Loire Valley Castles Day Trip: Chambord, Cheverny and Chenonceau

Paris, France

Take a day tour from Paris to visit the three most famous chateaux of the Loire Valley: beautiful Chenonceau Castle, privately owned Chateau de Cheverny and, perhaps most magnificent of them all, the Chateau de Chambord. You'll witness the glamour and grandeur of French royalty and aristocracy, and gain insights into "castle life" in these Renaissance riverside castles.

The largest of the Loire castles, the turreted Chambord Castle was built for King Francois 1st as a hunting lodge. The intricate stone "double helix" staircase leading up to the spires and turrets of the rooftop terrace is thought to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

Cheverny Castle is the most beautifully furnished of the Loire Valley castles, with a fine collection of 17th-century furniture. Herge, the Belgian creator of Tintin, based his Marlinspike Hall (Moulinsart) on Cheverny Castle.

Chenonceau Chateau was built over the River Cher in traditional Renaissance style, and is known as the Chateau des Dames (the Ladies' Castle) because of the influence of the famous women who lived there. The chateau was built in 1513 by Catherine Briconnet, embellished by Diance de Poitiers and Catherine de Medicis, and saved from destruction during the Revolution by Madame Dupin.

Guests traveling in Winter (November 1-March 31) also receive a typical lunch and drink.

Please note for 2011: On Saturdays from April to September Amboise Castle is visited in place of Cherverny Castle, and during the month of October in place of Chambord Castle.

USD $192.80

Traveler Reviews

Review by: JOSEPH TYLER S	April 2012
We enjoyed our tours, but wished that it was possible to spend more time at the locations. Perhaps seeing only two castles, this way you could spend more time at each. Another suggestion would be to limit the lengthy lunch. We spent more time waiting for lunch then actually eating lunch. The food was great, the wait was just unnecessarily long. The bus was very clean and comfortable and the English speaking guide was friendly and informative. The Japanese speaking guide however was quite rude to us when we got on the bus stating that we were late and held the bus up even though we arrived 15 minutes prior to departure and 6 more couples arrived AFTER US. All things considered, it was a nice peaceful day, I'm just not sure I would jump at the chance to do it again.

Review by: Sharon W	April 2012
It was outstanding and amazing! Tour guide was top shelf, the chateaus were wonderful. Highly recommend it!

Review by: helene	April 2012
we had a fabulous time. I did not want to rent a car and do the drive on my own so this was the next best option. I was very satisfied with our tour guides knowledge and the amount of free time we had at each castle was just enough. our lunch was quite tasty as well.

Review by: micvii	March 2012
We really enjoyed this trip to the Loire Valley, it was a nice break from Paris and fantastic to see these historic castles and learn about their history.

Review by: Lauren D	February 2012
I am 24 years old and went on this trip with my boyfriend. We both loved it! Our tour guide spoke both English and Spanish, so we can to be patient and wait our turn for the English translation of everything. There was some free time to explore each Chateau ourselves and wander the gift shop. I'd suggest this trip for anyone who would like to get away from Paris for the day :)

Review by: Monique H	February 2012
The castles on this trip were very impressive and oveall the trip was alright. We had trouble understanding our guide at times and felt that the visits to the castles were very rushed. We also didn't really enjoy the lunch included in the winter tours. Because of these issues, I would recommend exploring the castles independently of a tour!!

Review by: Kerry J	January 2012
This was a brilliant trip and one we would highly recommend. Guide was fantastic, audio system and communication on bus was fantastic and the bus was comfortable and clean. At each of the castles the guide breathed life into the history with her rich stories shared with enthusiasm and passion. We also had time on our own and the balance was perfect - we were not left wanting for anything. Thank you!.

Review by: George R	January 2012
Trip was excellent and the food was delicious

Review by: Randi P	January 2012
This was a wonderful tour. The guide was knowledgeable and funny, the bus was clean and comforatable and the castles were lovely. The lunch that was included was very good as well. It was well worth the money. I found this rather relaxing as you could sit back and view the countryside as you were taken from castle to castle.

Review by: Kendrick C	January 2012
The overall experience was good. Only wish we had more time at Chenonceau, didn't get a chance to look around in garden or get a photo of the exteriors. But it was a nice trip.

