Paris to the Loire Valley: Best Tours, Excursions & Itineraries

Last Updated on 14th March 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

If you want to experience the best of French châteaux, then there is no better place to head than the Loire Valley. And while, of course, this stunning region of France is best-explored over the course of several days, if you’re short on time, then you might consider going from Paris to the Loire Valley in a single day.

Here’s your ultimate guide for the best tours, excursions, and itineraries for the Loire Valley, as well as travel tips and things to know before you go! If you’re planning a self-guided visit over the course of several days, check out our Loire Valley itinerary.

Best tours from Paris to the Loire Valley

One of the best ways to experience the Loire Valley, AKA the garden in France in a short amount of time is by guided excursion from Paris. This way, you don’t have to worry about the stress of driving back to Paris after a long day of exploring and can simply focus on enjoying the sights.

Taking a guided visit to the Loire Valley will also ensure you to pack in the most amount of Châteaux possible: public transport is limited and so if you visit by yourself with a bus or train, you’ll only be able to see one or two attractions.

From Paris: Castles of the Loire Valley Full-Day Tour

For those who are looking for a guided tour of the Loire Valley, this tour offers the chance to enjoy three of the most famous Loire Valley Châteaux. Visit Château de Chambord, Cheverny, and Château de Chenonceau. Included in the day excursion is lunch (with a drink), entry to the three châteaux, and a visit to Amboise. Check prices and availability here.

From Paris: Day Tour of Loire Castles with Lunch

This Loire Valley tour is easily one of the best that you can hope to enjoy as a day trip from Paris. Included in the visit is the chance to visit both Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau.

The excursion also offers the chance to discover Amboise, a place where Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked. Lunch and return transport is included. Check prices and availability here.

Cultural and food experiences in the Loire Valley

Tour of a Vineyard, Winery & Cellar with Wine Tasting in Vouvray, Loire Valley

If you enjoy wine tasting, then you’ll particularly love this Loire Valley experience. Taking place on a family-run vineyard in the heart of the Loire Valley, this guided vine visit offers the opportunity to learn all about wine production in the Loire Valley, as well as sample some local produce, and of course, the local tipple! Check prices and availability here.

Picnic in the Vines

One of the most unusual and unique things to do in the Loire Valley is to enjoy a romantic picnic amongst the vineyards. This tour from Chinon includes a guided visit to a vineyard, as well as a picnic lunch (with a bottle of wine and vegetarian options available), and the chance to learn about how the Loire wines are created. Check prices and availability here.

Hot-Air Balloon Ride over the Loire Valley, from Amboise & Chenonceau

If you’re searching for an unforgettable experience while in the Loire Valley, you simply must book this hot air balloon ride. Available for departures from up to 15 km away from Amboise, this hot air balloon flight includes a glass of champagne or sparkling grape juice and bird’s eye views of the Loire Valley. Check prices and availability here.

Self-guided drive: day trip to the Loire Valley itinerary from Paris

Five towns, three châteaux, two churches and a cathedral, my recent road day trip to the Loire Valley with some friends was packed with fairytale moments amid downpours of rain.

Just over two hours drive away from the centre of Paris lies the Loire Valle. And with around fifty French châteax lining the river Loire and its tributaries, there are many to pick and choose from, allowing you to form your own day fairytale road trip itinerary.

Stop 1: Château de Cheverny

Featured in Tintin novels as Marlinspike Hall and famed for its beauty, the first château we visited was that of Cheverney (pronounced sheeverney and not to be confused with Giverny).

The smallest of châteaux on our day trip, the castle was built in the mid-1600s by Henri Hurault, the military treasurer for Louis XIII. Six centuries later, one of his direct descendants is now the present day owner.

