Tour Details - 5 Day Chateaux & Gardens of the Loire Valley 2013

Day 1. Arrive Paris, Jardin de Bois Richeux, Tours
Departing Paris, travel to the Jardin de Bois Richeux, with its amazing box hedges and medieval gardens filled with medicinal, culinary and aromatic plants. Visit the museum at Clos Lucé, a 15th century mansion that was home to Leonardo da Vinci for his last three years. Then arrive in Tours for a Welcome Dinner.

Day 2. Chaumont Garden Festival, Chateau Cheverny
Held in the grounds of the Chateau Chaumont-sur-Loire, Chaumont-sur-Loire Garden Festival presents a superb display of gardens created by teams of artists, landscape architects and designers. Overlooking the Loire River, the grounds evoke stimulating botanical creations that are sure to inspire visitors. This afternoon, visit Chateau de Cheverny with its colourful kitchen garden. Here, the modern one hectare garden with its water feature, joins together the Chateau and the Orangery with a central axis.

Day 3. Loire Valley, Villandry, Chatonniere, Rivau
First stop today is at Villandry, one of the most famous gardens of the Loire Valley. Here, Carvallo and Sons, have put balance, harmony and perfection together to create amazing formal terraces that are best appreciated from above. See the vegetable potager and Jardin de l’Amour (Love Garden) - perhaps the best-known gardens of Villandry, then continue on to the Jardins de la Chatonniere, twelve supremely beautiful gardens spread over 18 acres. Finally, explore the Jardin Chateau du Rivau, where roses and a medieval-style garden exist in delightful harmony.

Day 4. Château de Valmer, Chateau Chenonceaux, Jardin Botanique de Tours
At Château de Valmer, nestled in the heart of the Vouvray wine region, Renaissance statues, stairways and balustrades offset the combinations of flowers, fruits and vegetables. See the historical Kitchen Garden and the national collection of gourds, then continue to Château de Chenonceau, with its romantic exterior and swirling parterre gardens, which feature some 130,000 bedding plants. On your return to Tours, go for a stroll around the Jardin Botanique de Tours before a Farewell Dinner with wine.

Day 5. Blois, Paris
This morning head to the town of Blois. Continue to Orleans to enjoy some time at leisure to stroll through the lovely Parc Floral de la Source. Here, the Iris garden has over 1,000 varieties and all the plants are labelled for identification. Afterwards return to Paris where your exploration of the Loire Valley concludes.