Sancerre Wine Trail

8 Days | From £1990pp

France ( Best airport: Paris)

Ride through rolling hills, with endless vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see. In and around Sancerre, you’ll explore charming villages, historic streets, and ancient landmarks, all while immersing yourself in the beauty of this renowned wine region. Sancerre, one of France’s oldest wine-producing areas, is a medieval town steeped in history, home to the world-famous Sancerre wine and the local treasure of “Crottin de Chavignol,” a delicious goat cheese that pairs perfectly with a glass of Sancerre Blanc. Join this unforgettable heritage and gastronomy trail, where you’ll experience the best of French history, culture, and horse riding.

The Riding

The pace on this trail is varied to suit the terrain with long periods of walk and plenty of opportunities to canter and gallop. The scenery encompasses rolling hills, green, sun-drenched vineyards, woods and forests.

Riders must be comfortable in all paces and happy to do some fast riding in open spaces on an obedient and responsive horse. Riders need to be in good physical condition, you will be in the saddle for between 4-6 hours per day. The weight limit is 90kg.

Level of Riding and Fitness

The Sancerre Wine Trail is suitable for experienced riders who are confident at walk, rising trot, and canter in a forward seat. You should be comfortable riding over varied terrain, in open spaces, and for long hours – typically 5 to 6 hours per day. Good physical fitness and regular riding are essential, and you must be able to mount independently using a mounting block. The rider weight limit is 198 lbs (90 kg), depending on height, fitness, and ability.

Please note that if a rider is found not to meet the required level during the trip, they will need to continue the journey with the support team rather than on horseback. A €300 fee will be charged for horse repatriation, and no refund will be issued.

Guides and Group Size

As well as being experienced horsemen and women, your guides on this trail have a thorough knowledge of local history. All guides are multilingual French/English and the group size is between 5-10.

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The Horses

The horses are pure or cross-bred Arabian or Thoroughbreds and warmbloods varying in height from 15.2hh to 17hh. The horses are exceptionally well-schooled and good-mannered at this destination and many of them have been bred and trained by your hosts themselves.

Tack and Riding Equipment

Specialist trail riding saddles are used and each horse has their own custom-fitted saddle. Riders are provided with saddlebags to carry their daily essentials and luggage is transferred between stops by a support vehicle. Horses are ridden in Myler bits which help to facilitate effective communication between horse and rider and a relaxed and happy horse. Helmets are mandatory and are not provided so riders must bring their own.

Accommodation and Dining

Accommodation is in twin or double rooms at hotels (some with pools) in the villages or nestled into the rural surroundings. The following hotels are usually used on this trail but can sometimes be altered with hotels of a similar standard.

Day 1& 2: Hotel Le Panoramic
Day 3: Hôtel Le Cerf
Day 4 & 5: Hôtel la Chaumière
Day 6 & 7: Chambre d’Hôtes le Cep en Sancerrois

Continental breakfasts are served at your hotel each morning typically consisting of a hot drink (tea, coffee, hot chocolate), juice, breakfast pastries (croissant, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins), bread, butter and jam, and sometimes yogurt. Lunches are traditional french pique-niques, expect fresh baguettes, sumptuous cheeses, salads and tasty charcuterie, along with a bottle of something local. Dinner will be typical French fare comprising several courses of regional specialities. Please note that wine is not included with dinners.

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Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1 Meet with your hosts and fellow riders at the Tracy Sancerre train station by 6 pm, head to your hotel in Sancerre for dinner and overnight. Night at Hôtel Le Panoramic in Sancerre.

Day 2 After breakfast, you'll meet the horses and begin your ride through the scenic Sancerre vineyards to the hamlet of Chavignol, famous for its “crottin de Chavignol” goat cheese. Enjoy a picnic in this charming winegrowers' village, which offers stunning views from the Graveron lookout. In the afternoon, explore the medieval town of Sancerre at your leisure. Wander its cobbled streets, visit the Tour des Fiefs for panoramic views, and soak in the local charm. Dinner and overnight stay at Hôtel Le Panoramic in Sancerre.

