q       Day 1: Travel to Amboise. The old town boasts the still impressive remnants of what was a magnificent chateau as well as Le Clos Luce, a redbrick manor house that was the home of the great inventor Leonardo da Vinci for 3 years until his death in 1519. Chateau and Le Clos Luce (which incorporates a museum of models based on da Vinci’s designs) are both open to the public, each visit requiring approx. 1 hour.  Overnight in Amboise, a picturesque town on the south bank of the Loire.

q       Day 2: Walking through the Foret d’Amboise to Chenonceau where you can have lunch and then spend the rest of the day visiting one of the very finest of the Loire chateaux, the ‘chateau shaped by women’ which ‘stretches across the River Cher in a perfect harmony of water, greenery, gardens and trees in a fine natural setting’. A visit takes up to 2 hours. About 4 hours walking to Chenonceau.

q       Day 3: From Chenonceau we start with a short drive (included in tour price) through farmland from the valley of the Cher to that of the Indre and the village of Reignac. The route then follows the GR46 along the valley, through fields of sunflowers to the village of Montbazon on the edge of the city of Tours. A highlight of the day is the ancient Gallo-Roman bridge, which carries the GR41 (here a narrow mule path through a forest), across a tributary of the Indre. The last part of the day from Veigne to Montbazon is rather suburban and can be avoided by taking a short taxi ride from Veigne. About 6.5 hours walking. 26km/16.25miles; can be shortened to 20.5km/12.8 miles - 5 hours by taking taxi from Veigne on to Montbazon.

q       Day 4: Today there are two alternatives: the first is to follow the GR3 (long-distance trail extending the entire length of the Loire valley) from Montbazon along the banks of the Indre to the next night's stop at the evocatively named Azay-le-Rideau (about 5.5 hours walking). On the way there is time to visit the former home of the novelist Balzac in the small chateau at Sache.  26.5km/16.6 miles/6 hours.  The other alternative is to hire a taxi (about 35 Euros) to take you from Montbazon to the celebrated gardens at Villandry, one of the wonders of France. From Villandry it is about 3.5 hours walk past the confluence of the Rivers Cher and Loire and along picturesque woodland paths and quiet roads to Azay le Rideau. 14.5km/9.1 miles/3.5hours. Both Villan­dry and Azay are awarded the highest accolade of ‘worth a jour­ney’ by the Michelin Guide. The son et lumiere display at the Chateau is highly recommended for a delightful and memorable, if relatively expensive, stroll after dinner. Overnight at Azay-le-Rideau.

q       Day 5: There is time for a brief daytime visit to the chateau of Azay, one of the gems of the Renaissance, before continuing our walk by way of the tiny village of St Benoit-la-Foret set in the midst of the vast forest of Chinon and on to Chinon itself, a mediaeval town domi­nated by the walls of its ruined castle and the centre of a well-known wine-growing region. At 27 km (17 miles) this is the longest day of the tour, requiring at least 7 hours over undulating terrain. Overnight at Chinon.

q       Day 6: After visiting the chateau and its Jeanne d'Arc museum (1 to 2 hours) you cross the river Vienne and follow its left bank down­stream for a few km before striking off across the Foret de Fontevraud to the celebrated abbey of that name, the most exten­sive set of monastic buildings in France. The 12th C abbey church houses the tombs of several Plantagenet royals. Overnight near Fontevraud.  16km/10 miles/4 hours approx.

q       Day 7: We continue our walk to Montsoreau, at the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire, where the caves in the river cliffs are used for mushroom cultivation. From Montsoreau we continue through vineyards along the steep south bank of the Loire to Saumur, famous for its wines, its caval­ry school, and its chateau overlooking the Loire. 20.5km/12.8 miles/5 hours. Overnight at Saumur. Bed and breakfast only.

q       Day 8: End of tour. Return by train from Saumur to Paris via Tours or Angers. On the way, if you have time, take the opportunity to break your journey and visit one of the historic cities of Angers, Tours or Blois.