The 13 Best Loire Valley Chateaux Tours

1.Loire Valley Castles Day Trip from Paris with Complementary Wine

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,907 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $149Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Paris to Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau, with entrance fees, an English-speaking guide, lunch time in Blois, and three Loire Valley wine pours in Chenonceau’s cellar. Guides may include Daniel, Emma, Riti, or Thelma.

“Great excursion, which I highly recommend. Thank for great tour and tour guides. Bus very comfortable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Chambord: Entry Ticket to the Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,841 reviews · 1 day · from $24

Visit Château de Chambord at your own pace with a one-day entry ticket. See more than 60 rooms, temporary exhibitions, the double-helix staircase, formal gardens, and a 20-minute multilingual film. Your ticket skips the counter line, but security checks still apply.

“The experience was a pleasant surprise. The history of the castle was very interesting and there was a good video with english subtitles about it. There are many rooms to discover, I recommend having a brief look at the map of the castle so you dont miss anything. The staircase was my favourite and the beautiful views of the gardens from the upper balcony.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.From Paris: Loire Valley Castles Day Trip With Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,727 reviews · 13 hours · from $104

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Paris to Chambord and Chenonceau, with self-guided castle visits, lunch time in Blois, and a short wine tasting. Guides such as Dee, Jasmina, John, and Riti add useful history and practical tips during the long drives.

“Fantastic day out to see the Loire valley and learn about the history on the way. Our guide John was funny, knowledgeable and very interesting! We particular enjoyed his own story and anecdotes. Highly recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Chenonceau Castle Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,515 reviews · 1 day · from $22

Spend a full day exploring Chenonceau Castle, its gardens, Dômes Gallery, and Carriage Gallery. You’ll walk through a château built across the Cher River, follow its links to Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, and use an audio guide in one of 16 languages.

“An amazing day out!! Make sure to book though to avoid disappointment, it’s very popular. Glad I booked, as all the “on the day” tickets had sold out.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.From Paris: Full-Day Loire Valley Chateaux Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,269 reviews · 12 hours - 750 minutes · from $127

Spend 12 hours touring three Loire Valley châteaux from Paris. Visit Chambord, Chenonceau, and Cheverny, or Amboise on some summer departures. Choose a live English or Spanish guide, or use an audio guide in eight languages. Transport and castle tickets are included; lunch is extra.

“The trip was amazing. Everything well organized and on time. Not very long road to get tired. Both guides interested in you and help all the time. Very interesting information is given. Highly recommend this trip!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Loire Valley Castles Trip with Chenonceau and Chambord from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 901 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $160

Leave Paris at 7:00 a.m. for Chambord, Chenonceau, and Cheverny. You’ll see Leonardo-inspired details, riverside rooms, gardens, and Cheverny’s famous hounds. Choose a live guide or audio option, and bring breakfast, headphones, and a fully charged phone.

“A most interesting full day tour. An excellent guide took us around three different types of French castles. The first was still a lived in private residence into which we felt we could move in to tomorrow quite happily and was our favourite. The second one had magnificent laid out gardens and was for a while in the hands of Catherine de Medici. The last one, in French State hands, was absolutely jaw dropping from the outside but disappointed on the inside - at its peak it covered the same amount of territory as Paris does today!!!!! The only downside was the time it took by coach to reach the…”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Amboise: Clos Lucé Castle, Da Vinci Park and Museum Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 779 reviews · 1 day · from $23

Visit Château du Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s final home, then explore the park’s 20 interactive machines, 40 translucent panels, life-size inventions, and new shows on painting and architecture. The self-guided visit suits families, art lovers, and anyone curious about science.

“Everything was beautiful and DeVince was more than just a painter. He was an architect and an inventor. Amazing!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Loire Valley Wine and Castles Small-Group Day Trip from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 613 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $296Top rated

Leave Paris at 7 a.m. for a 12-hour small-group outing to Chambord, Chenonceau, and Amboise. Your driver-guide, such as Enzo, Valeria, Tim, or G, provides background before each château, then gives you time to explore alone. Lunch is independent, and the wine stop is brief and informal.

“The castles were amazing. The 1st two were over the top the last was spectacular from the outside. The displays inside were underwhelming. The wine tasting was not great. Before lunch while standing in a small space was odd. Kareem was knowledgeable but I felt his role was more of a driver than a tour guide. Driving was sometimes an adventure. Long day!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Loire Valley: Château Royal d’Amboise Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 476 reviews · 1 day · from $20Best value

Spend one day exploring Château Royal d’Amboise, a former royal residence with terraced gardens, broad roofs, Loire River views, and Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb. Your skip-the-line ticket includes a Histopad in 12 languages, with 3D scenes of court life and the château’s former interiors.

“vente de billet pour le 1 janvier alors que le chateau etait fermé oon”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Loire Valley Day Tour Chambord and Chenonceau plus Lunch at a Private Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 380 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $284

Spend about nine and a half hours visiting Chenonceau and Chambord with an English-speaking guide, plus a home-style French lunch at family-owned Château de Villesavin. The air-conditioned minivan holds no more than eight people, and guides such as Chloé, Camille, Alex, and Marion bring the sites to life.

“Marion was our guide. She was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the times and the chateaux. Between stops, she kept up a running dialog so we were never bored. Over lunch, she initiated an conversation between everyone on the tour giving us a chance to get to know something about each other. The two hours spent at each stop was perfect for us. For the two chateaux we toured, Marion gave us the history and took us through the major parts of each. Then we were given close to an hour to explore other areas on our on. For us, this split was ideal. Lunch was delicious but simple.…”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.From Tours: Chenonceau and Chambord Castles Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 86 reviews · 8 hours · from $247

Travel from Tours in a small van to Chambord and Chenonceau with a live English-speaking guide. Expect guided castle visits, time to explore on your own, a 90-minute lunch stop in a traditional village, and personal stories from guides such as Ilia and Charline.

“Ilia was very informative all during tour, and very knowledgeable. He also gave us tips on restaurants in area.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Tours: Chateaux Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry Morning Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 71 reviews · 4 hours · from $135

Meet your English-speaking guide at Tours Tourist Office at 9:30 AM for a four-hour minivan tour. See Azay-le-Rideau inside, then explore Villandry’s formal gardens, maze, water garden, and vegetable plots. Guides such as Chloe, Dimitri, and Agatha are praised for clear stories and careful driving.

“Alex was a wonderful driver – engaging, friendly, and very knowledgeable. We truly enjoyed learning about the history of the château, and the visit to the spectacular gardens was a highlight of the day. A memorable and well-organized tour!”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Loire Valley Royal Castles Small Group Day Trip from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9 reviews · 13 hours · from $324

Leave Paris at 7:30 for Chenonceau, Amboise, and Blois, with castle entries, a family winery visit, seven wine tastings, lunch time, and hotel pickup included. A guide such as Dave handles the long day for up to seven people, though the published route order should be confirmed before booking.

“Our day to the Loire Valley was our highlight during our trip to Paris. Our tour guide, Dave, was friendly and very informative. The 3 castles are each beautiful and unique in their own ways. The scenery and grounds at each castle is amazing. If you’re looking to get outside of Paris for a day I would highly recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review