the castle of the kings above the Loire with Leonardo's tomb, the Clos Lucé where Leonardo spent his last years, the Pagode de Chanteloup, the Vouvray cellars in the tufa and, twelve kilometres away, Chenonceau
Amboise is a small town in Touraine on the left bank of the Loire, where the river divides into two arms around the Île d'Or. Above the houses of the riverfront stands the Château royal, the castle where Charles VIII grew up, who rebuilt it in Flamboyant Gothic at the end of the fifteenth century and died there in 1498; after him Louis XII and Francis I lived there. It was Francis I who, in 1516, invited Leonardo da Vinci to France: Leonardo spent his last three years at the Clos Lucé, the red brick manor house four hundred metres from the castle, and died there on 2 May 1519; his presumed remains rest in the chapelle Saint-Hubert, on the castle ramparts. Below, the old town has the Tour de l'Horloge above the rue Nationale, the half-timbered houses, the houses dug into the tufa of rue Victor Hugo and the Sunday market on the Loire. Around it are the Pagode de Chanteloup in the forest, the tufa cellars of Vouvray and Montlouis and, twelve kilometres away, on the Cher, the Château de Chenonceau. The motorhome stays on the Île d'Or, at the motorhome stopover or at the municipal campsite, and you walk into town across the bridge.
Sleeping
Stops and overnight stays
In Amboise you sleep on the Île d'Or, the island in the middle of the Loire, a few hundred metres from the castle across the bridge: there is the Camping-Car Park network stopover, with electricity but no toilets, and next to it the municipal campsite, with showers. Along the Loire, towards Chargé, there is a car park for motorhomes without facilities, and on the north bank the Les Pâtis campsite. For Chenonceau there are the Chenonceaux stopover, eight hundred metres from the castle, the stopover and the campsite of Bléré, on the Cher, and the free stopover of a wine cellar at Civray-de-Touraine.
Aire Camping-Car Park d'Amboise
allée de la Chapelle Saint-Jean, 37400 Amboise
the motorhome stopover of Amboise, on the Île d'Or, twenty-four pitches on grass, all with a 6 amp socket; the water and emptying point have recently been redone. There are no toilets and no showers, which are at the municipal campsite next door. You walk to the castle across the pont du Maréchal-Leclerc, and the centre, with the shops, is less than a kilometre away. On 23 October 2026 it had two free pitches out of twenty-four: on public holidays it is best to book
24 motorhome pitches
ElectricityWaterGrey waterWi-Fi
15.78 euros for 24 hours in the operator's price list valid from 23 October 2026 to 31 December 2027, plus the tourist tax, which in 2026 was 1.22 euros; 6 euros for five hours' parking with the facilities · +33 1 83 64 69 21 · campingcarpark.com
the municipal campsite, two stars, on three hectares of the Île d'Or, on the Loire à Vélo route, with the emptying area for motorhomes, the washing machine and the dryer, and next to reception the island's bar-restaurant, with bread in the morning. Toilet paper is not provided. The phone number above answers from April to September; from November to March call +33 2 47 23 47 72. In 2026 reception was open from 4 May to 5 July from 8:30 to 20:30, and arrivals were from 13:30. You book online, with a 30 per cent deposit. The station is ten minutes away on foot
more than 280 pitches in all, almost all in the shade
In the municipality's 2026 price list, a night for two adults with a motorhome and electricity cost 21.45 euros until 30 April and 23.85 euros from 1 May, without the tourist tax of 0.22 euros per person · +33 2 47 57 23 37 · camping-amboise.com
a car park for motorhomes along the Loire, a kilometre and a half from the castle towards Chargé, opposite the tufa cellars of the Croix Douillard and the Cave aux Fouées. It has no facilities: for water, emptying and electricity the tourist office sends you to the Intermarché in Pocé-sur-Cisse, 3.4 kilometres away, for 2 euros. You walk into the centre along the Loire. The tourist office says that dogs are not allowed
50 motorhome pitches
no services
5 euros for 24 hours, in cash, according to the tourist office, which does not give the year of the price
a campsite of the Wild Bed network on the north bank of the Loire, opposite Amboise, on the Loire à Vélo, with a motorhome area next to it. Dogs stay free. In May, June and September, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and every day in July and August, there is a food truck
12 pitches in the motorhome area, next to the campsite
ElectricityWaterGrey water
In the operator's 2026 price list, from 20.50 to 25.50 euros a night for two people with electricity, without the tourist tax · +33 6 98 10 29 71 · wildbed.fr
the motorhome stopover of Chenonceaux, eight hundred metres from the Château de Chenonceau: on foot the operator recommends the chemin de la Varenne, to the right of the stopover, which leads to the Cher. It has a toilet and a shower, open all year, and a bicycle shed with sockets for charging electric bikes; the Cœur de France à Vélo cycle path runs past it. It lies in a flood risk zone, and the operator says so. In the village there are the bakery and the restaurants
