Grand Loire Expedition with AI Audio Guide

Loire Valley, France
Duration7 days
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
Group sizeUp to 2 travelers

Overview

With your personal AI guide you aren't restricted to major landmarks and limited stories any more! Explore iconic sites like Château de Beaugency, Maison de Jeanne d'Arc, Orléans Cathedral or any other popular or less known landmark, historical building or even piece of art. You can ask about literally anything which catches your eye: whole city district, hidden street corner, intriguing frescoes...

Key Features for Your French Holiday:

Snap a photo of any ancient ruin, fountain, or masterpiece and instantly receive a fascinating story. It’s like having a historian in your pocket!

Navigate seamlessly with map-based audio tours, giving you full flexibility.

Choose a narrator persona—from an in-depth local guide to a fun, kid-friendly companion—to tailor the stories to your interests.

Offline Ready: Download guides in advance so you never miss a story, even without Wi-Fi.

7 days premium subscription included. Available both for iPhones and Android smartphones

What's included

  • Unlimited narrated stories for any attraction
  • 7 days premium app access for iPhone or Android
  • Interactive maps with routes and recommendations
  • Instant stories by photo or from the map

What to expect

Day 1: Day 1: The Royal Gateway (Orléans to Blois)
  1. Cathedrale Sainte-Croix Orleans
    Pass by
    Stand beneath the soaring twin towers of this Gothic masterpiece. Use your camera to let Herodot AI decode the stained glass narrating the life of Joan of Arc.
  2. Maison De Jeanne D'arc Orleans
    Pass by
    Step into the reconstructed timber-framed house where the "Maid of Orléans" stayed. Your guide reveals the strategic military genius behind the teenage icon.
  3. Hotel Groslot Orleans
    Pass by
    Admire this red-brick Renaissance mansion. Snap a photo of the bronze statue of Joan of Arc to hear about the royal receptions held in these very rooms.
  4. Place du Martroi
    Pass by
    Capture the grand equestrian statue at the city’s heart. Explore the surrounding cafes at your own pace while learning about the city's 1429 liberation.
  5. Parc Floral de La Source
    Pass by
    Discover where the Loiret river is born. Your AI buddy explains the unique "resurgence" phenomenon of this underground spring.
  6. Chateau de Meung sur Loire
    Pass by
    Explore the "Castle of Two Faces"—part medieval fortress, part classical palace. Dive into the dark history of its underground dungeons.
  7. Chateau de Beaugency - Chateau de Lumieres
    Pass by
    Witness history meet light. Use the app to understand how this 11th-century keep evolved into a Renaissance residence.
  8. Pass by
    Snap the Romanesque facade to uncover why a 12th-century church council here changed the course of French royalty.
  9. Pass by
    View the former home of Madame de Pompadour. Learn how the King’s favorite transformed this estate into a pinnacle of Enlightenment style.
  10. Chateau de La Ferte Saint Aubin
    Pass by
    Discover a castle where you can actually play. Snap the historical games in the courtyard to learn about 17th-century leisure.
  11. Pass by
    Stand before the tomb of King Louis XI. Ask Herodot why this King chose a humble pilgrimage site over the royal necropolis.
  12. Chateau de Chambord
    Pass by
    Get your first glimpse of the 365 chimneys. Use your lens to identify the "Salamander" emblem of Francis I carved into the stone.
  13. Chateau de Villesavin
    Pass by
    Known as the "Chambord construction hut." See the rare 16th-century Italian fountain and hear about the workers who built the giants.
  14. Chateau de Beauregard
    Pass by
    Enter the "Gallery of Illustrious." Snap the 327 portraits to get a 15-minute crash course in 300 years of European history.
  15. Pass by
    Stand in the square and use your camera to see four centuries of architecture in one frame—from Medieval to Classicism.
Day 2: Day 2: The Heart of the Renaissance (Blois to Amboise)
  1. Maison De La Magie
    Pass by
    Watch the dragon emerge from the windows. Learn about Robert-Houdin, the father of modern magic who inspired Houdini.
  2. Pass by
    Capture the modern stained glass hitting the ancient stone.
  3. Escalier Denis Papin
    Pass by
    Climb the decorated stairs for a panoramic view of the Loire.
  4. Chateau De Chaumont Sur Loire
    Pass by
    Stand on the drawbridge of this fairy-tale fortress.
  5. Le Chateau du Clos Luce - Parc Leonardo da Vinci
    Pass by
    Walk the halls where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final days.
