Bordeaux & Loire Valley Tour
Visit Wine Chateaux and Renaissance Castles / wonderful sites, meals and wines /
Join Froggytravel for a guided Bordeaux and Loire Valley Tour of Wine Chateaux and Renaissance Castles. In the Bordeaux and Loire Valley regions of France, you will delight in exquisite landscapes while sampling some of the world's finest wines. The châteaux are legendary and the wine is beyond compare. After the elegant city of Bordeaux, the village of Saint-Émilion and the surrounding Médoc vineyards with stops at world-famous wineries you will head to Cognac before the Loire Valley for fairytale castles of Chambord, Chenonceau and many others, splendid gardens, the historic cities of Amboise and Chinon, and the small wineries of Chinon and Vouvray appellations.
2022 Tour Date + Rate
MAY 14-24, 2022 / 10 NIGHTS / COST: $5,690 / add $1,580 for single occupancy
8 guests only
for more 2022 tour Details email lgd1047@gmail.com
Rates are per person land only and include: Hotel accommodations double occupancy / meals as described on itinerary (wines/beverages included) / Group visits and tasting fees / All taxes and service fees
SEE BORDEAUX & LOIRE VALLEY TOUR ITINERARY BELOW
B=breakfast / L= lunch / D=dinner
DAY 1 | BORDEAUX
Your hotel is the four-star Hotel Palais Gallien downtown Bordeaux. From the hotel, it is a short walk to the shops, museums, and restaurants.
Before the beginning of the Bordeaux and Loire Valley tour, you may wish to take a long nap or spend your afternoon walking the streets of this old city. Highlights of Bordeaux include the stock exchange square, the 15th century "Grosse Cloche" gate, the "Grand Theatre", the 18th-century district. If you are not too tired, an optional afternoon guided visit to the History of Bordeaux museum is offered.
After many years of noisy and dusty road work everywhere, tramway lines were created, historical buildings restored, old warehouses along the river renovated and are now occupied by restaurants, shops, and art galleries. Bordeaux is a lively and pleasant city.
A welcome dinner with Bordeaux wines will end the day.
First night in Bordeaux.
D
DAY 2 | A Day in Medoc
The most famous vineyards of the world are yours for a day in Medoc.
Morning drive on the "Route des Chateaux" for Margaux, Cos d'Estournel, Talbot, Latour, Laffite-Rothschild, Palmer, Gruaud-Larose, Rauzan-Segla, Beychevelle, etc.
Our first stop will be one of the Grand Cru Classe for a tour and tasting.
Lunch in the village of Pauillac.
In the afternoon we will visit either Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) another one of the five "Premier Cru" of Medoc, or Branaire Ducru, a Grand Cru of the Saint Julien appellation for a tour and tasting.
We return to Bordeaux around 4:30 pm where you will have time to shop the pedestrian streets or visit the “Cite du vin” or another one of its notable museums.
Convivial group dinner. Second night at the Palais Gallien.
B - L - D
DAY 3 | A VISIT TO SAINT EMILION
At 9:00 am, en route to Saint Emilion, the kingdom of Merlot challenged by Cabernet Franc!
A Grand Cru classe Saint Emilion will open his doors this morning for our visit and tasting.
After lunch in the village, you will meander in the streets of the charming city of Saint Emilion for a guided visit of the monolithic church, carved in the rock between the years 800 and 1100 as well as the 7th-century cave, refuge of the monk who founded the city.
Later that afternoon you will visit another Grand Cru classé), Beausejour-Becot, La Gaffeliere or Trotte Vieille.
Dinner on your own. Third and last night at the Palais Gallien in Bordeaux.
B - L
DAY 4 | SAUTERNES-BARSAC TASTING THEN TO cognac and LOIRE VALLEY
Specific climate, regular morning fog, lots of work and centuries of knowledge: all these elements are necessary to produce the exceptional wines of Sauternes-Barsac.
We will end our Bordeaux experience at one of the "1st cru classe" of Sauternes (Peyraguey, Suduiraut, Climens or Rieussec) for the most splendid natural sweet wines of the world.
After lunch in a village we are on our way to Cognac for a late afternoon visit and tasting at the Cognac Otard castle and distillery.
Dinner and night in Cognac at the Hotel Francois 1er.
B - L - D
DAY 5 | A DAY OF CASTLES, CHATEAUX AND GARDENS
A morning drive will bring you to the Loire Valley and the superb medieval Chateau du Rivau which will be your home for the next 2 nights.
After a stop by the “City of the Cardinal” Richelieu bearing his name it is very representative of the 16 century city architecture. Afternoon walk in the medieval city of Chinon for Henry II Plantagenet and Joan of Arc memories. A wine tasting at Chateau de Coulaine or La Grille will end the day (if time permits).
Welcome dinner in Chinon with Chinon wines of course and first night in Le Rivau.
B - L - D
DAY 6 | MORE CASTLEs, CHATEAux and wines
Day six and seven are reserved for a discovery of many sites, abbeys, gardens and castles. We will not see (thankfully!) the 300 castles (!) stretching on 150 miles along the Loire, Vienne, Cher and Indre rivers but some well and some less known, small or large but always historically or architecturally important. You can be sure to see Azay, Chaumont, Rivau, Saumur, Chinon, Chambord, Chenonceau, Fontevraud, Villandry, Usse, Langeais, Amboise, Clos-Luce, Cheverny….
On our meandering roads is the Abbey de Fontevraud for momories of Alienor d'Aquitaine, twice Queen (France then England) and mother of two kings and three queens, her life is a fascinating story set in the 12th-century.
Wines and local gastronomy will not be forgotten with tastings, and great meals. Gardens, close to their peak at the end of May will take an important place; Villandry, Chaumont, Rivau are among the “must be seen”.
Dinner in Chinon. Second night in Le Rivau.
B - L - D
DAY 7 | VILLAGES, CASTLES and medieval history
Perhaps a stop in Tours, capital of the region “Touraine”, will be perfect for some shopping if requested by our guests,
VISITS: See Day 6.
Dinner in the region and first night in the Fontevraud Abbey.
B - L - D
DAY 8 | morning market, bubbly and gardens
Visits: See day 6
After enjoying the weekly open market of Saumur (if weather permits) we plan to take a glass of bubbly for an aperitif at Bouvet-Ladubay and learn everything about the "Méthode Champenoise".
Dinner and second night in Fontevraud.
B - L - D
DAY 9 | Chateaux CheNONCEAU, CHEVERNY AND MORE…
VISITS: See day 6.
Dinner and night in Chambord.
B - L - D
DAY 10 | chambord and Chantilly
The most spectacular and largest castle of the region will fully occupy your morning before a drive to Chantilly north of Paris, very close to CDG airport.
Dinner in Chantilly, night at the CDG airport.
B - L - D
dAY 11 | Flight home
Stress free morning to catch your flight home and land the same day.
B
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