Bordeaux, The Dordogne with Chartres & The Loire

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PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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Discover Chartres, Cognac, a bit of the Loire Valley on your way to exploring the vineyards and villages of Bordeaux and the Dordogne, all with your very own private guide. You will experience the very best of Chartres, its famous Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, with its dazzling blue stained-glass windows and collection of relics, including the Sainte Voile (Holy Veil) said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary when she gave birth to Jesus—it is a site which has lured pilgrims since the Middle Ages. You'll visit Château de Chenonceau, the most magnificent and best-loved chateau of the Loire Valley with magnificent gardens, along with Château Royal d'Amboise, once a favored royal residence which includes the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci. A few miles further along, visit Vouvray—best known for its production of white wine—where you will visit a vineyard and enjoy some wine tastings. You'll then spend the rest of the tour visiting the beautiful villages and sites of Bordeaux & The Dordogne, visiting their most well known vineyards and tasting some of France's best wines. 

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Day 1: Paris to Chartres
Arrive Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris. Jozef, your chauffeur-guide for the tour, will meet you on arrival. Continue your journey by road to Chartres for an overnight stay at Le Grand Monarque, located in the heart of the city. After an opportunity to settle into your accommodation, and for some lunch, Jozef will take you on a guided tour of Chartres. Visits will include the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, with its dazzling blue stained-glass windows and collection of relics, including the Sainte Voile (Holy Veil) said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary when she gave birth to Jesus—it is a site which has lured pilgrims since the Middle Ages. Walk through the medieval streets of the Old Town and visit Église Saint-Aignan and experience some samples of the confectionaries for which Chartres is known. Dinner tonight is included at Le Georges Restaurant at your hotel, Le Grand Monarque.

Day 2: Loire Valley

This morning, you’ll depart Chartres for the Loire Valley where your first visit will be to Château de Chenonceau, the most magnificent and best-loved chateau of the Loire Valley with magnificent gardens. Next, continue to Château Royal d'Amboise, once a favored royal residence which includes the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci. A few miles further along, visit Vouvray—best known for its production of white wine—where you will visit a vineyard and enjoy some wine tastings. Afterwards, arrive at Fontevraud Abbey, one of the largest surviving monastic communities from the Middle Ages. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and then of England, thanks to her marriage to Henry II, is the emblematic figure of the Royal Abbey. She spent the end of her life here, ordering the reclining effigies of herself, her husband Henry II and of their son Richard the Lionheart, seen in the Abbey Church. You will stay tonight at Fontevraud L’Hotel at Saint-Lazare Priory. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the Abbey’s well-known Michelin starred restaurant.

Day 3: Cognac to Bordeaux

This morning, take an opportunity to explore the Abbey prior to your departure for Cognac in the Charente, best known for its namesake, the famous brandy. You will visit a vineyard from which the grapes are sourced to make the liquor, as well as learn about its production and enjoy some tastings. Continue your journey to Bordeaux for a four-night stay at Hôtel de Sèze in Bordeaux. This impeccably smart and stylish hotel, dating from 1747, offers a fine-dining bistro, boutique bedrooms, and is located along the Allées de Tourny, one of three elegant thoroughfares forming Bordeaux's Golden Triangle. Hôtel de Sèze is known for its great service, sheer opulence of fabrics and finish, and its location in the heart of the city. Dinner tonight is included at the hotel.

Day 4: Bordeaux  

Today, you’ll explore the historic city of Bordeaux on a full-day private-guided tour with Jozef. You’ll visit the renovated quays, the spectacular Miroir d’Eau with its breathtaking water features, along with Place de la Bourse with its 18th-century classical buildings. Stroll through the tranquil public gardens along the Quai before crossing the river via the impressive Chaban-Delmas Bridge—the longest vertical lift bridge in Europe. Stop for lunch midday at a local restaurant where you may sample the local delicacy of canelé, a French pastry inflected with rum and vanilla. Continue exploring the city on foot, seeing the 13th-century Cathedral of St André, a UNESCO-listed monument, and the Palais Rohan, now the home of city hall. In the Old Town, see the “Grosse Cloche”—the former belfry of the town hall in the Middle Ages—along with the St. Pierre District with its famous Port Cailhau, the historic gate to the city of Bordeaux, built in 1495, and visit Parliament Square. Afterwards, visit the magnificent Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, built in 1773 by Victor Louis. 

