Castles · Tour

Chenonceau and Chambord with a Free Midday in Amboise, the Old Capital

Two of the great châteaux of the Royal Valley in one day, in a small group and an air-conditioned minivan, with a professional guide. What sets the day apart is the middle of it. Most Loire itineraries treat lunch as an interval. This one parks in Amboise and leaves you there. Amboise was the old capital of the Loire Valley, a royal town rather than a service stop, and the free time is long enough to eat where you like and then walk the old streets without a group forming up behind you. Either side of that, the two châteaux. Chenonceau is taken with a guide, on the Cher, the most visited castle in the valley. Chambord closes the day: the largest château in the region, built by François I as a hunting lodge, with a staircase that has kept architects arguing for five centuries. Departures are from Tours at 9.00AM and from Amboise at 9.30AM, both from the tourist office.