Chartres and Its Cathedral: 5-Hour Tour from Paris with Private Transport

Your tour starts with pickup at your hotel in Paris for the 1-hour drive in a private vehicle to Chartres. Located about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Paris, the town is best known for the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Chartres, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the world.

Ornamented with more than 4,000 sculptures, the cathedral has been an important destination for travelers since the 12th century; many pilgrims come to see its relic the Santa Camisa, said to be worn by Mary at the birth of Jesus, and others come to admire the 176 stained-glass windows that create a relatively dark but richly colored interior where light filters through the many narrative and symbolic panes.

The labyrinth, in the center of the nave, and the crypt beneath the cathedral are two other can't-miss features you'll see inside before heading outside to focus on the structure itself: its towers built in different styles, its facade with detailed sculptures and statues, the astronomical clock from the 15th century, the flying buttresses, the bishop's garden where you can enjoy a view over the old town, and the labyrinth garden from the 18th century.

After your visit of the cathedral with your private guide, you can enjoy a stroll around town before heading back to Paris, where your tour ends.