Loire Valley Castles (1 day)

After 2 hours drive with a stop half-way for coffee and croissants, your tour starts with a private guided visit of CHAMBORD, the immense and unique palace of Francois I, built at the turn of the Renaissance period.
You will take the double-turn spiral staircase designed by Leonardo da Vinci, where 2 people can go up and down without ever meeting, head to the Royal Apartments of François I and Louis XIV, immerse on the floor above in the world of royal hunts and continue to the Terraces where you will find yourself surrounded by roofing and chimneys forming a fairytale village, as suspended in the sky, that offers a magnificent panorama over the huge estate.

Chambord is so much more than a castle; it is an architectural gem, a technical feat, a stone colossus, the dream of a young king comes true.

After the visit of Chambord, a beautiful drive along the Loire River will bring you to the town of Amboise where you will have a guided visit of the CHATEAU DU CLOS LUCE Leonardo da Vinci’s last residence that is dedicated to conveying an overall picture of the art and the boundless vision of the Tuscan artist. You will visit his bedroom, his kitchen, his study, the Renaissance halls, the chapel with its frescoes painted by his pupils as well as 40 of his inventions on the themes of military engineering, town planning, mechanics, flying machines and hydraulics. In the Park, a landscaped walk dedicated to revealing the intellectual scope of the Florentine Master will show you the sources of his inspirations with the help of 16 giant working machines and 32 translucent panels which depict sketches and details from his paintings.

After lunch in a nice, typical restaurant of the Loire Valley, your guide will drive you to the CHATEAU DE CHENONCEAU, that is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections (Murillo, Il Tintoretto, Poussin, Il Correggio, Rubens Il Primatice, Van Loo…), its furniture , its decorations (selection of very rare tapestries of the 16thC) and gardens, but also because it was loved, administrated and protected by extraordinary women who have marked history (Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici, Madame Dupin..).

Throughout history, this emblematic castle has always attracted talent and inspired great artists, conveying beauty and combining the elegance of architecture with that of the spirit. The Room of the 5 Queens, the living room of Louis XIV, the Grand Gallery overlooking the Cher River, the Green Cabinet of Catherine de Medici, the Royal chapel takes you back in time to share the dreams of Chenonceau and reveal its secrets.

(Entrance tickets not included)

Extra charge for a pick up and/or a drop off outside Paris