25 motorhome pitches
ElectricityWaterGrey waterToiletsShowerWi-Fi
13.23 euros for 24 hours in the operator's 2027 price list, plus the tourist tax, which in 2026 was 1.22 euros; 6 euros for five hours' parking with the facilities · +33 1 83 64 69 21 · campingcarpark.com
a small stopover on the Cher, near the centre of Bléré and the shops, seven kilometres from the Château de Chenonceau, which the operator suggests reaching by bicycle. There are no toilets and no showers. In Bléré the market is on Tuesday and Friday mornings
9 motorhome pitches
ElectricityWaterGrey water
12.73 euros for 24 hours in the operator's 2027 price list, plus the tourist tax, which in 2026 was 1.22 euros; 6 euros for five hours' parking with the facilities · +33 1 83 64 69 21 · campingcarpark.com
a campsite of the Onlycamp chain on the Cher, in the same street as the Bléré motorhome stopover, seven kilometres from Chenonceau, with the motorhome emptying area at the entrance. You choose your own pitch, in the shade or in the sun. For electricity you need the European adapter. There is no wifi. The Cher cycle path runs alongside the campsite
199 pitches in all
ElectricityWaterGrey waterToiletsShower
In the operator's 2026 price list, the pitch with one vehicle and two adults, hot shower included, 12 euros a night until 30 June and from 1 September, 17 euros in July and August; electricity 6 euros, an extra adult 5.50 euros · +33 7 83 09 59 87 · camping-blere.fr
the motorhome stopover of a family wine cellar, the Caves du Père Auguste, two kilometres from the Château de Chenonceau towards Amboise, in a quiet spot next to a stream, near the picnic tables and the children's play area. It is open outside the cellar's opening hours too. There is no emptying point, neither for grey nor for black water, and no sink for washing up. The cellar does not say how many pitches it has
ElectricityWaterToiletsShowerWi-Fi
Parking is free, with toilets and wifi; electricity 5 euros a day, water 2 euros a fill, shower 3 euros per person · +33 2 47 23 93 04 · pereauguste.com
Amboise is explored on foot: from the Île d'Or to the castle it is a few minutes, and from the castle to the Clos Lucé nine minutes on foot, along rue Victor Hugo. The motorhome stays on the island. For Chenonceau there is a regional bus that runs every day, or the bicycle.
On foot: from the island you cross the pont du Maréchal-Leclerc and climb up to the castle from the place Michel Debré, by the montée de l'Émir Abd el-Kader. From the castle to the Clos Lucé it is nine minutes along rue Victor Hugo, and from the station to the castle a quarter of an hour. Rue Victor Hugo, from number 36 to 74, has been closed to vehicles since July 2025 because of the works on the castle bastion, but you can get through on foot and by bicycle
The bridges: the pont du Maréchal-Leclerc, the one over the Île d'Or, is closed to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes; heavy vehicles use the pont Debré, further upstream
The municipal car parks: in the centre there are more than sixteen hundred free spaces and three hundred and fifty paid ones, which are paid every day from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:30, except on Sundays and public holidays, with one free hour a day by typing your number plate into the parking meter. The place du Marché, the large car park on the riverfront, is closed on Friday and Sunday mornings for the market. The municipality does not say which car parks accept motorhomes: the motorhome is better off on the island
The town bus costs 0.80 euros and is free under 18; it stops at the station, on the Île d'Or and in the centre, every day, but not on public holidays
To Chenonceau by bus: line C of Rémi, the regional bus, runs from Tours to Chenonceaux via Amboise every day of the year, public holidays included. According to the timetable in force from 1 September 2026, it leaves Amboise Théâtre at 9:58 and reaches the castle at 10:25, or at 13:20 and arrives at 13:46; on the way back it leaves the castle at 13:20 and is at Amboise Théâtre at 13:44, or at 18:05 and is at Amboise Théâtre at 18:31. It also passes through Montlouis-sur-Loire. The ticket price is on the Rémi website
The Petit Train, the little tourist train, leaves from in front of the castle and tours the town as far as the Île d'Or, with a stop at the Clos Lucé. In April and May it leaves every day at 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00, and on Saturday also at 11:00 and 12:00; 8 euros for adults, 5 from 3 to 12 years, free under 3
By bicycle: Amboise is on the Loire à Vélo, EuroVelo 6. To Montlouis-sur-Loire, towards Tours, it is fifteen kilometres through the vineyards, an hour. To Chenonceau it is twenty kilometres, following the signs of loop 47, which crosses the forest of Amboise and joins the Cœur de France à Vélo cycle path; the whole loop, Amboise, Chenonceau and back, is forty-five kilometres. Bicycles can be hired in town, and in 2026 a day with Roue Lib' cost 18 euros
