Grand Tour of the Loire Castles for 13 days

Thirteen days winding through the Centre-Val de Loire, from Orléans to Tours, with stops in Blois and Amboise — a route that threads together over a dozen Renaissance and medieval châteaux along the river. The journey opens in Orléans, where Joan of Arc's legacy meets a striking Gothic cathedral, and includes day trips to the Château de Valençay, once home to Talleyrand, and to Bourges with its UNESCO-listed cathedral and the merchant palace of Jacques Cœur. From Blois, the itinerary fans out to Chambord's 440-room hunting lodge with its double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, the elegantly furnished Château de Cheverny, and the terraced gardens of Chaumont-sur-Loire. A day in Amboise pairs the Royal Castle with the Clos Lucé, Leonardo's final residence and workshop. The Tours-based stretch rounds off the route with Chenonceau arching over the Cher river, Villandry's layered Renaissance gardens, the island-like Azay-le-Rideau reflected in the Indre, and the medieval stronghold of Loches. The pace is moderate — one or two major sites per day with free time to explore the old quarters of each base city. Several châteaux close on Tuesdays or during winter months, so checking opening calendars before departure is well worth the effort.