Fully Guided Tours throughout Europe for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
The Loire Valley
Sunday 16 August to Saturday 22 August 2026
7-Day fully guided tour to:
France, exploring the Loire Valley and Atlantic Coast
Headlines
Outline: Riding down to the mouth of the River Loire to then follow the Loire Valley, exploring a winery, finding simply stunning Chateaux in beautiful countryside.
Group Size: 8-14 motorcycles
Ride Rating: BLUE
Destination: The Loire Valley, Nantes, St Nazaire
Tour Duration: 7 days, 6 nights
Hotels: 3 Star en route, 4 Star while in the Loire Valley
Extras Included: Access to St Nazaire Submarine Pens
Distance: 1945 miles
Start and End Point: Portsmouth, UK
Description
The Loire Valley is one of the most beautiful destinations in France, blending history, beautiful countryside and stunning routes to explore. At 800 km2 it is the most extensive area to be included in UNESCOs World Heritage List.
We will be finding medieval towns, fairytale castles, extraordinary history, delicious food and some of France's best wines and luxury chocolates.
Taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, we head first to Mont St Michel for a coffee before turning south to Rennes. From here we head to St Nazaire, the port town at the mouth of the Loire River, before turning inland to discover the extraordinary cities of Angers, Tours and Orleans. Riding up the valley we discover 6 of the most extraordinary French Chateaux that will take your breath away in their grandeur, stopping to have lunch or a crepe in their astonishing grounds.
En route we explore the countryside, with detours to a Winery (tasting their famous wines), visit the 24 Hours of Le Mans museum on the edge of the famous racetrack and visit a luxury chocolate factory.
2026 Prices
- 1 Rider, 1 Bike, exclusive 1 Room £2,565
- 2 Riders, 1 Bike, sharing 1 Room £2,990
- 2 Riders 2 Bikes, sharing 1 Room (each) £1,590
Itinerary
Day 1 (Sunday 16 August)
Our day starts at Portsmouth, where we meet just outside the Port so we can ride to the Ferry Terminal together as a group. Our ferry disembarks at Caen at 3pm, from where we ride to Mont St Michel and then turn south to Rennes, Brittany's historic capital city for the evening.
We'll dine together this evening, the meal paid for by us.
Miles: 128 Meals included: Dinner Overnight: Rennes
Day 2 (Monday 17 August)
This morning we head south from Rennes to the coastal town of St Nazaire. St Nazaire has been strategically key to France for centuries as a principal port with access to the Atlantic and the estuary of the River Loire. The afternoon we turn East to follow the River Loire inland from its estuary through Nantes to Angers. After Nantes we handrail the river itself, which is the western end of the Loire Valley, through beautiful countryside to our hotel for the night in Angers.
Miles: 179 Meals included: Breakfast Overnight: Angers
Day 3 (Tuesday 18 August)
Leaving Angers we're heading ultimately for the town of Tours. We'll rest to have a coffee on the banks of the Loire under the stunning Chateau of Saumur before a short stop onwards to Domain de Rocheville to tour the winery, caves and sample some of their AOP Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc wines. From here we'll ride to the Troglodyte village of Rochemenier for lunch. This afternoon we continue along the Loire to Tours, where we'll stay for the next 2 nights.
Miles: 116 Meals included: Breakfast, Winery Tour Overnight: Tours
Day 4 (Wednesday 19August)
Today we have a day ride-out based from Tours. We're staying at the same hotel for a 2nd night, so there is no need to pack the bikes or check out. If you wish you can lie in and explore the beautiful city of Tours or you can join the ride. The plan is to go to Le Mans for lunch, visit the 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum which is right next to the famous circuit to see the legends of the cars and drivers through the years. We return by a new route back to Tours and the hotel.
Miles: 125 Meals included: Breakfast Overnight: Tours
Day 5 (Thursday 20 August)
A day finding the most astonishing Chateaux in the Loire Valley! Departing Tours we head to Chateau de Chenonceau to have a coffee and pancakes under the astonishing architecture of the chateau that spans the Loire. From here we'll ride to Chateau Chambord for lunch, riding through wonderful countryside and along the Loire. In the afternoon we head to Orleans where we'll rest the the next couple of nights.
Miles: 91 Meals included: Breakfast Overnight: Orleans
Day 6 (Friday 21 August)
We spend the day based in Orleans, so we don't have to pack our bikes. There is a beautiful ride planned through the countryside today, finishing with a visit to the Alex Olivier chocolate factory! There's the opportunity to try and buy chocolates for family at home (if only you don't eat them all!). As we're returning to the same hotel you have the option to lie in and explore Orleans or ride out on a beautiful scenic local tour.
Miles: 138 Meals included: Breakfast, Chocolate Factory Tour Overnight: Orleans
Day 7 (Saturday 22 August)
This morning we head North and back to Caen and our Ferry home. En route we stop off at Chartres to have a coffee, riding through some beautiful countryside, passing through medieval towns as we head North to Caen. Our ferry is set for late afternoon, arriving at Portsmouth around 9pm.
The tour ends as we pass through Border Control at Portsmouth.
Miles: 178 Meals included: Breakfast Overnight: not applicable
What's included
- Outbound and return ferry crossing
- 3* and 4* hotel accommodation
- Secure parking at overnight hotels
- Breakfast every day
- 2 evening meals on our journey
- Entry to St Nazaire Submarine Pens
- Detailed daily routes planned
- Fully-guided Tour with an experienced Tour Leader
- Specific Tour T-Shirt
- Comprehensive tour itinerary
- Digital GPS files for your satnav (daily GPX1.1 files)
- Advice for riding in Europe
What’s not included….
- Fuel
- Road tolls where payment is made at the time
- All other meals and drinks
- Recovery back to the UK in the event of a breakdown
Tour Information
Tour size: Our group sizes normally range from 8 to 14 motorcycles.
typical day timings: Each day, we normally start riding at 8.30am and aim to be at our hotel by 5-6pm having covered in the region of 100 miles. We try to avoid motorways wherever possible and only use these when there is no real alternative or where making progress gets us to better roads.
Hotels: Riding to and from the Loire Valley we'll use a good quality 3 Star hotel. Whilst staying in the Loire Valley, we're booked into a lovely 4 Star hotel. Once in the Loire Valley, we're staying in the same hotel with daily rides to explore the area.
Wet weather programme: This tour is unique as we're based in the same hotel whilst in the Loire Valley. We do have dry and wet weather programme each day regarding each day's destination. During any exceptionally inclement weather, we will pull over for short periods. If the weather is truly biblical we may turn off the scenic routes and onto motorways. We could experience a range of different types of weather, so bring waterproofs, just in case.
Payments: a deposit secures your place on the tour, with the balance to be paid in four equal payments before the tour starts. If you prefer, you can pay the balance of the cost of the tour earlier than this.
Ride Rating: All our tours are rated for skill/difficulty; this tour is rated BLUE. Please see our FAQ for more detailed explanation on our Ride Rating. If you are at all unsure if your riding ability suits this tour, please reach out to us and we will be happy to advise.