Best of Paris & Loire Valley in One Week
Private Tours
Free Refunds & Rescheduling
Customizable Itineraries
Tailor your week-long itinerary to suit you
Our driver-guided tour itinerary ensures a seamless luxury experience across Paris and the Loire Valley.
Take in the highlights of Paris with your guide before you are chauffeured to the Valley for a wine & Champagne tasting experience and explore village life here.
What is included:
- Certified English-Speaking Expert Local Guides
- Complimentary Bespoke Tour Itinerary
- Select Central Luxury Accommodations
- Luxury Air Conditioned Vehicles for Tours & Transfers
- Unbeatable Refund Guarantee
- Skip-The-Line Tickets & Entrance Fees
- 24-7 In-Country Support
Day 1: Arrival in Paris & Moulin Rouge
On arrival at Charles De Gaulle Airport, you will be met by your personal chauffeur who will be waiting for you in the Arrivals Hall.
Your chauffeur will take you by private transfer to your hotel as you prepare for your evening VIP experience at the world-famous Moulin Rouge cabaret with no need for queuing and special reserved premium seating to enjoy the spectacle and gourmet dining experience.
Your chauffeur will drive you to the Moulin Rouge and be waiting to take you back to your hotel following the performance.
Day 2: Eiffel Tower & Central Paris
Your chauffeur and guide will be waiting for you to take you on a day tour of Paris.
First stop is the Eiffel Tower, understandably the world’s most visited paid tourist attraction. Your pre-purchased tickets allow you access to all levels of the Tower where you can see unrivaled views across Paris and the neighboring cities.
The Tower comprises 8,038 metallic parts, an impressive 2,500.00 rivets, 7,300 tonnes of metal, and 60 tonnes of paint and took over 2 years to complete.
Following the Tower visit, your guide will take you for lunch at a typical Parisian brasserie away from the tourists so you can experience Paris as a local.
In the afternoon we will visit the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees and a visit to the Ile de la cite where you can explore the famous Sainte Chapelle.
At the end of the afternoon, your chauffeur will take you back to your hotel where you can enjoy dinner at a famous Michelin eatery.
Day 3: Versailles
Escape the bustle of Paris today and head out to Versailles, the most opulent of all French Chateaux where your private guide will accompany you on your visit to the Chateau, its gardens, and finally a stop in Versailles town center.
This magnificent chateau was created by Louis XIV as a demonstration of not only his personal wealth and power but to show the world French architecture and opulence. Probably the most famous room in the chateaux is the Galeries des Glaces (hall of mirrors), comprising over 350 specially constructed mirrors that line the impressive room. Every part of the chateau was constructed, using only French materials and workmen who worked day and night to create this architectural masterpiece.
Following your tour of the chateaux, you will then take a private garden tour to explore the extravagant grounds surrounding Versailles The gardens took over 40 years to complete and comprise 50 elaborate fountains decorated with sculptures of gilded lead or metal portraying characters from Greco-Roman mythology.
Spend the afternoon visiting the famous indoor and outdoor food markets situated in the heart of Versailles where you can sample artisanal French produce from around the country – from Jambon de Bayonne to truffle-infused Roquefort to hand-made chocolate from the finest Parisian chocolatiers this market has it all!
Day 4: Travel to Loire Valley
Depart Versailles and head to the world-famous Loire Valley – known as the Garden of France for its orchards and farms as well as arguably home of the finest wines in the world as well as the most extravagant and opulent chateaux. Little wonder that after Paris, this region of France is the most popular for tourists from across the world.
Blois
Our first stop is Blois, a stunning Medieval city filled with narrow cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses as well as an imposing chateau and cathedral.
Our private tour starts at the chateau which was built between the 13th and 17th C and home to 7 Kings and 10 Queens of France.
Each wing of the chateau represents a different architectural style as different Kings added their own extensions to the building.
Truly spectacular is the Octagonal exterior stone spiral staircase that is housed in the Renaissance wing which consists of two interlocking but independent spirals so that it is possible for two people to ascend and descend without crossing one another’s path. It is widely speculated that Leonardo had a role in the design of this magnificent staircase.
These are not the only famous steps in Blois, your tour will also include a visit to the Denis Papin staircase which links the old to the new town. Every year the 120 steps are decorated according to the main stories in the region – recently a huge portrait of the Mona Lisa was represented on the stairs to commemorate 500 years of Renaissance Art.
Enjoy the afternoon exploring St Louis cathedral and the adjacent Jardins de L’eveche which give uninterrupted views across the whole of the valley.
Evening tour
Prior to dinner, your guide will take you back to the chateau of Blois where you can watch a ‘ son et Lumiere ‘ (light and sound) show displayed across the walls of the castle that depicts the most famous events in the Castle’s history.
