In the XVI century, attracted by the beauty of its landscape, its forests, its wines, its majestic waterways, French kings and queens decided to move to the Loire Valley. They needed places where to stay or hunt. There still are 300 castles here now !
Licensed tour guide for 25 years now, I will use my experience and knowledge to explain what French Renaissance architecture is all about. I will be happy to deliver anecdotes about daily life of sovereigns and their court in our chateaux.
Chambord, hunting lodge built by king François I, is the largest and most spectacular castle. With its 426 rooms ans crazy rooftops, it will simply blow your mind.
Chenonceau, arching across the river and nestled in magnificent Renaissance gardens, was built by the king's mistress, Diane, making it the most romantic castle here.
En route, my joy will be to show details in our everyday landscape such as our crops, our vineyards, small private hidden manor houses etc.

Private tour by French licensed tour guide of the two most popular Loire Valley chateaux.

Chauffeured Loire Valley highlights full day tour: Chenonceau and Chambord.

Château de Chenonceau, France - Private Tour

The Château de Chenonceau is often described as the most charming of the Loire Valley castles, with its gallery overhanging the river Cher and its wondrous gardens.

Once a feudal fortress that was torn down, the actual castle was built from 1513. This fairytale place has a remarkable history, linked with multiple amazing women. Hence its nickname, the Ladies' castle.

Katherine Briçonnet, Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medicis, Louise de Savoie, Louise Dupin, Simone Meunier. . . Some of them were queens, some of them were philosophers or nurses. Chenonceau is the perfect place to discover French history through the lives of all these personalities!

The tour is not just about the castle itself. We will explore the building but we will also enjoy a quiet view on the Cher river and a stroll in the formal gardens, discover a charming old 16th century farm and the incredible flower and vegetable garden. Chenonceau is a little world that is really worth discovering at your own pace!

The Château from the south bank of the Cher river ©Antoine Montulé

Fireplace with a portrait of Catherine de' Medici in Diane de Poitiers's bedroom ©MFSG

The Tour des Marques and Catherine de Medici's garden

The alley of trees leading to the Château

Discover the wonderful Ladies' castle on an unforgettable guided tour!

A morning or afternoon spent at the most famous of the Touraine Loire Valley chateau. The chateau sits in the River Cher, reflected in the slow moving water and surrounded by formal gardens and peaceful parkland. You will learn about its royal occupants, their intrigues and loves, as well as the chateau's earlier humbler history and its role in world events in modern times.

We will start by approaching the famous chateau by the impressive driveway, just as the visitors of old would have done! I'll tell stories of its history before it was a royal chateau and we will go out on to the terrace of Diane de Poitiers garden to view the exterior in its entirety. This enables you to understand the chronology of the building and the history of its owners.

Then we will go inside to explore the magnificent interior. We can easily spend over an hour inside there is so much to see (especially at Christmas time when the house is decorated even more extravagantly) but finally we will emerge to visit the stables.

The most iconic of the Touraine Loire Valley chateaux

Half Day Walking Tour of Chenonceau

We will discover the ruins of a wonderful Renaissance mansion, the house where Joan of Arc has received her armor and the most spooky part of the visit : "Le passage des cœurs navrés", a death row from the Middle Ages and live the last moment of a prisonner before his execution in "Foire le Roi" square (square create by François, the same king who brought Leonardo Da Vinci in my county).

The oldest part of Tours : the cathedral "Saint-Gatien", in that part of the city there is a Roman wall in good condition, very beautiful. It is my favorite neighborhood because it is very quiet and there are fabulous houses.
MY OTHER EXPERIENCES
Paris Art Nouveau or street art, Chinon, Bourges, Villandry by bike, French classes

Discover an unknown jewel

Let's discover Tours with a native!!

In 1516, invited by King Francois I, Da Vinci arrived in the Loire Valley.
He became the king's first painter and architect. The king gave him one of his chateaux to stay, le Clos Lucé, situated in Amboise, where he spent his last three years and where he passed away, aged 67.
As he expressed in his will, he got buried in the Royal Castle of Amboise.

In le Clos Lucé, I will show you Leonardo's intimacy with his bedchamber, his reception hall, his studio and his mind blowing inventions.

In the Royal château of Amboise, spectacularly looking over the Loire river, we will discover Da Vinci's tomb.

Born and raised in the Loire Valley, licensed tour guide for 25 years, I have collected so much knowledge and anecdotes about Da Vinci and am excited to share them with you. Did you known:
- he finished Mona in le Clos Lucé 's studio ?
- he invented the helicopter, the parachute, the tank, etc ?
- he used a secret passageway to meet with the king ?
And many more. . .

Last home of Da Vinci. His tomb in Royal castle of Amboise. Private tour given by a French licensed tour guide.

Leonardo da Vinci's life in the Loire Valley, chauffeured full day tour.

