Best of Paris, Bordeaux & Loire Valley

Upon your arrival in to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, you’ll see our driver waiting to welcome you and provide private transfer to Paris’ Saint-Germain neighborhood, a posh community with designer shops, home to your boutique hotel. After checking in, take time to get settled and then perhaps head out to stretch your legs while enjoying the atmospheric streets. You might want to browse the Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton offerings before sitting down for a glass of wine and a delicious Parisian meal in one of the many enticing cafes and restaurants, all of which are just steps from your door.

A highlight on your itinerary, you’ll enjoy a half-day of sightseeing in Paris with your own private guide. As this is such a big city, we’ve included a metro card which is a much faster and more efficient way of getting around than traveling by car. The tour can be customized to your personal interests or simply take advantage of your guide’s local knowledge that ensures you’ll take in some of the best the city has to offer. Of course, you won’t want to miss the Eiffel Tower, but some of the other must-see landmarks include the gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, Palais Garnier, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur that sits atop the hill of Montmartre. 

At the end of your tour, your guide can also provide recommendations for the best restaurants and make other suggestions to help you make the most of the rest of your day.

Just 12 miles west of Paris, the Palace of Versailles is a magnificent former royal residence built by King Louis XIV. Known for his love of opulence, it’s something that’s reflected throughout the estate. Your private driver/guide will bring you on a half-day tour that includes wandering the garden’s meandering paths to view the ornamental lakes, flowers, and the canal that the king himself used for gondola rides. You’ll get to see his lavish State Apartments, designed for the king’s personal use, and the Hall of Mirrors, a favorite of many visitors with its 17 arched windows, each of which contains individual mirrors.

By now you will have your bearing of the French capital, so we’ve left today free for you to enjoy the city at your leisure. You may choose to enjoy one of the many food markets in the city, or, why not take a relaxing cruise along the Seine? Alternatively, we can offer a private tour of the Louvre Art Museum, the largest of its kind in the world. Masterpieces here include Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the statue of Venus de Milo, and Jacques-Louis David’s massive 1807 Coronation of Napoleon oil painting.

This morning you’ll say farewell to Paris with your private driver picking you up upon checkout for transfer to your next destination, enchanting Amboise in the heart of the Loire Valley. The journey time is approximately 2.5 hours excluding stops. On arrival in Aimbose there will be free time to explore this pretty, historical town, home to some of the best food and wine in the country.

Known as the Gateway to the Loire, the town of Tour is steeped in history with it’s centre inscribed into UNECO for its narrow cobbled streets,  half-timbered french houses and the stone façade of the monumental Saint-Gatien Cathedral, which gives the city a charming medieval air. Today you will enjoy a walking tour of the town with an expert guide, followed by free time to either relax in one of the pavement cafes or maybe visit one of the many museums. 

An exciting full-day tour will bring you through the picturesque Loire Valley to visit two of its most famous chateaux, Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau de Chambord. As a bonus, you’ll see another family-owned chateau depending on availability as well. Your private driver/guide will meet you at your hotel in Amboise for this journey that starts with Chenonceau near the small village of Chenonceau, it embodies the elegance of the region’s 16th-century Renaissance chateaux with opulently furnished rooms. You’ll explore everything from the Medici Gallery to the Five Queens room and the bedrooms of Henry IV’s mistress. Chambord is the Loire’s crown jewel, a fine example of Renaissance architecture with more than 440 rooms, 85 staircases, and an elaborate rooftop with 800 sculpted columns. Lunch will be enjoyed on your own, with recommendations provided by your guide. 

Leaving Bordeaux this morning, your private driver will meet you at your Amboise hotel to provide transfer to the train station upon checkout. You’ll hop on the train to Bordeaux with another driver waiting to welcome you and transfer you to your hotel in Bordeaux, a world capital of wine with picturesque vineyards and castles dotted across the hillsides of the Gironde. It’s also a center for gastronomy with plenty of mouthwatering eats. After checking in and getting settled, enjoy the rest of the day on your own, sampling the culinary scene this evening, perhaps with dinner at a traditional French eatery.

It’s time to say farewell to Paris, taking private transfer to the train station for the 2-hour ride to the famous Bordeaux region. The historic center of Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with many delights to discover. 

Today you’ll explore Bordeaux’s 2,000-year history on a walking tour through the port city which serves as the hub of the renowned wine-growing region. It includes many 18th- and 19th-century mansions and the grand gothic-style Bordeaux Cathedral with its stone-carved façade, 11th-century nave, gorgeous arches, and a bell tower. See the medieval gateway known as Porte Cailhau with its gothic and Renaissance element that dates from the late 15th century but still remains impeccably preserved. The separate 37-story bell tower at Saint-Michel Basilica is yet another highlight.

Today a private guide will take you on a guided tour of the popular Saint Emilion region of Bordeaux which is one of the most iconic wine producing regions in the world. This beautiful wine region is characterized by superb wines which are produced by passionate boutique family wine producers. Our guide will take you to visit two different family wineries to try their variety of wines. You will enjoy a gourmet lunch in between your wine tastings. As part of this private tour, you will also get the opportunity to visit the medieval village of Saint-Emilion, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a very popular stop on this tour.

While it’s never easy to end such an incredible adventure, after 10 nights through Paris, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, it’s time to depart. Your private driver will pick you up at your hotel to bring you to the Bordeaux train station where you’ll catch the train to Paris. Upon arrival, you’ll be met with another driver for private transfer back to where it all began, Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. You can begin your journey home or head out on further travels from here, with our travel experts happy to assist with any needs you might have.