Chateaux of France

Next let Ker & Downey take you on an after-hours tour of the 16th-century Chateau de Chambord. While here, you will be free to wander its chambers and gardens. Feel like a king at the famous Château de Chenonceau. This castle is a jewel of French architecture and the former home of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici. Finally, a private hot air balloon ride offers you a unique birds’ eye view over the Loire Valley chateaux.

Then it is time to embark on your Loire Valley river cruise. A champagne welcome awaits you aboard the Renaissance luxury barge. This ultra-deluxe eight-passenger vessel will serve as your floating hotel for the next week. As you cruise along the Canal de Briare, witness the elegant chateaux, small countryside villages, and the famed wine-growing region of Sancerre. This is France’s oldest canal after all.

Of course, there will be many highlights during your Loire Valley river cruise. Visit Château de Fontainebleau and enjoy a private behind-the-scenes tour of the French military school and stables. Journey along the 350-year-old seven-lock flight at Rogny-Les-Sept-Ecluses, a stop in Gien to learn about the famous Faience pottery artisans. Then set off on an exploration of the turreted towers of Château de Ratilly and cruise across the aqueduct at Briare, built by Gustave Eiffel. Indeed, you will have plenty of opportunities for walking and biking along the canal and through the village markets.

Conclude your Loire Valley river cruise journey with an extension in Fontainebleau. While here, learn how stonemasons, carpenters, loggers, and blacksmiths constructed a castle in the 13th century. Finally, Ker & Downey has prepared a special evening at the Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Tour the castle and gardens, illuminated by candlelight and accompanied by the owner. The gardens were designed by Le Notre who also dreamed up Versaille’s expansive landscape.

Conclude your journey back in Paris with a quick overnight ahead of your departing flight onward.