Days 3 Today’s ride takes you from the vineyards of Sancerre into the rolling countryside of the Pays Fort. As we make our way to Assigny, the landscape shifts to patchwork fields and open farmland. We’ll stop for a picnic at Fait des Marnes, the highest point in the Cher region (365 m), offering sweeping views over the Loire Valley and beyond. After a relaxing break, we continue through the scenic bocage landscape of the Pays Fort - dotted with grazing pastures, timber-framed houses, old mills, and the region’s unique pyramid-shaped barns. The day ends in the village of Vailly sur Sauldre. Dinner and overnight stay at Hôtel Le Cerf in Briare.

Day 4 On this third day of riding, we continue through the Pays Fort towards Blancafort, where we’ll enjoy a picnic by the unique Sauldre canal, an isolated waterway with no direct connections. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the 15th-century Château de Blancafort, a beautifully preserved fortified house with elegant brickwork and formal gardens. From there, we ride into the Berry region to Aubigny-sur-Nère. Once gifted to the Scots during the Hundred Years' War under the Auld Alliance, this town proudly retains its Scottish heritage - from kilts and bagpipes to its architectural charm. Dinner and overnight stay at Hôtel La Chaumière in Aubigny-sur-Nère.

Day 5 After breakfast we're off to Château de la Verrerie in Oizon for a picnic. Château de La Verrerie is a Renaissance gem built by Béraud Stuart. The site is full of paths where Alain Fournier, the author of Le Grand Meaulnes, loved to wander. It has been owned by the Stuarts for two centuries, before being given by Louis XIV to Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth. The afternoon is free to visit Aubigny sur Nère. Scotland is around every corner. From the Stuarts' castle, now the town hall, to the unique collection of half-timbered houses, to the Aubigny Auld Alliance whisky brand proudly displaying the local colours, the only thing missing is the rain to make you think you're really in Scotland! The splendour of this town, located on the Jacques Coeur Historic Route, is complemented by some lovely heritage features such as the Philippe Auguste enclosure, the Gothic church of Saint-Martin and the Augustins cloister. The superb large gardens, inspired by Le Nôtre, were bequeathed by the Duchess of Portsmouth. Overnight stay and dinner in Aubigny sur Nère. Night at Hôtel la Chaumière in Aubigny sur Nère.

Day 6 After breakfast, ride to the Renaissance-era Château de la Verrerie in Oizon for a picnic. Once home to the Stuart family and later gifted by Louis XIV to the Duchess of Portsmouth, the château is surrounded by woodland paths once enjoyed by Le Grand Meaulnes author Alain-Fournier. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore Aubigny-sur-Nère, where Scottish heritage lives on through its half-timbered houses, the former Stuart castle (now the town hall), and the local Auld Alliance whisky. The town’s rich history also includes landmarks like the Philippe Auguste enclosure, Saint-Martin’s Gothic church, and the gardens inspired by Le Nôtre. Dinner and overnight stay at Hôtel La Chaumière in Aubigny-sur-Nère.

Day 7 Today, we visit the Tour de Vesvre in Neuvy Deux Clochers, a rare 13th-century fortified house with thick stone walls. Built on the remains of a 9th-century seigneurial residence, it offers a picturesque setting for a picnic. The tower’s history is closely tied to the Vesvre site, once a fortified area in the 9th and 10th centuries. It was listed as a historic monument in 1993, and the adjoining 13th-century farmhouse, recently restored, includes a barn and dovecote. You'll end the day back at La Bête Noire farm, where your journey began. Dinner and overnight stay at Chambre d'Hôtes le Cep en Sancerrois in Sancerre.

Day 8 After breakfast your hosts will drop you off at the Tracy Sancerre train station for your journey home.