Day 5: La Rochelle & The Huguenots  

Enjoy a whole-day excursion to the famous historic port of La Rochelle, a city which has been a center for fishing and trade since the 12th century—a maritime tradition that's reflected in its Vieux Port. The old town has half-timbered medieval houses and Renaissance architecture, including passageways covered by 17th-century arches. You’ll enjoy stops along the way at Blaye, a fortified town on the bank of the Gironde, and Bourg-sur-Gironde, a hidden gem on the right bank of the Dordogne, in the heart of the wine appellation of Côtes de Bourg. In La Rochelle, you’ll visit the Protestant Museum, highlighting the history of the Huguenots and their emigration from this historic coastal city. Return to the hotel early evening where you can have dinner walking distance from the hotel at one of the city’s many bistros.

Day 6: St Emilion & Pomerol with wine tastings

Today, enjoy a private-guided tour with Jozef of the charming medieval town of St. Émilion. Named for the Benedictine hermit who first came to the area in the eighth century, the city overlooks the Dordogne Valley and lush vineyards. Visit the partially subterranean Monolithic Church, built in the early 12th century, and the Proserpina Grotto of its Hermitage, where Émilion lived. Afterwards, head to Pomeral for a walk around the village and lunch before heading to a local chateau outside of Pomerol for a visit to one or two vineyards for wine tastings. 

Day 7: Bergerac 
Today, depart Bordeaux for the small town of Bergerac. Jozef will give you a private-guided tour of this lovely medieval town, situated on the banks of the Dordogne and famous for the town’s fictional son, Cyrano de Bergerac. You will find a statue of him in La Place Pélissière, the tree-lined main square filled dotted cafes where you’ll enjoy lunch. Stroll along the maze of cobbled lanes and admire the half-timbered houses and Eglise Notre-Dame, the Old Town’s 19th-century neo-gothic church famed for its stained-glass windows and high steeple. Market days on Wednesday and Saturday are the perfect time to pick up Perigord specialties such as plate-sized tins of duck confit, black truffles, and fragrant cheeses. This afternoon you’ll enjoy a cruise along the river on a gabares, the region’s traditional flat-bottomed barges, and visit the Maison des Vins, set in the beautiful 17th-century Récollets Cloisters. Next, arrive at Château des Vigiers, a château hotel with period and modern rooms, and a sensational Michelin-starred dining experience courtesy of French chef Didier Casaguana. Enjoy dinner tonight at the château.

Day 8: Château de Montbazillac & Château de Bridoire

This morning, visit Château de Montbazillac, a beautiful Renaissance-style Château and home to the famous dessert wine. You’ll enjoy a private-guided tour and some tastings of Montbazillac. You will also visit the carefully-restored mediaeval and turreted Château de Bridoire, which includes a not-to-be-missed Mysterious Valley, a labyrinth-style natural woodland maze of troglodyte shelters and picturesque ruins. This afternoon, enjoy some relaxation in the beautiful and luxurious surroundings of Château des Vigiers, followed by your second gourmet dinner at the château. Spa treatments, if interested, are available at Château des Vigiers and can be arranged by the hotel.