  6. Chateau Royal d'Amboise
    Pass by
    Stand at the balcony where kings watched the river.
  7. Pass by
    Pay your respects at the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci.
  8. Chateau-Gaillard
    Pass by
    Discover the "Forgotten Palace." Learn about the first orange trees brought to France from Italy.
  9. Chanteloup
    Pass by
    Climb this 44-meter "folly" for a 360-degree view of the Amboise forest.
  10. Chateau de Chenonceau
    Pass by
    Witness the "Ladies' Castle" spanning the River Cher.
  11. Pass by
    Explore the perfectly geometric parterres of the King’s mistress.
  12. Caves Ambacia
    Pass by
    Descend into 15th-century wine cellars. Snap the dust-covered bottles to learn about the "King of Wines," Vouvray.
Day 3: Day 3: Fortresses and Vineyards (Tours to Chinon)
  1. Pass by
    Admire the flamboyant Gothic facade. Your guide points out the "symphony in stone" detailing the evolution of French religious architecture over 400 years.
  2. Pass by
    Visit the shrine of the soldier-saint. Capture the neo-Byzantine dome while Herodot AI tells the story of how Tours became a global pilgrimage hub.
  3. Place Plumereau
    Pass by
    Stand in what was voted "France’s most beautiful square." Snap the timber-framed houses to hear about 15th-century merchant life.
  4. Pass by
    Step into the world's most famous ornamental garden. Your camera identifies the symbolic meanings behind the "Gardens of Love" hedges.
  5. Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau
    Pass by
    Capture the reflection of this "Isle of Stone" in the Indre River. Learn how it was built by a financier who lost everything to the King.
  6. Chateau de L'Islette
    Pass by
    Walk the grounds where Rodin and Camille Claudel hid their forbidden romance. Use your lens to find the spots where "The Kiss" was inspired.
  7. Chateau d'Usse
    Pass by
    Stand before the towers that inspired Sleeping Beauty. Your AI buddy narrates the fairy tales of Charles Perrault hidden in the architecture.
  8. Chateau d'Usse
    Pass by
    Snap these giants brought from Lebanon in 1808. Learn about the Napoleonic era's obsession with exotic botany.
  9. Chateau de Langeais
    Pass by
    Cross the only working manual drawbridge in the Loire. Watch the re-enactment of the secret royal wedding that joined Brittany to France.
  10. Forteresse Royale De Chinon
    Pass by
    Explore the 500-meter-long walls where Joan of Arc first recognized the Dauphin. Hear the echoes of the Plantagenet kings.
  11. The Clock Tower - Royal Fortress of Chinon
    Pass by
    Climb the narrow stairs. Snap the panoramic view of the Vienne valley while the app identifies the medieval city layout below.
  12. Pass by
    Walk the docks of Chinon. Your guide explains how flat-bottomed boats once carried the region's "Black Gold" (tufa stone) to build the castles.
  13. Caves Plouzeau
    Pass by
    Descend into a quarry-turned-wine-cellar directly under the castle. Learn about the "Tufa" stone's role in aging Chinon’s red wines.
  14. Pass by
    Visit the birthplace of the giant-creator. Learn about the "Gargantua" legends that still define French gastronomy.
  15. Chapelle Sainte Radegonde
    Pass by
    Discover this half-hidden rock-cut chapel. Capture the 12th-century frescoes depicting a mysterious royal hunt.
Day 4: Day 4: Underground Secrets and Tufa Stone (Chinon to Saumur)
  1. Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
    Pass by
    Enter the largest monastic city in Europe. Stand before the effigies of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart.
  2. Chateau de Montsoreau - Musee d'Art Contemporain
    Pass by
    Visit the only castle built directly on the Loire riverbed. Use your lens to see how the water level has changed over 500 years.
  3. Chateau de Breze
    Pass by
    Discover the "Castle within a Castle." Your camera reveals a massive dry moat and a hidden underground fortress 30 feet below ground.
  4. Chateau-musee De Saumur
    Pass by
    Capture the "Disney-like" turrets against the blue sky. Your guide explains why it was once called the "Castle of Love" in the Duke of Berry's manuscripts.
  5. Pass by
    Watch the elite riders of the National Riding School. Snap a photo to learn the physics of the "Courbette" and "Cabriole" jumps.
  6. Musee Des Blindes
    Pass by
    See one of the world's largest collections of armored vehicles. Let your guide narrate the 1940 Battle of Saumur.
  7. Pass by
    Cycle through the cellars! Use your app to navigate the "Sunken Cathedral"—an underground quarry carved into gothic arches.
  8. Pierre et Lumiere
    Pass by
