Arrive in Paris on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), a private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Brigid Kennedy and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel followed by dinner.

(D)

After breakfast, depart Paris and travel to the hilltop village of Sancerre, nestled on rolling hills west of the Loire River. Renowned for its crisp, mineral-driven Sauvignon Blancs offering citrus, flint and herbal notes, Sancerre also yields elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noirs from its flint, limestone and clay soils.

On arrival, enjoy a wine tasting at Domaine Alphonse Mellot, a historic Sancerre estate crafting refined, age-worthy wines with precision and depth.

After lunch at a charming family-run bistro with seasonal produce and local wine, check-in to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

(BL)

This morning, visit Domaine Eric Louis, a fourth-generation family-run estate founded in 1860.

Then, discover the historic vaulted cellars of Domaine Henri Bourgeois, one of Sancerre’s most respected wine families, offering a broad range of elegant Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs. Enjoy a private tour and tasting paired with the local Crottin de Chavignol goat cheese.

After lunch, the remainder of the day is at leisure to visit the Château de Sancerre for its winemaking history, or to further explore the village and its wine tasting rooms at your own pace.

(BL)

This morning, leave the vineyards of Sancerre and travel to the elegant Château de Chenonceau, stretching across the Cher River in one of the most iconic settings of the Loire region. Explore its grand interiors featuring rare furnishings and masterpieces by Tintoretto, Correggio, Rubens, Murillo, Van Dyck and Ribera, alongside spectacular landscaped gardens designed by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici. Descend into the historic Cave des Dômes beneath the château for a tasting of Touraine-Chenonceaux AOC wines from the estate’s own vineyards.

Continue to Tours, the cultural heart of the Loire, arriving in the late-afternoon. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

Begin the day with a visit to the 16th-century Château de Villandry, one of the Loire’s last great Renaissance castles, famed for its elaborate gardens.

After lunch in the medieval town of Chinon, be immersed in the heartland of Chinon Cabernet Franc. These aromatic reds, ranging from bright and fruity to earthy and structured, with floral, red berry and herbal tones, find their finest expression at benchmark Domaine Charles Joguet. Enjoy a guided vineyard walk, tour the vat room and barrel cellar, and conclude with a tasting before returning to Tours.

The evening is at leisure to unwind with an early evening apéritif in the lively cafés of Place Plumereau.

(BL)

The morning is dedicated to the historic wine village of Vouvray, dating back to the 5th century and known for its extensive network of troglodyte wine cellars carved into limestone cliffs along the Loire. Vouvray showcases the versatility of Chenin Blanc in styles from dry to lusciously sweet and sparkling, with notes of apple, honey and white flowers, underpinned by vibrant acidity.

Enjoy some time at leisure in Amboise to wander the cobbled streets of this picturesque Renaissance town or visit the Château d’Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci’s remains lie in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert. Return to Tours in the mid-afternoon.

(BD)

In the morning, discover the vast UNESCO-listed Fontevraud Abbey, founded in the 12th century by Robert d’Arbrissel and the final resting place of Plantagenet kings and queens.

Enjoy lunch in the riverside town of Saumur, known for its graceful tuffeau stone château and equestrian tradition, along with its lively sparkling wines and approachable Cabernet Franc reds, often more floral and delicate than those from Chinon.

This afternoon, visit Domaine des Roches Neuves, a Loire icon led by Thierry Germain, producing precise, biodynamic wines with energy and depth in a sleek, modern setting.

(BL)

This morning, depart Tours for the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, a masterpiece of early French Renaissance architecture from the 16th century, gracefully reflected in the Indre River.

After lunch, continue westward to Savennières, one of the Loire’s most distinguished appellations for Chenin Blanc – structured, savoury and layered with notes of quince, nuts and wet stone. Tour the atmospheric underground vaults of Château d’Épiré, a stately 18th-century estate.

Continue to Nantes, the former seat of the 15th-century Dukes of Brittany, beautifully set along the banks of the Loire River.

(BL)

Start the day with a walking tour of Nantes, including the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, where the blend of Gothic and Renaissance architecture reflects centuries of ducal life in Brittany.

End at Talensac market, Nantes’ famed covered food hall brimming with fresh seafood and seasonal produce.

The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to relax or to visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts with its fine collection from Renaissance masters to Impressionists, or marvel at the whimsical Machines de l’Île.

(BD)

Near the Atlantic coast, Muscadet delivers bone-dry, saline whites from Melon de Bourgogne, often aged on lees (‘sur lie’) for a subtle creamy texture and briny freshness. This morning, taste Muscadet wines at Château du Coing, a 15th-century manor sitting at the confluence of the Sèvre and Maine rivers.

Then, visit Domaine Raphaël Luneau, a family-run estate producing expressive, terroir-driven Muscadet with vibrant fruit and salinity.

The afternoon is at leisure to relax or further explore Nantes at your own pace.

This evening, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Brigid and fellow travellers.

(BD)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)