EXPLORE PAYS DE LA LOIRE ON HORSEBACK
OVERVIEW
This journey across the Loire landscapes and its forest areas is a leap into the history of the Middle Ages - mostly the Renaissance.
At the time, the royal house of Valois-Orléans-Angouleme had enough power and means to build beautiful castles instead of fortresses.
The Loire Valley offers a mild climate, fertile soils and biodiversity as well as monasteries, cathedrals, and of course, castles.
Let’s Ride!
HIGHLIGHTS
Magnificent riding from castle to castle
Incredible French picnic lunches at white table cloth tables under trees
Fast riding through the royal hunting forests
Comfortable boutique village hotels
Swimming pools at some hotels
Tour the beautiful castles and gardens
OVERVIEW
RIDE GUIDE - FULLY BOOKED. CHECK OUT OUR 6 NIGHT ITINERARY
7 Nights / 8 Days
Cost: From €2,285pp sharing, Single person supplement: €440.
Operator: Cheval Voyages
Where: Loire Valley, France. Meeting point is Montrichard train station.
When: August
Riding level: Advanced, you must be able to control your horse cantering and galloping in open spaces.
Riders: Maximum 10 riders
Weight limit: Maximum of 90kg / 198 pounds
Time in the saddle: 4 -6 hours a day
HORSES
The horses are a mixture of pure or cross-bred Paint and Arabian horses. Most of the horses have been bred and born at Cheval Voyages’ equestrian farm for the rides.
They live in a 70 acre field with the herd all year long and are well behaved, forward going horses suitable for all types of rider.
Tack: You will use JMS French trail saddles, which blend the best of English and western style saddles to create a comfortable trail saddle. Horses will work in bridles with gentle Myler bits.
Helmets are mandatory. Please bring your own.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is in local boutique hotels and B&Bs. Some have pools. Most rooms are twin with en suite bathrooms. Sometimes you may share a bathroom between two rooms.
Single supplements are available for €440pp for all seven nights.
GET IN TOUCH
Fill in an obligation free rider form by clicking “book now” and we will be in touch!
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Shared accommodation, meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), wine with lunch, water bottles, guides, horses & tack including saddle bags and water for each ride.
WHAT’S EXCLUDED
The price does not include international flights, transfers, wine / alcohol with dinner, travel insurance, entrance fees to castles, tips.
Please keep in mind that it is customary to tip in France at restaurants and cafes so allow some budget towards this. Tipping your guides is recommended but not an obligation.
Castles and chateaux’s all have local fees for entry - please allow approximately €100 for multiple castle entry fees on this ride.
TRANSFERS
Transfers from Montrichard train station can be arranged and are €20pp for a round trip.
WHAT TO PACK
Refer to our FAQ for what to pack on a horse riding holiday.
The luggage is transported in the support vehicle and transferred to each accommodation so you only need to carry daily essentials in your saddle bags. Nevertheless we recommend you pack minimally in a light duffle bag.
The Loire Valley enjoys warm, dry summers with an average temperature from June - August of 25 degrees, so light layers and a hat are your friend! Although unlikely, we recommend taking a light rain jacket in case of showers.
Your guides will provide you with saddle bags and water bottles. Helmets are mandatory for this ride - Cheval Voyages can provide them but it is recommended to bring your own to ensure a comfortable fit.
MEALS
Continental breakfasts are served at your hotel each morning typically consisting of a hot drink (tea, coffee, hot chocolate), juice, breakfast pastries (croissant, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins), bread, butter and jam, and sometimes yogurt.
Lunches are traditional french picnics, expect fresh baguettes, local cheeses, salads and tasty charcuterie, along with a bottle of something local.
Dinner will be typical French fare comprising several courses of regional specialities. Please note that wine is not included with dinners.
INTERNET
Wifi will be available at overnight accommodation.
AVAILABILITY & PRICES
€2,285 per person based on 2 sharing accommodation for 8 days / 7 nights. Single person supplement: €440.
