Hidden Gem- Château d’Artigny

Authentic Loire Valley Trip

Loire Valley Trip

At a glance

Region:The Loire Valley
Type of Tour:
Duration:3/4 Days
Guide Price:From £876 to £1979 per person
Number of Meals:2 breakfasts + 1 picnic lunch + 1 dinner (3 Days)
3 breakfasts + 1 picnic lunch + 1 dinner (4 Days)
Number of Winery Visits:3 wineries (3 Days)
5 wineries (4 Days)
Number of Wines Tasted:Approximately 17 (3 Days)
Approximately 22 (4 Days)

Tour Transport:English speaking driver/guide for 1 full day (3 Days)
English speaking driver/guide for 2 full days (4 Days)
Dates / Availability:Available mid-week and weekends throughout the year

Trip Summary

Our Hidden Gem breaks offer guests a truly unique stay in breath-taking locations. The Loire Valley is famous for its magnificent Châteaux and its incredible range of wines. This Loire Valley trip at Château d’Artigny & Spa includes the best of both worlds, with accommodation at a typical Belle Epoque castle situated within 25 hectres of park, and tours and tastings at premium local wineries in the nearby appellations of Chinon, Amboise and Vouvray.

France Driving Holiday © 2014 - Stevens Frémont - ADT TouraineInterloire (1
Loire Valley trip - credits CLazi_CRTCentreValdeLoire

On the morning of day two, after breakfast, you will be met at the Château by an English-speaking driver/guide who will accompany you throughout the day on a private basis. Your first stop will be a 15th Century wine-making Château in the Chinon appellation, where you will be welcomed by the Count and Countess of the estate. Following a visit to the Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc vineyards and a tour of the cellars, a tasting session will take place in the Château’s historic tasting room. A picnic lunch with a bottle of wine will then be served in the Château’s stunning grounds. You will then be taken to the historic town of Chinon, where you will visit the best wine producer in the appellation (producer of arguably the best red wine in the Loire) for a tour of their vineyards and cuverie before tastings of red wines from several of their different terroirs. In the afternoon, you will enjoy another visit at a premium Chinon winery. You will be taken on a tour of the wine-making facilities and the tour will end with an extensive tasting session of the estate’s wines accompanied by local delicacies.

France Driving Holiday
France driving holiday

You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the tour. After freshening up, you will be welcomed in the Château’s L’Origan restaurant. Here, you will enjoy the Chef’s unique menu using wonderful local produce. The magnificent rotunda dining room boasts a beautiful view over the valley of the Indre. Please note that drinks have not been included as part of the package, and can be ordered and paid for locally on the evening.

For those opting for the four-day break, your English-speaking driver/guide will return on the morning of day three to accompany you throughout a second day of tours. No trip to the Loire Valley would be complete without a visit to one of the enchanting Châteaux of the region. First stop will be the breath-taking Château de Chenonceau, one of the finest examples of the region’s historic Châteaux, where you will spend the morning having an audio-guided tour. You may wish to have lunch at the Château or alternatively, your guide will be more than happy to suggest a restaurant in the nearby town of Amboise depending on how hungry you are feeling on the day.

France driving holiday © L. de Serres
France self-drive holiday- credits Chenonceau IMAGESDEMARC

In the afternoon, a truly unique tasting session of five Vouvray wines will take place in the cellars of a reputed wine merchant in Amboise, who specialises in old wines (some of which date back to the forties). There is a strong chance that you will be able to taste wine from your birth year! Ending the day in style, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent sampling a selection of the best white wines from Vouvray. Here, you will be taken on a private tour of the vineyards, domaine and cellars of a premium winery. The visit will conclude with tastings of five wines, including the domaine’s Réserve Spéciale. A platter of local delicacies such as cheese and rillettes will be served with the wine. You will be taken back to the Château at the end of the tour.

carcassonne wine tour- Credits Stevens Frémont
Loire wine tour-

Outline Itinerary

Day one of your Loire Valley trip

  • Upon arrival in the Loire Valley, check into your preferred room grade at the 5* Château d’Artigny & Spa in Touraine.
  • The remainder of the afternoon and evening will be free for you to do as you please.
  • You may wish to explore your surroundings independently. Alternatively, you may prefer to relax in the spa at the Château.
  • In your travel pack there will be a comprehensive list of recommended restaurants. We would be pleased to reserve you a table at any of these for dinner.

