Private Castle Tours in France: The 15 We Would Book

1.Château of Versailles and Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 126 reviews · from $95Our pick

Spend about five hours at Versailles with a private guide, exploring Louis XIV’s apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, formal gardens, Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet. Guides such as Myriam, Katerina, Remy, Dimitri, and José have earned strong praise for their warmth and storytelling. Paris pickup may be available, but confirm transfer details before booking.

“The guide was great. He knew everything about the history of the palace great tour!!! My family and I loved it.”

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2.Loire Valley Castles VIP Private Tour: Chambord, Chenonceaux, Amboise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $916Top rated

Leave Paris at 7:00 am for a private 13-hour Loire Valley tour by comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle. Visit Amboise, Chenonceau, and Chambord with an expert art historian guide, see Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb, stop for a photo at Clos Lucé, and return to your Paris hotel without renting a car.

“Julienne is brilliant, knowledgeable and was just amazing with us. We learnt so much and had one of the best day tours we’ve ever had as a family with brilliant food and a surprise picnic and forest walk thrown in for good measure! Thank you for making our holiday perfect!”

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3.5H00 ALSACE PRIVATE TOUR-Castle, Villages, Wine, Friendly Driver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 5 hours (approx.)

Travel from Strasbourg in a private air-conditioned electric vehicle with an English, French, or German-speaking driver. Visit Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle, stroll through Riquewihr, and taste Alsatian wine with a winemaker at Cave Bucher Jean Luc. Pickup, drop-off, and water are included.

“Stephania was absolutely amazing! We toured a few of the villages, visited the Alsatian wine region, and then the best was by far Riquewier. I highly recommend Stephania!”

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4.Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 34 reviews · 8 hours · from $303

Travel from Paris to Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte in a private vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off. See Napoleon’s throne, explore royal rooms, then tour Fouquet’s grand château and its French gardens. Drivers such as Yasser, Anas, and Nasser have escorted guests inside and helped them get started with the audio guides.

“I recommand with all my heart this trip with OK TOURS .It is a private tour and our guide was the best. Everything was perfect.”

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5.Chateau of Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte 9-Hour Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $649

Spend about nine hours with a private guide and driver visiting Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte from Paris. Guides such as Lilite, Kiko, and Stefan bring the palaces to life, while private transport, included admission, and hotel pickup keep the day easy. Lunch is your own expense.

“Lilette was amazing! We had a fantastique tour of Fontainebleau. Unfortunately our son became ill after lunch but both our driver and Lilette were so helpful and accommodating. Then the second chateau unexpectedly closed and we were unable to tour it. However, once again Lilette and the driver came to our rescue and we were able to do an impromptu tour of the Basilica of St. Denis instead. Despite our son not feeling great, it was otherwise a wonderful day!!!!”

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6.Private Day Trip to the Châteaux DE la Loire

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 7 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $661

Leave Paris at 7 a.m. for a private, air-conditioned ride to Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau, and Cheverny. You’ll see Leonardo da Vinci’s double staircase, Chenonceau’s bridge gallery, Cheverny’s hunting hounds, and gardens shaped by French royalty. Pickup is available from your inn or airport, with English service and admissions included.

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7.Sarlat : Private tour to Prehistoric Cave + Medieval Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $222

Meet your guide at Place Pasteur in Sarlat for a private four-and-a-half-hour journey from Paleolithic life to the Middle Ages. Watch fire-making and cave-lighting demonstrations, enter a chilly cave with paintings more than 30,000 years old, then visit Beynac Castle. English and French tours are available.

“David was an outstanding guide! We learned alot from him. Excellent tour! Highly recommend!”

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8.Sarlat : Private Tour to Prehistoric Cave + Castle by Exploreo24

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $221

Join Exploreo24 for a 4.5-hour private afternoon tour from Sarlat or Les Eyzies. Guide David may lead you through the 30,000-year-old art at Grottes de Cougnac, explain Ice Age life, and demonstrate Cro-Magnon fire-making before a private Beynac Castle visit and a photo stop in La Roque-Gageac.

