Let yourself be guided by our “City of Art and History” speaker guides! Essential visits not to be missed to discover the best of the city.
Duration: 2h - Price: from 7€ 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 €7 Led by a guide, the Tours Loire Valley Tourist Office and the city of Tours offer you a tour of the Blanqui - Mirabeau district. In the 18th century, the construction of the Route d'Espagne changed the face of the city. Tours then developed along this new north-south axis. The building of the stone bridge (now the Wilson Bridge) opened up perspectives to the north of the Loire. And the Avenue de la Tranchée became an essential passage for Tourangeaux and travellers. The construction of the first tramway line also brought its share of changes.
Duration: 1h30 - Price: from €7 Led by a guide, the Tours Val de Loire Tourist Office and the City of Tours are offering a ‘Street Art’ tour, route 3. Winners of the participatory budget launched in 2022 by the City of Tours, the Blumonday collective has painted various buildings in the Sanitas district. As landmarks for local residents, these buildings have become works of art. Discover this open-air art trail.
Duration : 1h30 - Price : 7€ 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.