Trains: the station is on the north bank, beyond the island, on the line between Tours, Blois and Orléans, with direct trains to Paris Austerlitz; on average ten trains a day take bicycles
The roads and the sticker: you arrive from the A10, exit 18, or from the A85, exit 11, fifteen kilometres away. Amboise has no low emission zone; in Tours, according to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, in August 2025 one was still to be created. Those arriving from Brittany or from Mont-Saint-Michel may pass through Rennes, which does have a low emission zone. The Crit'Air sticker is ordered on the official website certificat-air.gouv.fr
Seeing
Sights
A day in Amboise: in the morning the castle, which opens at 9:00, then the old town with the Tour de l'Horloge and Saint-Florentin; in the afternoon the Clos Lucé and Saint-Denis, and in the evening the Île d'Or, with the castle in front of you in the sunset light. The Pagode de Chanteloup is on the road to Chenonceau, which needs another half day. Tap a marker on the map to open its entry below.
1
The Château royal d'Amboise
Castle · paid entry · 47.41363, 0.98597
montée de l'Émir Abd el-Kader, 37400 Amboise
the castle of the kings of France of the Renaissance, above the town and the Loire. It belonged to the lords of Amboise for more than four centuries and passed to the crown in 1434. Charles VIII, who had grown up there, transformed it from 1492 in Flamboyant Gothic, with more than two hundred and fifty masons: his are the chapelle Saint-Hubert and the two horsemen's towers, the Tour des Minimes and the Tour Heurtault, with the spiral ramps up which horses and carriages climbed from the town to the terraces. For him dom Pacello da Mercogliano, the gardener he had brought from Naples, laid out on the Naples terrace the first Italian garden in the kingdom. A third of the castle of that time remains: the rest was demolished by Roger Ducos at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and Louis Philippe, who inherited it, refurnished the logis. From 1848 to 1852 the emir Abd el-Kader was held prisoner there with his followers, and this is why the climb bears his name. You visit the logis, with the guards' room, the great Council chamber, the king's bedroom and, on the top floor, Louis Philippe's nineteenth century; the walk round the ramparts, with the view over the town and the Loire; and the gardens, just over two hectares, with box balls, mulberry trees and, since 2025, the garden of the Seven Virtues and the redesigned Naples garden. You can picnic on the lawns. The HistoPad, the tablet for the visit, also speaks Italian. The visit takes an hour and a half on average. The Jardin d'Orient, with the steles in memory of Abd el-Kader's companions, is closed because of the works on the south-east bastion. The chapelle Saint-Hubert, the kings' oratory, suspended above the town, was built and carved in white tufa between 1491 and 1496 by Flemish artists: on the lintel of the door is the hunt of Saint Hubert, with the stag. Lorenzo II de' Medici and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne, the parents of Catherine de' Medici, were married there. It was restored between 2021 and 2024. Inside is the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci: Leonardo was buried in the collegiate church of Saint-Florentin, inside the castle, which was destroyed around 1807; the writer Arsène Houssaye excavated the site in 1863, and the remains he found, the presumed remains of Leonardo, lie in the chapel. Where the collegiate church stood there is now a bust of Leonardo
Opening hours in 2026 from May to June 9:00-18:30, in April and September 9:00-18:00, from 3 July to the end of August 9:00-19:00, from 2 October 9:00-17:30; in winter the hours are shorter, and in November, until mid December and in January the castle closes at lunchtime. This is the time the ticket office closes, and the castle closes three quarters of an hour later. Open every day except 25 December and 1 January · in 2026 17.30 euros, 14.40 for students, 11 from 7 to 18 years, free under 7 years, with the HistoPad · +33 2 47 57 00 98 · chateau-amboise.com
the clock tower above the rue Nationale, the pedestrian shopping street of the old town. It was the main gate of the medieval walls, the porte de l'Amasse, named after the little river, and it keeps its pointed arch passage. Under Charles VIII, in 1495, the gate became the beffroi, the civic tower with the guard post; the clock was installed in 1500 through a public subscription, and the bell was cast in 1501. At the top it has a six-sided lantern with the bell. It is seen from the outside
