Chambord Castle A Half Day Trip from Tours (private)
About this activity
Highlights
- Visit Chateau de Chambord Loire Valley Castle
- Admire French Renaissance Architecture at it's best
- Private guided tour of Chateau de Chambord
- Local licensed tour guide, expert of the Loire Valley
Full description
- Drive to Château de Chambord
- Visit Château de Chambord with your own personal guide
- Free time for personal discovery
- Scenic drive in the Loire Valley on the way back to Tours
Today, we will come and pick you up at your hotel in Tours. Meet your English speaking driver / guide who is an expert in the local history, especially the Loire Valley and all its famous castles. Once you have met your guide, he/she will go over the program and itinerary of the day with you. Then, board your comfortable, premium A/C vehicle and begin to make your way to the Loire Valley Chateau Route
Once you have met your guide and boarded your vehicle, make your way to the Château de Chambord that will be your first Loire Valley castle visit of the day. It is considered as one of the most beautiful Chateaux of the Loire Valley. After a short drive of about 1 hour, reach the stunning Château de Chambord. Listed since 1981 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Chambord is without a doubt one of the most fascinating Loire Valley Castle to visit.
Located in the heart of the Sologne region of France, Chateau de Chambord was the desire of King Francis 1 (François 1er) who ordered the construction in the early 16th century. Built as a hunting lodge, the castle was not designed to be a permanent residence for the King who only stayed within the castle a few weeks every year. The architecture of the Château is a good example of the Italian Renaissance style that was prized at the time and Château de Chambord was in fact built to impress foreign visitors and ambassadors and demonstrate the power of the young king of France.
The Castle is laid out around a central keep that includes for massive bastion towers at each corner. All in all, Chambord is home to more than 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 84 staircases. The plan of the castle has for central axis the famous double helix staircase that was presumably inspired by the work of the great genius Leonardo da Vinci. The two helices ascend the three floors without ever meeting, illuminated from above by a sort of light house at the highest point of the chateau. Another highlight of the visit is the ornate roof that makes the Chateau so recognizable. When you reach the top level of the Chateau, you can walk between the towers and admire the enormous attention to detail in the masonry work.
King Francis 1 never actually saw the castle finished and it wasn't until the reign of the King Louis XIV (the Sun King) that the building was actually completed. The shear size of Château de Chambord makes it a difficult place to maintain and after being owned by different persons close to royalty, it is finally preempted by the French State who becomes the sole owner since 1930.
Upon arrival, follow your tour guide for a tour of the Castle. The tour will last around 1.5 hours and your guide will lead you through the main rooms, will show you the famous double spiral staircase and you take you to the top of the Castle to the terraces where you will have a great view of the surrounding area.
After the visit, you will have some free time to discover the Castle of Chambord on your own. We will then take you back to Tours and that will be then end of our services.
Included / Excluded
- Pick up at hotel or train station in Tours or St Pierre des Corps
- English speaking local guide, expert in Loire Valley Castles
- Private guided tour of Chambord Castle
- Travel in Premium A/C vehicle
- Meals & drinks
- Personal insurance & expenses
- Gratuities for the guide
Meeting point
Start Location
Tours, France
Important information
Know before you book
- This product is on request.
- Tour is operated in English, other languages on request.
- Not wheelchair accessible.
- Currency is in Euro.
Know before you go
- Please be ready 10 minutes before arrival time
- You must wear good walking shoes for this tour.
- Private Loire Valley Half day trip from Tours
Cancellation policy
Up to 72 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 72 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Reviews
We had a very fun day with Matt to Mont Saint-Mitchel. Matt is an excellent tour guide & he cared for his clients very much. He's an on time person. We learned a lot about the history of Saint-Mitchel via Matt. He made sure we have enough time browsing this beautiful UNESCO. We definitely recommend friends & family this tour. Thank you Matt
Pascal was, above all, a smiling whirlwind of energy from the very start — bursting with knowledge, passion, and just the right amount of dramatic flair. He painted the horror of the Omaha Beach invasion so vividly that we could practically hear the chaos, then marched us through the bunkers at Pointe du Hoc like we were on a mission ourselves. And before we even caught our breath, he had already catapulted us back to Bayeux at invasion speed. A legend in tour‑guide form. Thanks from Croatian Team😉
Our Normandy D-Day tour was well worth it and we so enjoyed our tour guide Matt. He made the tour engaging, entertaining and informative. The tour was just the right size and a half day was perfect for us. It would have been much harder to get around to the sites and understand each without the information that Matt was constantly sharing. There was hardly a time that Matt was not telling us what/how/when of what we were looking at. Thanks Matt!
Additional information
Offered from april to october on request.
Tour does not run on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.
Infant seats available