Fully Booked for 2023
08 - 15 June 2024 FULL
16 - 23 June 2024 Black Saddle Exclusive - FULLY BOOKED
We have saddles remaining on our 6 night itinerary
Fill in an obligation free Rider Form to book and we will get back to you with more information.
The Loire Valley
The currency in France is the euro. Cards are readily taken everywhere.
Time Zone: GMT+1
The climate in the Loire Valley in France in August is generally warm and pleasant, with average temperatures ranging from 15°C to 26°C (59°F to 79°F). The region experiences a maritime climate, which means that it is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and can experience some rainfall throughout the month.
August is typically one of the driest months of the year, with only a few rainy days though you should still bring a lightweight raincoat just in case. The region enjoys long days, with around 10 hours of sunshine per day, making it an ideal time for outdoor activities and exploring the picturesque towns and villages of the Loire Valley.
YOUR ITINERARY
Please note that itineraries are subject to weather and your guide may change the itinerary if needs must with your safety in mind.
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Arrive at Montrichard train station at 6:30pm to meet your fellow riders and hosts. Transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight where you can discuss the upcoming trail with the rest of the group.
No Riding Today
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After a vast french breakfast of cheese, croissants, pastries and coffee you are collected around 8:45 for take a short drive of around 10 minutes to the horses. The morning ride is a shorter one to get to know your horse. You’ll ride for around 1.5 hours to reach Castle Fougères sur Bièvre.
Lunch is served at the foot of the castle. It offers the ideal image of a small castle of the end of the 15th century with a curtain wall, a dungeon, gunboats, a walkway and machicolations.
After a long lunch you begin your ride towards the beautiful furnished Cheverny Castle. The horses are kept in a field a short drive from the castle and you will return to visit the castle by car.
Cheverney Castle has been in the same family for more than 6 centuries. There you’ll discover a fantastic heritage; authentic and still vibrant. The castle has a pack of 120 hounds that hunt in the forest surrounding the castle twice a week. It’s possible to visit them in their kennels as part of the tour.
The castle closes at 6:30pm, when you will be collected and whisked off to your new accommodation in Bracieux.
The team will collect you at 8pm for dinner in the village. Then it’s home to rest before another big day of riding!
Overnight at Hôtel du Cygne à Bracieux or similar.
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After breakfast, you will ride for around 3.5 hours towards Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire area and a unique architectural jewel set in an extensive natural forest reserve of over 13,000 acres. You’ll ride through the castle grounds and along the Cosson to the lunch spot in the forest.
Enjoy a lengthy picnic lunch and spend the afternoon visiting the castle before riding back across the castle ground towards the 16th century castle of Villesavin castle, considered one of the best-preserved in the region. Riding time to reach the second castle is around 90 minutes.
The horses will stay at Villesavin castle and you have an hour to tour the castle with it’s authentic features and foxhunting art and memorabilia. Entrance is €8.
You’ll be whisked back to your hotel around 7pm for a shower and then dinner is at 8pm.
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Today you will ride through the forest of Chambord to the castle of Beauregard where you can enjoy a freshly prepared picnic lunch.
The castle was a former hunting lodge of Chambord and is famous for its hundreds of portraits of well-known characters from French history. There will be time to visit the castle before riding on to Candé-dur-Beuvron.
Dinner and overnight at a local hotel.
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You ride along the Loire to Chaumont-sur-Loire. A charming village and UNESCO World Heritage site, Chaumont is also well-known for its feudal castle (late 15th cent) overlooking the valley and the village. Not to be missed, its stables built in the 19th cent, are considered as the most luxurious in Europe at the time.
You then cross the Sudais Forest to reach your picnic stop.
Your afternoon is free to visit the castle o Chaumont-sur-Loire which is located next to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight in a B&B or at a hotel.