“Amazing caves and David brought to life with his knowledge and demonstrations. CASTLE TOUR great too!”

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9.A day in Saint-Émilion and its Châteaux in a private tour (Van Luxe)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.)

You’ll spend 8 to 9 hours with a private driver-guide exploring Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, and three château estates. Expect vineyard visits, tastings, a village walk, lunch at La Terrasse Rouge, and views toward famous names such as Château Petrus. Hotel pickup in central Bordeaux is available.

“Fabulous, flexible, exclusive, beautiful, historic, accommodating - we had two little kids and two elderly— was very accommodating and customized experiences so children had a great time with games and puzzles and things to do at the wineries. Thank you Catherine!”

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10.Private tour: Chateaux de Vaux le Vicomte & Fontainebleau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 10h 30m · from $306

Travel by private vehicle from your Paris hotel to Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte. Guides including Andy, Sandra, and Rado provide help and commentary, while audio guides are available in six languages. Entry tickets and hotel transfers are included, but lunch is your responsibility.

“Rado was amazing, we had a great time. Would definitely recommend.”

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11.Blois: Private Tour of Blois Castle with Entry Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 6 reviews · 2 hours · from $276

Meet your licensed guide at Place du Château for a private two-hour visit to Blois Castle. See the royal apartments, François I’s dining room, Renaissance furniture, tapestries, the preserved Studiolo, and art by Ingres, Rubens, and Boucher. Tours are offered in English, French, Italian, or Spanish.

“Audrey was exceptional, very well educated and informed on the history of Chsteau de Blois. Great guide!”

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12.Bordeaux to Dordogne – Private Tour: Fortified Castles and Medieval Villages

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Travel from Bordeaux into the Dordogne by private, air-conditioned vehicle with a guide such as Christian, stopping in Sarlat, hilltop Domme, a riverside village, and Castelnaud Castle. You’ll have time for lunch, local food shopping, broad valley views, and optional visits to Castelnaud or Marqueyssac Gardens.

“The excursion was pricey, but worth it. The quaint little towns along the Dordogne are incredibly picturesque and are the epitome of beautiful French countryside. Christian, our guide/driver is very knowledgeable, and he couldn’t have been nicer. Definitely a highlight of our 11-day stay in the Bordeaux area.”

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13.Bordeaux to Dordogne: Castles & Villages Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3 reviews · 8 hours

Travel from Bordeaux in a private electric car with a multilingual driver-guide, including Christian when available. You can shape the day around Sarlat, Dordogne castles, medieval villages, gardens, caves, food, and wine. The listed route includes Les Eyzies, Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Château de Beynac, and Marqueyssac.

“Christian’s tour of Dordogne was wonderful. It was so special to be able to get away from the city and tour the countryside - river, valley, farmland, castles and medieval villages. Christian entertained us with many stories - historical and contemporary. He was very friendly and relaxed.”

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14.Old Town & Castle Hill Private Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $176

Walk Nice with Aram, a passionate local guide from Guide d’Azur. You’ll explore Vieux Nice, Cours Saleya, Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, Castle Hill, and Nice Harbour, with time for questions, local stories, nougat tasting, and photos. The private tour lasts 2 to 4 hours and finishes at Place Garibaldi.

“We had a wonderful walking tour of Nice with Aram! He was friendly, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable about the city’s history and culture. He shared so many interesting details we never would have discovered on our own and kept the tour fun and relaxed and was happy to stop and answer our questions as they came up. Highly recommend Aram if you want to experience Nice through the eyes of a local!”

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15.Loire Valley Castles: VIP Private Tour from Paris 3 Castles

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 12 hours

Leave Paris early with a private licensed guide, luxury car or minibus, and timed entry to Amboise, Chambord, and Chenonceau. You will see Leonardo da Vinci’s final home, grand Renaissance rooms, and Chenonceau’s bridge over the Cher River. Lunch is not included, but your guide recommends a local place.

“Bertrand was fun and made the day even more so. It was a long day but he gave us enough information and enough free time to balance everything.”

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