Review by: TC	January 2012
Excellent choice for a day trip outside of Paris.

Review by: Brian H	January 2012
We really enjoyed this trip. The destinations were well chosen, the guides were excellent and the lunch was very good. We went with our 3 kids in their early twenties and everyone had a good time. It is a long day however- about 13 hours for us as the castles are about a 3 hour drive from Paris.

Review by: Silda V	January 2012
The tour was amazing and the tour guides were very knowldgeable and made the tour incredibly fascinating. I strongly recommend.

Review by: Marybeth S	December 2011
Great tour, castles were beautiful. Bring your camera. Guide was good. We had whisper headsets so it was easy to hear all the commentary. I would do this trip again.

Review by: Pavee	December 2011
Great day trip to see castles in the Loire Valley. Prepare to sit on a bus for a long time since these the Loire Valley is about 3 hours from Paris. Castles are very beautiful and impressive.

Review by: the ferraris	December 2011
Wonderful day - great guide and the castles were fantastic. Lunch was very good. I would love to see additional tours offered for other castles!

Review by: Thomas H	November 2011
Another great trip! Great ride and great guides.Very professional and terrific value!

Review by: Elizabeth R	November 2011
Very good choice of chateaux to visit and the tour leaders were very knowledgeable.

Review by: Christina F	November 2011
awsome place amazing definately needs to be on everyones itinery!

Review by: Jillian	November 2011
A long day but a good one giving a real insite to differing types of castles, all of which were very good in their own way. Overall an very good day

Review by: Larry F	October 2011
Excellent tour. Guides were very knowledgeable and informative.

Review by: elisedonchi	October 2011
Lovely day out of Paris tour guild was wonderful

Review by: Charles E	October 2011
My family and I had a great experience. The drive through the countryside provided a nice change from cosmo-Paris. The castles/palaces were indeed beautiful, historic and very approachable. From my pre-teen girls to my 68 year old mother, we all had a great day. Peter our guide, was very informative and fun.

Review by: Elena	October 2011
The excursion was a great introduction to French castles. However the journey is very long and tiresome and requires a very early start.

Review by: ZZZ	October 2011
The services are no good. I booked 'the Loire Valley Castles Day Trip: Chambord, Cheverny and Chenonceau', however this trip visit to Amboise, Chenonceau and Cheverny because the local operator Paris Vision visits Amboise other than Chambord in Saturday so I missed the chance to visit the largest castle. The Viator website mentions the duration of the trip is 12 hours (approx.) and returns to original departure point at approximately 7:15pm; however the real duration of the trip is 13.5 hours. I almost miss my train. It not more than ten minutes when I got on the train. I would like to thank the local operator Paris Vision because they return Paris 20 minutes early when I told them my train’s time.

Review by: Airron R	October 2011
Very knowledgeable guides. We were so happy we decided to book the trip. A competitor did not have Chambord on the itinerary in October. We would still use Viator again if we had to do it all over again.

Review by: Victor L	October 2011
Overall a very good tour. The tour guide was excellent and we were given enough free time at each place. We lucked out on our tour since it was a very small group. Also be prepared for a very long day.

Review by: Catrona P	October 2011
A wonderful trip out of the city. And the ride wasn't as long as i expected either. It was broken up nicely with the three stops. I also liked that the tour guide used a radio/mic and individual ear pieces so she didn't need to yell while walking around the castles and we could all adjust the volumn individually. And on the bus, if we decided to snooze rather then listen to the guide we just switched her off. :-) The castles were amazing.

Review by: Frank S	October 2011
Tour was outstanding with expert commentary from our guides. The beautiful sunny day enhanced our enjoyment of the chateaux.

Review by: Rachel	October 2011
This was a great tour, I really enjoyed it. The only thing I wished had been different - this tour was in 3 different languages, so the French tour guide sat behind me and I had a hard time tuning him out to listen to the English speaking tour guide (that I was listening to on the radio). Perhaps the tour bus should have been segregated by language.

Review by: Kathleen C	October 2011
This was a gift, which was enjoyed very much.

Review by: Marjorie S	October 2011
It was a fantastic experience,. The guides were great. The time in each castle was just enough._br/_ I would do this again.

