We meet late afternoon at our hotel located in the historic city of Tours. Detailed information on in-country travel options will be provided by the trip leader upon sign up. Tonight, we dine in a charming restaurant near the hotel. D

For our first day, we head to Fontevraud. Situated where the three regions of Anjou, Poitou and Touraine meet, it is one of the largest surviving monastic cities from the middle ages. We visit the Royal Abbey, founded in 1101 by visionary monk Robert d’Abrissel as a utopian city and a place of worship dedicated to prayer and work. It became a royal necropolis in 1189, housing the tombs of the Plantagenets: Henry 2^nd, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart. Fontevraud was opened to the public in 1975 after 9 centuries behind closed doors. After our picnic lunch in the superb grounds of the Abbey, we walk out of the village with a short ascent on the long-distance trail GR3 and on good tracks through the forest until we descend to the river Vienne and its many islets. We follow the scenic riverside, looking for ducks, herons and kingfishers, in to the medieval town of Chinon and its mighty fortress built on a rocky spur. We explore the city with its 14^th and 15^th century mansions, squares and church before dining in a great local restaurant. B/L/D

A 30 minute drive from our hotel takes us to the estate of Chenonceau. Built in the 16^th century, it is a masterpiece of the French Renaissance. The castle appears to hover over the peaceful waters of the river Cher. We visit the guardroom, the chapel, the chambers and the superb ~ 200 foot long gallery spanning over the river. We have our picnic lunch in the beautiful French garden or in the Potager des Fleurs before setting off through Amboise Royal Forest, where we might spot wild boars, deer or foxes. We emerge from the forest near Amboise and visit the Chateau of Clos Lucé, the manor house of Leonardo da Vinci. We wander through the park, marvelling at the exhibitions of 40 of his fabulous machines. Our walk finishes in Amboise, a medieval fortress turned royal residence, where the Court was host to scholars and artists from the whole of Europe. We dine in a lovely restaurant in the town, before returning to Tours. B/L/D

Today, we explore the city of Tours, the capital of the Loire Valley. The creative architecture of many monuments and private mansions shows the Italian influence, in the beginning of the 16^th century when King Louis XII conquered the kingdom of Naples and discovered the Renaissance Art. We start our tour with 19^th century Tours: the Railway Station, City Hall, Jean Jaures Square and the Basilica tribute to St Martin, the holy man and emblem of Tours. We enter the medieval city near Charlemagne Tower. We walk along the quays and take a discovery tour on a traditional wooden boat, an aperitif and a packed lunch. We continue past the castle, through a picturesque medieval street before heading to the Cathedral. We explore the Place Plumereau, the historic heart of Tours with its row of half-timbered houses. After a tour of the indoor market to sample some of its gastronomic delights, we enjoy dinner in one of the city’s fine restaurants. B/L/D

Chambord is the dream come true of the young king Francis 1^st. The most impressive castle of the Loire still defies the imagination: 164 feet high, 512 feet of façade, 440 room and its famous double helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Its gothic roofs are bristling with chimneys, turrets and dormers. Amazingly, Chambord was used more as a hunting lodge than a permanent residence and the King only spent 72 days here. In the morning, we alight from the train at the little station of Mer and head south across the majestic Loire. We briefly join the Camino Trail, past a pretty village and enter the forest where we stop for our picnic lunch. Afterwards, we continue through the forest to join the long-distance trail “GR de Sologne” for the most dramatic approach to the castle. We spend a couple of hours visiting Chambord, before taking a coach to the picturesque city of Blois where we enjoy dinner in a restaurant set in a 16^th century house in the historic town center. B/L/D

A scenic 40 minutes train ride takes us to the wonderful town of Saumur. Nestling in the heart of extensive vineyards, Saumur nicknamed the Pearl of the Anjou, hosts a spectacular Chateau overlooking the Loire. We stroll over the old bridge and through the narrow streets of the town to St-Pierre square with its old timber-framed houses, historic church and weekly market. We source lunch from the market before ascending to a beautiful vantage point just under the castle. We descend to the riverside to take a local bus for a couple of miles to the lovely village of Souzay for lunch by the river. We continue through Saumur Champigny vineyards to Parnay and Turquant, small villages famous for their mushroom and wine caves and traditional troglodytic habitat in the limestone escarpment running parallel to the Loire. We stop at an internationally renowned domain for a memorable wine tasting session accompanied with delicious regional specialities. We finish in pretty Montsoreau before heading back to Tours for supper in a vibrant French brasserie. B/L/D

We head for the magnificent gardens of Villandry, one of the last great castles of the Renaissance built in the Loire Valley. We tour the gardens which are constructed on three levels: the Water Garden, the decorative flower garden and the ornamental kitchen garden with its nine colourful squares of geometrically planted vegetables and fruit trees. From Villandry, we follow a cycle path taking in the beautiful scenery of the Cher and the Loire rivers. After a lovely walk along green pastures, fields and vineyards, we arrive in the small town of Langeais. Built in the early 15^th century with a parapet walk and a drawbridge, Langeais is a perfect example of a late medieval castle. We admire the collections of furniture and original tapestries that have been remarkably preserved. Early evening, we return by train to Tours’ historic quarter for our farewell dinner. B/L/D

After breakfast at the hotel, our Loire Valley adventure comes to a close. This immersion into the rich French culture and atmosphere leaves us with a bounty of memories and photos to share with family and friends. B