around 1470 Louis XI, who attended the services of the castle's collegiate church that were also open to the townspeople, ordered out of fear of epidemics a new church in the town, inside the walls, near the Loire: the sand of the river came up to its foot, and its first name was Notre-Dame-en-Grève. It took the name of Saint-Florentin in the nineteenth century, when the castle's collegiate church had been destroyed. The interior is neo-Gothic. Since September 2010 it has also been a cultural space, with exhibitions, and it remains consecrated; in December it hosts part of the Christmas market. The opening times are not published
the museum of the town's history, in the old town hall opposite Saint-Florentin, a house built at the beginning of the sixteenth century by Pierre Morin, the king's treasurer and mayor of Tours. In the eighteenth century it belonged to the Duke of Choiseul, and in 1848 the followers of the emir Abd el-Kader were quartered there. Entry is free
Opening hours in 2026 from 4 April to 27 September Tuesday to Sunday 14:00-18:00, closed on Monday; from mid February to March on Saturday and Sunday 14:00-17:00; the 2027 dates have not been published · +33 2 47 23 47 42
the red brick and tufa manor house where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last three years, four hundred metres from the castle. It was built after 1471 by Étienne le Loup, to whom Louis XI had given the land; in 1490 Charles VIII bought it, and here Louise of Savoy brought up her children, the future Francis I and Marguerite de Navarre. In 1516 Francis I and his mother invited Leonardo, who arrived with three paintings, among them the Mona Lisa, and was appointed first painter, engineer and architect to the king. He died in his bedroom on 2 May 1519. You visit Leonardo's bedroom, with the view of the castle, the oratory of Anne of Brittany with the Annunciation painted by the pupils of Leonardo's workshop, the reconstructed workshop, forty models of his machines and a hologram that re-enacts the visit of Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona on 10 October 1517, when his secretary, Antonio de Beatis, saw here the Mona Lisa, the Saint Anne and the Saint John the Baptist, now in the Louvre. In the basement you can see the entrance to the passage that, according to legend, linked the Clos Lucé to the castle, and which excavations have disproved. Outside is the Leonardo da Vinci park, with twenty machines built full size from his drawings, which you can set in motion, Leonardo's bridges to walk across and the garden with the plants of his paintings. The visit takes from an hour and a half to three hours. Dogs are allowed in the manor house if carried and in the park on a lead; pushchairs stay outside the house. In the park there are a picnic area and two restaurants. The Saint Bris family, who have owned it since 1854, open it to visitors
Opening hours every day except 25 December and 1 January; from February to June and in September and October 9:00-19:00, in July and August 9:00-20:00, in November and December 9:00-18:00, in January 10:00-18:00; the ticket office closes an hour earlier · in the price list read in October 2026, 20 euros, 15 from 7 to 18 years and for students, 60 euros for a family of two adults and two children, free under 7 years; with the summer exhibition you pay more · +33 2 47 57 00 73 · vinci-closluce.com
the oldest church in Amboise, around which the medieval town grew as it came down towards the Loire. Hugues d'Amboise began it in 1107, in place of an oratory of Saint Martin of Tours: the choir and the transept date from then, while the nave is from the end of the twelfth century. Inside are the carved capitals, with sacred scenes and characters from the Roman de Renart, and at the end of the south aisle a carved Entombment. Organ concerts are played there, in summer and at Christmas. The opening times are not published
the island in the middle of the Loire, almost two kilometres long and at most four hundred metres wide, crossed at its southern end by the pont du Maréchal-Leclerc; it has been a classified site since 1932. According to tradition, here Clovis, king of the Franks, met Alaric II, king of the Visigoths, to fix the borders of their kingdoms. From the island you get the finest view of the castle, and a statue of Leonardo looks at the castle from here. In the eastern part, upstream of the bridge, is the chapelle Saint-Jean, the last remnant of the monastery that the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem built around 1175: since 2023 water has been coming in through the roof, and at the end of 2025 the municipality voted for its restoration. It is seen from the outside. The motorhome stopover and the campsite are also on the island
the Amboise market, on the place du Marché along the Loire: cheese, charcuterie, fruit, vegetables, meat and wine, almost all of it local. Sunday is the big day. In 2015 it was voted the favourite market of the French. On market days the car park on the square is closed. In summer, on Tuesday evenings, there is also the night market in place Saint-Denis
Opening hours on Friday and Sunday mornings, all year, from 8:00 to 13:00
