Chambord and Chenonceau at Christmas: Guided Day from Tours or Amboise

The two most prestigious châteaux of the Loire, seen while the valley is keeping Christmas.

December changes what a visit to these rooms is. The halls that stand cold and correct in August are warmed up and dressed, and the buildings stop looking like museums for a few weeks. A local guide takes the group through both, working from what the French kings who lived here actually got up to rather than from the plan of the building. The small secrets, the domestic arrangements, the anecdotes that are funny because they are true.

Chenonceau comes with a guided walk through the château and its gardens. Chambord is taken with its surroundings, because the setting is half of what the place is.

The route also takes in panoramic views away from the coach parks, which in winter is not a small thing: the light is low, the crowds are thin, and the two most photographed châteaux in France are briefly quiet.

Departures are from Amboise and from Tours, each with its own meeting time outside the tourist office.