In summary
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Sports
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Duration7 days
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LevelBeginner
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DestinationLoir-et-Cher / Blois
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AgeFrom 16 - 90 years
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CO₂-Emissions81.61 kg CO2
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Type of stayIndependent traveler
In a few words
The highlights
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Entrance fees to the castles included
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The panoramic views of the Loire from the hillsides
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A tasting included
Photos
Sport
Level
Hiking / Trekking
In figures
Hiking
- Average duration/day: 4h
- Average distance/day: 16 km
- Average daily elevation gain: 110 m
- Average daily descent: 122 m
Management
Your travel itinerary will be accessible via a mobile app. There you will find the detailed day-by-day program, your vouchers with contact details for service providers, as well as a GPS function to follow your route in real time throughout your stay.
Program
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Arrival in Blois
- Accommodation 3-star hotel
- Breakfast not included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
This first day is dedicated to Blois and its château, a veritable open book of French history, with its façades in different styles, its monumental staircase, and its remarkably well-preserved furnishings – an unmissable visit in the heart of the royal city. Overnight stay in a hotel in Blois.
Day 1 -
The Château de Chambord
- Transportation Minibus - 00h25 - 17km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 3h
- Distance 11 km
- Positive elevation gain 45 m
- Negative elevation 45 m
- Accommodation 3-star hotel
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
Shuttle transfer from Blois to Chambord (€3 at your own expense). From the majestic Château de Chambord, a symbol of the power of King Francis I who transformed this hunting estate into one of the most beautiful Renaissance châteaux, you will enjoy an 11 km walk through the Chambord forest. Return to Blois by shuttle (€3 at your own expense).
Day 2 -
From Blois to Veuzain-sur-Loire
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Distance 24 km
- Positive elevation gain 190 m
- Negative elevation 200 m
- Accommodation Bed and Breakfast
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
This stage will take you to the northern slopes of the Loire, where you will notably pass alongside the Blois state forest. Overnight stay in a bed and breakfast in Veuzain-sur-Loire.
Day 3 -
From Veuzain-sur-Loire to Limeray
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Distance 15 km
- Positive elevation gain 140 m
- Negative elevation 125 m
- Accommodation Bed and Breakfast
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner included
Your route continues in the Loire Valley, also known as the "Valley of Kings", to Limeray, located equidistant from Blois and Tours.
Overnight stay and dinner in a bed and breakfast in Limeray.
Day 4 -
The Châteaux of Amboise and Clos Lucé
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 3h
- Distance 12 km
- Positive elevation gain 105 m
- Negative elevation 150 m
- Accommodation 3-star hotel
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
After a short hike in the morning to Amboise, you will have plenty of time to visit the Château d'Amboise, which houses true architectural masterpieces, and the Château de Clos Lucé, former residence of the Kings of France and Leonardo da Vinci.
Day 5 -
From Montlouis-sur-Loire to Tours
- Transportation Car - 00h17 - 13km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 4h
- Distance 16 km
- Positive elevation gain 70 m
- Negative elevation 90 m
- Accommodation 2-star hotel
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
After a short taxi transfer to Montlouis-sur-Loire, you'll hike to Tours, following and crossing the Loire River twice. You'll also pass through Vouvray, famous for its sparkling wine; a tasting is included with a visit to the cellars!
Day 6 -
Departure from Tours
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
End of stay after breakfast.
Day 7
Note
The program was established based on the latest information available at the time of its preparation; unforeseen circumstances are always possible and situations beyond our control may alter its course.
Please bring one bag or suitcase per person weighing no more than 13 kg, labeled with your name, to be transported at each stage of your trip. Carriers may refuse a second bag per person or any luggage exceeding 13 kg. Please also bring a daypack for your personal belongings.
Accommodation
Access
Go to the starting point
Outbound journey: TGV or TER Paris Montparnasse or Austerlitz – Blois Chambord direct or with a change at Orléans or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (duration approximately 1h30/2h00)
Return: TGV Tours – Paris Montparnasse or TER Tours – Paris Austerlitz.
From Paris: Take the A10 motorway to Blois (2.5 hours). Parking is available in Blois : https://www.blois.fr/pratique/stationnement
On the return journey, to pick up your car in Blois: TER Tours – Blois (approximately 40 minutes).
Price details
The price includes
- Accommodation for 6 nights in a room for 2 people
- Breakfasts
- Dinner on Day 4 (excluding drinks)
- The transfers of luggage (13kg max, one per person) and people mentioned
- Entrance fees to the 4 castles (Blois, Chambord, Amboise and Clos Lucé)
- A Loire wine tasting
- The digital roadbook (including GPS)
- 24/7 telephone support
The price does not include
- The “solo supplement” if you are travelling alone
- Lunches and dinners (except dinner on day 4)
- Drinks
- The journey to Blois and the return from Tours
- Any parking fees
- The return shuttle on day 2 to go to the Château de Chambord (€6 return)
- The travel pouch
Options
- Travel pouch : CHF32.02 / unit
- Flex fare and insurance
Practical information
Specific formalities
Specifics
Before your departure, check with the embassy or consulate regarding the entry and stay requirements for your destination country. You can also find this information on the France Diplomatie website ( https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/ ).
In the case of flights with stopovers operated by different airlines, also check the entry requirements of the countries you are transiting through.
It is your responsibility to ensure you are in compliance, particularly regarding the validity of your identity documents (for example, some countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your return) , visa requirements, necessary vaccinations, and health recommendations. And don't forget to consider any customs restrictions and other potential requirements of your destination or transit country.
ℹ️ Information may change up to the departure date, remember to regularly check official websites.
Equipment
Equipment to bring
- Toiletry bag,
- Bath towel,
- Pair of sunglasses,
- Sunscreen cream (face and lips),
- Flashlight or headlamp with spare batteries,
- A water bottle with a minimum capacity of 1.5 litres, lightweight and insulated.
- Pocket knife, preferably a multi-purpose one
- Toilet paper and a lighter,
- Hand sanitizer gel,
- Mask
- A pouch to wear around your neck or on your belt for your passport and/or identity card, your driving licence, your vaccination record, your European Health Insurance Card, your travel insurance leaflet, your currency, your credit card and your personal papers.
- Medium-sized plastic container with plastic cutlery if you wish to prepare some meals.
- Plastic bags to ensure the watertightness of your belongings, cameras and clothes.
- Dirty laundry bag
- Moistened "Calinette" type towels,
- Earplugs, always useful!
- Notepad and pen, book, deck of cards…
- Pair of binoculars,
- Camera,
- Mobile phone,
Clothing to bring
- Hiking boots. They are a hiker's best friend. They must possess three qualities: sturdiness, good foot and ankle support (high-top boots), and waterproofing. Choose boots with non-slip and relatively rigid soles, such as Vibram.
- Light shoes (tennis shoes or sandals) to wear in the evening in towns and villages.
- Underwear. It's the first layer of insulation you'll have, so take good care of it! Thin technical fibers, like Carline or Polartec, are very effective, warm, flexible, comfortable, and lightweight. They dry very quickly.
- Hiking pants,
- Shorts,
- Fleece jackets. These are durable, warm, lightweight, and quick-drying. The most suitable, well-known to mountaineers, are those made with Polartec, Carline, and Ulfrotté fibers.
- T-shirts (technical preferred),
- Rain cape or waterproof jacket (Gore-tex type),
- Hat,
- Pair of gloves and hat (always useful in case of dampness).