Half Day Walking Tour of Amboise: Chateau and Church

This walking tour visits the Royal Chateau of Amboise and the Eglise Saint Denis. The chateau is a well known architectural and historical gem which dominates the small picturesque town. The nearby Saint Denis's Church houses some extraordinary funerary monuments, whose true history is not widely known, even by the locals. The two places make an exceptional half day visit.

I'll tell the stories of the various royal occupants, their triumphs and sorrows, births and deaths in this historic place. Because my background is in the care and management of historic sites I will also talk about the behind the scenes aspects of running a historic monument.

At Saint Denis's Church I will show you some extraordinary funerary monuments belonging to royal courtiers. I will tell you the fascinating background to these expressive sculptures. The church is medieval and I will point out some amusing carvings typical of the period.

The view of the Loire River from the Chateau's ramparts

The sarcophagus of the King's cryptographers

Was this the most beautiful women of her era?

Sunlight through stained glass plays on stone carving in the chapel of St Hubert

The Chateau of Amboise, viewed from across the River Loire

The residence of kings and the resting place of their codebreakers

Half a day in Amboise, France - Private tour

Amboise is the perfect example of a Loire Valley town, living by the rythm of the last wild river of Europe.

It was one of the most important cities for the French royalty during the Renaissance, when the Kings of France lived in the Loire Valley. This nice town is organized around the Château Royal built on a rocky outcrop overhanging the Loire river and offering one of the most stunning views of the region. Discovering this castle, you will learn a lot about French history and the incredible things that happened here!

The city of Amboise is also famous for being the last residence of the greatest artist and engineer of his time : Leonardo da Vinci. Invited by the king of France Francis I in 1516, Leonardo crossed the Alps with his pupils and three of his unfinished masterpieces. He spent the last three years of his life in the Château du Clos-Lucé. Discover his life and work in the most pleasant way visiting this beautiful mansion and its garden.

View on the Loire from the Château Royal

Leonardo da Vinci's workshop at Château du Clos-Lucé

Visit the beautiful city of Amboise, its royal castle and the last house of Leonardo da Vinci

The small town of Loches in the Touraine Loire Valley is packed with history. The medieval kings of France and England lived here, Joan of Arc was here, the sorrowing Anne of Bretagne and the lovely Agnes Sorel. You won't see a modern building in the old centre of town. We'll visit the Royal Apartments and the oldest castle keep in France, full of fascinating and unique graffiti and resonating with the sense of past lives.

This is a place where history genuinely changed because it was here that Joan convinced the young King to go to Reims to be crowned. This legitimised his authority and he turned into long reigning and quite good King -- who spent much time at Loches, where he had installed his remarkable mistress. I will take you to 'meet' her and I'll talk about the status of mistresses in medieval France (hint -- we have a quite wrong idea of their position these days).

The graffiti in two of the towers on the citadel are absolutely unique and I will tell you the astounding stories of their creation!

The medieval donjon - Richard the Lionheart's favorite.

Medieval and Renaissance off the beaten track

Half Day Walking Tour of Loches

In the XVI century, attracted by the beauty of its landscape, its forests, its wines, its majestic waterways, French kings and queens decided to move to the Loire Valley. They needed places where to stay or hunt. There still are 300 castles here now !


Customize your tour at your convenience: tour the chateaux or towns you decide.

Licensed tour guide at your disposal for 8 hours

City Center of Tours, France - Private Walking Tour

Although it's the very central point of the Loire Valley, Tours is not a very famous city. And yet, it's really worth visiting!

Proudly settled on the Loire river since Roman times, the city of Tours is full of history. It has been the capital of France on a few occasions, during the Renaissance time, and briefly during WWII.

The center is typical and well conserved with its medieval timber-framed houses and charming tiny streets. From the lively "Place du Monstre" (Monster's square) to the wonderful Saint-Gatien cathedral and the remains of the ancient Roman wall, through the very famous "Place Plumereau" and the gourmand Rue Colbert, I will lead you through this beautiful maze and show you some secrets passages and hidden spots known by locals only. You will discover that Tours is also a wonderful base to meet with French history.

Of course, we'll admire a stunning view on the Loire river, the big star of our wonderful region and you'll see that Tours is not only urban but also a natural space!

Place du Monstre (Place du Grand-Marché)

View on the Loire and the Wilson bridge from the north bank

The Hôtel Goüin - Renaissance private mansion

Discover this charming, little known city settled on the Loire river!

This two hour introductory tour focuses on the lives of three significant women -- Joan of Arc, Anne of Brittany and Agnes Sorel. Anne and Agnes were typical in many ways, but also extraordinary, through circumstance and personality. And there is no question that Joan was extraordinary through and through. All died young, despite their many priveleges. The tour takes place on the Royal Citadel of Loches, where both Anne and Agnes lived for a time, and Joan visited, in the 15C.