Opening times: Open 365 days a year, the castle has only been closed three times since its opening to the public (once for the queen’s visit, once for a wedding and once due to a death). As such, you can even visit the Château on days when much of the rest of France is closed, such as

Stop 2: Château de Chambord

So large is the domain of Château de Chambord that you end up driving along the tree-lined boulevard leading to the castle for at least ten minutes, passing many ‘beware of the deer signs on the way’ before the highly decorated pointed turrets suddenly loom up above the horizon. It is quite a sight to behold!

Built in the French Renaissance style in the first half of the 16th century and originally intended for use as a hunting lodge for Francis I, the castle has seen many changes during its history.

Although it is unclear whether the rumour is true, it may well be the case that Leonardo da Vinci himself– you know, painter of the Mona Lisa– had a hand in designing the castle (especially some of the spiral staircases).

After the end of the French revolution in the late the 18th Century, Château de Chambord then lay empty and abandoned for a long time before its renovation in the 20th Century.

Today, the castle is equipped with spiral staircases, roaring fires and furnishings aplenty. The little hamlet beside Château de Chambord is absolutely dwarfed in comparison with the enormity of the old hunting lodge. It is equipped with a church and Hôtel de Ville.

Opening times: Every day of the year except bank holidays: April September 9 am -6 pm, October- March 9 am- 5 pm

Stop 3: Lunch stop at Blois

There is little in the way of food around the castles themselves and considering we didn’t want to sit down and pay for a meal in a  restaurant, we ended up stopping at a Quick by the side of the autoroute. Note to self: We definitely should have fuelled up at this point as we were almost out of diesel by the time we finally reached Châteaudun!

Stop 4: Château de Châteaudun

Built on the side of a mountain, Châteaudun was definitely the most ‘fortified’ of the castles that we visited. Built between the 12th and 16th centuries, the visit includes a keep from the 12th Century, one of only seven Sainte Chapelles left in France (the main one is in the centre of Paris and another at Château de Vincennes).

Opening times: Times vary depending on the time of the year. see website for more details.

Prices: €6/Free for EU citizens under 25

After a quick look around the castle, we had a wander around the old part of Châteaudun town; full of medieval houses and historic churches, it’s a must for any history lover! 

We then descended the steps to look at the fortifications and prisons below. We even entered one of the old prison cells- see video below)! A highlight of the day for everyone on the road trip had to be the wine shop located in a grotto at the bottom of the town (la cave des fouleries).

Stop 5: Chartres

The last stop of the day on our fairytale inspired trip was the historic town of Chartres. Reaching Chartres as the sun had just dipped below the horizon and night was starting to set in was a fairytale moment in itself. The cathedral is enormous; stretching up above the quaint building surrounding it, dominating the surrounding landscape.

One of my favourite moments after our Cathedral visit, which also happens to be one of the best cathedrals in France, was discovering the free outdoor lending library (see video below). The idea is that you borrow and return books as you please. You can also leave your favourite books and share the book lending love so to speak…

And with our last town tour of the day complete, we grabbed a couple of bottles of wine, slabs of cheese and bread and headed home for a particularly French meal! If you’d like to see more of my adventurous road trip, I made a YouTube video about it:

France Travel Information

France uses the Euro (€)

The main language spoken in France is French. Though you can get by with English is more touristic places, it’s always a good idea to learn some of the local language. Bring along a simple phrasebook like this one to help make your travels easier.

The capital of France is Paris. For more information and inspiration, check out our best Paris travel tips.

France uses plug types, types C and E. As such, if you’re travelling from the UK, USA, Canada, and many other destinations, you’ll need to buy an adapter. I recommend buying a universal travel adapter that you can use for multiple destinations (rather than buying a new adaptor for each place you visit).

As one of the most popular destinations in the world, you should always consider booking your accommodation well ahead of time. Check out this website for price comparison details and detailed reviews.

Be careful with your belongings. I also highly advise to avoid wearing a backpack and to instead opt for a crossbody bag like these ones. I personally use a crossbody bag by this brand and love its shape, size, and versatility.

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Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A fan of all things France related, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She currently splits her time between Paris and London. Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.

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