Chateaus, champagne, and charming countryside—this is your 8-day Loire Valley bike tour in a nutshell! On our e-bikes, we’ll follow the Loire river as it gently meanders through lush landscapes, with beautiful chateaus, Renaissance gardens, and endless vineyards along the way. This UNESCO World Heritage site boasts over 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of cycling routes, mostly along flat stretches and rolling hills. Together we’ll explore the beauty of the region, go champagne tasting, enjoy city tours, and try local dishes. The accommodations are all carefully picked and quite unique, with two of them set in formerly private castles! This leisurely cruise of the serene Loire Valley is not to be missed!
Join us for a wonderful and a relaxing journey through France’s Loire Valley, a valley abounding in beautiful chateaus, unspoilt nature, lush landscapes, and historic towns! Over 8 days, we’ll cycle along beautiful and quiet roads and paths, taking our time soaking up the unparalleled atmosphere. Our adventure starts in the city of Tours, and once you get here, everything else is taken care of—transfers, luggage transfers, food, e-bike rental, and the most gorgeous accommodation imaginable. There’s no better way to explore the vibrant Loire Valley than by cycling through it and staying at the loveliest boutique hotels!
Make your way to Tours, a historic old town where you’ll meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a guided tour of the city. On the Plumereau square, we will see 16th-century Renaissance-style houses with mansard roofs and winding half-timbered houses. We’ll also see the impressive Gothic cathedral with its 70-meter-high towers and the richly decorated rose in the southern nave, which is still the seat of the archbishop today. After the city tour, we’ll take you to a selected restaurant in the old town of Tours for dinner. Get some rest for tomorrow, as that’s when the cycling begins!
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Château Belmont in Tours
We will explore the artistically designed gardens of the Renaissance Castle of Villandry, set on three levels. We’ll guide you through the original gardens with their perfect chessboard-like shapes, ornamental boxwood beds, and rose bushes, which are constantly tended. Our first cycling stage is ideal for getting to know the area. It runs parallel to the river, is flat, and is almost exclusively reserved for cyclists.
We’ll ride our e-bikes to Ussé Castle for a photo stop. The writer Charles Perrault was inspired by this romantic castle for his work, the French version of Sleeping Beauty. After the visit, we’ll enjoy a tasty picnic with French specialties prepared by our tour guides. In the afternoon, we will transfer to Saumur for our first overnight stay in the old town.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Cycling: 49 km / 30.5 miles
Accommodation: Hôtel Saint-Pierre in Saumur
Sparkling wine and equestrian sports are the passions of this town, which offers one of the most beautiful views of the Loire Valley! After visiting the castle, we cycle along the Loire around Saumur. During a visit to a sparkling wine cellar in the afternoon, we will learn all kinds of interesting facts about the sparkling pleasure. We will have dinner in the old town and then retreat to our hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Cycling: 35 km / 22 miles
Accommodation: Hôtel Saint-Pierre in Saumur
We cycle along tranquil paths past lush meadows and bright fields to Fontevraud Abbey, the largest monastic site in Europe, where Eleanor of Aquitaine and her son Richard the Lionheart are buried. We’ll take a guided tour to learn about the building’s significance and royal management. In St. Martin, we visit the place where St. Martin died and then enjoy a tasty lunch break before reaching Chinon, the hometown of the famous humanist and poet Francois Rabelais and a royal seat in the time of Joan of Arc.
We’ll do a tour of Chinon, which sits on a mountain spur above the Vienne River. The town is crowned by the remains of the castle chosen by Henry of Plantagenet as his preferred residence in the 12th century. The ruins consist of three different parts, and narrow alleyways and numerous houses remind us of the lively court life. We get to know the pretty town on an evening stroll, followed by dinner and an overnight stay in Chinon.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Cycling: 40 km / 25 miles
Accommodation: Hotel de France in Chinon
At the gates of Chinon, we set off on our bikes. The first stage takes us through the vineyards of Touraine, known for their aromatic grapes. The wines produced here, especially the famous red wines made from Cabernet-Franc, are among the best in France. These wines are stored in limestone caves, which provide ideal storage conditions. The extracted limestone was used to build the mighty castles in the region. In the morning, we reach Château Le Rivau, dating back to the 13th century, with 12 themed gardens hidden behind high walls.
