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.