Highlights
- Visiting a selection of the region’s most interesting chateaux; including Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau
- Enjoying fine local produce and local red, white and sparkling wines
- Following relaxed routes, along quiet country lanes and traffic-free paths
- Learning about the Loire Valley’s rich history
- Meandering through quaint, picturesque villages
- Cooling off in the hotel pool after a day out on your bikes
Itinerary
Today you’ll make your way to your first hotel in Chinon (around a 50-minute taxi ride through the lovely Loire countryside from Tours TGV station).
In the evening, you’ll be greeted by one of our friendly local reps who’ll run through a quick welcome chat and get you kitted out with bikes (if you’re hiring).
Depending on when you arrive, there may be time for a gentle warm-up ride, a great chance to spin the legs and get a feel for the area.
If you’d rather take it easy today, the historic streets of Chinon are perfect for a relaxed wander and a great taste of things to come.
Day 2 Chinon to Fontevraud l'Abbaye
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 215 or 425 Metres Approx.
Your first day of riding begins with a scenic jaunt to the wonderful Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, home to one of Europe’s largest and most beautiful monastic complexes.
You’ve got two lovely routes to choose from today. The first takes you north of the River Vienne, winding through peaceful lanes and past Savigny-en-Véron before reaching the postcard-worthy riverside villages of Candes-Saint-Martin and Montsoreau. Both are perfect for a relaxed lunch stop, think cobbled streets, river views, and a spot of people-watching, before you roll gently on to Fontevraud.
Fancy stretching the legs a bit more? Our extended route adds some extra miles (and smiles), heading out along a brilliant cycle path towards the enchanting Château du Rivau. This fairytale castle is tucked away in the countryside and even boasts a delightful restaurant using produce straight from its own garden, a truly tasty place to break up your ride.
From there, it’s all about rolling through sleepy villages and lush countryside before arriving at Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, your charming base for the night. Bikes parked, time to relax and soak up the history!
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Day 3 Montsoreau, Turquant and Saumur Loop
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 430 Metres Approx.
Today is yours to do as you please! Whether you’re in the mood for a spin out, or a well-earned day off the bike, we’ve got you covered.
If you‘re tempted to take it easy, you can enjoy a lazy morning by the pool or wander back to the Abbey for a proper explore, especially if you didn’t have time to take it all in yesterday. With its quiet cloisters and fascinating history, it’s well worth a visit.
Or if you fancy a ride, then we’ve a lovely out-and-back route along the Loire à Vélo cycle route to Saumur. Think dreamy châteaux, rolling vineyards, and troglodyte dwellings carved into the rock. It’s classic Loire at its best.
Because it’s an out-and-back route, you can turn back whenever you fancy, but we’d recommend pushing on to Saumur, where the spectacular hilltop château greets you with its golden weathervane glinting in the sunlight. The town below is full of life, with plenty of cafés, boutiques, and bars, perfect for a scenic mid-ride pit stop.
On your return leg, enjoy a relaxed roll home along the riverbanks, keeping an eye out for those intriguing cave houses along the way.
Show ProfileDay 4 Fontevraud l'Abbaye to Villandry
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 305 Metres Approx.
It might be the longest ride of the tour today, but with wonderfully flat terrain and views to distract you at every turn, the kilometres will roll by in no time.
Your day begins with a gentle descent through a classic Loire Valley scene, golden sunflower fields, neat rows of vineyards, and winding lanes that lead you down to the river at the picturesque village of Montsoreau. From here, you’ll hop onto the well-signed Loire à Vélo cycle path, heading east at the confluence of the Vienne and Loire rivers.
After crossing the river, you’ll head inland for a short while, riding along quiet lanes, before rejoining the Loire as it sweeps you toward one of the real gems of the day: the fairy tale-like Château d’Ussé. Said to be the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty, this magical château is a perfect photo stop.
From here, the river is your companion all the way, as you cruise past more lovely riverside villages and lush landscapes before arriving at Villandry, famous for its beautiful gardens.
There’s just a short climb up from the village to your hotel – but don’t worry, the views will help you power up the final stretch. A rewarding end to a truly memorable day in the saddle!
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Day 5 Villandry to Montbazon (Optional ride into Tours)
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 210 Metres Approx.
Today’s ride continues east along the Loire, with more riverside magic and a stop at the petrified caves of Savonnières, a quirky little highlight that’s well worth a peek.
From here, you’ve got a choice to make. If you‘re keen to soak up some city vibes, you can take a detour into the medieval city of Tours, the lively capital of the region. Riding into town adds around 9–10km to your day, but it’s a lovely spin along the Loire à Vélo w(tih some traffic as you enter the city) including a glide down the grand Avenue de Grammont – a tree-lined boulevard often likened to a mini Champs Élysées (with dedicated cycle paths, of course!).
If you’d prefer to keep things a bit quieter, you can skip the city and follow a more direct route onwards to Montbazon, your overnight stop, nestled just 12km beyond Tours. It’s a peaceful little place with just the right mix of charm and chill after a day in the saddle.
Whichever route you choose, there’s plenty to enjoy, whether that’s city cafés and cobbled streets, or the gentle roll of rural lanes and riverside calm.
Show ProfileDay 6 Montbazon to Azay-le-Rideau
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 180 Metres Approx.
It’s a shorter ride today, although we do recommend an early start so you’ve got plenty of time to explore the glorious Château d’Azay-le-Rideau later this afternoon. It’s one of the Loire Valley’s finest, and a real treat to round off the day.
