Single accommodation (available on request)
- Visas or vaccinations
5 Days of Walking & Trekking
Pace:
Approximately four to six hours of walking per day
Terrain:
Low altitude; good paths, some rocky sections
Day 2
8 km / 5 miles
Day 3
9 km / 5.6 miles
Day 4
7 km / 4.3 miles
Day 5
7 km / 4.3 miles
Day 6
7 km / 4.3 miles
Start
Finish
Availability
Land Only Trip Price
Optional Single Supplement
Sunday Sunday
19 Apr 2026 19 Apr 2026
Saturday Saturday
25 Apr 2026 25 Apr 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 645
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
10 May 2026 10 May 2026
Saturday Saturday
16 May 2026 16 May 2026
Availability Guaranteed (On Request) Only 3 spaces left!
Land Only Trip Price £ 2999 £ 2999 Book with £ 749 deposit Book with £ 749 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 645
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead but there are only 3 spaces left. Do not delay your booking!
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
21 Jun 2026 21 Jun 2026
Saturday Saturday
27 Jun 2026 27 Jun 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 645
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
16 Aug 2026 16 Aug 2026
Saturday Saturday
22 Aug 2026 22 Aug 2026
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 645
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
06 Sep 2026 06 Sep 2026
Saturday Saturday
12 Sep 2026 12 Sep 2026
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 645
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
20 Sep 2026 20 Sep 2026
Saturday Saturday
26 Sep 2026 26 Sep 2026
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 645
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
18 Apr 2027 18 Apr 2027
Saturday Saturday
24 Apr 2027 24 Apr 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 675
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
09 May 2027 09 May 2027
Saturday Saturday
15 May 2027 15 May 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 675
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
20 Jun 2027 20 Jun 2027
Saturday Saturday
26 Jun 2027 26 Jun 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 675
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
15 Aug 2027 15 Aug 2027
Saturday Saturday
21 Aug 2027 21 Aug 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 675
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
05 Sep 2027 05 Sep 2027
Saturday Saturday
11 Sep 2027 11 Sep 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 675
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSunday Sunday
19 Sep 2027 19 Sep 2027
Saturday Saturday
25 Sep 2027 25 Sep 2027
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 2849 £ 2849 Book with £ 712 deposit Book with £ 712 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +£ 675
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip Notes
Itinerary
Tours Beaumont-en-Véron
Start at our accommodation near Tours
We start at our chateau just outside Tours. This characterful university town is the gateway to the Loire Valley and the perfect starting point for our adventure.
Around 6pm, say bonjour to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big French welcome by arranging a group dinner.
Want more time to settle in? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Accommodation: Château de la Bourdaisière (or similar)
Walk and wine tasting along the Loire to Vouvray
This morning we set off for our hike direct from our chateau heading towards Vouvray. The route meanders through medieval villages, including Montlouis, renowned for its exceptional AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) wine, and through vineyards that line the Loire River. Upon arrival in Vouvray, we visit wine cellars forged from local tufa stone and meet members of the Loire wine brotherhoods – communities of wine enthusiasts, who will generously share the history and cultural importance of wine in the region.
Accommodation: Château de la Bourdaisière (or similar)
Château de Chenonceau and walk along the Cher river
We start our day with a 25-minute transfer to the magnificent Château de Chenonceau. Known as the Ladies’ Castle since the 16th century, Chenonceau is the most visited private monument in France. This Renaissance masterpiece comprises a long, covered gallery that rests on the arches of a bridge and contains a large collection of tapestries and paintings by European masters from the 16th to 18th centuries, including Tintoretto, Rubens and Clouet.
After exploring the chateau, we take a circular walk along the river Cher, leaving the crowds as we pass through meadows and forests.
Accommodation: Château de la Bourdaisière (or similar)
Château Royal d'Amboise and transfer to Beaumont-en-Véron
After a 25 minute transfer we visit the impressive Château Royal d’Amboise this morning, sure to be one of the highlights of our trip. A former palace to the kings of France and the resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, this Unesco-protected castle is testament to European history and represents the French ‘art of living’ as well as having spectacular views of the Loire Valley. There is then free time to either explore the town of Amboise or have the option to visit Chateau du Clos Lucé, the impressive home of Leonardo da Vinci, for the last three years of his life.
After lunch, we take an afternoon hike through the Amboise Forest and along the Loire River, before transferring one hour, to our second accommodation in Beaumont-en-Véron. On our way, we stop in the village of Bourgueil to see the vineyards and sample the local produce.
Accommodation: Manoir de la Giraudière (or similar)
The Saumur-Champigny vineyards
Today is devoted to the discovery of the wonderful Saumur-Champigny vineyards. In the morning, we take a 30-minute transfer to the Unesco town of Saumur, surrounded by the Anjou vineyards. We embark on a guided walk of the town, marvelling at medieval architecture and discovering the royal history of the area.
After, we transfer to the starting point for our hike through the vineyards and countryside near Souzay-Champigny. We visit a wine producer during the hike and sample their AOP Saumur-Champigny wine, before returning to Souzay-Champigny, where we have time to visit ancient troglodyte dwellings and a local mushroom producer.
