The chateaux of the Loire Valley are what fairy tales are made of, royal estates overlooking the Loire River and surrounded by beautiful gardens with colorful flower beds. Although every chateau of the Loire Valley has a long history to it, today there are landmark attractions, visited for their history, architecture, and experiences.

*Ideal for history buffs, romantics, and architecture lovers
Duration: Depending on the chateau, you can spend 2-4 hours*

Enjoy an early morning or late evening hot air balloon ride over the Loire Valley, an incredible way to appreciate the chateaux. The scenery unfolding underneath you is a must-have experience because it is simply breathtaking – a harmonious combination of the River Loire and the lush green forest that surrounds it.

*Ideal for adventure junkies and couples*

*Duration: 3.5 hours*

Dating back to Roman times, Sancerre has been the tapestry of medieval villages, vineyards, and artisanal producers of wine. The wine of Sancerre is famous because it’s made from dry and mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Sancerre is home to some of the most famous wineries in France, including Chinon, Pouilly Fumé, Saumur, and Vouvray. Take a wine tour and learn about the region’s traditions and its wines.

*Ideal for wine connoisseurs, foodies, and couples*

*Duration: 1-4 hours (depending on the group size and number of wines being tasted)*

A unique 900-kilometer cycle route, Loire à Vélo links the Black Sea to the Atlantic, and runs alongside three major European rivers (the Loire, the Rhine, and the Danube), crossing France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, the Servie, Bulgaria, and Romania.

The cycle route covers diverse landscapes, making the ride fun, refreshing, and appreciative. In addition to the landscapes, the route takes you through the fairytale chateaux of the valley and its many vineyards.

*Ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and families (with children)*

*Duration: 2-3 days*

The genius that was Leonardo da Vinci, has been brought back to life in Chateau du Clos Lucé. A unique museum in Amboise, which was da Vinci’s final resting place, where you meet Leonardo the engineer, Leonardo the visionary, and Leonardo the painter and architect. The castle and its surrounding gardens pay homage to the genius by displaying his paintings, sculptures, notes, and inventions. There are more than 40 invention models found in the basement alone.

*Ideal for art lovers and history buffs*

*Duration: 2-3 hours*

The French landscape is full of nature’s secrets, waiting to be explored and troglodyte caves are a great place to begin. These caves were homes carved into tufa limestone cliffs, and today they are museums, restaurants, shops, and wine cellars too. Given the vineyards that decorate the landscape of the Loire Valley, these caves are used to store wine, with rooms staying cool in the summer and cozy and warm in the winter.

*Ideal for history enthusiasts and families*

*Duration: 1-2 hours*

There are two ways for you to enjoy the local cuisine of the Loire Valley - take a cooking class or go on a food tour. No other people love and know their food like the French do, so make the most of your time in the Loire Valley. Food tours are usually paired with wine tours and cooking classes generally use local produce such as asparagus, strawberries, Loire fish, and goat cheese to make the local specials.

*Ideal for foodies*

*Duration: Cooking classes between 3-4 hours and food tours at least half a day*

Nestled in the heart of Saumur, the Mushroom Museum is one of its kind, which houses more than 250 species of mushrooms. It’s an interactive museum where you can learn about all there’s to know about mushrooms. Interestingly, the mushrooms grow at a constant temperature of 15 degrees and the humidity level is over 90%, providing a perfect environment for the different species of mushrooms to grow.

*Ideal for families and culinary enthusiasts*

*Duration: 1.5 hours*