Day One

• Arrival at Blois train station on your own. A taxi will be waiting for you to transfer you to your accommodation.
• Check-in at your accommodation. Please note that rooms are available after 3:30 PM. The mannor house is located in the heart of the Châteaux de la Loire (Castles of the Loire Valley), close to the major historical sites of the French Renaissance. The owner, Madame Fontanelle, designed the rooms herself.
• Enjoy a relaxing afternoon before beginning your culinary vacation.
• Welcome dinner, wine included.

Day Two

• Pick-up in the morning by your English-speaking chauffeur and transfer to Blois.
• This morning you will go to the restaurant "Le Medicis", where Chef Damien Garanger welcomes you for a cooking class demonstration. Chef Garanger trained in Michelin-star restaurants in the Loire Valley (“Domaine des Hauts de Loire”), and in Paris and Burgundy. After a few years traveling around the world (Saint Martin, Cyprus, Moscow), he is now back in his region of origin.
• Gourmet lunch in the restaurant with the recipes you have prepared.
• After lunch, a visit of the Chateau de Blois. which is unique due to its mixture of four architectural styles: Gothic, Flamboyant, Renaissance and Classic. Erected by the Counts of Blois, Louis XII, Francois I and Louis XIII, this chateau was the site of well-known historical events.
• Enjoy a great magic show at the house of magic, tribute to the famous magician Robert Houdin, born in Blois. (The famous American magician Houdini took his stage name from his famous French predecessor.) You will have a chance to wander from room to room and discover all the tricks used by magicians.
• Free time and shopping in Blois. This ancient city boasts a rich historical past. In the sixteenth century Blois was the capital of France under King Louis XII. Stroll through the old town along its paved side-streets.
• Dinner back at the manor house, drinks included.

Day Three

• Your chauffeur will pick you up for your excursion to Chambord.
• Visit of the Chateau of Chambord. Chambord was the very first Chateau of the Valley to be proclaimed by UNESCO as a world heritage. It was commissioned in 1519 by King Francois I to Leonardo Da Vinci and his architects.
• Lunch on your own in Chambord.
• Transfer to Cheverny.
• Visit of the Chateau of Cheverny. In the 17th century Cheverny was the first chateau incarnating the classic style in the Loire Valley. Built by the governor of Blois city, this chateau is known for the richness of its interiors, which have been kept unaltered thanks to its owners, the Hurault family. Cheverny presents a magnificent collection of furniture and master paintings from the Renaissance period.
• Return to the manor house for your next cooking course with your hostess and your guide. Your cooking class will feature all the freshest ingredients, and the chef will teach you methods you can transfer to your home cooking.
• Dinner to follow based on your efforts, wine included.

Day Four

• Morning pick-up by your English-speaking chauffeur.
• Visit of the Chateau of Chenonceau. The unique architecture of the Chateau makes it one of the most exquisite Chateaux of the Loire Valley. Chenonceau is related to important French Renaissance women and was offered by King Henry II to his mistress Diane de Poitiers.
• Transfer to Amboise. Enjoy the exceptional matured wines of the Loire Valley: you are welcomed in Caves Duhard, established in 1874. Its owner and wine maker Daniel Gatay is specialized in matured Loire Valley wines. You will discover a large range of vintages, from 1959 to the present. The caves were originally carved in the 12th century. Many of the stones extracted from the caves were used for the construction of the Chateaux and Cathedrals of the region.
• Lunch is served in a private room next to the cave. We will present a selection of local specialties (Rillons de Touraine, charcuteries), salads, and an outstanding selection of cheeses. The cheese selection will be by Rodolphe Meunier (2007 France Master Cheese Affineur “Refiner” and 2007 World Champion Cheese Affineur “Refiner”). All wines are selected by Daniel Gatay to match perfectly the local dishes and cheeses. You will have a chance to taste wines form 1960 to the present.
• Next is the Chateau of Amboise. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, this authentic royal castle introduced Italian style to the Loire valley. Relive the warmth of the past in this historical place thanks to the presence of an exceptional collection of Gothic and Renaissance furnishings. In the Saint-Hubert chapel, the tomb of Leonardo Da Vinci has recently been elegantly restored.
• Return to your accommodation in the late afternoon.
• Dinner at the manor house, wine included.

Day Five

• Transfer to Bourré. In a troglodyte village of Touraine in the heart of the Châteaux of the Loire, lies the Cave des Roches. It was from this former tufa (lime stone) quarry that the stone was extracted to build the jewels of the Renaissance: Chambord, Cheverny and Chenonceaux, among others. This stone has the unique feature of both hardening and whitening in contact with the air.
• The Cave des Roches at Bourré is the only example in the world of the complete production of different varieties of mushroom at 50 meters underground. The farm covers 120 kilometers of galleries on seven levels.
• Three-course lunch at the mushroom cave, drinks included.
• Visit of the Chateau du Clos Lucé. This Manor was the last residence of the Genius Leonardo Da Vinci where he spent the last four years of his life. You will discover in the Manor and the gardens some of his inventions: the helicopter, the parachute, the mobile bridge, and the tank.
• Transfer to Villandry. Visit of the Gardens of the Chateau of Villandry. Villandry was the last Chateau built during the Renaissance period. It is today famous around the world for its unique French terrace gardens.
• Return to your accommodation. Dinner at the manor house, drinks included.

Day Six

• Following breakfast, your chauffeur will drive you to the Blois train station, where you can catch a train to Paris.

Included in the cooking vacation:

• Five nights accommodation in manor house
• Two cooking sessions
• Nightly dinners (drinks included)
• Three lunches (drinks included)
• All transfers in an air-conditioned, comfortable mini-van
• Entrance tickets and guided tour of the Chateaux Cheverny, Chambord, Clos Lucé, Chenonceau, Villandry and Amboise*
• Visit and wine tastings in Amboise
• Bourré mushroom farm

*Please note that while the cooking classes are private, the visits to the monuments are not, although the number of participants is limited to 8.