Accommodation: Manoir de la Giraudière (or similar)
Gardens of Villandry
On our final full day in the Loire Valley, we take a 30-minute transfer to Château de Villandry, whose gardens have dazzled visitors since the 1920s. With a history stretching to the 11th century, the gardens have undergone many transformations but acquired their current Renaissance form in the early 1900s, replacing the English garden style employed in the mid-1800s.
We have free time to explore the extensive estate and castle independently, before coming together for our last hike of the week, this time along the banks of the Cher. After lunch we take a short transfer towards the village of Azay le Rideau where we also have time to explore the castle. We return to Beaumont-en-Véron, stopping on our way in the historic city of Chinon.
Accommodation: Manoir de la Giraudière (or similar)
Transfer to Paris Charles de Gaulle; fly to London
After breakfast, we transfer to Paris for our flight to London.
End in Beaumont-en-Véron
After breakfast, we say our goodbyes and begin our return journey home. If you’d like to explore more of the Loire Valley, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Beaumont-en-Véron.
Essential Info
Joining Instructions
Key information
Start hotel: Château de la Bourdaisière, 25 Rue de la Bourdaisière, 37270 Montlouis-sur-Loire
Phone: +33 2 47 45 16 31
Recommended arrival time: We meet at 6pm for a welcome briefing and dinner
Getting to the start hotel
There are direct trains, which take about one hour, from Paris Montparnasse station to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps railway station, near Tours. There are also direct trains from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), but these are irregular so taking the metro to Montparnasse may be a quicker option. More detailed instructions on reaching the start hotel are provided in your Final Joining Instructions. We provide one group arrival transfer from Saint-Pierre-des-Corps railway station. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Departure transfer
There is one group transfer from the end hotel to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps railway station for your onward travel. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your departure time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Tours
Location end: Beaumont-en-Véron
Château and Country Manor House
Immerse yourself in the history and regal character of the Loire Valley with the accommodation on this trip, which is split between a historic château and a manor house.
Tours: Château de la Bourdaisière (nights 1-3)
This Renaissance-style château outside the city has extensive grounds comprising landscaped gardens, a large orchard with more than 100 fruit tree varieties, and a dahlia garden created by renowned landscape architect Louis Benech. The 26 stately rooms and apartments were renovated by owner Prince Louis Albert de Broglie (aka the Prince Gardener), while other hotel amenities include a large, heated swimming pool and tennis courts.
Beaumont-en-Véron: Manoir de la Giraudière (nights 4-6)
Stay in a 17th-century manor house just 3.7mi (6km) from Chinon and its medieval fortress. Situated within a Regional Nature Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and overlooking a vineyard, the hotel has 24 rooms with period furniture plus an outside seating space where the group can gather. It‘s also about a five-minute walk along country lanes to the Vienne River, where bird life flourishes and a peaceful moment or two can be enjoyed.
Reviews
Add your own reviewA great time in the Loire Valley
A whirlwind of beautiful chateaux, wine tastings, historic towns, and a bit of walking
Most Inspirational Moment
Moment # 1: Walking down a long, tree-lined allee to arrive at the first chateau at Chenonceau. Moment #2: Arriving at our first night's hotel and realizing that this was our lodging, not an unscheduled chateau to visit.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Yannis was the kind of group leader you want--knowledgeable, well organized, great fun. He was attentive and extremely helpful in helping some of us make return train arrangements, sought out our feedback, checked in with us along the way--all with a smile. We were also lucky to have Lucas as our van driver/travel companion.
Advice for Potential Travellers
There's minimal walking (the focus is more on culture and history), so walking boots/poles are really not necessary.
Loire Valley: Walks, Wine & Chateaux
It was well planned. I liked the type and length of walks. It was balanced with the Chateaux visits and winery tours.
Most Inspirational Moment
I liked visiting the different Chateaux and learning about the history. It was a tight and well run schedule.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Yannis is a great tour leader. Always available for questions or requests. He was inclusive of the diverse group and helpful in any way possible. He went over and beyond helping me plan my travels after the trip ended, as well as checking on me. I hope to join another tour led by him.in the future!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Visiting the beautiful estates and gardens. Hearing about French history in an interactive way. The vineyards and countryside paths were great as well.
Loire Valley: Walks, Wine & Chateaux
The delightful birds singing in the woodlands. The many different chateaux showing different styles of decorations and gardens. Staying at Chateau la Bourdaisiere was a great highlight.
Most Inspirational Moment
It was wonderful to dine in small villages and local restaurants.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jannie was a joyful leader who gave so much knowledge and enthusiasm for this beautiful area. He had certainly researched the routes, villages and restaurants thoroughly. I’d love to travel with him again.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A great itinerary which showed us a many aspects of the Loire. Chateaux, wines, beautiful woodland hikes and dining in excellent restaurants.
Loire Valley: Walks, Wine & Chateaux
Wonderful, varied trip with great people – fantastically thoughtful and professional guide
Most Inspirational Moment
A fascinating array of castles ,walks, troglodyte houses, wine tastings, and restaurants.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Knowledgeable, patient good humored and kind.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Wine tasting gave a thorough introduction to local wine production and varieties of wines available.
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Loire Valley: Walks, Wine & Chateaux
7 Days
Excluding Flights From
7 Days
from