WORLDWIDE CULTURAL AND CULINARY VACATIONS
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Flavors of the Loire Valley

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Priced From
$4,798 USD *
(For One Person, Double Occupancy)
* Plus taxes. Tours sold on an availability basis.
7 days | 6 nights

Epicurean Adventures through the Heart of France

Your culinary vacation is set in the heart of France and The Touraine Province is without question the home to European Renaissance which brought with it a rich and diverse culinary history and depth. You will enjoy four hands-on (English-speaking) cooking classes that will provide insight into this fascinating region, and you’ll be able to visit one of the most famous chateaus in this region of France (Château Chenonceau). This tour is designed as an introduction to the Loire Valley, seen through the eyes of an epicurean – great food, world-class wines and immersive experiences.
Small Group Friendly
Itinerary Accommodations Map FAQ
VACATION HIGHLIGHTS
Please note: Tour inclusions can change depending upon seasonality and weather conditions.
Deluxe Hotel Accommodations
Round-Trip Private Train Station Transfers
Breakfast Buffet Every Morning
Four Lunches with Wine
Three Dinners with Wine
Four Hands-On Cooking Classes
Guided Tour of Château Chenonceau
Guided Food Market Tour
Tour of Goat Cheese Producer with Samples
While our tours are designed as soft adventure experiences, walking, climbing stairs, and in rare cases mild hiking may be required. If you have mobility issues, you should speak with one of our culinary travel specialists to determine if this tour is appropriate for your situation.
AVAILABLE DATES
This tour runs Sunday to Saturday throughout the season and during specified weeks. Groups of 4 or more can request alternate dates.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Please note: Actual itineraries are subject to change due to seasonality.
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Day 1
Welcome to Touraine | Taste of the Loire Valley Buffet Dinner
On your day of arrival, check into your hotel and enjoy a Taste of the Loire Valley Welcome Dinner. Complimentary shuttle is available for those arriving at the Chatellerault TGV Train Station.
Day 2
Morning Breakfast Buffet
Each morning you will enjoy a full French breakfast before the day’s activities begin. The hotel serves fresh fruit and juices, yogurts, freshly baked pastries and bread, cheeses, homemade jams, charcuterie and eggs to order.
Hands-on Cooking Course | Lunch | Free afternoon | Interactive Dinner
After breakfast, you will begin with French Mediterranean dishes which are known for their seasonal, local, and fresh ingredients, something that the chef's passionately believe in and strive to share with the Culinary Family. During all your classes you will be exposed to accompaniments or side dish preparation as well..You will prepare several Mediterranean dishes using local ingredients that will include Quiche Touraine, Flatbread, Grilled Piperade and Provençale Salad. This afternoon you will continue the Mediterranean journey beyond the French borders and the chef wil share some of his favourite memories with you cooking with his mentors and a young chef. and you will prepare our Brioche dough as it needs to rest overnight. The chef will share with you two desserts that are enjoyed all over the globe, with a twist. You will also make the Brioche dough that needs to rest overnight. There will be leisure time until dinner. Tonight you will enjoy the dishes that you prepared together at a lovely dinner.
Day 3
Morning Breakfast Buffet
Each morning you will enjoy a full French breakfast before the day’s activities begin. The hotel serves fresh fruit and juices, yogurts, freshly baked pastries and bread, cheeses, homemade jams, charcuterie and eggs to order.
Visit to Château Chenonceau | Free afternoon | Dinner
After breakfast, you are taken to Château Chenonceau, built in 1513, this castle was loved, administrated and protected by women, who were all extraordinary, and who for the most part, have marked its history. For lunch, you have a choice between the beautiful Orangerie restaurant set in the gardens of Château Chenonceau or in a bistro in the charming village of Chenonceau (please note that lunch is on your own today). The afternoon is yours to relax or for exploring the area. Tonight, dinner will be at the cooking school.
Day 4
Morning Breakfast Buffet
Each morning you will enjoy a full French breakfast before the day’s activities begin. The hotel serves fresh fruit and juices, yogurts, freshly baked pastries and bread, cheeses, homemade jams, charcuterie and eggs to order.
Visit of Tours’ Market & Old Town | Lunch | Macarons Hands-On Pastry Class
After breakfast, you are taken to the historical city of Tours and its fine food market. You will be escorted through the indoor and outdoor markets where you will learn how to identify different products. You visit the old town which clusters around Place Plumereau, which today is the place for cafés and people watching during the summer months. The other historic area, the cathedral quarter on the other side of the main Rue Nationale, is dominated by the Cathédrale St-Gatien, a flamboyant Gothic building with 12th-century decorated stonework covering the outside. A traditional French lunch will be served at the cooking school. This afternoon you learn how to prepare one of the world’s most sought after classics, the Macaron, during a hands-on pastry class. The evening is yours for relaxation, or to stroll down the river. Enjoy dinner in the hotel or in a local restaurant (dinner this evening is open to your choice, and on your own).
Day 5
Morning Breakfast Buffet
Each morning you will enjoy a full French breakfast before the day’s activities begin. The hotel serves fresh fruit and juices, yogurts, freshly baked pastries and bread, cheeses, homemade jams, charcuterie and eggs to order.
Hands-on Cooking Class | Lunch | Free Afternoon
Fresh caught fish are delivered by boat to the Atlantic port of La Rochelle. Orders are then filled, and delivery made to the cooking school promptly at 4 AM in the morning, ensuring that you will be cooking and eating the freshest product possible. Your instructors will teach you the proper techniques for handling and preparing your fish. Your reward for paying attention in class is the lunch you will enjoy at the conclusion of your instruction. This afternoon is yours to enjoy with a stroll along the riverside, exploring the village, or simply relaxing. This evening you might consider dinner at the hotel, or one of the local restaurants (dinner this evening is on your own).
Day 6
Morning Breakfast Buffet
Each morning you will enjoy a full French breakfast before the day’s activities begin. The hotel serves fresh fruit and juices, yogurts, freshly baked pastries and bread, cheeses, homemade jams, charcuterie and eggs to order.
Visit to local Goat Cheese Producer | Soufflé Cooking Class | Orchard Lunch | Free Afternoon | Dinner BBQ
After breakfast, you will visit a local goat cheese farm producer where you will taste and experience what has come to be known as the best goat cheese in the world. Then it’s back to the cooking school where you will enjoy a hands-on cooking class, learning the art of soufflés. Lunch will be held in the cooking school’s own orchard. This afternoon is yours to enjoy with a stroll along the riverside, exploring the village, or simply relaxing. This evening, you return to the cooking school for a certificate presentation and flute of champagne, followed by a “Taste of Africa” BBQ. Your instructors visit Africa each year, and will provide stories of their adventures to sweeten the evening’s culinary commentary.
Day 7
Morning Breakfast Buffet
Each morning you will enjoy a full French breakfast before the day’s activities begin. The hotel serves fresh fruit and juices, yogurts, freshly baked pastries and bread, cheeses, homemade jams, charcuterie and eggs to order.
Check Out and Departure
Time flies when you’re having so much fun, but alas…it is time to check out and depart this Loire Valley oasis. Transfers to the Chatellerault TGV Train Station will be provided. May your future travels come from sweet dreams, and create tasty memories!
Yzeures Sur Creuse, France
Winner
OUTSTANDING
CULINARY TRAVEL
Category
Member of ASTA Member of ATTA Member of GSTC