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Enjoy a day in the French countryside exploring three remarkable chateaux in the Loire Valley. Join our small group tour from Paris and discover the beautiful renaissance castles of Chenonceau, Chambord, and Amboise!
Wander through the lovely flower gardens of Chenonceau and gaze at its delicate arches which cross over the Cher river. Visit Amboise, the castle on a hillside, and admire the fantastic vista views over the valley. Marvel at Chambord and admire its extravagant renaissance architecture said to be the work of Leonardo Da Vinci.
This tour is far from being a humdrum history lesson! You’ll learn about each castle’s history in a fun way as our guide shares little known facts and focuses on making your tour entertaining and memorable.
You’ll appreciate free time to explore inside each castle at your own pace and visit a charming medieval town for the lunch break where you can eat in a local café, bistro, or bakery of your choice.
The Loire river valley is famous for its beautiful countryside and its high concentration of amazing Renaissance style chateaux. On this tour you’ll visit three of the most stunning and historically interesting castles: Chenonceau, Amboise, and Chambord. We’ll treat you like royalty in our small group tour, and give you the attention you deserve, as we never take more than 8 participants per group.
You’ll meet up with the guide in Paris close to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris (exact details will be in your booking confirmation) and head to the Loire Valley in our Volkswagen Caravelle van. Our vans have big windows, fresh A/C, and comfortable leather seats so you can ride in style. The drive to the Loire valley will be less than 2hrs long and the first castle you’ll visit is Chambord.
There is no castle in the world like Chambord Chateau as every one of its 420 rooms is full of intricate stone carvings and authentic details. You’ll learn about the passion King Francois 1st had for the construction of this very unique castle which became the largest in the Loire Valley. You will have one and a half hours of free time to explore inside it.
Although the official architect of the castle remains a mystery, everyone recognizes the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci in the remarkable double helix staircase and the amazing rooftop terrace adorned with hundreds of ornate chimneys, towers, and pointed spires. You’re sure to be impressed by this massive one of a kind castle.
Only a short scenic drive from Chambord is the charming medieval town of Amboise with its fortress of a castle. Since the 1400s, Amboise Chateau has been perched on a hillside strategically overlooking the Loire river valley. You’ll learn its fascinating history including how it has seen the birth and death of many French kings, and became the final resting place of Leonardo Da Vinci. Unlike other tours that hurry visitors along, you’ll love having a free hour to explore this castle and appreciate the view that it offers you of the valley and town below.
For lunch, you’ll have free time to walk the Medieval town filled with tiny winding streets, wood and plaster homes and unparalleled local charm. The guide will show you a special part of town, only accessible by foot, and there you’ll be able to choose from a dozen little cafés, bistros, and bakeries for your lunch break, which will last an hour.
You'll participate in a small tasting of the local famous wines
After lunch you’ll discover to Chenonceau Chateau. Known as the Ladies’ Castle, this Chateau is a favorite for many. Stretching over the Cher river in a seemingly impossible and mystical manner, its appearance is nothing short of breathtaking. Beyond Chenonceau’s architectural wonder, it offers up some of the most striking gardens in the Loire Valley.
Learn about the famous Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers who made this castle their own. You’ll have an hour and a half of free time to roam the castle and stroll through the gardens. The rare history and stunning beauty of this delicate castle is sure to mark your spirit and rest in your memory.
The drive back to Paris takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes and includes a rest stop half way through. The tour will finish back in Paris around 8pm, next to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées Avenue where you can find lots of great dinner options.
Group size
Max. 8 pers. per tour
Duration
All day
Back in Paris around 8PM
What's Included
Language
All of our tours are commented in English
Dates & Times
Everydays
Meeting point
6 Avenue de Wagram, Paris
Click here for picture
Reservation required
For the Loire Valley Castles Day Trip from Paris you will meet with your driver-guide outside of 6 Avenue de Wagram in Paris, it's located 300ft from the Arc de Triomphe.
Tour Highlights
Chambord
Famous for its outstanding architecture, it has hundreds of unique spires and columns on its roof as well as a huge double spiral staircase within.
Chenonceau
Known as the Ladies Chateau, this extraordinary site was run by women for most of it’s existence! Learn about the Mistress and Queen who fought over the Castle's future.
Da Vinci’s tomb
Visit the tomb of the great Leonardo Da Vinci and see where he spent the last 3 years of his life in the service of the French King.
Amboise
This Château has known the birth of princes, the reign of Kings, and the death of the great Renaissance master, Leonardo DaVinci!
Double Helix
Double Helix Staircase at Chambord
Frequently Asked Questions
We allow you to cancel, for any reason, up to 24 hours before the start of your tour. It’s easy to cancel just send us an email then we’ll give you a full refund.
If you fail to email with your cancellation at least 24 hours before the tour starts then we will not be able to provide you with a refund.
We accept children that are at least 7 years old on this tour. While this tour’s content was not planned out with kids in mind we do allow children that are aged at least 7 years old to join it with one of their parents. Kids younger than 7 years cannot join this tour as we do NOT have the suitable baby/child seats for them to ride in that are required by European law.
There is no legal drinking age in France for minors who drink under the supervision of a parent. It is illegal to allow a minor to become inebriated (drunk). The legal age to buy alcohol is 18.
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We appreciate and reward fidelity!
Planning on booking multiple tours with us? Contact us to receive a 10% discount.
Discount only apply when booking 2, 3 or 4 tours on different dates.
