Château and gardens of Villandry

Price: €43 With this 3-castle pass, treat yourself to a journey into the magical world of “Christmas in the land of castles”! Six of the most prestigious châteaux in the Loire Valley—Villandry, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau, Chinon, and Loches—celebrate the holiday spirit with exceptional tours, spectacular decorations, and original entertainment. The 3-Castle Pass gives you access to 3 of the 6 sites of your choice at special rates throughout the event. Other benefits: skip-the-line access to the châteaux of Azay-le-Rideau and Amboise, free access without extra charge and without reservation to the evening opening of the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (value €16), as well as to all evening openings at the five other châteaux, the possibility of visiting the Château de Chenonceau without reserving a time slot (subject to high visitor numbers during the Christmas holidays). This pass also entitles you to exclusive offers and benefits, including: a complimentary gourmet break at the Café du Printemps in Tours (pastry + 1 hot drink - value €10), a guided tour with complimentary tasting at the Cave de Vouvray, discounts/benefits from around ten partners. On the program: Each château has a theme and will be open for a special evening event! Château and gardens of Villandry - At Christmas, nature comes to the château Marvel at the château transformed into an enchanted forest and the gardens decked out in their winter finery. Evening opening: Saturday, December 6. Azay le Rideau Castle - Delicacies in the realm of fairy tales As you wander through the rooms, discover sumptuous tables set with inspiration from the most beautiful fairy tales of our childhood. Late night opening: Saturday, December 13. Amboise Royal Castle - Christmas, childhood dreams: Oh, beautiful Christmas trees Fantastic trees leave their forests to take over the château, creating a spellbinding experience! Late night opening: Saturday, December 20. Chenonceau Castle - Far North It's winter, and the cold and snow have arrived... inside the monument, with a forest of snow-covered birch trees, frosty delicacies, and an ice floe populated by penguins! Late night opening: Tuesday, December 23. Royal Fortress of Chinon - Christmas Treasures Gold, a symbol of light, magic, and wonder, inspires a magical journey created by floral designer Géraldine Leclerc. Late night opening: Sunday, December 28. Royal City of Loches - Tales of the Royal City Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Alice in Wonderland, where you'll meet the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, and the Wicked Queen of Hearts! Late night opening: Monday, December 29.

Price: €8 (public price: €8.50) The Château de Villandry is a unique example of Renaissance architecture and gardens. Six sumptuous gardens await you: the vegetable garden, the ornamental garden, the water garden, the medicinal plant garden, the labyrinth and the sun garden.

Enjoy a complete discovery of Loire Valley with the visit of must-see Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau and Château de Villandry and its remarkable gardens. Benefit from your guide's thrilling historical anecdotes and feel part of these old days. In the afternoon, learn everything about Loire Valley wines by visiting two wine estates of the Vouvray Appellation, well-known for its sparkling and white wines. A fun adventure you will always remember! Program:  9:30 am: Departure from Tours, meet your friendly guide in front of the Tourist office in Tours and get on our minivan!   Everybody's here? Off to the Loire Valley! On the road, admire the unique Loire Valley landscapes: the Cher River, the Indre river and the lovely towns situated all along. Your guide will explain you everything about the region and its history…    We will start our visit in the château of Azay-le-Rideau, a beauty of the renaissance architecture with its straight staircase (one of the first in the region in the 16th century!) and the reflection of its south facade on the Indre River. After a stroll in the park, let's head to the next château.   Welcome to the Château de Villandry, a Renaissance jewel ranking high in French heritage. This visit make your day a fun adventure that you will always remember! One of the highlights of your day will be the exploration of Villandry gorgeous formal gardens, a beautiful and delicately-manicured landscape masterpiece. Our local expert will share all his knowledge of this garden à la française, and will show you hidden corners from where you will get the best views of this remarquable site. The ornamental kitchen garden, the love garden, the Maze, the classical water garden... Don't miss any detail!   If you want to nibble on something, your tour guide will help you with recommendations of great French Boulangeries around :)   At 2:00 pm, you're off to Vouvray, a beautiful wine area full of passion-driven winegrowers!   Meet a genuine French winemaker in a charming family-run estate! Visit the traditional vat room (bring your coat, it is freezing in the vat room ;). During this visit, you will improve your knowledge regarding wine-making and of course wine-tasting! The terroir of this wine area and its main grape variety of Chenin blanc allows the production of elegant white wines, dry, sweet or sparkling!   All along the afternoon, your will get to know and understand better the diversity of Loire wines. « Intense color, fruity aromas, palate full of minerals… » Oops!! What is this all about?! Your guide will help you to learn the different steps of wine-tasting and train your nose to identify many wine aromas. Benefit from our tips and tricks and taste like a pro! 6:30 pm: Back to the Tourist Office in Tours.

Enjoy the famous French Art de Vivre with this delightful morning including the visit of the elegant chateau of Azay-le-Rideau and the Chateau de Villandry and its unique gardens. An experience you will never forget! Your passionate guide will stay with you all along sharing many anecdotes that will make you feel part of those royal days.   Program:  9:30 am: Meet us in front of the Tourist office in Tours and get on our minivan, off to the Loire Chateaux!   You will start with a visit to the Château d'Azay le Rideau, which Honoré de Balzac described as "... A faceted cut diamond set by the Indre...". A true jewel of Renaissance architecture with its straight staircase called "ramp on ramp" and its main building of exemplary order, its history mixed with royalty, conspiracies and passion will not leave you indifferent.   Your passionate guide will accompany you on all the visits and will share with you the stories of the estate.   Then, arrival at the Château de Villandry, a jewel of French heritage built during the Renaissance. Your guide will accompany you through the remarkable formal gardens of Villandry, of breathtaking beauty and delicacy. What were the codes and meaning of such gardens? All this knowledge will be yours at the end of the visit. You will admire with him the vegetable garden, the maze, the water garden... We will show you hidden corners from where you will get the best views of this remarquable site.   1:30pm: Back to the Tourist Office in Tours