The Ultimate Loire Valley Castle Experience

Immerse yourself in five days of French royal splendor

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From Our Customers…

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5 Days / 4 Nights Loire Valley Luxury Tour

Experience the Loire Valley like royalty on this exclusive LinkParis.com tour, crafted through our network of expert local partners with over 20 years of experience working with Relais & Châteaux properties, Michelin-starred restaurants, and legendary estates. Private château tours, Michelin-starred dining, exclusive wine tastings, and two prestigious 5-star Relais & Châteaux properties!

Day 1 — Arrival & Michelin-Starred Welcome

Arrive at Tours station and transfer to Fleur de Loire, a 5-star Relais & Châteaux property on the river in Blois. Two nights in a Deluxe View room with breakfast. The hotel is intimate and refined — each room faces the Loire, and the property is a Virtuoso Preferred hotel with the service level that comes with that.

In the evening, dinner at Christophe Hay. This is the only restaurant in the entire Loire Valley holding two Michelin stars (2025). Chef Hay is obsessive about local sourcing — nearly everything on the plate comes from within the region. The cooking is rooted in the Loire but not stuck in tradition. Reservations are extremely limited, so this is booked well in advance as part of your tour. The restaurant also holds Gault & Millau recognition and membership in Les Grandes Tables du Monde.

Day 2 — Royal Châteaux & Wine

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning private guided tour of the Château Royal de Blois, directly in town. Blois is unusual because it’s four buildings in one — medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, and Classical wings built by different kings across four centuries. It’s a timeline of French architecture in a single courtyard. Louis XII was born here, François I made it his primary residence, and Henry III ordered the assassination of the Duke of Guise in these rooms during the Wars of Religion. Your guide walks you through all of it.

Midday, a private tour and tasting at Cour-Cheverny. This small appellation produces wine from the Romorantin grape, which exists almost nowhere else on earth. François I brought the grape here from Burgundy in 1519 — the same year he broke ground on Chambord. Five hundred years later, these vineyards are still producing from that original transplant.

Afternoon, private guided tour of Chambord. The numbers don’t do it justice — 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces, 800 sculpted columns — but they give you the scale. François I built it as a hunting lodge, which tells you everything about the French Renaissance. The double-helix staircase at the center, likely influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, allows two people to go up and down simultaneously without crossing paths. The rooftop terrace is essential — the fantasy skyline of turrets, chimneys, and dormers looks like a small city growing out of the roof. The estate itself is 5,400 hectares, walled on all sides, making it the largest enclosed park in Europe.

Return to Fleur de Loire for the evening.

Day 3 — Chenonceau, Amboise & Leonardo

Breakfast and check out. A full day of private tours, moving from Blois toward Amboise.

First, Chenonceau — arguably the most beautiful château in France. It spans the River Cher on a series of arches, and its history is defined by the women who built and shaped it. Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II, designed the bridge and one set of gardens. When Henry died, Catherine de Medici took the château back and added the grand gallery across the bridge and her own, larger gardens. During WWI the gallery served as a hospital ward. During WWII, the front door was in occupied France and the back door opened into the free zone — making Chenonceau an escape route across the river.

Then to the Amboise Royal Cellars, carved into the limestone beneath the château. These caves have stored wine since 1463 under Louis XI. Today they continue aging wines — organically grown — in the same cool chambers where kings selected their vintages. Tasting included.

Lunch at Bistro l’Oppidum in Amboise. Chef Thibault Rappolt trained under Christophe Hay and brings Michelin-level technique to a relaxed bistro setting. The menu changes daily based on what’s at market.

Afternoon, the Château Royal d’Amboise. Perched above the Loire with commanding views of the river valley, this was the primary royal residence during the early Renaissance. Charles VIII, Louis XII, and François I all lived here. Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert on the grounds.

Then Clos Lucé, a 10-minute walk from the château. François I invited Leonardo to live here in 1516, giving him this manor house and a generous pension in exchange for “the pleasure of his conversation.” Leonardo spent his last three years here, continuing to design, invent, and paint until his death in 1519. The house has been preserved and filled with models of his inventions built from his original drawings. The gardens have full-scale working versions — bridges, water systems, military machines — that you can operate.

Check in at Château Louise de la Vallière, a 5-star Relais & Châteaux property. Two nights in a Signature room with breakfast. The interiors were designed by Jacques Garcia, one of France’s most celebrated decorators — every room is a production, steeped in 17th and 18th-century French decorative arts.

Day 4 — Gardens & Medieval History

Breakfast at the château. Morning private tour of Villandry. Most Loire châteaux are about the building — Villandry is about the gardens. They’re laid out on three terraces: a formal water garden at the top, ornamental flower gardens in the middle (including a “garden of love” with hedges shaped into hearts, daggers, and masks representing different aspects of love), and below that, a geometric kitchen garden that’s one of the most photographed in France. The patterns change with the seasons. The château itself is the last major Renaissance château built on the Loire, and the interiors are well worth seeing — particularly the Moorish ceiling brought from Spain.

Afternoon, drive to Chinon. The fortress sits on a rocky outcrop above the Vienne River and stretches nearly half a kilometer along the ridge. This is where Joan of Arc came in 1429 to convince the Dauphin — the future Charles VII — to let her lead the army against the English. Eleanor of Aquitaine was imprisoned here. Richard the Lionheart held court here. The Plantagenet dynasty ruled their continental empire from these walls. Chinon is medieval history at a density that’s hard to match anywhere in France.

After the fortress, a private visit to a Chinon wine domain. Chinon has been producing wine for over a thousand years — Cabernet Franc thrives in these soils, and the reds are among the Loire’s finest. Rabelais, who was born nearby, wrote about Chinon wine constantly. Tasting included.

Return to Château Louise de la Vallière for the evening.

Day 5 — Departure

Breakfast and check out. Transfer to Tours station for your train to Paris.

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Your Hotels

Two 5-star Relais & Châteaux properties:

Fleur de Loire (2 nights, Blois) — Riverside boutique property with Deluxe View rooms overlooking the Loire. Home to the Christophe Hay restaurant.

Château Louise de la Vallière (2 nights, near Tours) — Interiors by Jacques Garcia. Set in expansive grounds with the atmosphere of a private country estate.

Breakfast included each morning at both hotels.

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Optional Enhancements

Hot air balloon ride over the châteaux, chef’s table dining experiences, luxury car upgrades, spa treatments, and gourmet lunches on touring days can all be arranged. Contact us for details.

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Getting There

Tours is about 1 hour from Paris by TGV. Rail not included in the tour price — we can book your tickets once dates are confirmed.

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Cancellation and Refund Policies

Due to the small group aspect of all of our tours, our cancellation policy is as follows. More than 7 days before tour date – 100% refundable; from 7 to 3 days before tour date – 50% refundable; less than 3 days – non-refundable. If cancelling please contact us as soon as possible to ensure we can credit you properly.

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