Signature tour · 5 days
Châteaux, Chenin Blanc, Sancerre and the Garden of France
A private food and wine journey through the Garden of France: Tours, Sancerre, Vouvray, Chinon and Anjou, with personally selected addresses and châteaux not open to everyone.
A PERSONAL APPROACH
“The Loire is the Garden of France. Châteaux, white wines, rillettes and fresh air above the river. I will help you experience it fully."YOUR SOMMELIER-GUIDE”Your guide-sommelier
Sancerre · Vouvray · Chinon · Anjou · Muscadet
The Loire is more than Chambord and Chenonceau. It is small family domaines in Vouvray, organic Chinon producers and cellars carved into tuff cliffs. Every address in the programme is the result of years of personal selection.
The Loire Valley does not tolerate fuss. Here, you need to stop, look and listen. We build the programme so you feel the living Loire, with its river, châteaux at dawn and white wines under a green sky.
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are just the beginning. Vouvray, Chinon, Anjou and Saumur sparkling wines: the Loire is astonishingly diverse. Add Tours rillettes, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, tarte Tatin and distinctive mushrooms from tuffeau caves.
Private format · By advance request · Limited places
WHY HERE?
The Loire is the only region where Sauvignon Blanc reaches a philosophical level, in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, Chenin Blanc lives for centuries, in Vouvray and Savennières, and Cabernet Franc expresses crystalline elegance, in Chinon and Bourgueil.
Chenonceau above the river, Chambord in the forest, Villandry with its gardens and Amboise on a cliff: no region in the world concentrates so much Renaissance architecture. We visit at the right time and in the right way.
The Loire Valley is another France. Not dramatic, mountainous or maritime, but gentle, green and airy. Soft riverbanks, white tuffeau villages, blue skies and peace.
Your profile
Breakfast in Tours, a dawn walk at Chenonceau and a glass of Vouvray beneath the vaults of tuff cellars. The Loire is ideal for a slow journey for two.
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are only the start. Great Vouvray Moelleux, elegant Chinon and natural Jura de Loire wine. Private visits to small producers absent from guidebooks.
A group of four to eight, a shared pace and food discoveries together. A picnic in château grounds, a shared tasting and dinner in Tours: the Loire works beautifully with friends.
The Loire is a living museum of the French Renaissance. For those interested not only in food and wine, but in French history through its châteaux, gardens and river.
L’École buissonnière · Nicolas Vanier Young Paul arrives at a country estate and discovers life in the forest. Landscapes, adventure and nature set the mood for a Loire journey.
Qu’est-ce qu’on a tous fait au Bon Dieu ? · Philippe de Chauveron Claude and Marie’s daughters plan a family celebration for their fortieth wedding anniversary. The reunion leads to fresh comic clashes.
Programme · 5 days
Scroll through the programme and the map follows you: the day’s point lights up and the route continues. Click a number on the map to jump to that day.
TOURS · VOUVRAY
Rillettes, the market and the first wine
Check into a boutique hotel in Tours’ historic centre Walk around Place Plumereau, the medieval quarter of half-timbered houses Discover Les Halles de Tours: rillettes, Sainte-Maure cheese and local fruit Visit a small Vouvray domaine in tuffeau cellars outside town Dinner in a bistro with Loire cuisine and Vouvray sec
Day2CHENONCEAU · AMBOISE
Renaissance above the river
An early visit to Château de Chenonceau, its bridge over the Cher and rose garden Travel to Amboise, a château on a cliff above the Loire and Leonardo da Vinci’s sunset Visit Clos Lucé, da Vinci’s last home Lunch overlooking the river: fish with beurre blanc An evening tasting of young Touraine rouge with a local winemaker
CHINON · BOURGUEIL
The red Loire: Cabernet Franc
Visit a small Chinon producer making organic Cabernet Franc Tasting in a tuffeau cellar: comparing Chinon and Bourgueil Medieval Chinon, its château and Joan of Arc's town A cheese stop: Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine with a bottle of Chinon blanc Dinner beside the River Vienne
SANCERRE · POUILLY-FUMÉ
The world’s greatest Sauvignon Blanc
Travel east to the Sancerre hills above the Loire Visit a winemaker to compare three Sancerre terroirs: calcaires, silex and terres blanches Taste delicate Sauvignon from Pouilly-Fumé across the road Sancerre goat’s cheese with Sancerre blanc, a classic of classics Return to Tours in the evening for dinner with Savennières or Anjou rouge
CHAMBORD
France’s grandest château
Morning at Château de Chambord: 440 rooms, Da Vinci's double helix and the park A picnic in the château grounds with cheese, rillettes and Vouvray A final stop at Tours market for rillettes, honey and nougat Departure to Paris (one hour by TGV) or Tours Val de Loire Airport
EXPERIENCES
GASTRONOMY
Loire cuisine is fresh and terroir-driven, with white wines in every dish.
