Valley of the Kings, Loire Valley East, France

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Tour VoK: 8-day, 7 night tour beginning in the city of Orleans, France, the afternoon of September 16, 2026 and finishing up on the afternoon of September 23 in Tours, France.

Cost per person based on double occupancy $1635, single occupancy $1935, E-bike supplement $100

Join us on our inaugural tour of the the eastern Loire Valley, called “The Valley of the Kings” by the French. This tour is specifically designed for previous CLCT participants who want more! As with the Chateaux of the Loire, this will be a week-long point-to-point tour, and will go southwesterly from the gorgeous city of Orleans to the exciting central city of Tours. It will generally follow along the “La Loire a Velo”, the extensive cycleway crossing the middle of France. Some of the ride detours off, though, onto sections of the “Chateaux de la Loire a Velo”, a set of bike paths linking historic chateaux.

It is very important that you read and understand the section on preparation, link here.

Highlights

Orleans is less than an hour and a half train ride southwest of Paris.

part of the Loire Valley, which contains the largest concentration of Chateaux (beautiful manor house/castles) in the world.

Gardens, historic cities, cathedrals, wineries, vineyards, and French cuisine.

Pastoral, relaxing scenery, essentially flat.

Short mileage allows enough time to visit wonderful sights along route each day.

6 days of riding and 1 off-day (optional ride), less than 30 miles/day. 1 night in Orleans, Beaugency, Maslive, 3 nights in Blois, 1 night in Amboise, 1 night in Tours (optional).

Itinerary

Day 1 – Meet in Orleans, get bikes, visit Cathedral, stay night. Enjoy extensive pedestrian zones, plazas, restaurants, café life.

Day 2 – Ride alongside Loire river to Meung-sur-Loire and visit its Chateau, then on to Beaugency, a beautiful medieval town, for the night. 20 miles.

Day 3 – ride to Chateau Chambord through pastoral countryside. Visit huge estate (largest walled estate in Europe, formerly King Francois I’s hunting preserve) and glide along forested bike paths, gardens, and reflecting pools to the Chateau. Visit this unique Chateau (largest in the Loire Valley) and enjoy the horse show (included in fee). After extensive visit, very short ride to our resort in the tiny village of Maslive for some pure relaxation (pool, table-tennis, fusbol, games). 23 miles.

Day 4 – Bike through forest paths to Bracieux for second breakfast (pastries, etc), then continue through countryside to the regional capital of Bloix. Visit the amazing Chateau, huge painted outdoor staircase, and other sights. Stay 3 nights here. 23 miles

Day 5 – Rest Day in Bloix. Optional 20 mile round-trip and traditional river-boat ride in St. Dye-sur-Loire. Enjoy reading, relaxing, walking around town.

Day 6 – Bloix-Cheverny loop. Beautiful ride on chateaux bike paths to Cheverny, one of the most beautiful and historically important of the Loire chateaux. 27 miles

Day 7 – Bloix-Amboise. Back to the Loire-a-velo, but coming to a few gentle hills going up to bluffs overlooking the river. In Amboise, enjoy the Chateau, which was one of the royal palaces of Francis I, and the Clos-de-Luce, Leonardo DaVinci’s last home and site of a museum dedicated to full-scale replicas of his many inventions. 27 miles

Day 8 – Amboise-Tours. Relaxing bike ride along the Loire, arriving in Tours, the central city of the Loire Valley, and site of a magnificent cathedral, extensive shopping and historic old town, and always-busy café-life with a huge selection of restaurants, drinking establishments, plazas, and ice cream and crepes. 18 miles.

Level of Difficulty – Easy, as the cycling is largely along the flat “Loire a Velo” bikeway, and the mileage is low.

What’s Included

High quality hybrid or Electric bikes (extra fee) for comfortable riding on crushed-gravel cycle paths as well as roads.
Bicycle Helmets, panniers, locks.
Lodging in beautiful B&B’s or small hotels.
Luggage transport & emergency van support.
Full-time, on-road guide (Andy Brown).
Detailed electronic routes with descriptions.
Tour information booklet.
Advice with travel arrangements.
Fresh breakfast (Croissants, Fruit, Marmalade, Yogurts, Meats & Cheeses, etc.) every day.
Admission to Chateau Meung, Chateau Chambord and Horse Show, Chateau Cheverny, and Clos-de-Luce Museum.