Day two of your Loire Valley trip

  • After breakfast, you will be met at the Château by an English-speaking driver/guide, who will accompany you throughout the day on a private basis.
  • You will firstly visit a 15th Century wine-making Château in the Chinon appellation. Your tour will be followed by a tasting session of the Château’s wines and a picnic lunch.
  • After lunch, you will be taken to the charming town of Chinon where you will enjoy a tour and tasting at a premium Chinon winery.
  • A third visit will be arranged in the afternoon at another renowned Chinon winery.
  • You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the day.
  • A four-course dinner (excluding drinks) will be served in the Château’s gastronomic restaurant.
Loire Valley trip

Day three (optional) of your Loire Valley trip

  • After breakfast, your English-speaking driver/guide will return to take you on a second day of tours and tastings.
  • You will firstly be taken to the historic Château de Chenonceau, where you will spend the morning having an audio-guided tour.
  • You will then be given some free time for lunch at the Château or in a nearby town.
  • In the afternoon, a tasting session of five Vouvray wines will take place in the cellars of a wine merchant in Amboise.
  • The last visit of the day will be at a Vouvray winery to taste some of the best Vouvray white wines.
  • You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the day.
  • As always, we would be delighted to reserve you a table if required.

The final day of your Loire Valley trip

  • After a leisurely breakfast, check out of the hotel.
France driving holiday- Credits Stevens Fremont Restaurant La Maison
sancerre wine tour ©JD BILLAUD

Accommodation

"Perfect in every sense - from booking, through to the itinerary arranged for us, the comfort of the hotel, and to the places we visited and the people we met."

Nick- Devon, UK

Package Prices

  • These prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
  • These are realistic guide prices, based on travel in standard season (usually April to the end of October). Discounts often apply for travel out of season (usually November to the end of March) or if there are more than two of you travelling together. Please let us know your preferred travel dates for a definitive price.
  • Although we propose specific hotels as part of our standard packages, we enjoy excellent relationships and preferential rates at the majority of the hotels in each of our featured destinations. Therefore if you would prefer to stay in a different hotel, this can be arranged. Please contact us for the relevant supplements/discounts.
  • Other room grades are available at most of the hotels that we work with. Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will send you the relevant supplements for the various room grades.
  • Single supplements and extra night prices are available upon request.
Hotel NameRoom GradeStar RatingDurationPrice Per Person
Château d'ArtignySuperior5*3 Days£1134Book Now
Château d'ArtignySuperior5*4 Days£1918Book Now
Loire Valley Wine Tours

Enhance your Experience/Tour Upgrades

If you would like to make your Grape Escapes holiday even more special, there are a number of additional activities that we can arrange for you. To complement the experience, these could be arranged to fit in/around your current itinerary or we can arrange additional nights and room upgrades at your hotel, as well as your travel arrangements, a stop-over en route and even a visit to another part of the country! See below for some of the most popular upgrades.

  • Stay longer! Just let us know your preferred hotel and room grade, and we will provide you with the relevant supplement for extra nights with breakfast.
  • Additional tours and activities! We would be delighted to provide inspiration for more wine tours and cultural activities. The possibilities are endless!
  • Experience the region’s gastronomy. The wine regions are brimming with unique gastronomic dining opportunities and what better way to enjoy a glass than with a mouth-watering meal? We offer a variety of menus to suit every budget. Contact us for prices.
  • Tailor-made tour extensions. The team at Grape Escapes have travelled extensively in Europe, not just in the wine regions and can therefore recommend and arrange tailor-made tour extensions to other regions and cities, for example Paris in France or Bilbao in Spain.
France self-drive holiday © 2014 - Stevens Frémont - ADT TouraineInterloire
Loire Valley trip- Chenonceau © 2008 - Stevens Frémont - ADT Touraine

Further Information

Travel to your Loire Valley trip

Given the wide range of travel options, the package price does not include travel. Please see our travel page for detailed information.

About Our Hidden Gems

For more information on our Hidden Gems please see our Hidden Gems page.

Further Information / To Book

To secure your booking, a deposit of £100 per person is required (or 20% if the price of your trip exceeds £500 per person). Your remaining balance will then be due 60 days before you travel. Please call us on +44 (0) 1920 46 86 66 or e-mail info@grapeescapes.net to request a booking form.

Loire Valley trip- Credits Nantes Wine Tours

"All elements of our trip were planned to perfection with everything running smoothly leaving us to enjoy our trip."

Joanne- Bedfordshire,UK

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