VALUE
"The Loire is not a list of sights. It is a way of life worth experiencing at least once."
Just a couple or a small group of up to 8. No tourist coaches outside Chambord’s gates. A private visit, your own time and rhythm.
A small organic domaine in Sancerre, a Vouvray tuff-cave cellar and entry to Chenonceau before official opening: the result of 15 years in tourism, not Google Maps.
The Loire is large, almost 400 km from the Atlantic to Sancerre. The itinerary is carefully designed to cover its best without tiring transfers. Transport, bookings and translation are all my responsibility.
Loire châteaux can easily become a one-after-another marathon. We choose two or three key ones and explore them properly, with context and without rushing. Not simply a tour, but immersion.
The Loire is one of the hardest regions to explore independently: scattered locations, a language barrier and less-than-obvious logistics. Beside you is someone who knows the region and cares about the quality of every moment.
What the tour includes
Everything needed for a carefully planned journey without organisational chaos.
Everything needed for a carefully planned journey without organisational chaos.
Tour on request
from €1,100 per day
Per group per day. Accommodation is not included. The price is calculated for your dates and group.
Request a personalised proposal
Your guide
My name is Kirill, and I help travellers discover the authentic taste of France — its wine, gastronomy and culture. My work goes beyond excursions and tours: it is a deep immersion in a region’s atmosphere, getting to know its traditions, history and people.
I was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, but have lived in France since the age of 13. This country has become my second home and a true source of inspiration. For 25 years, I have studied its culture and wine regions, turning that knowledge into my profession.
My education underpins my professionalism:
FLEXIBILITY
‘The Loire is more than a region: it is a whole world. I will help you find the part that speaks to you.’ YOUR GUIDE
The programme is a proposal, not a timetable. The Loire is vast and everyone has their own version. Some want every château, others only wine, others a quiet village and market. I design your itinerary. Dates Any season: spring, summer or autumn, each with its own magic Group composition Couple, family, friends or corporate group Hotel category Boutique hotel, château hotel or welcoming B&B Programme pace A full itinerary or slow travel Focus on châteaux, wine or gastronomy Château tour, wine-focused or culinary Loire
Simple
Give your approximate dates, group and priorities: châteaux, wine, food or all three.
I will write within 24 hours to clarify the format and your preferences. Together, we choose the journey’s right focus.
I prepare a detailed Loire itinerary with château, domaine and restaurant addresses and a price estimate.
Our guests’ voices
We discovered a completely unexpected Loire. We thought it was just châteaux, but there was also Sancerre in the morning mist, Vouvray from tuffeau cellars and rillettes on bread by the river. Every day was different, and every one was the best.
Châteaux we had seen before with crowds were completely different here. Chenonceau early in the morning, without people, was almost unreal in its beauty.
Our group had very different levels of wine knowledge. The guide found an approach for everyone, from the expert to someone who simply wanted an enjoyable drink.
Tasting Sancerre on a hill overlooking the Loire, with goat’s cheese straight from the farmer: this is more than tourism; it is an experience.
We discovered a completely unexpected Loire. We thought it was just châteaux, but there was also Sancerre in the morning mist, Vouvray from tuffeau cellars and rillettes on bread by the river. Every day was different, and every one was the best.
Châteaux we had seen before with crowds were completely different here. Chenonceau early in the morning, without people, was almost unreal in its beauty.
Our group had very different levels of wine knowledge. The guide found an approach for everyone, from the expert to someone who simply wanted an enjoyable drink.
Tasting Sancerre on a hill overlooking the Loire, with goat’s cheese straight from the farmer: this is more than tourism; it is an experience.
FAQ
Answers to the main questions before booking.
Spring, summer and autumn: every season has its own magic. The tour is designed for your dates.
No. I accompany you throughout the itinerary and handle communication with winemakers, farmers and restaurants.
Private transfers throughout, priority château entry, restaurants and tastings booked ahead, visits to distinctive domaines and a guide’s accompaniment: you need not organise anything.
Both châteaux and wine: the programme includes Chenonceau, Amboise and Chambord, plus domaines in Vouvray, Chinon and Sancerre. You choose whether to focus on châteaux, wine or food.
The basic programme is five days. The pace can be varied or leisurely.
Yes, the Loire is excellent for families with children: châteaux, garden walks and riverside picnics. The programme is adapted to the group, with fewer tastings and more active stops.
Art Wine Guide
Send an enquiry and I will create a Loire Valley itinerary to suit your pace, interests and travel format.
