French Gardens: The Loire & Paris

Today you are met at the airport in Paris by your local representative and transferred to your accommodation in the Loire Valley. Meet your Tour Director on arrival and later enjoy a welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Start your day with a visit to the Chaumont-sur-Loire. Acquired by the Centre-Val de Loire Region in 2007, The Domain of Chaumont-sur-Loire has become an unmissable site within the spheres of art and gardens. The triple identity of the Domaine: Heritage, Art and Gardens make for a unique visit within the circuit of the Loire Valley castles. Every year since 1992, the gardens of Chateau Chaumont-sur-Loire play host to the annual ‘Festival des Jardins’, a garden festival with up to 30 themed gardens. These gardens are created by different landscape architects, designers and artists around a theme, which changes every year. This brings the chateau surroundings to life with the color and fragrances of the many plants and flowers on display. It also promotes nursery projects and lets both the public and trade see new ideas on the use of color and materials in flower and garden displays.

Continue to the medieval city of Tours for lunch at leisure and later visit the famous gardens at Villandry, a French-style garden reflecting the 16th-century, aristocratic style. The skillful gardeners mix flowers and vegetables in strict geometric patterns with fascinating results. The garden is on three levels, with a water garden with ancient lime trees, a flower garden with the château itself and the world’s largest ornamental kitchen garden.

Enjoy dinner at your leisure this evening.

Visit the largest of the Loire châteaux, the Château de Chambord. Built to serve as a hunting lodge for King François I, this immense Renaissance château features 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 84 staircases and is located in the heart of Europe’s largest enclosed wooded parkland.

In the spring of 2017, the Chambord estate reopened its French refurbished garden. In total, this gigantic project mobilized a hundred people, replanting 618 mature trees, 840 shrubs, more than 15,000 border plants and nearly 11,000 flowering perennials. The project was carried out with sustainable development in mind, using perennial species requiring low maintenance and no phytosanitary treatment. Since Spring 2017, 176 rose bushes have bloomed each year in a magnificent display.

Please note that access to Château de Chambord requires roughly a 15-minute walk from the car park. This visit may not be suitable for those with mobility issues.

This afternoon visit the Parc Floral d’Apremont-Sur-Allier. Created almost 50 years ago by Gilles de Brissac, the Apremont floral park appears as a vast jewel in the heart of a medieval village listed among the "Most Beautiful Villages in France". It is an arboretum and botanical garden and offers visitors a famous “white garden” with more than 1500 species of plants, a wisteria pergola and a choice of rare trees. Waterfall and lake showcase the Chinese bridge, Turkish pavilion and gazebo which tie in with the 18th-century “follies” tradition.

Enjoy dinner at your leisure this evening.

Today discover why the Loire Valley is famous for its spectacular châteaux. Your morning starts at the Château de Chenonceau, a masterpiece of 16th-century architecture. Dramatically straddling the River Cher, the property is steeped in royal history and features a spectacular ballroom gallery in the bridge section. It is also unusual for having been owned, administered and protected by several extraordinary women, who made their mark on history. The Chateau de Chenonceau gardens are made up of several individual gardens, the main two being those of Catherine de Medicis and Diane de Poitiers. There is also a maze, a green garden and a cutting garden to see. Chateau de Chenonceau was given to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, by Henry II but when he died his wife Catherine de Medici forced her out. Diane's garden was created on the right-hand side of the castle and when she took over the castle Catherine created her garden on the left-hand side!

The Loire Valley is celebrated not just for its incredible châteaux, but also for its large variety of excellent wines and this afternoon enjoy a wine tour and tasting in one of the local wineries.

End your day with a visit to the garden of Le Plessis Sasanieres. Strongly inspired by the English style, the Garden of Le Plessis Sasnières is a dreamlike place with impressive alleys of lawn and a beautiful wild grass meadow with trees. The flower garden is a symphony of colors. The setting is perfect for the thousands of buds that come into bloom between spring and autumn. Roses grow discreetly alongside peonies, while orange geums, daylilies and alstroemerias offer a glorious picture of sunset colors and apple trees grow up against the pergolas. The harmonious colors create a truly picturesque setting.

Enjoy dinner at your leisure this evening.