We understand that unexpected events can change your travel plans; for this reason Blue Fox Travel offers a full refund, for any reason, if you cancel more than 24hrs before your reserved tour is scheduled to start.
Small Group = Better Experience
We keep our groups small to ensure a more personal and higher quality experience for you.
Looking for more?
These are the Terms & Conditions that apply to any tour run by BLUE FOX TRAVEL in France under the brands BLUE BIKE TOURS or BLUE FOX TRAVEL.
In this document, BLUE BIKE TOURS might be abbreviated as BBT and BLUE FOX TRAVEL as BFT.
BLUE FOX TRAVEL is a registered SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée - Limited Liability Company) at the Paris Chamber of Commerce under the number : 534 151 576
BLUE FOX TRAVEL is a registered French Travel Operator under the licence : IM075160040
BLUE FOX TRAVEL is a registered Public Service Vehicle Operator under the Licence : 2016/11/0007784
Because BLUE FOX TRAVEL is a registered French company, and all of our tours take place in France, only the French Law will apply in the case of any conflict.
Last updated : January 2019.
Valid until : the end of the world.
I - Cancellation Policy
BFT offers a 100% refund if a reservation is cancelled more than 24 hours before the scheduled start of the tour. The notification must be made by email. No refunds are given for ANY reason once within the 24 hrs prior to the scheduled tour.
All of our tours run Rain or Shine. We do not issue refunds if you choose to skip your tour because the weather doesn’t suit you. You can always wait until the last minute to book your tour to ensure the weather suits you that day.
BFT reserves the right to cancel any of its tours last minute in case of an Act of God or crazy act from a large group of people. Flooding, hail, dangerous weather conditions, riots, etc. In such instances full refunds will be given to anyone who had their tour cancelled.
II - Satisfaction Guarantee Policy
If the tour you took with us didn’t live up to what we promised you on our website and failed to meet your expectations, we will be heartbroken. We will also give you a 100% refund so long as you do all of these things:
You remember that we we are in no way responsible for the weather and that our guides actually have to give 110% of themselves to you on days when the weather is not as nice in order to help you enjoy the tour.
You participate in the entire tour from: being on time at the meeting point until the “goodbyes” at the very end of the tour. You can’t leave a tour half-way and ask for your money back.
At the end of the tour you tell your guide, in person, that you were not satisfied with the tour you took.
You provide your tour guide with the reasons you were not satisfied with the tour itself.
III - Payment Policy
A valid credit card is required to secure your booking. All reservations must be prepaid online prior to the tour. We accept Visa, Mastercard. None of your personal credit card or billing information is stored by BFT.
IV - Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your privacy. Your personal informations will never be disclosed to any third parties.
V - Child Policy
All reservations made for children under the age of 18 years old must be made by an adult and we must be informed at the time of booking exactly how many children are in your party and their ages. This is vital information as it allows our guide to prepare the proper child sized equipments for the bike tours and the booster seats for all day trips/excursions that use one of our vans.
All reservations made for a minor under the age of 18 years old must also include the reservation for an adult who will be 100% solely responsible for the safety and well being of the child while on the tour.
Every child, under the age of 12 years old, partaking in a bicycle tour will be required to wear a helmet and a reflective vest as per French Law.
The adult who accompanies the child agrees to the responsibility of choosing a properly sized helmet, adjusting the helmet, and keeping the helmet on the head of the child during the whole tour. Blue Fox Travel has helmets in multiple sizes for you to choose from at no cost.
Don't forget: Children who will be riding in a baby/child seat, on a tandem attachment bike, or in a booster seat in one of our vans absolutely MUST have their seat reserved beforehand. We NEED to know exactly what your child will need before they show up. Please make it clear in the “Special Requirements” section of our booking form.
VI- Child Bike Policy
Children who will be riding on their own may be subject to a very short test run before the tour starts in which they will be expected to demonstrate: that they are well suited for their bike’s size and settings, that they know how to brake properly and that they are, in general, good cyclists who can be trusted to follow their tour guide in a safe manner.
We own 20” and 24” kids bikes (size of the wheel). Adult bikes are 26”.
If the guide, or manager, finds that the child is not, for any reason, a good enough cyclist then the guide, or manager, has the right to refuse to let the child follow the tour on a personal bike.
This means they will either be asked to ride on one of our ‘tandem attachments’ which is attached to the back of a parents bike OR asked to ride in a child seat attached to the back of a parents bike. If the child refuses the change, then the guide or manager has the right to cancel the reservation, and not allow you and your child on the bike tour.
Refunds will not be issued if your reservation is cancelled because of your child not being able to cycle and their refusal to ride attached to you.
Baby seats are for kids that are between the ages of 1 and 3 years old (max weight 22 kg (48 lbs)).
We also have some cool Burley™ tandem attachment bikes that are suitable for little kids who are too big for the baby seat but too small to cycle on their own (max weight 38 kg (85 lbs) - max height 137 cm (4 ft 6 in)).
VII - Damages to Blue Fox Travel Property
If you or anyone in your party damages a vehicle, a Blue Bike™, a vehicle, a child's bike, a helmet, a baby/child seat, a tandem attachment bike, any bike attachments, or a booster seat in such a way that it becomes badly disfigured, broken, or unusable, then BFT reserves the right to claim a fee of up to the cost of repair of the damaged bike/vehicle or object.
VIII - Miscellaneous
You and everyone in your party will be kind and respectful of your guide. You and everyone in your party will do their best to follow the safety instructions given orally by the guide before the start of the tour and during the tour.