Mont Saint Michel and Loire Valley: 2 days, 4-star Accommodation, Meals, Guide – from Paris

You will cross the western districts of Paris and take the Normandy motorway to reach Mont-Saint-Michel, on the Brittany-Normandy border. Around 12 noon, you will stop for lunch (drinks included).

In the afternoon you will climb up to the Benedictine Abbey perched on the top of the island. It’s a steep climb (at least 900 steps) but well worth it! You can enjoy a guided tour of the Abbey with its beautiful Romanesque church followed by free time for exploring the rest of the mount and the village.

At around 4:30pm you depart for Angers where you will have dinner in a restaurant and stay the night in a 3-star hotel. Wifi is available in the hotel

After breakfast at your hotel, you’ll depart for the Loire Valley and make a short stop at Château d'Angers, a massive fortress dating from the 9th century.

You’ll then head for Château Langeais, passing by Cunault and Saumur (this route may change). Enjoy a guided tour of the Château – the most fully furnished castle of the Loire Valley – and get a fascinating glimpse of daily life for the nobility in medieval times.

You will then have free time for lunch in Amboise (payable direct).

In the afternoon, tour Château de Chenonceau. This lovely château stands on the site of an old mill and actually extends across the River Cher. It is known as the Château des Dames (the Ladies' Castle) because of the number of powerful women who influenced the history and development of the building. The Château was built in 1513 by Catherine Briconnet, embellished by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, and rescued from destruction during the Revolution by Madame Dupin.

Your tour of the Loire châteaux ends with a tour of the Château de Chambord – the largest château in the Loire Valley and a magnificent example of French Renaissance architecture. Chambord’s most famous feature is the intricate double helix staircase believed to have been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci.

In October, the visit to Chambord is replaced by a visit to Cheverny which has the finest furnishings of any Loire château.