Leave Loire Valley behind today and transfer back to Paris stopping in Les Grandes Bruyeres Arboretum. Floating like a sweet and heavenly perfume in this remarkable garden, beautiful grass avenues curving between elegant carpets of pink, white and lilac heather; a garden of undergrowth where an ancient, lofty oak tree has pride of place. Two Chinese and American arboretums where dogwoods, magnolias and conifers share the limelight through the seasons; a secret Zen Garden where a small pond of waterlilies provide a soothing moment as you pause in the shadow of the pergolas, a rose garden with a thousand ancient rose bushes and vegetable garden full of delicious produce... All cared for under the master hand, talent and passion of the owners, with no chemical products used and with respect for natural balance and forest environments. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful gardens in France.

Stop for lunch en route and arrive at your hotel (Bel Ami Hotel) in Paris later in the afternoon.

Meet your guide this morning and depart on an orientation tour of Paris. Known as the ‘City of Light’, Paris boasts some of the most iconic landmarks and museums in the world. Marvel at the Eiffel Tower which has been a powerful and distinctive symbol of the city for over a century. This wrought-iron lattice structure is an impressive sight to behold. Next, see the Arc de Triomphe. Standing at an impressive 50 meters (164 feet) tall, it is an awe-inspiring sight. With its ornate carvings and intricate design, it is a testament to the triumphs of French history. Take a stroll down the iconic avenue, the Champs-Elysées. This grand boulevard is lined with majestic trees and is the perfect place to take in the beauty of Paris and experience the vibrant culture of the city.

This afternoon experience a meal like no other as you board a very special cruise-restaurant boat, an ingenious offering by famous Chef Alain Ducasse combining gourmet innovation with the French capital’s culture and hospitality. Watch Parisian life go by along the Seine River, with its majestic buildings and historic islands, as you cruise on the 100% electric boat and sample Chef Ducasse’s carefully selected and prepared menu using fresh produce.

Enjoy the afternoon and dinner at your leisure today.

Situated to the west of Paris, Versailles is the location of the vast palace that was constructed in the seventeenth century for Louis XIV, the 'Sun King'. Housing up to 4,000 people, the palace was the glory of his reign and the epicenter of political power in France at the time. It became the model for grand houses all over Europe. Explore the impressive estate this morning at leisure either by bike or golf buggy. Visit the Petit Trianon, given to Marie-Antoinette by Louis XVI in 1774. During your tour this afternoon, explore the complex of rooms and apartments that make up the Palace of Versailles. Marvel at the opulent Grand Apartments - a collection of seven prestigious and lavishly decorated rooms, all named after Roman Gods, which served as a parade apartment for the King's official acts. Step into the mesmerizing Hall of Mirrors. The light flooding through windows on one side of this 73-metre-long ballroom is reflected in no less than 17 huge mirrors on the opposite side. Afterwards, take a stroll in the formal ornamental gardens and see the Grand Canal which stretches into the distance across the park. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French formal garden style. In addition, the gardens of Versailles contain no less than 400 statues, making them the largest open-air sculpture museum in the world!

Return back to your hotel for dinner at your leisure.

Continue your garden tour starting with a visit to the Parc de Bagatelle, situated at the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, is one of the City of Paris’s four botanical gardens. Created in 1775, the park and its chateau were built in 64 days after a wager between Queen Marie-Antoinette and her brother in-law, the Count of Artois. The Parc de Bagatelle is a great place for walking and relaxing. As well as giant trees and varied plant life, little bridges, rocks, caves, expanses of water and artificial waterfalls add to the charm and romantic aspect of the park. The 19th century Chinese pagoda is just one of the park’s curiosities. Visitors can admire the magnificent rose garden with 10,000 rose bushes from 1,200 different species.

Later, stopping at the Parc Floral de Paris, opened in 1969, changes with the seasons, and is popular with plant and nature lovers. Extending over 28 hectares, the park is situated at the heart of the Bois de Vincennes, a stone's throw away from the Château de Vincennes and there are four distinct landscape spaces. The park is also the venue for numerous free events every summer such as Paris Jazz Festival, Pestacles, and Festival Classique au Vert.

End your day with a visit to the ecological garden of Jardin des Plantes. In the Jardin des Plantes, which has been open to the public for almost 400 years, the exceptional diversity of plants in terms of shape, color and fragrance allows you to deepen your knowledge of botany and plant conservation.

This evening gather for a Farewell Dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Today you will be privately transferred to the airport for your onward flight home.