I will go into the intimate details of their daily life and dispel many of the myths there are about the lives of medieval women. Two of the most pervasive misconceptions are that they had no power, and that they didn't bathe. You will learn the truth about how they navigated in what on the surface appears to be a man's world. Sometimes it's nuanced, sometimes it's the complete opposite of what most people believe today. I have been studying Agnes Sorel for years and although she is not known outside of France she rocks!

Canopy over Anne of Brittany's private altar.

Bronze bust of Charles VIII, one of Anne of Brittany's husbands.

Costume based on a portrait of Anne of Brittany.

Tableau depicting the forced marriage of Anne of Brittany to Charles VIII at Langeais.

Plaque commemorating the visit of Joan of Arc.

Looking at a 15C figurine of Saint Agnes in the Royal Apartments at Loches.

Learn what they ate, how they kept clean, what they wore, their role in society, their education and status

The Lives of Medieval Women Tour

In the XVI century, attracted by the beauty of its landscape, its forests, its wines, its majestic waterways, French kings and queens decided to move to the Loire Valley. They needed places where to stay or hunt. There still are 300 castles here now !
Let us drive through the Loire Valley nicknamed by the French the "garden of France". Our landscape is crops, forests, rivers, flood plains, quaint small towns, spectacular castles looking over waterways or nestled in manicured estates.


Explore the Loire Valley at your own pace in my new luxury electric Mercedes SUV (EQB 250)

Chauffeured Mercedes at your disposal for 8 hours

Gain an insight into the lives of the succession of extraordinary women, all attached Chenonceau, but completely different in personality. I find much to admire in all of them, and they were certainly survivors in times often full of intrigue and danger.

I will love revealing their secrets to you -from what products they used in their hair, to how they contrived to have men executed. I will delve into the details about how these women created a space for themselves and manipulated their own images to suit their aims in what seems a very modern way. I'll also talk about what it has been like to be a woman in France over the centuries.

Catherine de Medici's private apartments, Chateau of Chenonceau.

Catherine de Medici's effigy on her grave in the Basilica of Saint Denis.

The 5 Queens Bedroom at the Chateau of Chenonceau.

Anteroom to Catherine de Medici's private study.

The Long Gallery at the Chateau of Chenonceau.

Cutting and kitchen garden, in continuous use since Diane de Poitiers established it.

Portrait medallion of Catherine de Medici in her 30s.

Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici, Louise of Lorraine, Louise Dupin, Marguerite Pelouze and others

The Extraordinary Women of Chenonceau

Château de Villandry, France - Private Tour

The Château de Villandry is known worldwide for its ideal gardens, recreated at the 20th century in the spirit of the Renaissance gardens, by Joachim Carvallo, a passionate patron who spent his lifetime drawing them.

Built around 1530, the castle itself is considered like the last of the Renaissance châteaux of the region. Its architecture makes the link between the "Early French Renaissance" born in the Loire Valley, and the "Second French Renaissance" that developed mostly in the surroundings of Paris.

The dialogue between the Château de Villandry and its gardens is one of a kind : the gardens were designed to be admired from above and every room offers a new amazing view. We will even climb to the top of the medieval keep overhanging the whole estate, the village and the landscape for a breathtaking panorama!

After seeing them from the distance, we will have the opportunity of a relaxing stroll through the gardens, to explore them at your own pace, and discover the unique atmosphere of each of them!

The castle from the ornemental kitchen garden in the fall

The castle from the music garden in the fall

The ornemental kitchen garden in the fall

The ornemental kitchen gardens from the keep in the fall

The castle from the kitchen gardens in the spring

Discover the last one of the Loire Valley castles and its prodigious gardens!

In the XVI century, attracted by the beauty of its landscape, its forests, its wines, its majestic waterways, French kings and queens decided to move to the Loire Valley. They needed places where to stay or hunt. There still are 300 castles here now !
Licensed tour guide for 25 years now, I will use my experience and knowledge to explain what French Renaissance architecture is all about. I will be happy to deliver anecdotes about daily life of sovereigns and their court in our chateaux.
Chenonceau, arching across the river and nestled in magnificent Renaissance gardens, is the most popular Loire Valley chateau. It is known as the ladies' chateau because all its owners have been women until today.

Villandry tours

Explore with 26 tours and 4 guides.

Simon J.

$ 977 (USD)

Valentine B.

$ 319 (USD)

Susan W.

$ 456 (USD)

Emmanuel J.

$ 308 (USD)

Simon J.

$ 977 (USD)

Susan W.

$ 456 (USD)

Valentine B.

$ 478 (USD)

Susan W.

$ 399 (USD)

Simon J.

$ 652 (USD)

Valentine B.

$ 302 (USD)

Susan W.

$ 228 (USD)

Simon J.

$ 814 (USD)

Susan W.

$ 456 (USD)

Valentine B.

$ 302 (USD)

Simon J.

$ 326 (USD)

Simon J.

$ 781 (USD)

Meet your local guides in Villandry

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