It’s a landscape where nature and culture meet so harmoniously that UNESCO designated the entire valley a cultural treasure. Now, a new generation of chefs and hoteliers is redefining the Loire’s identity — turning it from a quick stop on a day-tripper’s checklist into a place to linger, taste and stay.
This three-day itinerary maps out the perfect path for a nature-soaked gourmet escape.
Day One
A Royal Morning in Blois
In the lively town of Blois, set on a hillside overlooking the Loire River, you’ll discover hidden Renaissance galleries and staircases at every turn in the romantic old town’s winding cobbled streets. History is told through the city’s architectural styles: Gothic Cathédral Saint-Louis, medieval Maison des Acrobats and especially at the royal chateau — the medieval residence of the powerful counts of Blois and French monarchs — perched high above town.
A colossal hodge-podge of four centuries of architecture, Château Royal de Blois is one of the Loire’s great chateaux and the centerpiece of the town. Medieval, Renaissance and classical styles collide here, with the unique sculpted spiral staircase as the castle’s central masterpiece. Massive fireplaces emblazoned with royal emblems, gilded ceilings and intricately carved furniture recall the rulers who lived here. The top rooms and tower offer the best views of the old town, river and countryside beyond. A tour of the chateau, included in your ticket price, is a good idea for a deeper dive into Loire history.
Lunch: ASSA
The serene dining room of this MICHELIN-Starred (and Green-Starred) Franco-Japanese restaurant, helmed by Fumiko and Anthony Maubert, feels in perfect harmony with the Loire River drifting by. Each gemlike dish mixes luxe and humble French ingredients (foie gras, pigeon, freshwater fish from the Loire) with seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as Japanese specialties (tofu, matcha, azuki bean, citrus caviar) in delicate and flavorful works of art.
Art in the Afternoon
It’s hard to imagine lovely Château de Chaumont as a royal booby prize. In 1559, though, the castle was given to Diane de Poitiers, the lifelong mistress of King Henry II, after Queen Catherine de Medici banished her from the dying king’s bedside and her beloved Château de Chenonceau. The gracefully towered and crenellated castle, set on a picturesque bluff with sweeping views of the river, is now one of the Loire’s reigning arts centers. Permanent installations of world-class artworks set the stage for an exciting yearly exhibition of acclaimed French and international contemporary artists.
But Chaumont may be best known for its International Garden Festival, a dazzling 30-acre romp that gives distinguished landscape architects and designers a parcel of garden and carte blanche to create glorious, thought-provoking works from native plants. The theme for 2025, Once Upon a Time in the Garden, makes the connection between myth, magic and the transformative power of nature — a theme that’s echoed by the Loire’s great chefs.
Evening by the Loire
Dinner: Christophe Hay Restaurant
“The Loire is a new destination,” says Chef Christophe Hay, whose Fleur de Loire hotel and restaurant (Two MICHELIN Stars and a Green Star) have been catnip for sophisticated travelers since opening in 2022. “Before, people only went south, to Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, but not the Loire Valley.”
Hay has played a major role in drawing renewed attention to the Loire and its natural bounty by combining a singular dining experience deeply anchored in place with equally fine lodging. Set in a 17th-century hospice, the hotel’s 44 stylish rooms and suites, Sisley spa, Amour Blanc bistro, onsite bakery and tearoom provide everything needed for a luxe weekend getaway.
“We are a beautiful envelope,” says Hay. Indeed, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the river, a picturesque bridge and the stately towers of Blois, dinner in this luminous restaurant is a sumptuous yet surprisingly relaxed affair.
Dishes of exquisite subtlety are personally delivered to your table by Hay and his team, who describe in detail the ingredients and their provenance — always from the Loire and often from the chef’s four-acre garden. Hay’s commitment to local ingredients, especially the Loire’s freshwater fish, unfolds in a series of dazzling dishes characterized by their lightness, healthful ingredients, exquisite preparation and above all, deliciousness. “We want you to enjoy ... no stress, very quiet, everything to enjoy your moment.”
