Loire Valley Castles Day Trip from Paris & Tasting with Pickup
Description
Step into the royal history of the Loire Valley on a premium small-group day trip from Paris, limited to just 8 guests for a relaxed and personalized experience. Discover two of the region’s most iconic châteaux—Château Royal d’Amboise, the final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, and the elegant Château de Chenonceau, famously spanning the River Cher. With included audio guides, you’ll have the freedom to explore each masterpiece at your own pace after an introduction from your expert English-speaking guide. Enjoy a traditional three-course French lunch before concluding your day with a guided tasting of 8 carefully selected Loire Valley wines at a local winery. With hotel pick-up and drop-off, comfortable transportation, and a thoughtfully curated itinerary, this experience perfectly combines royal history, Renaissance architecture, authentic French cuisine, and the celebrated wines of the Loire Valley—creating an unforgettable escape from Paris.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your day begins with a convenient pickup directly from your hotel or Airbnb in Paris in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle. Once everyone is on board, we depart for the beautiful Loire Valley. On the way, depending on timing and traffic conditions, we may make a short comfort stop at a service area where you can use the restrooms, enjoy a coffee, or grab a snack if you wish. As you leave Paris behind, you will travel through the scenic French countryside towards the Loire Valley, known as the “Garden of France,” where your journey through castles, history, and royal heritage truly begins.
Your next destination is the magnificent Château Royal d'Amboise, one of the most celebrated castles in the Loire Valley and a remarkable symbol of the French Renaissance. Perched high above the Loire River, the Château d'Amboise combines medieval fortifications with elegant Renaissance architecture. Once a favorite residence of the French kings, it became an important political and cultural center, welcoming artists, scholars, and ambassadors from across Europe. Originally built as a medieval fortress, the château was transformed into a royal residence by King Charles VIII and further enhanced by King Francis I. It is especially renowned for its close association with Leonardo da Vinci, who spent the final years of his life nearby at Clos Lucé and was laid to rest in the château's Chapel of Saint Hubert You will have free time to explore this remarkable château, admire its panoramic views over the Loire Valley, and discover the charming historic town of Amboise at your own pace
Enjoy a traditional 3-course French lunch in a carefully selected restaurant, Théâtre Le Quai, located on Boulevard Henri Arnauld in Angers. In this elegant setting, you will be served a seasonal menu featuring a starter, main course, and dessert, offering a true taste of classic French cuisine. This is a moment to relax, enjoy the atmosphere, and experience the richness of local gastronomy in the heart of the Loire Valley. (optional)
Your next stop is the magnificent Château de Chenonceau, one of the most iconic and elegant castles in the Loire Valley. Known as the “Ladies’ Château,” it is famous for its unique Renaissance architecture gracefully spanning the River Cher. Rich in history and elegance, Chenonceau has been shaped and preserved by influential women of French nobility, giving it a distinctive charm and atmosphere unlike any other château in France. During your visit, you will explore the castle at your own pace with an audio guide, allowing you to discover its beautifully furnished rooms, historic galleries, and stunning riverside views while learning about its fascinating past.
Your journey continues to Plou & Fils, a charming family-owned winery in the heart of the Loire Valley, known for its authentic winemaking traditions and warm hospitality. Here, you will be welcomed for a guided visit and tasting experience, where you will discover the winery’s cellars and learn about their production methods passed down through generations. You will then enjoy a guided wine tasting session, sampling a selection of local wines and experiencing the true character of Loire Valley winemaking in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
At the end of your Loire Valley experience, you will relax on the journey back to Paris in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle. Your driver/guide will drop you off directly at your hotel or Airbnb, or at another location in Paris agreed in advance, ensuring a smooth and convenient end to your day.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
One day before the tour, our guide will contact you and provide all the necessary information regarding your hotel pickup. We recommend being ready 5 minutes before the scheduled arrival time of your guide. Please note that the maximum waiting time at your hotel is 15 minutes. Any longer delay may affect the schedule and could result in missing the planned visits to the Champagne houses.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Those under 18 years of age will be offered a variety of nonalcoholic grape juices
Reviews(23)
The trip was very pleasant. We were the only participants so this became a private tour (yay!) and our guide, Sebastian, was very informative and fun to talk to. The two castles featured very different styles, and are accompanied with their respective audio guides, though honestly I might have preferred talking to a real person. Everything is included in one whole day, and the winery visit was surprisingly good, though in retrospect, I'm not sure if lunch was entirely worth it. In overall, this is a tour that is definitely worth the experience. If I could turn back the clock, I would go on this tour earlier in my stay in Paris since talking to Sebastian gave me a lot more information (especially on our tour back, during our trip through Paris back to our accomodation). To note: there is a certain space invaders app that we missed...
