Arrival in Tours in the morning. Setting up at your 2 or 3 or 4 star hotel or guest room in the city centre of Tours.
During the morning :
You will discover the Archbishops' palace, a beautiful XVIIth- XVIIIth c. building which has been turned into the FINE ARTS MUSEUM.
Works of art partly coming from the destroyed châteaux of Richelieu and Chanteloup as well as great abbeys of Tours; a collection of paintings dated from the XIVth and XVth c, with in particular two paintings by Mantegna (Christ in the Olive Garden and the Resurrection), which used to be part of the San Zeno Maggiore reredos in Verona,. Each one of those masterpieces contribute to make this Fine Arts museum one of the richest in France. You will admire the masterpieces: A. Mantegna, XVth c.; Rubens and Rembrandt, XVIIth c.; Nattier, Lemoyne, F. Boucher and J-B Perronneau, A. Roslin, XVIIIth. ; E. Degas and E. Delacroix, XIXth c., etc. Most of those works are displayed inside magnificent reception rooms richly furnished which evoke the life in a XVIIIth c. provincial archbishop’s palace.
Lunch on your own
During the afternoon :
Then visit of the "MUSEE DU COMPAGNONNAGE".
Unique in the world. Located inside the reception room (XIth c.) and monks' dormitory (XVth c.) of the former Saint Julien abbey.
This museum tells the history, customs, and techniques of these training associations which also defended the workers rights. You will discover a great variety of crafts still existing or having disappeared, (locksmiths, confectioners, carpenters, roofers, etc.), tools, all sorts of masterworks the "Compagnons" had to create to deserve their title and honour "the fine work". Then, departure to Vouvray with your car, small village built at the foot of the cliff where cave dwellings are dug in the rock. Ii is also the Vouvray wine area, famous for its white wine from the IV th century, during which Saint Martin introduced the vineyards.
Guided tour of the "Cave des producteurs de Vouvray" and tasting. Located in the heart of the Vouvray vineyards, this wine cellar groups together 50 wine producers attached to their land, traditions and quality. The wines are strictly selected and bottled, are aging inside the cellars, galleries dug into the rock which are more than 2 kilometres long. Deep inside those cellars, you will be told the secrets of the making of the sparkling and still wines.
Back to Tours at the end of the afternoon.
8:00 pm
Dinner in a city centre restaurant of Tours with a Loire valley wine. Accommodation at your 2 or 3 or 4 star hotel or bed and breakfast in the city centre of Tours.
DAY 2
Breakfast
9:20 am
Meeting at the tourist office. You will visit 2 monuments :
TheCHATEAU OF AZAY-LE-RIDEAU. The chateau was built on an island in the middle of the Indre river and surrounded by greenery . It is a perfect example of the Early French Renaissance architecture., Punctuated by towers and turrets, The two right angle wings show the perfect combination between traditional elements and others influenced by the Italian art. The furnished rooms are decorated with a lovely collection of XVIth and XVIIth c. Flemish and French tapestries.
VILLANDRY GARDENS
They surround like, a jewellery box, the last great Early French Renaissance château built on the banks of the Cher river (1536).
You will walk through one of the most beautiful gardens in France distributed on three levels : the water garden, surrounded by a cloister made of linden trees, the ornamental garden, displaying its "love", "music" and herb gardens, the kitchen garden, over 12,500 m2, which reproduces the shape of an authentic multicoloured checkerboard divided in nine squares where vegetables and fruit trees are symmetrically planted.
End of our services.
Afternoon on your own for shopping ( many shops, flowers market, flee market…), or guided tour of the city ( schedule available at the tourist office).
Price
Price per person in a double room
in a 2-star hotel
122,50 €
in a 3-star hotel
152,50 €
In a 4-star hotel (standard room)
182,50 €
in a guest room
122,50 €
Extra charge for single room
In a 2-star hotel
32,50 €
In a 3-star hotel
57,50 €
In a 4-star hotel (standard room)
62,50 €
In a guest room
32,50 €
Price per person for extra night with half board
In a 2-star hotel
69,00 €
In a 3-star hotel
99,00 €
In a 4-star hotel (standard room)
129,00 €
In a guest room
69,00 €
The price includes :
The price does not include :
Dinner (drinks not included) in a city centre restaurant of Tours, day 1
Accommodation (depending on your choice) in Tours on the basis of one room for 2 people the first day.
The sightseeing of the wine cellar of Vouvray and wine tasting, day 1
Breakfast, day 2
Entrances to the Fine Arts museum and to the Compagnonnage museum, day 1
Entrances to the château of Azay-le-Rideau and the gardens of Villandry, day 2
Transportation in an air conditioned minibus with driver for a half day tour (morning), day 2
Booking charges, local tax.
Transportation (except minibus excursion)
Drinks
Lunches day 1 and 2
Personal expenses
Guided tour of Tours. Extra charge 5.60 Euros (schedule available at the tourist office).
> Booking
OFFICE DE TOURISME DE TOURS - 78-82 rue Bernard Palissy - BP 4201 - 37042 TOURS Cedex - Tel +33 2 47 70 37 37 Fax +33 2 47 61 14 22
DISCOVERING TOURS "A LA CARTE" 1 - 2 DAYS 1 NIGHT 