Day 5: Chenonceau & Wine Tasting
Your day starts with a visit to one of the prettiest chateaus of the region – Chenonceau and the second most visited château after Versailles. Known as the Château des dames, this chateau’s building and gardens were presided over by generations of women and are a combination of Renaissance and Gothic architecture. When Catherine de Medici first saw the chateau she fell in love with it and forced the owner ( the Duchess Diane de Poitiers ) to hand the castle over in 1560. Catherine’s son Francis II got married to Mary Queen of Scots at the castle – more recently the castle played a part in the first and second world wars and was used as a hospital as well as a refuge for people fleeing the then Nazi Germany.
One of the reasons the chateau survived the French revolution is that the chateau itself is also a bridge over the Cher and thus vital for commerce and travel given the nearest other river crossing was several miles away.
Following the tour, your chauffeur will then take you to one of the many independent wineries in the region for your own private tasting. The river Cher valley is an incredible wine region and it was in the 18th Century that vines were planted but it was only in 2011 that the region’s winegrowers got the right to use the new appellation of ‘Touraine Chenonceaux ‘ Touraine Chenonceaux covers an area of barely 40 hectares spread over 27 villages. Less than forty winegrowers are entitled to produce wine of the appellation.
Day 6: Loire Villages
Set out this morning and explore some of the beautiful villages that can be found nestled across the banks of the river. Your day will be sure to include a visit to one or 2 of the local markets to sample local delicacies as well as a visit to a local patisserie where you will be given a private tasting with a local award-winning pastry chef.
Day 7: Chambord
No trip to the Loire would be complete without visiting the truly incredible chateau of Chambord, the park and grounds of the castle alone are as big as central Paris and it is the largest park in Western Europe covering 5440 hectares and 32 kilometers of walls.
Commissioned by King Francis I and imagined by the great Leonardo da Vinci, the Château de Chambord is the largest and most majestic castle of the Loire.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site calls the site “the architectural equivalent of the Mona Lisa.” The incredible double-helix staircase is just one reason. It is a world-renowned, architectural marvel! The palace comprises 426 rooms, 83 staircases, 282 fireplaces as well over 4,500 objets d’art on display in superbly recreated apartments in the chateau.
In 2001 a study started aimed to replicate exactly the palace gardens as created during the reign of Louis XIV and in 2017 this study finally came to fruition with the reopening of the gardens.
The result today is incredible and awe-inspiring with more than 800 shrubs, 600 trees, over 200 rose bushes, 15,250 border plants, and 18,874 m² of lawns. A garden fit for a King!
Your private tour will end with a visit around the gardens before heading back to Paris.
Customize your Paris & Loire Valley itinerary
There are far more treasures to be found in Paris and the Loire Valley than you could be expected to find in a week, so if you would like to extend your tour to spend more time either in the city or wine valley, simply get in touch and request a complimentary custom itinerary.
I have been working with Debbie for many years and she has provided me with outstanding levels of customer service and attention to detail. Plus nothing is too much trouble, she will go the extra mile to create amazing bespoke experiences for my guests.
Thanks to Debbie and her team for organizing the holiday of a lifetime. It was great to meet real locals and visit less touristy parts of Paris. We loved Luc the chef for showing us, including our 2 teenage daughters, how to make the best Cassoulet in France! Highly recommend Paul, our driver guide who looked after us our whole time in Paris. We will be back next year!
Absolutely delighted with the tour arranged by Luxury France Tours. The guide was marvellous so knowledgeable and ensured everyone had a wonderful time. Changed the itinerary to suit what we needed. I highly recommend this company to anyone planning a trip to France, five stars all round!
Quite simply, Luxury France Tours were fantastic at every step throughout the vacation they planned for us.
From our initial messages we felt listened to, and Debbie and her team acted on our interests and requirements to provide our group with a fantastic itinerary for our vacation in France.
An amazing time in Paris and Normandy was had by all thanks to Luxury France Tours. The tour guide was fantastic, the itinerary was tailored to the family’s exact tastes and the transportation was top-notch. If you are considering a vacation in France then I definitely recommend talking to Debbie first!
From start to finish, everything was absolutely perfect. Debbie and her team were super flexible and changed the itinerary when we asked. I can’t recommend Luxury France Tours company enough! I will be using them for all trips to France in the future!
We can confidently say Luxury France Tours is the team to trust for your French vacation. Debbie tailored the itinerary to the group’s specific interests and went above and beyond to make sure everyone saw and did everything they wanted.
As for our guides, we can’t speak highly enough of them, they are friendly, knowledgable and happy to discuss all our questions. All in all a 5-star experience.
Debbie and her team put together two wonderful tours in France for us.
Alongside highlights of Paris, the company arranged a driver-guided tour of the gorgeous Loire Valley wine region. All guides were knowledgeable, entertaining, and fun. Discovering secret messages in famous artworks and relaxing in the wine valley was a delight
Salut from France! I’m Debbie, founder of Luxury France Tours.
Having developed into a Francophile on a trip to the French Alps many years ago while still in school, I moved to France after a career traveling the world led to me meeting my (now) French Husband in Johannesburg. I created Luxury France Tours as a way of sharing my love of France & igniting this passion in others.
Email Debbie
hello@luxuryfrancetours.com
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+33608780529
