From $4,690 per person double (7 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches & 5 Dinners)


Dates: May 6, 20 Jun 3, 17, 24 Aug 26 Sep 16, 30 Oct 7


u Group Size: No more than 24 guests Activities at a glance


u Some days include 2-4 miles of walking up steep hills or on uneven terrain, canoeing and easy biking on relatively flat roads. The pace is up to you.


u For complete dates and prices or more information on private group departures, air, & our guest protection product, visit www.culturious.com


6. CANOEING & CHÂTEAUX GARDENS Boating along the Vienne River near Chinon is a great way to immerse in the region’s tranquil landscapes and to discover firsthand why so many of the landed gentry built their châteaux here; you’ll have that opportunity this morning as we glide downstream aboard canoes. Enjoy time to explore the village of Chinon on your own before we continue on to the Château de Villandry for a visit to its 16th-century gardens. Described as “the imaginative 20th-century re-creation of a Renaissance castle garden,” this floral showcase was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts a water garden,


Chic Boutiques (small luxury hotels)


ornamental flowers and vegetable garden lined with box row hedges. Spend the next two nights at a 17th-century manor house hotel in Luynes, set on 350 acres of Loire Valley parkland. Meals BD


7. LIVING IN AMBOISE & DA VINCI Spend the morning in picturesque Amboise, seeing where the artist Leonardo da Vinci spent his last days. Visit his home at Château du Clos Lucé before exploring the sights on your own. Ce soir, you’ll experience an inside look at life in a private castle – below the stairs in the staff’s old kitchen! Your hostess, the Countess, will show you the


proper way to set a French table sharing traditions handed down by her grandmother in their 300-year-old family home. Then it’s time for a typical French dinner of local products freshly prepared by the chef in the old kitchen. Storytelling, singing and merry-making with live, old-fashioned music makes this farewell party one to long remember and cherish! Meals BD


8. JOURNEY HOME Tour ends: Paris. Ride aboard the TGV to Paris. A transfer is included to the Charles de Gaulle Airport for your flight home. Allow three hours for flight check-in. Meals B


HÔTEL VERNET Paris, Nights 1 & 2 Your intimate city-center Parisian hotel is described as.. refinement, discreet luxury and warmly welcoming... where every need is anticipated, every comfort assured


LE PRIEURÉ Cunault, Nights 3, 4 & 5 A 14th-century convent nestled in a medieval Loire Valley village overlooking the river, authentically restored with rare charm, perfumed by gardens graced with roses and wisteria. An elite member of Relais & Châteaux


Call your travel agent or Culturious at 800-788-7885


DOMAINE DE BEAUVOIS Luynes, Nights 6 & 7 This 16th-century manor house is set amidst 350 acres of woods and gardens. Spacious guest rooms, well-dressed in antique furnishings, invite relaxation, and fine dining caters to the most refined palate


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