[ Image – Chaumont Sur Loire ]
Chaumont sur Loire Flower Show – a top garden festival held in the beautiful Loire Valley – ”the garden of France”
And not only this amazing show – but also magnificent palaces, touring highlights, chateaux and fabulous gardens including Monet’s Giverny.
The Loire Valley is an enchanted land of vineyards, flowers and rolling green hills dotted with more than a thousand chateaux. It is perhaps the charm of its gentle pace that has, for centuries, made it a sought-after location for poets and writers.
aris stimulates the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched and tasted. From the Seine to the historic monuments, buildings, great works of art and cafes, Paris is the essence of all things French.
To make your tour even more enjoyable we’ve taken the stress out of touring with 3 or more nights at each hotel and long coach trips are kept to a minimum.
Itinerary
Tour commences Paris, 22 June – please check for current updates
Day 1 – Paris
Upon arrival in Paris, you will be transferred to your Paris hotel for 4 nights. On arrival we have a tour of this vibrant and romantic city, with stops at the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Transfer to our centrally located hotel. Welcome dinner included. D
Day 2 – Monet’s Garden of Giverny
This morning we visit Monet’s Garden of Giverny, Monet’s home for more than 40 years. There are two parts to Monet’s garden: a flower garden called Clos Normand in front of the house and a Japanese inspired water garden. Both parts contrast and complement one another.
Claude Monet did not like organized or constrained gardens. In the Clos Normand he left them to grow rather freely. In the water garden see the famous wisteria-covered Japanese bridge, weeping willows and memorable water lilies.
Time for a relaxed lunch in Giverny village, still the home of many artists. This afternoon we visit Louis XIV’s magnificent Versailles Palace with its sweeping gardens and water features. We tour the palace and include entry to the extensive formal grounds. B
Day 3 – Paris
Free day in Paris. In your free time options abound, including the Louvre, strolling the Seine, visiting Notre Dame, or sitting at a café in Le Marais district in central Paris enjoying a coffee and warm croissant with butter and jam while watching Parisians go about their daily lives.
This evening we have included a Seine River cruise with dinner. B, D
Day 4 – Tours, Fontainebleau
Transfer to Tours, via the Château de Fontainebleau, spectacularly situated in woodland, with beautiful Jardin Anglais and Jardin de Diane.
Explore medieval streets in Tours, then transfer to our hotel base for the next 5 nights. B
Day 5 – Tours, Villandry, Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is an enchanted land of vineyards, flowers and rolling green hills dotted with more than a thousand châteaux and a sought-after location for poets and writers.
This morning, visit a flower market. In the afternoon, take a trip to the last of the Loire Valley’s Renaissance castle palaces, the Château de Villandry, featuring the Kitchen Garden, Water Garden, Ornamental Garden and Garden of Love. B, D
Day 6 – Chaumont sur Loire Flower Festival
The Chaumont-sur-Loire garden festival includes landscaped walks – Vallon des Brumes and Sentier des Fers Sauvages. It is laid out with “rooms” containing small temporary gardens. B, D
Day 7 – Tours
French flower show, châteaux and gardens tour.
Free day to explore Tours. B
Day 8 – Chenonceau, Loches
Visit the Château de Chenonceau, a romantic palace of Catherine de Medici, spanning the river Cher with immaculately maintained gardens.
This afternoon, continue to the charming walled city of Loches, home to the famous Château of Joan of Arc and Agnès Sorel. B
Day 9 – Amboise, Clos-Lucé and Leonardo da Vinci
Visit the Château d’Amboise, home to Louis XI and birthplace of Charles VIII. Visit Chapelle St Hubert, the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci, and the manor house of Clos-Lucé, where the artist spent the last years of his life. B, D
Day 10 – Chambord, Chartres
Visit Château de Chambord, constructed on a truly royal scale and the largest residence in the Loire region.
Then proceed to Chartres to visit the greatest cathedral in Europe. B
Day 11 – Versailles
Half-day tour of the magnificent Palace of Versailles – breathtaking inside, with the Royal Chapel and Hall of Mirrors, and surrounded by spectacular gardens.
Return to Paris for 2 nights. B
Day 12 – Paris
Free day. Farewell dinner and Burlesque Show (included) tonight. B, D
Day 13 – Paris
Depart for onward travel arrangements. B
THIS ITINERARY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TOUR COMPANY AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
Available dates: May to September request
Pricing: $8,795 per person, twin share. Single supplement + $1995. Email info@travlink.net or within NZ call 0800 99 77 88 for more about this unique tour
