France | Chateaux, Show & Gardens of France
The Chaumont sur Loire Flower Show is the top show in France and is held in the beautiful Loire Valley - "the garden of France". Here is your opportunity to visit this amazing show and tour the magnificent palaces, chateaux and Gardens of Paris and Southern France. This tour combines interests in beautiful gardens with the sightseeing highlights in each area we visit. The Chaumont Flower Festival attracts over 150,000 people, features 30 show gardens created in and around the idyllic setting of the château on the banks of at Chaumont-sur-Loire. If you like to see radical garden design and gardens that lift your spirits and put a smile on your face, you will enjoy this show.
| Duration: | 13 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW544 |
| Trip Style: | Superior - 4 star |
| Departure Dates: | 01 Jun 2012 |
| Price: | From $6,600 |
| Single Supplement: | $1,640 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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| Highlights: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
Our small group size and personalised boutique experiences mean you have the opportunity to travel with other people with similar interests to your own. And if you are travelling by yourself and you want to share - there is no compulsory single supplement charge. It's your chance to meet new friends, share experiences, engage in stimulating conversation and enjoy benefits of group travel.
Trip Details
The Loire Valley is an enchanted land of vineyards, flowers and rolling green hills dotted with more than a thousand chateaux. It is perhaps the charm of its gentle pace life that has, for centuries, made it a sought-after location for poets and writers. Join us as we experience the classic romantic chateaux and palaces - surrounded by gardens, the quaint villages and beautiful scenery. Paris stimulates the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched and tasted. From the Seine to the historic monuments, buildings, great works of art and cafes, Paris is the essence of all things French. To make your tour even more enjoyable we've taken the stress out of touring with 3 or more nights at most hotels and long coach trips are kept to a minimum. The pace is designed for all levels of fitness.
GROUP SIZE: 20 max.
Day 1: Paris
Upon arrival in Paris, you will be transferred to your Paris hotel for 4 nights. Welcome dinner included. D
Day 2: Giverny
A tour of the vibrant and romantic French capital, with stops at the Eiffel Tower, the very symbol of Paris, the Arc de Triomphe and the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Followed by Giverney - Claude Monet's garden with its two distinct parts that complement each other - a garden of perspectives, symmetry and colour. B
Day 3: Paris
Morning walking tour of two of Paris' main gardens including a visit to the Bagatelle Gardens. This includes a Japanese water garden, a rose garden and an English style garden. Afternoon visit to the Louvre Museum. B
Day 4: Paris
Free day Paris. Optional evening Seine River cruise. B
Day 5: Tours, Fontainbleu
Transfer to Tours, via the Château de Fontainebleau, spectacularly situated in woodland, beautiful Jardin Anglais and Jardin de Diane. Explore medieval streets in Tours, then transfer to our Chateau for 5 nights. B,D
Day 6: Tours, Villandry, Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is an enchanted land of vineyards, flowers and rolling green hills dotted with more than a thousand chateaux and a sought-after location for poets and writers. This morning flower market. In the afternoon, you will take a trip to the last of the Loire Valley's Renaissance castle palaces, the Château de Villandry, the Kitchen Garden, Water Garden, Ornamental Garden and Garden of Love. B
Day 7: Chaumont sur Loire Flower Festival
The Chaumont-sur-Loire garden festival includes landscaped walks -- Vallon des Brumes and Sentier des Fers Sauvages - it is laid out with "rooms" containing the small temporary gardens selected from over 450. B
Day 8: Chenonceau, Loches
Visit the Château de Chenonceau, a romantic palace of Catherine de Medici - across the river Cher with immaculately maintained gardens. This afternoon continue to the charming walled city of Loches. The famous Château of Joan of Arc and Agnes Sorel. B
Day 9: Amboise, Clos-Luce and Leonardo da Vinci
Château d'Amboise home to Louis XI and birthplace of Charles VIII. Chapelle St Hubert, the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci, and the manor house of Clos-Lucé, where the artist spent the last years of his life. B
Day 10: Chambord, Chartres, Paris
Château de Chambord, constructed on a truly ‘royal' scale and the largest residence in the Loire region. Then proceed to Chartres, and the greatest Cathedral in Europe. Return to Paris for the next 3 nights. B
Day 11: Versailles
A half day tour of the magnificent Palace of Versailles - breathtaking inside, with the Royal Chapel and Hall of Mirrors and surrounded by spectacular gardens. B
Day 12: Paris
Free day Paris. B
Day 13: Paris
Transfer to airport for onward travel arrangements. B
Inclusions
- Quality 3-4 star centrally located hotel accommodation
- All breakfasts, welcome dinner
- Local escorts
- Transfers
- Entrance fees to gardens and events.
What's Not Included
- International airfares
Terms & Conditions
Click here for our Terms & Conditions
For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