    See the Loire’s greatest monuments carved in miniature into the cave walls. Your camera "identifies" the real-life counterparts.
  9. Le Dolmen de Bagneux
    Pass by
    Stand inside one of the largest Neolithic burial chambers in Europe. Your guide explains the mystery of how these 60-ton stones were moved.
  10. Chapelle Royale des Ardilliers
    Pass by
    Admire the massive dome. Hear about the miracles that turned this riverside chapel into a royal destination for the Medici family.
  11. Pass by
    Walk across to the Île d'Offard. Capture the classic "postcard view" of the castle while hearing about the river's shifting sands.
Day 5: Day 5: The Black Prince and The Apocalypse (Saumur to Angers)
  1. Chateau de Gizeux
    Pass by
    Visit the longest inhabited castle in the region. Snap the 17th-century wall paintings that cover entire galleries.
  2. Chateau de Brissac
    Pass by
    Stand before the tallest castle in France. Your guide reveals why it has "two faces" and tells the legend of the "Green Lady" ghost.
  3. Chateau de Serrant
    Pass by
    Explore the library of 12,000 rare books. Use your camera to identify the original signatures of French kings and Napoleon.
  4. Chateau d'Angers
    Pass by
    Approach the 17 massive towers of this "Black and White" fortress. Your guide explains the use of schist and limestone for psychological warfare.
  5. Cathedrale Saint-Maurice d'Angers
    Pass by
    Snap the unique "Plantagenet" vaults. Learn how this architectural style differs from the Gothic style of Paris.
  6. La Maison d'Adam
    Pass by
    Capture the "House of Adam and Eve"—the most famous timber house in Angers. Find the "Tree of Life" carving with your lens.
  7. Pass by
    See the modern "Chant du Monde" tapestries. Contrast this 20th-century masterpiece with the medieval one you saw at the castle.
  8. Galerie David d'Angers
    Pass by
    Step into a glass-roofed 13th-century abbey. Snap the white plaster sculptures to learn about the man who carved the heroes of the Pantheon.
  9. Place du Ralliement
    Pass by
    Stand at the social heart of Angers. Hear about the theater that burned down three times and the "rallying" of the people.
  10. Jardin des Plantes
    Pass by
    Escape to this 18th-century botanical garden. Use your camera to find the "Empress Josephine" rose collection.
  11. Chateau Medieval d'Oudon
    Pass by
    Climb the octagonal tower. Hear the story of the river tolls and the sailors who risked their lives on the "Wild River."
Day 6: Day 6: The Atlantic Gateway (Angers to Nantes)
  1. Chateau de Goulaine
    Pass by
    Enter the first of the Loire castles. Snap the "Butterfly Aviation" house and hear about the family that has owned the estate for 1,000 years.
  2. Chateau Des Ducs De Bretagne
    Pass by
    Stand within the last great castle of the Loire. Learn how the Edict of Nantes changed the history of religious freedom.
  3. Cathedrale Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Nantes
    Pass by
    See the tomb of Francis II. Hear the story of how the cathedral survived a fire in 2020 and the massive restoration efforts.
  4. Passage Pommeraye
    Pass by
    Photograph this 19th-century shopping arcade. Your guide explains its role as a "temple of consumption" during the Industrial Revolution.
  5. Les Machines De L'ile
    Pass by
    Stand beneath the 40-foot Mechanical Elephant. Your AI buddy explains the engineering inspired by Jules Verne and Da Vinci.
  6. Pass by
    Witness a three-story mechanical aquarium. Snap the "giant crab" to hear about the deep-sea monsters of Verne's imagination.
  7. Musee Jules Verne
    Pass by
    Perched on a cliff overlooking the Loire. Dive into the mind of the man who predicted the moon landing and submarines.
  8. Le Lieu Unique
    Pass by
    Visit the former LU biscuit factory turned art center. Snap the "biscuit tower" and learn about Nantes’ industrial rebirth.
  9. Village de Trentemoult
    Pass by
    Explore the vibrant, multi-colored houses of this former fishing village. Hear why the houses were painted with leftover boat paint.
  10. Le Serpent d'Ocean
    Pass by
    Stand before the massive skeleton of a sea serpent emerging from the Atlantic at Saint-Brevin. Hear the legends of sea monsters.
  11. Escal'Atlantic
    Pass by
    Step inside a reconstructed ocean liner. Your guide narrates the "Golden Age" of transatlantic travel from Nantes to New York.
  12. Pass by
    Watch the "Paludiers" harvest fleur de sel. Use your camera to see how the sun and wind create the "white gold" of France.
Day 7: Day 7: The Explorer’s Bonus (Additional Wonders)
  1. Pass by
    The final resting place of Richard the Lionheart.
