Cheverny and Chambord from Tours

Two of the Loire Valley's finest châteaux in a single day, starting with Chambord's colossal Renaissance silhouette — 426 rooms, the double helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and rooftop terraces overlooking a 5,440-hectare hunting estate. The route then continues to Cheverny, an intimate 17th-century manor still inhabited by the Hurault family, where lavishly furnished rooms sit alongside the Tintin-themed Moulinsart exhibition and a resident pack of nearly 100 Anglo-French hounds fed each day at 11:30. Between the two castles, restored formal gardens and sweeping English-style parkland offer welcome breaks from the interiors. Chambord is closed on some Mondays from January to March, and Cheverny sells tickets on-site only — no advance booking needed.