The 8 Loire Valley Day Trips We Would Book Again

1.Loire Valley Castles Day Trip from Paris with Complementary Wine

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,907 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $149Our pick

Spend about 13 hours visiting Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau from Paris, with lunch time in Blois and a Loire wine tasting in Chenonceau’s cellars. An English-speaking guide, coach transport, and château admission are included, but lunch and guided interiors are not.

“Wonderful guide who explained everything so well and kept us engaged. Very very comfortable bus . Loved the castles which has been my childhood dream. Wine tasting was too good.”

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2.Loire Valley Castles Day Trip With Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,727 reviews · 13 hours · from $104

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Paris to Chambord and Chenonceau, with self-guided castle visits, two hours for lunch in Blois, and a complimentary tasting of local wines. Guides such as Dee, Jasmina, John, and Riti bring French history to life between stops.

“The castles were just amazing, Blois is a beautiful town Our guides Jasmina and Deepal very pleasant, helpful and informative The bus was clean, very comfortable for such a long day Highly recommended!”

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3.Full-Day Loire Valley Chateaux Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,269 reviews · 12 hours - 750 minutes · from $127

Trade Paris for three Loire Valley châteaux on a 12-hour coach tour. See Chambord’s Renaissance scale, Chenonceau’s river setting, and Cheverny’s refined rooms. Choose a live English or Spanish guide, or an audio guide in eight languages. Lunch is extra, except on selected winter options.

“A perfect trip to the Loire valley! If you are looking for an effortless way to visit some of the castles in the Loire valley, this tour is great. Our tour guide, Camille, was absolutely wonderful and made this tour a highlight of our trip to France. She is fun, outgoing, knowledgeable, and organized. Our driver, Aziz, was also excellent at navigating from the crowded highways to the narrow village streets. Visiting 3 castles in one day is ambitious and the time at each one is limited, but that was exactly what we were expecting and it did not feel too rushed. You got a taste of each one before…”

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4.Loire Valley Castles Trip with Chenonceau and Chambord from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 901 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $160

Leave Paris at 7 a.m. for three very different Loire Valley châteaux. Visit Chambord, Chenonceau, and Cheverny by luxury coach, choosing a live guide or multilingual audio app. Guides such as Claire, Franck, and Séverine add useful historical context, but the day is long and coach space can be tight.

“very poor guide performance, no comments during bus trip, no explanation of the audio device, bus driver was OK”

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5.Loire Valley Wine and Castles Small-Group Day Trip from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 613 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $296Top rated

Leave Paris at 7 a.m. for a small-group Loire Valley day trip capped at eight people. Your driver-guide, such as Enzo, Valeria, Tim, or G, leads you through Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, Leonardo da Vinci’s chapel, and a brief three-wine tasting.

“Thorough. Small group. Visited varied chateau. Engaging and knowledgeable guide. Excellent props showing kings who inhabited each castle.”

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6.Caves Ambacia, Tour and Wine Tasting in Amboise, Loire Valley

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 226 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $33Best value

At Caves Ambacia in Amboise, you’ll explore 16th-century wine cellars, awaken your senses, and taste six Loire wines with a sommelier such as Thomas, François, or Louan. Cheese and charcuterie accompany the tasting, with an on-site deli and bistro available afterward.

“This was one of the more educational wine tastings we’ve ever been on, and we’ve been on MANY! The pairings were sublime. A highly recommended experience.”

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7.Morning – Loire Valley Wine Tour & Food Pairing, Vouvray

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 182 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $151

Meet at 9 a.m. in Tours for a small-group morning with guides such as Alycea, Pierre, Simon, or Vincent. Visit a vineyard, limestone cellar, and larger wine operation, tasting sparkling and still Vouvray, Loire reds, cheese, and charcuterie.

“Nice tasting of Chenin blanc wines and great explanation on how they are made. Would recommend this tour”

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8.Amboise Hot-Air Balloon Sunset Ride over the Loire Valley

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 47 reviews · 3 hours · from $300

Join pilot Kevin and the Amboise Montgolfière team for a one-hour sunrise or sunset balloon flight over the Loire Valley. Watch the balloon inflate, float above vineyards and castles, then celebrate with Champagne or grape juice and a visit to Caves Plou & Fils.

“Our Hot-air Balloon sunrise experience was terrific from start to finish. Our pilot (Kevin) and his crew were very professional and made us all feel at ease ... even the nervous passenger who burst into tears on take off was relaxed and happy at the end of the ride. The scenery was breathtaking and the feeling of floating just above the trees, over the corn fields and over the river was amazing. Our touch down was perfect, although the horse in the paddock we landed in looked a little surprised. I would recommend this experience to anyone wanting to see the Loire Valley from a different perspective.”

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