Day 2: From Blois to Cheverny
Morning: Chateau-Hopping to Cheverny
After a buffet breakfast in the Fleur de Loire’s light-drenched Amour Blanc bistro over spectacular views of the river, head off to the Château de Cheverny, a 20-minute drive from Blois.
Give yourself plenty of time to explore the château, best known to generations of French kids as Capitaine Haddock's mansion in the Tintin comic books. “This is a living chateau, that is what makes it so special and unique among the Loire’s great chateaux,” emphasizes curator Renaud Boyer, who’s worked there for 15 years.
As one of the Loire’s rare family-owned chateaux — and the most completely furnished — the 17th-century castle’s pale white stone facade and restrained classical symmetry are in stark contrast to the Loire’s more flamboyant renaissance chateaux. But its interiors, opulent and precious as they are, retain a cozy, lived-in feeling, especially the children’s rooms, filled with snapshots of the family that inhabits the private quarters. Cheverny’s acres of gardens shelter ancient trees, woods, walkways and kennels housing 100 hunting hounds. “There's always something happening in Cheverny,” says Boyer. The chateau dresses up for each holiday and holds regular festivities, culminating in the 500,000 tulips that bloom in the gardens each spring.
Lunch: Les Sources de Cheverny
Lunch at Les Sources de Cheverny hotel’s L’Auberge bistro is a cozy affair. A friendly welcome and the aromas of fish and meat roasting over a crackling wood fire make a meal in the lofty dining room feel extra snug in cool weather. On sunny days, relax out on the garden terrace.
Afternoon Delights
“Guests can relax here, enjoy the spa, the woods, nature and gastronomy,” says Alice Tourbier, co-owner of the Two-Key Les Sources de Cheverny, along with her husband, Jérôme. “There’s so much to do here and in the area with the hotel as a base.” The 110-acre estate — which carries the French Ecolabel — encompasses forests, fields and vineyards, a sizeable spa with an outdoor hot tub, and indoor and outdoor pools. With the renowned Loire à Vélo bike route running right through the property, you can hop on a hotel bike and head to the Château de Cheverny, just 10 minutes away, or other nearby chateaux.
For rooms, guests have the choice of an 18th-century chateau, a stone barn or luxurious individual lodges clustered around a small lake in the middle of a wildflower-strewn field. Weekend packages encourage guests to take advantage of all the hotel has to offer: woods walks, cycling, yoga and Pilates classes, horseback riding, kayaking, tennis, golf, and excursions in a hot air balloon. Le Favori, Les Source’s sophisticated MICHELIN-Starred dining room helmed by Chef Julien Martin, focuses on ingredients from the Loire as well as the estate’s gardens and vineyards.
Dinner: La Botte d’Asperges
A more casual gourmet option, La Botte d’Asperges (which means “bunch of asparagus”) is a 20-minute drive away in the village of Contres. The bistro’s unassuming dining room belies a daring cuisine that privileges ingredients from within a 25-mile (40-kilometer) radius. A spring menu starts with — no surprise — the Loire’s first shoots of white asparagus. Served in a cloud of smoked hollandaise, the plump, juicy spears literally melt in the mouth.
Making the rounds of the dining room, Chef Stéphane Bureau’s delight in explaining his dishes seems almost equal to his skill in making them. “I put the egg yolks in salt and sugar for about ten days, then I put them in the smoker, mix them with a little agar-agar, then add some hazelnut butter.”
A Loire native trained in MICHELIN-Starred dining rooms around France, Bureau is passionate about the bounty of his homeland: “We have a region that is extraordinary, between game from the forest, the fields with all the cereal grains and fish from the Loire.”
