5-day Private Tour Around Seine Valley And The Loire Valley

Itinerary

Day 1: The Seine Valley - Maisons Laffitte & Versailles

Stop At: Chateau of Maisons-Laffitte, 2 avenue Carnot, 78600 Maisons-Laffitte France
The château Maisons Laffitte was constructed in the 1640's by François Mansard for a banker, René de Longueil. Though by no means a medieval castle, we can still detect a few persistent "souvenirs" of the Middle Ages hefre, but other elements make Maisons typically 'early French classical" - and the spatial conception is clearly moving toward something else.
Accès: Public transport, RER A + brief walk
Time nec: 4 hours - 1/2 day including transportation
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Palace of Versailles, Place d'Armes, 78000, Versailles France
Unfortunately for Monsieur Fouquet, Vaux-le-Vicomte was far more splendid than anything the then young - and quite jealous - Louis XIV had, or had ever seen. Outshining the Sun King cost Fouquet dearly, as the young King seized not only château and contents, but the construction team as well, brought them to a fairly swampy place called Versailles and as of 1661, invited the architect, interior designer, and landscape architect of Vaux to do something worthy. Vaux therefore gave birth to Versailles, which was constructed - and re-constructed and modified - up to and beyond the end of the reign of Louis XIV ( † 1715 ).
Access via public transport ( RER C ) + brief walk
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Laduree le Bar, 13 rue Lincoln, 75008 Paris France
Come taste the world-famous macarons!
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 3 star hotel

Day 2: The Seine Valley - Vaux le Vicomte & Champs sur Marne

Stop At: Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, 77950 Maincy France
The château Vaux-le-Vicomte is also a bankers' - or finance minister's - residence; it is a "total work of art". In the 1650's, Nicolas Fouquet brought together a team that razed an entire village here to implant an extraordinary château avec attendant garden; this is where the classical French garden in the form we know today is born. At Vaux, we continue the story we started at Maison.
Access: Either public transport ( RER D + taxi ) or private shuttle
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Chateau of Champs-sur-Marne, 31 rue de Paris, 77420 Champs-sur-Marne, Marne-la-Vallee France
The delicious château at Champs sur Marne is finished between 1703 and 1708 by the Bullets ( father Pierre and son Jean Baptiste ) for Paul Poisson de Bourvallais, secretary of the Royal Finance Council. Champs takes lessons from Vaux on the one hand, lessons from Versailles on the other, and translates them into an extremely pleasant summer house with garden and park.
Access: Either public transport ( RER A + taxi ) or private shuttle
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Fauchon, 30 Place de la Madeleine, 75008 Paris France
Tasting at the famous Paris branch of Fauchon!
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at a B&B at the sommelier's home

Day 3: Loire Valley - Blois & Chambord

Stop At: Chateau Royal de Blois, 6 Place du Chateau, 41000, Blois France
Discover the wonders of 4 different architectural periods combined in 1 Chateau! From Medieval times to French classicism, this region has thrived especially during the 16th century known as French Renaissance. The Chateau Royal de Blois was home to the French Kings and played a role in French greatness!
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Chateau de Chambord, le Chateau, 41250, Chambord France
440 rooms, 282 chimneys, 82 staircases, Chambord is Beauty & the Beast all in one! This Chateau surrounded by 32 kilometers of walls (!) was the beloved place for hunting of King Francis I.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Cheverny, Cheverny, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
Wine tasting with a sommelier in a renowned winery in AOP Cheverny, where you will taste 2 white wines, 1 rosé and 3 reds. Including a very rare grape variety planted by King Francis himself! Let the sommelier explain you all the details of wine growing, winemaking, and wine tasting.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at our B&B at the sommelier's home

Day 4: Loire Valley - Touraine

Stop At: Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau, Rue Balzac, 37190 Azay-le-Rideau France
This 16th century Chateau has been judged a "hidden gem" by French writer Honoré de Balzac. L-shaped, surrounded by the river Indre, its beauty is simply astonishing, and its interior encapsulates many precious secrets and furniture of the time.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Chateau de Villandry, 3 rue Principale, 37510 Villandry France
Undoubtedly the most beautiful gardens of all the Loire Valley. 4 levels of terraces of gardens surround the Medieval castle, which has been renovated throughout the centuries. The Chateau is privately owned, what an amazing job they have done with it!
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Chinon, Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
2 wine tastings in the lovely town of Chinon, home of French writer Francois Rabelais, one of the "inventors" of the French language!
Cabernet Franc is dominant here, you will learn to taste it blind!
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at the B&B

Day 5: Chenonceau - Vouvray

Stop At: Chateau de Chenonceau, 37150 Chenonceaux France
A chateau on top of the water! The most visited chateau of the Loire Valley is famous for its gallery standing over the river Cher. Home to the Medicis family but also King Henri's mistress Diane de Poitiers, we go back 500 years and discover the mysteries of this romantic palace.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Vouvray, Vouvray, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
Wine tasting at one of the top producers in the Loire Valley.
Since 1712, this winery has made the best white wines (grape variety Chenin Blanc) of the region, thanks to an old-school approach to winemaking. Elegant and sophisticated, their wines can be kept for up to 100 years!
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Sambin, Sambin, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
Goat farm visit and Cheese tasting paired with local wines!
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.