Review by: Pi Rho	October 2011
Buses were clean and comfortable and on time. Guides were well spoken and knowledgable. Chateau were as picturesque as could be. Good value and convenience for a day side trip.

Review by: Mary F	October 2011
I highly recommend this tour. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Although it makes for a rather long day, the tour is truly worth the effort. The only reason why I didn't give it five stars was because we felt a bit rushed at times. But other than that, this is one tour worth the time and money!

Review by: Florin Z	September 2011
Very good experience, timely schedule and competent English speaking guide.

Review by: Ryan V, United States of America	July 2010
Exceptional sights outstanding tour operator. Guide had a very deep knowledge of the area and the castles, and tailored the information he shared to our group's interests. Transportation was a new, very comfortable, luxury motor coach. Nice balance of guided tour and free-time. Only suggestion the free-time at the first castle Chambord was much too short -- an extra 30min would've been perfect.

Review by: Tim R, Australia	July 2010
Amazing Chateaux and lovely country-side! We had lovely day. Our guide was very informative and helpful. Great pickup location a short walk from our Hotel - Duminy Vendomme.

Review by: Cathleen W, Canada	July 2010
We had an amazing time. The tour guide was very informative, friendly, and charming. The sites visited were each memorable in their own way. Would definitely recommend this trip.

Review by: Susan D, United States of America	June 2010
This was a wonderful day trip! We visited Amboise instead of Cheverny and were able to have lunch in a beautiful little town. The caste at Chenonceau was stunning and Chambord was also a treat. Our guide was informative and charming. Our only regret was that we were not able to spend more time at each castle. I would highly recommend this extremely pleasant day trip.

Review by: Lauren S, Australia	June 2010
This tour was amazing! The coach trip was comfortable and the tour guide was knowledgeable, i was hanging on all her words. Chenonceau Castle was the most beautiful castle. We had plenty of time to take photos, and had time to have lunch. Be sure to take lots of money for lunch. It's very expensive, but the food was great. I recommend this tour very highly.

Review by: REBEKAH W C, United States of America	May 2010
The guide was great and the trip was easy!

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2010
A well organized tirp with a knowledgeable guide.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2010
Such a great day! I just didn't have the time to spend multiple days in the Loire, but this trip gave me a great introduction. The castles were lovely, and we had a bit more time at Chenonceau than I was expecting, which was a great treat. They're on a VERY tight travel schedule, and unfortunately at each stop we had people who didn't get back to the bus at the time they were told, which meant the stop at the final castle Chambord was even shorter than it should have been. Still, it was a great day. Be warned, this is a LONG day. But fortunately everyone on our bus was up for it and in good spirits. A beautiful day with a great tour guide. I'll look at Viator's other tours next time I'm in Paris.

Review by: Ellen M, United States of America	May 2010
This trip was great - the guide was excellent and we loved seeing the countryside and castles. All in all a great time.

Review by: Bradford H, United States of America	April 2010
Excellent day. Lunch was great, too.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	April 2010
Excellent tour, great value, on time and knowledgeable tour guide - only complaint was that our tour guide provided both English and Spanish tours, so that each time she needed twice as long to get through her guidance, which limited the free time we had to visit each chateau. Would have been better to have separate guides for each language, as the Japanese tourists had.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	April 2010
This trip is well worth the price. Not only is everything included, but the pick up location is easy to get to by metro. Our guide was beyond knowledgeable and was able to give explicit detail on the history of the 3 castles, plus the surrounding areas of the Loire Valley...in English and Spanish. The amount of information that I took in was unreal and I know for a fact that I wouldn't have gotten the same amount out of the trip if I had gone alone, without a guide.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	March 2010
It was a very enjoyable trip from me and my family. The bus was very nice. The tour guides were very friendly. I would have loved to have additional time at some of the places, but a lot as packed in this one day trip.

Review by: Anonymous, Singapore	December 2009
It's value for money. The lunch, though costly, was fantastic! Visit to the three castles was really an experience and worth visiting.

Review by: Jacqueline L, United States of America	November 2009
Our tour guide was wonderful and knowledgeable. There is no way we could have seen these three places without a tour and they were spectacular! I truly enjoyed this visit to these romantic places in the Loire Valley.