Welcome to the ‘The History & Châteaux of the Loire Valley’ tour. You can view full details of this tour, share this tour with others, pay your final balance before departure and, once you have departed on your holiday, share your group photos and write reviews.
Itinerary
Day 1
We meet our tour manager and executive coach at our designated pick up points and travel to Folkestone where we board our Eurotunnel crossing to Calais. We continue to the 3* Best Western Hotel Adagio at Saumur for a five night stay. Dinner is included in our hotel this evening.
Day 2
A guided tour of the medieval quarter of Tours, a showcase of Gothic architecture, takes in Place Plumereau with its 15th century halftimbered townhouses, the stunning Cathedrale St Gatien and the Basilique de St-Martin, a neo-Byzantine basilica on the site of previous churches built in honour of St Martin, bishop of Tours in the 4th century. Our day concludes with an included tour and tasting at the Gratien and Meyer wine cellars.
Day 3
Today we enjoy a guided tour at the impressive Renaissance Château d’Amboise, which houses the Chapel St Hubert, resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, and the Clos Luce where Da Vinci spent the last four years of his life. We then travel on to Château de Chenonceau, perhaps the most elegant of all châteaux in the Loire Valley and renowned for the arches that carry it across the water.
Day 4
This morning we travel to Abbey Fontevraud for a guided tour, the 12th century resting place of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lion Heart. We then enjoy a guided tour at Château de Villandry with its famous 16th century three tiered gardens comprising the pond, the decorative gardens and the kitchen garden.
Day 5
Today we visit Angers, the capital from which Plantagenet kings ruled England and half of France. Here we have a guided tour of Château d’Angers. Dating back to 1230, it is here that the Dukes of Anjou held court and admired the largest known medieval tapestry, the Apocalypse Tapestry. Ordered by Duke Louis I of Anjou in 1375, the tapestry took seven years to complete. This afternoon we enjoy a guided tour at the Musee des Beaux Arts d’Angers, housed inside the beautiful late 15th century Logis Barrault, the house of former mayor of Angers and King's Treasurer Olivier Barrault.
Day 6
After spending some time at leisure for lunch in Le Touquet, we continue to Calais where we board our Eurotunnel crossing to Folkestone. We then return back to our original pick up points.
NB: Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems. Price based on twin share. Minimum numbers required. Normal booking conditions apply.
Featuring
Welcome dinner included
All excursions, entrance fees & guided tours included
Wine tasting included on Day 2
Professional tour manager throughout
Eurotunnel crossings
Executive coach throughout
Local accommodation tax included
Audio headsets included on Days 2 to 5
Tours – guided tour
Tour & tasting at Gratien & Meyer Wine Cellars
Château d’Amboise – guided tour
Château de Chenonceau
Abbaye de Fontevraud – guided tour
Château de Villandry – guided tour
Château d’Angers – guided tour
Musee des Beaux Arts d’Angers – guided tour
Le Touquet
Hotel
We stay five nights at the 3* Best Western Hotel Adagio at Saumur (www.hoteladagio.com). Located 600 metres from the town centre, facilities at the hotel include a bar. All rooms are ensuite and feature a hairdryer, television, telephone, and a mini-bar. A 3 set course dinners without drinks is included on the first evening, and the remaining four nights are on a bed and breakfast basis.
Extras
Insurance (including Covid cover) £92
Single room supplement £149
Gratuities
Lunches
Dinners on Days 2 to 5
Optional Excursions
All excursions, entrance fees & guided tours included
