Guided tours

Duration : 1h30 - Price : 10€ Take a guided tour of the emblematic Vieux Tours district, which stretches around Place Plumereau, led by a tour guide. Medieval timber-framed and stone houses stand side by side with exceptional town houses. These homes bear witness to the prosperity of this part of the town, which grew up around a huge collegiate church dedicated to Saint Martin. Once home to the body of the saint, it was the centre of one of the oldest pilgrimages in Christendom. This tour has been awarded the Ville d'Art et d'Histoire label.

Duration: 2h - Price: from10 € From the founding of Tours in the 1st century to the flourishing of the Renaissance, discover the city through the key dates in its history under the guidance of a tour guide. The city of Tours was founded in the 1st century on the left bank of the Loire. In the Middle Ages, two distinct areas developed: one built around the Cathedral, the other around a huge collegiate church dedicated to Saint Martin, the Châteauneuf area, also known as Old Tours. Tours was the royal capital from 1440 to 1520, and at the end of the Middle Ages and beginning of the Renaissance, almost all of the city's residences were rebuilt. From this flourishing period, the town inherited a homogeneous collection of old houses and religious buildings, which you can discover on this tour. This tour has been awarded the Ville d'Art et d'Histoire label.

Duration: 1h30 - Price: from 10 € The Tours Loire Valley Tourist Office and the city of Tours are offering a guided tour of ‘Ancient Tours’. Tours was founded in the 1st century as a Roman capital on the territory of the Turones. In the Middle Ages, the town developed in two directions: to the west, the Châteauneuf district, which grew out of the pilgrimage of Saint Martin, was under the authority of the bishop. A royal city at the end of the Middle Ages, Tours enjoyed tremendous prosperity. In the 18th century, the city benefited from the policy of opening up the kingdom's cities with the creation of the new Spanish road. The arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century and the annexation of the commune of Saint-Etienne confirmed the town's southward expansion. The second half of the 20th century was marked by the reconstruction of the upper part of the Rue Nationale and major urban development projects.

Duration: 1h30 - Price: from 10 € A guided tour of the royal city of Tours. Take a guided tour of the sites and monuments that bear witness to one of Tours' most creative periods. Tours became the capital of the kingdom for 80 years from 1440, when Louis XI took up residence in the château du Plessis-lès-Tours. Trade and crafts, particularly silk weavers from Italy, benefited from the presence of the court, which also enriched the local bourgeoisie. In the early years of the 16th century, with the emergence of the First Renaissance, Tours was adorned with buildings featuring new shapes and decorations. Gothic tradition and Italian modernity rubbed shoulders in these exceptional works.