Bucket list trip:
France
Where to go and what to see in the Loire Valley to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Anna Brooke.
Editor note – Anna has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Loire Valley destination guide.
Begin at Chateau Chambord, the grande dame of all Loire castles with over 400 rooms. Pack a picnic or grab lunch in its cafe, then spend the afternoon meandering its sprawling grounds.
Later, go on a sunset boat cruise along the Loire, from the nearby village of Saint-Dye-sur-Loire.
Then head to Blois for a romantic Michelin-starred meal at Fleur de Loire (reserve ahead), where you could also spend the night.
Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
The Loire’s grandest chateau, an astonishing 440-room, 16th-century Renaissance colossus filled with a vast collection of furniture, tapestries, antiques, objets d’arts, and a double helix staircase thought to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
Adult price: 10
Good for age: 18+
Tours, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Experience
Take the lovely wooden sailing boat La Saponiere from St-Dye-sur-Loire (near Chambord, April to October). Options include an evening tour to discover the sounds of the Loire, and bring-your-own picnic trips.
Adult price: 9
Good for age: 18+
Duration: 1-3 hours
First thing, it’s off to explore the gorgeous waterfront market at Amboise, before visiting the hilltop Chateau Royal Amboise, where Leonardo Da Vinci is buried.
A gourmet lunch awaits at Le Lion d’Or, below the castle, then visit Da Vinci’s former home, Clos Luce, just a few minutes’ walk away at the Leonardo Da Vinci Park.
Early evening, cross Marechal Leclerc bridge to Le Shaker for al fresco cocktails and cheese platters with sweeping views of the castle.
Tours, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Experience
Set along the edge of the Loire River, in the shadow of the Chateau d’Amboise, this famous outdoor Sunday food market hawks local goats cheese, meats, fish and wine, plus fresh fruit and vegetables from farms around the region.
Good for age: 18+
Amboise, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Experience
Imposing vaulted, history-rich chateau built in the 15th century that became the favoured residence of French kings and queens. The tiny vaulted Gothic chapel contains the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci.
Adult price: 12
Good for age: 18+
Amboise, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
Leonardo da Vinci’s final residence reveals fascinating insights into the enigmatic painter, engineer and inventor.
Adult price: 3
Good for age: 13+
Rise early for a hot-air balloon flight over Chateau Chenonceau or on a self-guided bike ride along the signposted ‘Loire à Velo’ cycle route. Outfitters Chenonceaux Bike Rental and Loire Valley Cycling can deliver hire bikes to your accommodation.
In the afternoon, visit the fairytale Chateau Azay-le-Rideau, then stay in town for dinner at acclaimed Auberge Pom Poire, surrounded by orchards.
Amboise, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
Float gently above the Loire Valley, a captivating vista of verdant vineyards and charming villages, peppered with fairy-tale, turreted chateaux. The meandering Loire River, glitters in the early light, weaving a silver thread through the tableau.
Adult price: 180
Min age 6
Good for age: 10+
Duration: 3 hours
Loire Valley, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
An 900km waymarked cycle route through the Loire’s beautiful countryside, stopping off at fantastical chateaux, vineyards, and picturesque villages.
Good for age: 13+
Duration: 1 day-2 weeks
Azay-le-Rideau, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
A perfect fairy-tale castle, built in 1527, with historic portraits, tapestries and carved four-posters that beautifully capture the Renaissance lifestyle. One of the Loire’s most beautiful and romantic chateaux.
Adult price: 8
Good for age: 18+
Start your wine-themed day in Saumur, exploring the town, its castle and troglodyte wine cellars, including Bouvet Ladubay, whose vast vault can be visited by bike.
For lunch, try the coq (chicken) cooked in Saumur Champigny wine at Auberge Reine de Sicile, then in the afternoon head to Chateau Breze, with its vines and medieval underground fortress.
After sampling the wine, head to medieval Fontevraud Abbey, the resting place of Richard the Lionheart and the setting for award-winning cuisine at Fontevraud Le Restaurant.
Saumur, Pays de la Loire, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
A postcard-perfect, medieval town famed for its troglodyte wine cellars (filled with excellent wines) and majestic hilltop chateau.
Good for age: 18+
Saumur, Pays de la Loire, France
Experience
These sculpted troglodyte caves offer an interesting blend of wine tasting, culture and history. The cellars here, open daily for tastings, are part of a historic 5-mile-long complex of underground galleries, which include an unusual ‘underground cathedral’.
Adult price: 5
Min age 18
Good for age: 18+
Duration: 2 hours
Saumur, Pays de la Loire, France
Experience
Beneath this attractive Renaissance and neo-Gothic chateau is a remarkable 9th-century fortress, a troglodyte labyrinth complete with drawbridge, stables, and guardrooms. The chateau is also known for excellent wines, which you can taste in Les Caves de la Comtesse de Colbert in the chateau grounds.
Adult price: 10
Good for age: 18+
Saumur, Pays de la Loire, France
Experience
Travel back to the Middle Ages in this vast monastic complex and splendid Romanesque church. It’s home to the sculpted tombs of Henry II of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart.
Good for age: 18+
Dedicate today to the Loire’s stunning landscaped gardens, starting at the Gardens of Chateau Villandry, where dainty flower-filled parterres give way to ornamental veggie patches.
For lunch, try L’Etape Gourmande in Villandry, known for its locavore menus.
Then in the afternoon, drive to the Garden of Chateau Bourdaisiere, famed for its ‘conservatoire’ of tomatoes.
Any of the bars in medieval Place Plumereau in central Tours are good for an aperitif. Then dine in style on elevated meat, fish and garden produce at restaurant Charles Barrier.
Villandry, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
One of the world’s most beautiful gardens, including a truly remarkable vegetable garden, in the grounds of a UNESCO-listed chateau.
Adult price: 6
Good for age: 18+
Tours, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Experience
A 16th-century chateau with captivating gardens, which includes 150 vegetables and a remarkable ‘conservatoire’ of almost 630 varieties of tomato.
Adult price: 6
Good for age: 18+