Loire Valley Bike Tour
Loire Valley Bike Tour
6 days
5 nights
Activity Levels 1-4
Premiere & Deluxe Hotels
2025: Jun-Oct2026: Apr-Oct
Grand Châteaux & Regal Rivers
Bike along the peaceful Loire River. Cycle through a lush forest. Emerge as if you're in a fairy tale. Standing proudly before you is a château of Renaissance majesty, its gardens sculpted to perfection. You're in an architect's wonderland. Artists and writers escape to the Loire—even da Vinci spent his last years here. If you dream of living like royalty, there's no place more ideal.
Highlights
- Bike quiet routes next to the Loire’s rivers and through its fertile valley, green woodlands and charming villages
- Unwind at elegant castle-hotels in a World Heritage region beloved for its elegance and natural beauty
- Savor local cuisine and critically acclaimed wines, including the full-bodied reds of Saumur and the elegant whites of Vouvray
- Explore the Loire’s impressive châteaux, with grand interiors and storybook exteriors that transport you to another time
Start/End St-Pierre-des-Corps
* Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
Itinerary
Days 1-2
Pedal from fields of golden wheat into the Forêt de Villandry • Experience joie de vivre as you bike amid serene woodland and celebrated Cabernet Franc vineyards • Discover Candes-St-Martin and Montsoreau, members of the Plus Beaux (Most Beautiful) Villages of France • Pass fascinating troglodyte caves that have housed people (and wine!) for centuries • Admire incomparable Château d’Ussé as you ride past it • Dine on classic French specialties with views of the valley bathed in evening light.
Nights 1-2
Formerly the private residence of a prince and duchess, this grand 18th-century estate sits adjacent to a 50-acre forest with a beautiful lake. (pool)
Days 3-4
Explore the Vouvray vineyards of the Loire's north bank and the rich landscape of French nobility on the south • Walk in the footsteps of famous kings and Leonardo da Vinci as you stroll through Amboise • A fresh treat from a local patisserie is perhaps the perfect accompaniment to a post-ride rest along the river • Soak up the glamour on a private tour of Château de Chenonceau, which spans the River Cher and brims with rare tapestries and extraordinary paintings.
Nights 3-4
Built as a grand hunting lodge in the 19th century, this magnificent ivy-covered château enjoys a secluded setting amid tranquil parkland. A Relais & Châteaux member. (pool, spa)
Days 5-6
Bike through a World Heritage landscape on portions of La Loire à Vélo, a 500-mile-long network of cycling routes • Bike to the decadent 16th-century Château de Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire Valley and the week's grand finale • Enjoy the luxurious amenities at our spectacular hotel • Before saying au revoir to the Loire Valley, head out on one last spin around the castle-dotted landscape, enjoying the quiet morning as the countryside slowly comes to life.
Night 5
Newly renovated, this farmhouse-turned-hotel sits adjacent to the decadent World Heritage Site of Chambord Castle. A Small Luxury Hotels of the World member. (spa)
What's Included
See moreHotels
World-Class Hotels
Our hand-selected Premiere hotels offer exceptional hospitality and experiences as special as the regions we explore.
Hotels may vary based on departure. Any variations will be displayed when selecting a departure under Dates & Prices.
Nights 1-2
Premiere Hotel
Formerly the private residence of a prince and duchess, this grand 18th-century estate sits adjacent to a 50-acre forest with a beautiful lake. (pool)
Nights 3-4
Premiere Hotel
Built as a grand hunting lodge in the 19th century, this magnificent ivy-covered château enjoys a secluded setting amid tranquil parkland. A Relais & Châteaux member. (pool, spa)
Night 5
*Deluxe Hotel
Newly renovated, this farmhouse-turned-hotel sits adjacent to the decadent World Heritage Site of Chambord Castle. A Small Luxury Hotels of the World member. (spa)
Gallery
Bikes
Choose Your Perfect Bike
Our bikes are designed and built with specific cyclists and riding styles in mind, so we can always offer you a perfect ride. Please note that bike requests are subject to availability and prioritized based on the date they're submitted.
