Hiking the GR3 from Blois to Tours

In May 2026 I walked from Blois to Tours along the river Loire, following part of the GR3 (Grande Randonnée 3) It was the first time in my life doing a multi day walk with overnight stays. In this post I will give a short description of every day, and will share some pictures and a video Day 1 from Blois to Veuzain sur Loire (Onzain) This was a 23km walk, through the woods and the fields, including some wine fields. A pleasant walk with some height differences, but not too steep. Veuzain is a friendly town, and I stayed at a great guesthouse (Maison de Voyage) that I can definitely recommend. I had dinner a very tasteful classic dinner at “La Charbonette” in Veuzain. Day 2 from Veuzain to Amboise This was the toughest day. 28km, quite some height differences, and it was also the warmest day with temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius. But I enjoyed it very much. The landscape is beautiful. People underway are friendly. And although quite touristique, Amboise is a very nice town with good restaurants. So even after the long walk I added some extra kilometers to have abeer on the terrace, and a diner at ‘La Pause Du Temps’ at night. Day 3 from Amboise to Montlouis sur Loire Walking about 18km this was an easy trip. I did not pass any villages, but arrived just in time to grab some lunch in Montlouis. Montlouis is a quiet village with some wineries. I had diner at La Tourangelle, a fantastic restaurant with a mix of innovatie and classic French cuisine. Day 4 from Montlouis to Tours As this was on a sunday, it was a very lively trip with lots of people hiking or bicycling. On the other days I sometimes didn’t see another person for over an hour. Arriving on the Pont Saint-Symphorien really feels like passing the finish with the beautiful view of Tours in sight. Overall this was definitely a great experience, and I will absolutely do a multi day walk again. I noticed the GR3 is very much focused on walking through nature. Which is logical, as most hikers will prefer that. Personally I also like walking through the small villages and more urban areas. Where the GR will give you a detour. So next time I will create my own routes. With an app like Komoot you can easily create a route that overlaps most of the GR, but which you can change to pass more villages.