In the afternoon, we tackle a hilly section with a transfer to the village of Azay-le-Rideau. The castle of the infamous knight Ridel d’Azay, built in the 16th century, is located in an English park and is a masterpiece of grace and purity. Outside, it is dominated by small towers, while inside it features one of the first straight interior staircases and a richly decorated interior. After the tour, it is only a short distance to our hotel, located in the heart of the old town. We’ll spend the night at the Hotel Le Grand Monarque.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Cycling: 37 km / 23 miles
Accommodation: Hotel Le Grand Monarque in Azay-le-Rideau
From the hotel, we cycle out of the town and along the floodplains of the Indre. The cycle path does not always run directly parallel to the river, diverging at times through the green, hilly landscape. We pass through pretty French villages along the route.
In the afternoon, we reach the moated Castle of Chenonceau, unique for being built on a multi-arched bridge over the River Cher. In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici added a three-story gallery with a banqueting hall on top. The castle’s interior houses valuable paintings by Rubens and Tintoretto, which we can admire during our visit. After the visit, it is only a few kilometers to our romantic hotel, the Château de Chissay. We will enjoy an overnight stay and dinner at the Château de Chissay hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Cycling: 60 km / 37.3 miles
Accommodation: Château de Chissay in Chissay-en-Touraine
In the morning, a short transfer takes us to Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci was the most famous Italian guest. We can admire a collection of his technical designs at his residence, Clos Lucé. We continue through gardens and vineyards, soon arriving at the fairytale Castle of Chaumont, perched above the banks of the Loire.
One of the most beautiful sections of the Loire takes us past Blois to Chambord, the most imposing of all Loire castles. The sight of its multi-towered silhouette in the middle of parkland is unforgettable. In the evening, a transfer takes us to the hotel in Tours, where we end the day with an exclusive dinner. We stay overnight at the Château Belmont in Tours.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Cycling: km / miles
Accommodation: Château Belmont in Tours
The tour officially ends after our final breakfast. If you’d like to keep on exploring the area, just ask us for recommendations! If you’re going back home and need help figuring out your transport options, feel free to let us know in advance, we’ll gladly help you.
Meals: Breakfast
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
For this Loire Valley bike tour, you can expect mostly smaller, rural roads, almost all paved.
The total cycling distance of this bike tour is 279 km (173 miles), and you can find day-by-day distances in the itinerary. Keep in mind that you’ll be powered by e-bikes, making the route very manageable! Mostly flat roads are to be expected, though on two days, you’ll also pedal through rolling hills. Your guides rate this trip as a quite easy one.
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
It’s advisable to pack clothing suitable for both warm and cooler, possibly unstable weather conditions. There may be potential temperature shifts between morning and evening. Don’t forget to bring a sweater and windbreaker, and be prepared with rain gear as well. Additionally, considering the stylish ambiance of three of the restaurants, we suggest gentlemen bring a jacket for evening wear!
The climate in the Loire region is characterized by mild temperatures, warm summers, and moderate winters, often likened to a Mediterranean climate. This favorable weather contributes significantly to its renown for fruit and wine cultivation. From April to October, the conditions are perfect for cycling and exploring the region’s natural beauty. It’s advisable to check local weather conditions before your arrival to ensure the best experience.
The rental e-bikes have an aluminium frame and Bosch motors. Clients also get additional gear such as bike locks. Standard bikes are also available for rental.
Group sizes and pricing
Loire Valley bike tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has cyclists under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
The starting point of your Loire Valley bike tour is the city of Tours in France. To get there, it’s best to fly into Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) or Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). You can either take the train or rent a car to Tours—it will take you anywhere between 2 and 3 hours.
You’ll meet your guide at 4 pm on Day 1 in the lobby of the Hotel Chateau Belmont in Tours.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.
With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
To secure your spot, a deposit in the amount of 30% is required at the time of booking. The remaining amount must be paid 120 calendar days prior to the trip departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
Cancellations
Please note that booking fees are non-refundable in all cases and will be deducted from the refund amount.
My partner and I recently embarked on the Loire Valley eBike Tour with Terranova Bike Tours, and it was an absolutely unforgettable experience. From the moment we arrived, we were struck by the beauty and charm of the French countryside. The accommodations were top-notch, with each hotel offering a unique blend of comfort and authenticity. We particularly enjoyed staying in the châteaux, which made us feel like we were stepping back in time. One of the highlights of the tour was the food. Each meal was a delightful experience, featuring local specialties and fine French cuisine. We had the opportunity to visit local markets and enjoy wine tastings, which added an extra layer of enjoyment to the trip.