Included in your trip price
- Ideal for avid cyclists
- Redesigned for 2024
- Next gen titanium frame with carbon wheels
- Responsive, efficient and comfortable
- Drop handlebars only
Included in your trip price
- Suited for a wide range of cyclists
- Comfortable ergonomic seat
- Long wheel base adds to the bike's control and stability
- Upright handlebars only
Included in your trip price
- One of the lightest e-bikes available
- Provides plenty of power and more than enough battery
- Lower top tubes for easier mounting and dismounting
- Upright handlebars only
- Limited availability on Unplugged Bike Tours; learn more
Min. age to ride e-bike: 16+
- $400 rental fee
- Hand-built frame features Co-Motion's custom-designed Cro-Moly steel tubeset, powerful Avid disc brakes, Shimano Ultegra drive train
- Custom upgraded wheelset
- Best for riders with some tandem experience.
Review Snapshot
by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 42 customers
Fantastic trip - you will love it!
Our first time on a Backroads trip and we will be back! Amazing sights, beautiful rides, terrific guides and delicious french food. Backroads has thought of everything to make the trip special and fun, including eBikes and shorter rides for those who want them. Our guides (Dom and Cecilia) were fun, on top of every detail, and a great part of our experience. I rely upon reviews for decisions like this, and wanted to pay it forward. A great trip!
An Amazing Experience
Our biking trip around the Loire Valley in France was incredible. Mailys, Rebekah and Ben were the best guides. So very helpful, professional and did whatever we asked of them. This was our first Backroads trip and I wasn't sure what to expect. They all made it the best experience possible. They were not only our hosts,, guides and support, but they became our friends. I highly recommend a Backroads bike tour for your next adventure. ❤️❤️❤️
A perfect combination of beautiful landscapes and great food
We loved this trip! Manageable on road bikes, magnificent landscapes and experiences visiting historic castles, not to mention the French cuisine and our fabulous guides, who truly made it a trip to remember!
The BEST way to travel!
Our Loire Valley trip exceeded all of our expectations. The hotels were breathtaking, food was superb, trip leaders were some of the nicest people, bike routes were amazing, and the other guests were just as fun to spend time with. I can't recommend Backroads and, specifically, the Loire Valley trip enough!
A great way to travel!
Cycling through the exquisite Loire Valley of France was a wonderful experience. We saw countryside from our bikes that we couldn't have seen by car. We enjoyed passing through fairy tale forests and adorable towns with charming gardens full of roses that scented the air. Every meal outdid the last. Backroads leaders are the best! They take care of everything so you can experience your best trip. We feel we learned more about France's culture and incredible chateaus and ate more creative cuisine than we would have found on our own. Plus, we got lots of exercise! Win-win!
Great trip through the Loire Valley
We had a wonderful trip with ride leaders Kevin and Jeremi. Although rain was forecasted throughout the week, we only had one day with a significant amount of rain. There were only five of us riding. My first time using a e-bike and it was the best choice ever!!! You could exercise as much as you wanted and never had to worry about falling behind. The routes were great, through the countryside and small villages. The chateaus were all awesome!!! I wish we had more time in some of them as the history is so interesting, but we did have a schedule. The hotels were very nice and the food was exceptional. One of the persons in our party had his baggage stuck in Madrid and the ride leaders contacted a courier to pick up his bag when it arrived in Paris to bring it down to the where we were staying. The ride leaders were truly a highlight as they have a lot of knowledge about the area and were very accommodating when we wanted to change things up some. I would definitely do another trip with Backroads!!!!!!!
We biked to Chateaus and stayed in Chateaus
I did the trip many years ago and I still think about it. It was a wonderful trip. How bad could it be, biking to chateaus and staying in chateaus. We ate like kings and did not gain a pound. I loved the trip. The guides were excellent
The scenery was beautiful!
We had a private group of 16 and the cycling routes they created for us were perfect. They did their homework ahead of time knowing that our group is always interested in adding extra mileage, also while accommodating for all levels and interests. I was amazed by the beautiful scenery of sunflowers everywhere and by the many chateaus that we visited. Wonderful trip!
Truly wonderful vacation in France's beautiful Loire Valley!
The Backroads organization and our two local guides (Adeline and Marc) made this a trip of a lifetime. Their meticulous behind the scenes planning etc. made everything seem effortless in execution. There was a very good mix of biking, cultural and free time activities. And of course the food was fantastic! I cannot say enough good things about the Backroads organization and their ability to make our trip so special. Somehow they were even able to arrange a perfect week of weather as well!! ;-)
Incredible Trip
This trip exceeded our already high expectations. The routes were gorgeous through villages, over rivers, riding up to castles, and through sunflowers/vineyards. The guides were incredibly organized and knowledgeable. The food and wine was delicious. Amazing!
Dates & Prices
Dates & Prices
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations (if any) and to book your trip. Price is per person, double occupancy in USD.
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