  2. Chateau d'Usse
    Pass by
    The inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
  3. Chateau de Langeais
    Pass by
    See the oldest keep in France and a royal wedding re-enactment.
  4. Chateau de Valencay
    Pass by
    The opulent home of the diplomat Talleyrand.
  5. Chateau de Montresor
    Pass by
    One of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France."
  6. Chateau du Rivau
    Pass by
    Medieval architecture meets whimsical contemporary art.
  7. Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau
    Pass by
    A gem of the early Renaissance set on an island.
  8. Chateau de L'Islette
    Pass by
    The secret love nest of Camille Claudel and Rodin.
  9. Chateau-musee De Saumur
    Pass by
    The "Castle of Love" overlooking the equestrian capital.
  10. Le Cadre Noir
    Pass by
    Watch the elite French National Riding School in action.
  11. Cave Museum, Village Troglodytique de Rochemenier
    Pass by
    Explore a town carved entirely into the rock.
  12. Chateau de Brissac
    Pass by
    The tallest castle in France, boasting seven stories.
  13. Chateau de Serrant
    Pass by
    Home to one of the most incredible private libraries in Europe.
  14. Chateau Des Ducs De Bretagne
    Pass by
    The last castle before the Atlantic.
  15. Les Machines De L'ile
    Pass by
    Ride the Great Elephant in Jules Verne’s birthplace.
  16. Chateau de Sully-sur-Loire
    Pass by
    A moated fortress that protected Joan of Arc.
  17. Le chateau de Giens
    Pass by
    Discover the history of hunting and world-famous pottery.
  18. Castle of Saint-Brisson-sur-Loire
    Pass by
    Try your hand at medieval catapults.
  19. Chateau de la Buissiere
    Pass by
    The "Fisherman’s Castle" with a massive vegetable garden.
  20. Pass by
    A modern attempt to build a 13th-century castle from scratch.
  21. Prieure Saint-Cosme - Demeure de Ronsard
    Pass by
    The home of poet Pierre de Ronsard.
  22. Chateau de Luynes
    Pass by
    Perched on a cliff, dominating the Loire valley.
  23. Le Chateau de Cinq-Mars
    Pass by
    See the ruins of a conspirator’s demolished castle.
  24. Chateau de Montsoreau - Musee d'Art Contemporain
    Pass by
    The only castle built directly in the Loire riverbed.
  25. Pass by
    Where Joan of Arc first met the future King Charles VII.
  26. Pass by
    One of the most imposing fortified cities in Europe.
  27. Chateau of Chateaudun
    Pass by
    The first of the Loire castles when coming from Paris.
  28. Chateau de Fougeres-sur-Bievre
    Pass by
    A perfect example of a small, fortified manor.
  29. Chateau de Troussay
    Pass by
    The smallest of the Loire Châteaux, full of recycled art.
  30. Chateau de Cheverny
    Pass by
    The inspiration for Marlinspike Hall in the Tintin comics.
  31. Chateau de Champchevrier
    Pass by
    Still inhabited by the same family since 1728.
  32. Chateau de Montgeoffroy
    Pass by
    An untouched 18th-century masterpiece with original furniture.
  33. Chateau du Plessis-Bourre
    Pass by
    Surrounded by a moat so wide it looks like a lake.
  34. Chateau d'Angers
    Pass by
    Home to the massive, 100-meter-long Apocalypse Tapestry.
  35. Segre-en-Anjou Bleu
    Pass by
    Explore the slate mines that gave the region its "black" roofs.
  36. Pass by
    A 10th-century fortress hidden beneath a 16th-century castle.
  37. Chateau de Nitray
    Pass by
    Discover a functional Renaissance vineyard and winery.
  38. Pass by
    Admire the unique brick-and-stone architecture.
  39. Pass by
    Home to a world-famous "Tomato Conservatory."
  40. Chateau de Goulaine
    Pass by
    The first "Château de la Loire" near Nantes, famous for its biscuits.
  41. Village de Trentemoult
    Pass by
    A colorful fisherman's village on the banks of the Loire.
  42. Chateau de la Verrerie
    Pass by
    A Scottish-influenced gem in the heart of France.
  43. Pass by
    Known as the "Little Carcassonne" of the north.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

You can start your journey at any place in Orleans and travel at your pace. Just download the app to your phone

End point

You can start your journey at any place in Orleans and travel at your pace. Just download the app to your phone

Additional information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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€9.99 per person
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  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
  • Instant confirmation
  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
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