Nymphea

Moulin de Nitray
Sunday
Guests are met near Tours and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to hotel barge Nymphea where the crew and a Champagne welcomes await you at our mooring opposite the 17th-century Moulin de Nitray.
Dinner on board.

Moulin de Nitray to Larcay
Monday
After breakfast, a gentle morning cruise takes us through two locks to the quaint town of Larcay where we moor under the weeping willows for lunch.
In the afternoon we enjoy the first of our excursions,  to explore the Chateau de Villandry, the last of the great Renaissance chateaux to be built on the banks of the Loire.
The chateau is world-renowned for its fantastic variety of ornamental, water, vegetable and herb gardens.
Dinner on board.

Larcay to Vallet
Tuesday
After a morning cruise past no less than six private chateaux, we tie up opposite the hamlet of Vallet, consisting of a  cluster of classic Tourangeau architecture grouped around its 18th-century mill. After lunch, we drive to Amboise on the banks of the Loire, where we visit the Royal Chateau d'Amboise, a royal residence of the kings of France for 200 years.
We also visit nearby Chateau de Clos Luce, where  Leonardo Da Vinci spent the last three years of his life.
Dinner on board.

Vallet to Chissay-en-Touraine
Wednesday
While cruising in the morning, we may pull in to the tiny landing stage near to Domaine-de-Fontenay.
A two-minute walk brings us into the courtyard where we can taste their range of Touraine wines as an aperitif before lunch.
In the afternoon we cruise under the 5-arch bridge of the impressive Chateau de Chenonceau and moor at Chisseaux.
From there we take a short drive in the air-conditioned minibus to visit Chenonceau, often called The Ladies Chateau, after those such as Henry II's mistress, Diane de Poitiers. She added the bridge over the river Cher and the beautiful gardens.
Upon our return, we cruise upstream to Chissay-en-Touraine and have Dinner tonight in one of the local restaurants specializing in Loire cuisine.

Chissay-en-Touraine to Montrichard
Thursday
A morning cruise takes us towards the troglodyte village of Bourre, and we moor and explore some of the more unusual dwellings.
The Coquilat family have grown up in this hillside troglodyte habitation, which has in turn been a wine cellar, a quarry for the tuffeau stone, and lastly, a silkworm nursery.
After lunch, we drive to the Château of Valencay, which George Sand declared to be "one of the most beautiful on earth".
Enjoy an evening cruise to Montrichard where we moor for the night.
Dinner on board.

Montrichard to Moulin de Nitray
Friday
Following breakfast, a short stroll takes us to the heart of Montrichard and into one of the largest street markets in Touraine.
We explore the 11th-century chateau overlooking the medieval town square.
Before lunch we can visit the local vineyard of the Meriau family, to taste the regional Touraine wines.
In the afternoon, we enjoy another passage under Chenonceau and arrive at the hamlet of Nitray in time to visit the château and magnificently scented rose garden.
Enjoy an aperitif from their vineyards before the Captain's Farewell Dinner on board.

Moulin de Nitray
Saturday
After breakfast, guests will be transferred by private chauffeured minibus to the drop-off point near Tours.