Hotel Restaurant « L'Hostellerie du Château » in Chaumont sur Loire
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Departing at 10 am on horseback you will ride to Amboise, back over the hillside, though vineyards arriving Amboise for the picnic and visit the castle.
The fifteenth century is the prosperous period of Amboise that the Kings Louis XI, Charles VIII, and François I ° enlarged and embellished.
In the afternoon, you will cross the forest of Amboise to reach Saint Martin le Beau where the family Guestault, which manages the hotel and the family restaurant, welcomes weary riders to taste their wines from Touraine and Montlouis.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Hotel Restaurant « L'Hostellerie du Château » in Chaumont sur Loire
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After breakfast, we go down into the Cher Valley, a river that we run along for long gallops. Thus, we head to the magnificent castle of Chenonceau built on the Cher.
Named "Château des Dames" for the history of France, built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, embellished successively by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, Chenonceau was saved from the rigors of the Revolution by Madame Dupin.
It is the flagship of the Loire Valley. You have lunch in the castle grounds and visit the castle.
In the early afternoon you leave the banks of the Cher for the town of Pontlevoy arriving in the early evening.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
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You are dropped off at the Montrichard train station after breakfast.
THE ROUTE
This is a radial route completed entirely on horseback. You will start and end at the the village of Pontlevoy. The horses are kept at an equestrian centre nearby.
You do not always ride right up to a castles and castle grounds, sadly the castles have become more closed off to horses and more closely guarded for ticket revenue. Instead the horses will be turned out in a grassy paddock nearby and you will be transported to the castles for a visit on foot, some guided, some unguided, by vehicle.
Your luggage is kept in the vehicle and dropped with you to your hotel every evening. We recommend bring a airplane carry-on size luggage and a smaller backpack for easy access to your valuables and personal items during the day.
ACCOMMODATION
The names of the hotels and accommodation are given for information only and depending on availability, they may be modified without notice and replaced by another of a similar standard.
Hotel Restaurant L’Auberge de l’Ecole
NIGHT ONE + SEVEN
HOTEL L’AUBAGE : Auberge de l’Ecole is located in the heart of the Loire Valley, well known region for its Castles.
The Auberge de l’Ecole offers 10 comfortable and personalized bedrooms. A hot tub and the Wi-Fi internet access are facilities available at the auberge.
A restaurant offering a traditional cuisine is a disposal for the guests of the Logis Hôtel Auberge De L'ecole.
Hôtel du Cygne
NIGHTS TWO + THREE
HOTEL DU CYGNE : The timelessness of the place, the warmth of the fabrics and materials as well as the presence of wooden period furniture carefully gathered from years of going round the Clignancourt flea market, they all take part in the maintenance of a cosy atmosphere here at the Hôtel du Cygne.
The hotel has 20 rooms, a pool and hairdryers.
Hostellerie du Chateau
NIGHTS FOUR + FIVE
HOSTELLERIE DU CHATEAU: L’Hostellerie du château is located in the charming village of Chaumont sur Loire, listed in the World Heritage list of UNESCO and famous for its International Garden Festival.
The hotel is 3 star rated, includes 15 rooms (3 family rooms), a restaurant with traditional meals using seasonal products.
In the summer, the meals are served on the terrace.
Hotel Restaurant Le Pigeonnier
NIGHT SIX
L'HOTEL LE PIGEONNIER DU PERRON : Did you know that French philosopher Rene Descartes once lived in Poitou-Charentes, more specifically in Availles-en-Chatellerault?
His handsome 15th-century residence is now a lovely, distinctive hotel from which guests can admire the square pigeon house that gave the property its name.
The hotel has 14 rooms and 2 suites. They are full of charm with their parquetry and understated decor. Many have a slightly rustic style with stones and exposed beams.
HOW TO BOOK
+ Submit an obligation free Rider Form
+ We will get in touch to plan your dream safari
+ You pay your 50% deposit now with the balance due 60 days before the ride