Excellent experience!! It was so nice to get out of the city and see the countryside. Also very nice to be picked up at our hotel. Sebastian was a great tour guide!!!
Great tour!!! Very friendly and informative guide, Sebastian.
We had a nice trip to the castles. We stopped in Ambroise for a lovely lunch. The vineyard stop was awesome. The details of the production was very interesting. Sebastian, our tour guide, was very informative and made the trip enjoyable.
What a gem of a tour. Rich in historical context and natural beauty. From the awe-inspiring grandeur of the Chambord Castle to the utter beauty and elegance of Chateau de Chenonceau and the wonder that its scintillating history evokes, this tour makes you think about and imagine another time, thanks in no small part to our very knowledgable guide, Sebastian. A lovely lunch at the exquisite L'Epicerie next to the Chateau Royal d'Amboise and a wine tasting at the fabulous Plou & Fils added to an already unforgettable experience.
Our guide Sebastian was on time for our hotel pickup. We are visiting during the heatwave in Paris. The van was cold and pleasant, and much needed relief between castle stops. Sebastian gave interesting commentary about the area and what we would see during our drive, pointing out things along the way. He was knowledgeable, funny and interesting, & navigated each location with confidence. In some spots where a device guided us through a castle, he would let us tour on our own, which was fine because we could linger (or not) according to our interest, while learning about the rooms we were in. We had a very tasty lunch where our group (2 couples and a single) got to know each other, which made the trip even more enjoyable. The final stop was a local winery. Sebastian gave a great tour of the wine making process, and we got to meet the family who owned it. We had fun tasting the different wines. So good! Also, Sebastian had a different music playlist for each section of the trip, which was very enjoyable to listen to. He had water for us, offered to charge our devices, and took good care to make sure we stayed on track and be safe since it was so hot. This was my favorite tour of my trip, and fun to see a new area of France that I hadn’t experienced before. For me, the comfort of a very cool van in a heatwave coupled with a knowledgeable and fun guide who catered to the group was well worth the expense. Thank you Sebastian! Well done!
Great experience leaving Paris & learning about the Loire region. Wine tasting, castle exploration, and 3-course lunch rounded out our experience. Sebastian was a great tour guide & gave us alot of information about the area & the history.
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed your day in the Loire Valley. It sounds like a wonderful mix of experiences. We’re especially glad that Sebastian helped make the trip so engaging with his knowledge of the region’s history. He’ll really appreciate your kind words. We hope this memorable day from Paris stays with you for a long time, and we’d love to welcome you again on another adventure in France!
Wine tasting tour in the Loire Valley with visits to the castle and lunch, was very good, excellent lunch and wine tasting of the Loire Valley. I recommend Go Go Tours.
This was an amazing excursion for anyone visiting France or Paris for the first time. We wanted to experience some of France's countryside, and this experience checked all boxes. We had a wonderful tour guide, Sebastian, who ended up doing a private tour for my husband and I. We visited two breathtaking chateaus, which includes tasty lunch and wine tasting. Sebastian was very knowledgeable of the wine making process which made the experience a lot better. I'd highly recommend this trip if you're looking for something to do outside of the busy Paris attractions.
We visit France enough to know what these tours are like. But this was exceptional. Pick up was prompt and easy. The travel between the places we visited was really nice and seemed like we never backtracked. The castles were the usual but the two wineries were more interesting than usual with interesting wine selections. Would recommend taking he lunch option because unlike other tours this was at a very nice non touristy restaurant at a high end property. It also helped to have a wonderful guide who has a lot of interesting knowledge about the region. Was very personable and open to questions. The tour is worth every dollar we spent on it and more. Will be reaching out again to this company for additional tours.
