Chenonceau Castle A Half Day Trip from Tours (private)
About this activity
Highlights
- Pick up and drop off in or around Tours
- Loire Valley Renaissance Castle of Chenonceau
- Private guided visit of Chenonceau
- Local Tour guide, Expert of Loire Valley History
Full description
- Drive to Château de Chenonceau
- Private guided tour of Chenonceau Castle
- Free time for personal discovery
- Scenic drive in the Loire Valley on the way back to Tours
- Drop off in Tours
Enjoy a private half day trip from Tours to the unique Château de Chenonceau in the heart of the Loire Valley. Chenonceau castle is one of the most elegant Chateaus of the Loire. Private Guided visit of the interior, Green Study & Gallery.
Arriving in the Loire Valley, your private half day tour will reach the Chateau de Chenonceau. The “Chateau des Dames”, bridge built across the Cher, is famous for the great feminine figures who lived in it (Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici) and for the beauty of its Renaissance gardens.
Arriving in the Loire Valley, your private half day tour will reach the Chateau de Chenonceau. The “Chateau des Dames”, bridge built across the Cher, is famous for the great feminine figures who lived in it (Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici) and for the beauty of its Renaissance gardens.
The original Château dates back to the 13th century but was later torched and rebuilt to be finally taken by King Francis I as a debt. The next most important owner was Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II, who transformed the building and added the arched bridge that spans over the River Cher. After the kings death, the Chateau became the property of Catherine de Medici who expelled Diane de Poitiers.
During her time at the Château as owner, Catherine de Medici spent large amounts of money for renovation and embellishments and was known to house spectacular night time parties. It is here that in 1560, the first ever fireworks took place in France.
After the death of Catherine de Medici, the Château passed into several hands including that of Louise Dupin famous for hosting a literary salon that was attended by some of the most famous figures of the time including Voltaire, Montesquieu, Buffon or Marivaux. Famous philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau was Louise Dupin's secretary and tutored her son.
In more recent history, the castle was bought in 1913 by Henri Menier whose family was famous as chocolate makers and the Chateau de Chenonceau is still in their possession today.
After your arrival at Chenonceau castle, begin your private guided tour. Chenonceau is home to an outstanding collection of furniture, tapestries and paintings that included artworks from Rubens, Tintoretto, Van Loo, Murillo, Veronese, Poussin, Van Dyck and many more.
Also, during your tour, you will visit the highlights of the castle including Diane de Poitiers' bedroom, the Green Study, the Gallery and the kitchens. After the visit, you will have some free time to explore the gardens. We will then head back to Tours.
Included / Excluded
- Pick up and drop off at Tours train station or hotel
- English speaking licensed guide, expert in Loire Valley Castles
- Private guided visit of Chenonceau Castle
- Premium A/C vehicle
- Entrance tickets other than mentioned
- 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