From gardens to castles: 5-day bike trip from Blois to Tours

Departing from Blois, you cycle along the Loire à Vélo Route, following the river before entering the Chambord estate.Visit the Loire Valley's most famous château, a masterpiece of French Renaissance. Explore its many rooms arranged around the famous double-helix staircase, and then head to the terraces for panoramic views of the estate.

Continue to Cheverny by bike through the Boulogne Forest and vineyards. Built on the Classic-style, the Château de Cheverny features lavishly decorated interiors. Surrounding the castle are six themed gardens including a vegetable garden, an orchard, a maze, and in spring, a spectacular display of 200,000 tulips.

On this second day of cycling, you cross the vineyards of Sologne. Then you pass the Château de Troussay, the smallest castle in the Loire, follow the Beuvron and Cosson rivers, and reconnect with the Loire along a beautiful bike path leading directly to Chaumont-sur-Loire. 

Park your bike and spend several hours exploring the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire. Visit the castle, and above all, don't miss the park and the International Garden Festival, where around thrirty landscape designers from around the world create original and poetic gardens each year based on a new theme.

Cycle along bike paths and quiet country roads across the plateau between the Loire and Cher rivers to reach Chenonceaux. This scenic route winds through the countryside, alongside the water and through the Amboise Forest.

A true Renaissance jewel, the Château de Chenonceau is famous for its galley bridge spanning the Cher River. Known as the "Ladies' Château", it was successively enhanced by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. Today, the château maintains an elegant, feminine atmosphere, highlighted by magnificent fresh floral arrangements. Its French Renaissance Garden and Florentine Garden are outstanding exemples of the 16th century landscape design and proudly carry the prestigious "Remarkable Gardens" designation.

Cycle along the peaceful banks of the Cher river to Montlouis. With its succession of needle dams and small private castles, this stretch is especially charming. Continue through the vineyards of Montlouis and along the Loire until you reach Amboise. Along the way you can make a short detour to the Château de la Bourdaisière to discover its conservatory vegetable garden, how to a unique collection of more than 600 tomato varieties.

You can also take the shorter option to Amboise via a cycle path through the Amboise Forest.

In Amboise visit the Manoir du Clos Lucé, the Renaissance Master's final residence, where you will find full-scale model of his inventions and a beautiful copy of the Mona Lisa! Manoir du Clos Lucé, dernière demeure du Maître de la Renaissance qui présente dans son parc une collection de maquettes grandeur nature de ses inventions et une très belle copie de la Joconde !

In the evening, enjoy the lively atmosphere of the old town, relax at a café terrace, and sample Loire wines and other local specialties.

Stretching along the hillsides of the Loire's north bank is the famous Vouvray wine region. Today's ride takes you through the vineyards, into troglodyte cellars and offers opportunities to meet local winemakers. If you choose to ride few extra kilometers, visit the gardens of the Château de Valmer, whose 8 levels of Italian-style terraces provide exceptional views over the vineyards.

The tour finished with a final stretch along the Loire, following a cycle path between the river and the hillside, passing troglodyte villages, wine cellars and elegant country homes before arriving in Tours. 

Tours has an exceptional heritage. In the heart of its always lively historic districts, don't miss the St Gatien cathedral and the half-timbered houses of Place Plumereau. Take the opportunity to taste local gastronomic specialties, rillons, rillettes, Saint Maure de Touraine…

End of your stay after breakfast.
Take a little extra time to continue exploring the city of Tours on foot and shop for souvenirs and regional specialities (rillons, rillettes, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine cheese...) at the merchants of Les Halles.