Your route today follows the tranquil Indre River, winding west through a string of peaceful villages, including Artannes-sur-Indre and the especially lovely Saché. This charming spot is home to a quaint little château and a museum celebrating Honoré de Balzac – one of France’s literary greats. While he might not be a household name across the Channel, he’s something of a legend here.
With more gentle riverside riding ahead, you’ll soon roll into Azay-le-Rideau, where you’ll have time to explore its stunning water-flanked château or perhaps indulge in a well-earned local wine tasting. Whether you’re here for the history or the grapes (or both!), it’s a lovely place to end the day.
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Day 7 Azay-le-Rideau to Chinon
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 225 Metres Approx.
It’s your final day in the saddle, and what a way to round things off. You’ll leave Azay-le-Rideau this morning following the peaceful Indre River, with a couple of hidden gems waiting just beyond town. First up is the fairytale-like Château de l’Islette, a lesser-known beauty nestled on the riverbanks, followed by the Musée Maurice Dufresne, packed with quirky machinery and vintage curiosities.
From here, the route winds into a stretch of shady lanes, offering wonderfully quiet riding. Keep those eyes peeled, it’s not unusual to spot deer darting through the trees or birds of prey circling overhead.
A gentle descent brings you down to the banks of the Vienne, and from there it’s a relaxed roll through sun-dappled vineyards as you make your way back to Chinon. It’s a fitting end to your Loire adventure, and one last chance to soak up those classic French landscapes.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
After a final breakfast it’s time to say au revoir! Extra nights in Tours or Paris can be arranged on request.
Understanding Profiles
Use these profiles to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- Ascent / Descent in metres (vertical axis)
Click 'see gradient' to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- % Gradient (vertical axis)
White vertical lines indicate unpaved sections or slightly rougher terrain.
Please check the scales on both graphs, and both axes as they both may differ from day to day.
GPS units and navigation softwares produce different statistical information based on a number of different factors, so please keep in mind the information we’re providing here is meant to be an indicative guide only.
Gradients in particular can be difficult to measure consistently, and sometimes steepness shown can vary as much as 5-10% from what’s signposted on the ground.
Using both graphs, alongside the grading and terrain information provided, should however give you a good idea of how flat, bumpy or steep the climbing on your particular tour is going to be.
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Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
Generally the riding is flat and easy going. You’ll find some short hills when you leave the river valley but nothing long or too steep. There’s a lot of cycling infrastructure in place, so most of the cycling takes place on signposted cycle routes that are designed and managed by local tourist boards. These routes mostly use very quiet roads that zig zag through vineyards or along the river bank.
Although much of the route (70% approx) is on roads shared with traffic, the majority of the routes outside of towns usually have low traffic levels and its very unusual to see more cars than cyclists. There are stretches of traffic free cycle path as well, notably outside of Chinon and Rigny-Usse. One day of cycling passes through the outskirts of Tours, a small city. This however is done on a signposted route on cycle paths alongside the road and through a park. It’s still generally very safe and easy to navigate.
We’d recommend a hybrid bike for this tour, although a road bike would suffice if confident on some of the bumpier sections (some cobbles and some hard-packed gravel / dirt sections). Although the terrain is relatively flat on this trip, e-bikes can be a great idea – particularly if you are travelling in July/August when the temperatures can be high! For more information about riding an electric bike on our holidays please click here
Family Cycling Grade
Aspects of both our grade 1 and 2 trips
Suitable for those looking for a relaxed ride
Occasional ups and downs
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
Trips that are graded as a 1-2, will have aspects of both our grade 1 and grade 2 trips. These tours are still suitable for those looking for an accessible cycling holiday with manageable daily distances, along predominately flat terrain, however there will be some days / sections where we’d expect you to be up for a slightly cheeky challenge. It might be that the distances are a little longer on some days or that the terrain is slightly more undulating, but the rides are still relaxed and manageable for families who are generally fit and healthy.
For more information about the grading of this holiday in particular, please check out the terrain section which will give you some specifics of what to expect on this tour.
Dates & Prices
2026 *2026* Departures available from 01 Apr – 21 Oct
Wednesday departures – $2380
Daily departures (excl. Wednesdays) – $2480
We may be able to offer children’s discounts for those interested in sharing a family room – please let us know if you’d like us to look into this option for you.
Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit
Book now with a $375 deposit and nothing more to pay until 60 days before departure. Choose a date to start your booking and see all prices, including bike hire and single room supplements.
Whats Included 
A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms) in 3 and 4* hotels
B) Meals as per the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) English speaking local representative (with welcome meeting)
D) Detailed route notes and maps (GPX files available on request)
E) Luggage transfers
F) Financial Protection through ABTOT
What's not Included 
A) Bike rental (available if required)
B) Flights and charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to museums and other attractions en route
I) Local tourist taxes
The Essentials
Reviews
Jean, NorthamptonshireWe loved every day...This holiday exceeded all our expectations, we loved every moment. The hotels were excellent and very welcoming. We loved every day but the ride past the Sleeping Beauty Chateaux and having a hot chocolate in the cafe opposite is a stand out moment. We also loved the rides along the river!
William, Pittsburgh, USAThis was an excellent trip!The route design in particular was the best I have experienced . The combination of riding along the Loire river, then inland through farmlands and small villages, was very enjoyable. The accommodations were also very pleasant. The service provided by our in-country contacts was also very good and most everything went according to expectation and plan.