Day 9: Vézère Valley & Les Eyzies
Today, depart Château des Vigiers along a leisurely backroad route. You will wind your way through some beautiful villages, scenic valleys, makings stops along the way. By lunchtime you’ll arrive at the “capital of prehistory”, the village of Les Eyzies, at the heart of the Vézère Valley, with its prehistoric caves and rock shelters, it stretches out along the foot of ochre-colored cliffs that bear traces of some of the earliest human settlements. Visit Grotte de Font-de-Gaume, a cave where walls are covered with colored paintings dating from the Magdalenian period (BC 17,000 years), and drawings and engravings of around 200 animals. Next, continue your journey to Sarlat-la-Canéda for a three-night stay at the 4-star Plaza Madeleine Hôtel & Spa. Sarlat is a pedestrian-filled town, serenely set amid forested hills with an attractive tangle of golden cobblestone lanes peppered with beautiful buildings, lined with boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and foie gras shops. 

Day 10: Château de Beynac, La Roque-Gageac & Domme

Today, depart for Château de Beynac, perched high above the banks of the Dordogne overlooking the medieval village of golden stone houses tucked into the steep hillside. The fortress’ strategic position made it a defensive stronghold during the Hundred Years’ War. This masterpiece of medieval military engineering was guarded by Europe’s most illustrious figures, including the chivalrous Richard the Lionheart (1157 to 1199) and Fourth Crusader Simon de Montfort (1175 to 1218). Traverse its elaborate series of stone walls, parapet walks, watchtowers and passageways to an eclectic interior decorated with a magnificent 17th‑century staircase and delicate 15th‑century frescoes. This afternoon, return to Sarlat via the beautiful villages of La Roque Gageac, built into the cliffs, and Domme, a hilltop village with dramatic panoramic views.

Day 11: Rocamador & Souillac 
This morning, leave for the famed Dordogne village of Rocamador. Built on the face of a sheer 400-foot cliff, the UNESCO World Heritage-designated village of Rocamadour has one of the most dramatic settings of any village in the world. An important stop along the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims flocked here from across Europe to perform penance by ascending the 216 steps of Le Grand Escalier on their knees—seeking miracles from the sacred 12th‑century statue of the Black 

Virgin and Child at the crypt of Saint Amadour. Embedded in the cliff above the doorway to the Chapelle de Notre Dame is a sword said to be that of the heroic knight Roland. Nearby, visit the quaint town of Souillac and its 12th‑century Abbaye Sainte‑Marie, noted for its magnificent Byzantine roof domes and treasury of Romanesque statuary and biblical carvings. Savor a lunch of regional specialties at a village 

restaurant and a local vineyard for wine tasting. 

Day 12: Sarlat & St Amand-de-Coly & St Leon sur Vezer

This morning, enjoy a morning tour of Sarlat with an opportunity for some tastings of the local specialties or a visit to the city’s famous food market (Wed and Sat). Afterwards, depart Sarlat for a visit to the village of St Amand-de-Coly (fortified medieval church). This afternoon, continue your journey with a stop along the way in Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère—the church here is built on the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman villa—to your historic Relais & Château accommodation, Le Vieux Logis, for a two-night stay. American author Henry Miller planned to spend a week at this hotel in the heart of the black Périgord but ended up staying a month. Like the author, you will appreciate the tranquility of this former priory with its lovely gardens, babbling brook and natural pool. Enjoy a gourmet dinner in the former tobacco drying barn that has been converted into the main dining room.

Day 13: Perigueux
Today, enjoy a whole-day excursion to Perigueux. You’ll enjoy a private-guided tour of the splendid historic center, dominated by the multi-domed Cathedrale Saint-Front and the Abbaye de Chancelade. You will also visit Vesunna, the Roman villa housed in a glass building and the Musee d’Art et d’Archeologie. Return to Le Vieux Logis for some time to relax prior to your farewell gourmet dinner.

Day 14: Bordeaux TGV to Charles de Gaulle Airport

This morning, wind your way back to Bordeaux where you will depart on the high-speed TGV train in first class to either Charles de Gaulle airport for your return flight or to Paris, where you may extend your stay. 

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