Imagine a river flowing through a picturesque green valley. Imagine countless aromatic vineyards, orchards, and fields, idyllic historic towns, charming European architecture, and many fairytale châteaux. Imagine drinking fine French wine, the taste of exquisite French cuisine, and the sound of French music. Does it sound too good to be true? Well, that’s Loire Valley, also known as the Garden of France or for us, the perfect honeymoon destination.
When we were in high school, we went on a 5-day student exchange to Loches, a lovely medieval riverside town in the Loire Valley. We visited some of the valley’s most popular attractions, but back then we were simply too young to appreciate them. Therefore, in 2016, we decided to do it all over again.
On April 2nd, we flew from Venice to Paris.
After two days of amazing sights in the city of love, we rented a car in Beauvais Airport and headed to the Loire Valley. We spent the next three days cruising through the beautiful valley.
Our three-day Loire Valley honeymoon itinerary (things to see and things to do)
DAY 1
After waking up in Tours – the largest city in the Centre-Val de Loire region, where we had arrived the previous afternoon, we went to a bakery, bought some delicious French baguettes and pastries, and started our epic Loire Valley road trip. We visited Château du Plessis-Bourré, Château d’Angers, Château de Saumur, Château d’Ussé, Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, the town of Azay-le-Rideau, and Château de Villandry. We loved the fairytale castles, stunning French architecture, cute small towns, and the peaceful green valley itself. <3
Château du Plessis-Bourré
Château d’Angers
Château d’Angers
Château de Saumur
Château d’Ussé
Château d’Azay-le-Rideau
Azay-le-Rideau
Château de Villandry
DAY 2
On our second day, we decided to visit Château de Chambord, Château de Beauregard, Château de Chaumont, Château d’Amboise, the idyllic town of Amboise, Château de Chenonceau, and Loches – perhaps one of the most picturesque towns in Central France. In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious French dinner in Tours.
Château de Chambord
Château de Beauregard
Château de Chaumont
Château d’Amboise
Amboise
Loches
Loches castle
Tours
DAY 3
We relaxed on the banks of the Loire river, ate French baked goods, and enjoyed the beautiful day. In the afternoon, we returned to Paris.
♥ Top romantic experience
This time we weren’t looking for adventures, instead, we enjoyed the romantic sights, tastes, and sounds. We found everything about Loire Valley to be insanely romantic. Some of our favorite sights, however, include the lovely town of Amboise and the breathtaking Château d’Ussé – the castle that inspired ‘Sleeping Beauty’.
Are you wondering about the daily budget, the best time to go, visa and immunization requirements, local customs, currency, electricity standards, safety tips and where to stay? Here you can find out all you need to know before visiting France (coming soon).
Have you already been to the Loire Valley? We invite you to share your top romantic experience and top adventure in the comment section below. 😉
I have always wanted to visit Paris. It’s beauty has always intrigued me.
Loire Valley seems like it would be a wonderful stopping point. Seeing the vineyards and all of the wonderful buildings what an amazement. Even though you were in high school and didn’t really realize what you where looking at, I am glad that it caught your attention enough to go back later. Resulting in sharing a great experience with us.
Thank you so much
Thank you, Melissa, for your kind words.
Love
Hello! Congratulations! we are also interested in doing a castle tour honeymoon. How were you able to see so many castles in one day? From what I’m reading some are huge and take hours to go thru.
Hey, Jolanda! It’s true, they are huge and it would take you at least 7-10 days to take a full tour of them all. We were on a budget so we decided to only enter the famous Château d’Ussé, as for the rest of them, we only focused on the stunning exterior. 😉 Congrats! Wishing you an amazing honeymoon! <3