DAY 3: Cheverny to Chenonceau, Amboise and Beyond
Morning: Romantic Chenonceau
In the morning, trade the bucolic peace of Les Sources de Cheverny for the royal history of Château de Chenonceau, also known as the Château des Dames for the powerful women who built, fought for and inhabited the castle. This is the Loire’s poster-child chateau for its captivating setting, spanning the banks of the Cher River. Plan to spend ample time here: Chenonceau’s mix of medieval and Renaissance architecture, glorious interiors and ravishing gardens warrant at least a morning’s exploration with a coffee break at the tearoom or crêperie. Consider taking a magical boat ride along the river on La Bélandre to see the chateau’s famous reflection, or take the helm of an electric boat you can captain yourself.
Lunch: Chateau de Pray, L’Orangerie
Better yet, take a scenic 15-minute drive through horse farms and fields to the Chateau de Pray, a Renaissance castle just outside Amboise, whose picturesque French gardens and grottoes surround a spacious terrace. Start with a refreshing coupe de champagne to rev up your taste buds for lunch in the hotel’s elegant MICHELIN-Starred dining room, which features an exposed stone wall carved into the rocky hillside. There, Chef Arnaud Philippon’s precise, contemporary cuisine mixes luxury ingredients with locally grown produce in sumptuous dishes like a luscious poached egg filled with caviar d'Aquitaine and flecked with organic Loire-grown saffron.Afternoon Chez Léonardo
After your gourmet pause, a quick 10-minute drive takes you to Chateau de Clos Lucé, where you’ll learn the secrets of Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, a gift to the artist from King Francis I. During the Italian master’s three years here, his Mona Lisa and Virgin of the Rocks graced the castle walls. Both masterpieces were acquired by art-obsessed Francis, who moved them to the Louvre palace after Leonardo’s death. You can see these and 15 of his other masterpieces projected in living color in the immersive museum on site — or just wander the chateau’s dreamy Italian gardens like Leonardo loved to do.
Caves Ambacia, a five-minute drive away, offers a sensory introduction to the Loire’s famous whites and reds in the 500-year-old cellars’ oenothèque, a tasting room for visitors to learn to distinguish the myriad flavors imparted by regional grape varietals and terroirs. It’s a convivial affair, and you can buy the wines (with vintages dating as far back as the early 1900s) at the on-site boutique. If you don’t have time to visit a vineyard, or want some background information before you do, you’ll get a good foundation here. At the riverfront terrace café, you can enjoy a glass of wine with a plate of local cheeses or charcuterie. There’s a lively bistro upstairs too.
Evening in a Treehouse
Dinner: Ardent
You’ll know you’ve arrived at Loire Valley Lodges by the giant blue dog pointing the way through the dense forest. It’s just one sculpture among the forested estate’s many artworks strewn across 750 acres, including the 18 artist-designed Scandi-chic ecolodges perched 20 feet high among oaks and firs.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls and your own spacious outdoor terrace put you right in the forest canopy, while a Jacuzzi and other five-star amenities keep you securely tethered to civilization. There’s no TV, Wi-Fi or phone in your lodge to distract you (there is a walkie-talkie, just in case) so you may have to resort to an in-room massage or another healthy activity, like swimming in the 65-foot pool, forest bathing, cycling or dining at Chef Thomas Besnault’s gastronomic restaurant, Ardent set in a long stone barn. The talented young chef creates carefully crafted gourmet dishes with ingredients foraged from the surrounding woods or organically grown in the kitchen gardens. You can choose from four, six or eight courses, all scrupulously based on the season and all light enough to leave you hungry for more. At the end of the meal, diners have the luxury of feeling both satisfied and virtuous.
A wonderful feeling accompanies you as you make your way back to your wooded lodge (with your flashlight) for a night of perfect peace under the starry Loire sky.
And if you stay a few days longer...
Don't miss Château de Chenonceau and its neighbor, Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (a 40-minute drive from each other). Other old gems worth a visit are Château d'Angers and Château de Brissac (19 minutes' drive away). Finally, these two other delights, about an hour part: Château de Villandry and Château de Valençay.
Hero Image: Château de Chambord © Dorian Mongel / Unsplash
Words: Jennifer Ladonne