the Chinese pagoda that the Duke of Choiseul, Louis XV's minister, had built in 1775 in the park of his château of Chanteloup, where he had been exiled from the court, and which he dedicated to the friends who had remained loyal to him. It is 44 metres high, with seven storeys that narrow towards the top and a narrow, steep staircase to the top, where there is the view over the forest of Amboise and the Loire. The château was demolished in 1823; the pagoda, the great crescent-shaped basin and the seven avenues that fan out like a goose's foot into the forest remain. In the park there are wooden games and boats on the basin; dogs are allowed on a lead. It is three kilometres from the centre, on the road to Bléré and Chenonceau, and has a motorhome car park inside the site: whether you pay and whether you can sleep there is not stated
Opening hours in 2026 from 14 March to 11 November: in April and May every day 10:00-18:00, from June to August 10:00-19:00, in September 10:00-18:00; in March, October and November Wednesday to Sunday 10:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00, but from 17 October to 1 November every day. The ticket office closes an hour earlier. In winter it is closed · in 2026 12 euros, 9 from 7 to 18 years, 36 euros for a family of two adults and two children, free under 7 years; a boat on the basin 6 euros an hour · +33 2 47 57 20 97 · pagode-chanteloup.com
twelve kilometres from Amboise, the castle built over the Cher, with Catherine de' Medici's bridge gallery and Diane de Poitiers' gardens. It is described in the experience of the Château de Chenonceau
In 2026 19 euros with the booklet, 24 with the audio guide; 15 and 20 from 7 to 18 years; free under 7 years
In Amboise the big festivity is Christmas, with the castles decorated and open in the evening, the market in town and the candles in the rooms of the castle. In November the new wine, at Pentecost and in August the Vouvray fairs, in summer the festivals on the Île d'Or and the evenings at the castles.
Next: Fête du Touraine Primeur · 20 Nov
20Nov
Fête du Touraine Primeur
in November
the festival of the new Touraine wine in place Michel Debré, in the evening, with the winegrowers, food stalls, the hunting horns of the Trompes d'Amboise and the band; in 2026 on Friday 20 November
28 Nov › 3Jan
Noël au Pays des Châteaux
from late November to early January
the Christmas of the castles of Touraine, in 2026 in its tenth edition: the Château royal, the Clos Lucé and Chenonceau are decorated, and the trail is included in the ticket. The evening openings are, in 2026, Friday 11 December at the Château royal, open until 20:00, Wednesday 23 and 30 December at Chenonceau, and on 29 and 30 December the park of the Clos Lucé lit up at night. The Pass Noël is valid for three castles or more, from 43 euros, and also for the evenings. The Château royal is closed on 25 December and 1 January
11-13Dec
Marché de Noël d'Amboise
in December
the town's Christmas market, in the église Saint-Florentin, the espace Henri d'Orléans and place Michel Debré, with oysters, foie gras, mulled wine and craftspeople; in 2026 from 11 to 13 December, on Friday from 14:00 to 19:00, on Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00, with free entry
12Dec
Balades nocturnes aux chandelles
in autumn and in December
the evenings when the rooms of the logis of the Château royal are lit by hundreds of candles, with entry in time slots from 18:30 to 20:00 and booking: in 2026 on 12 December, for Saint Lucy, and on 26 and 29 December, at 16.50 euros for adults and 11.50 from 7 to 18 years; in autumn the Saturdays of October, in 2026 the 17th, 24th and 31st, at 15.50 euros for adults
12 Dec · 26 Dec · 29 Dec
20Dec
Festival des orgues de la collégiale Saint-Denis
from July to December
the organ concerts in the église Saint-Denis, free, with a voluntary donation; the last is the Christmas concert, in 2026 on Sunday 20 December at 16:00
15-17May
Troglovinum
at Pentecost
the wine fair of the young winegrowers of Vouvray, in the fifteenth century galleries of the Caves de la Bonne Dame, in Vouvray, with local produce; entry is free or with the tasting glass. In 2027 from Saturday 15 to Monday 17 May
This year's dates are not out yet
Carnaval d'Amboise
in April
the town's carnival, in 2026 on Saturday 11 April, the same day as the waiters' race
Effervesciences
in April
the science festival for children at the Clos Lucé, included in the ticket; in 2026 from 18 to 26 April
Les Dames de Chenonceau
in May
the guided tours of Chenonceau at closing time, with a walk in the illuminated gardens in the evening, at 45 euros; in 2026 seven evenings in May and the Mother's Day weekend
Les Courants
in July
the music and comics festival on the Île d'Or, on the first weekend of July: in 2026 on 4 and 5 July
Nocturnes théâtrales and Flâneries nocturnes
in July and August
the summer evenings at the Clos Lucé: musical theatre in the park in mid July, and in early August the manor house, the galleries and the park lit by candles; in 2026 from 16 to 18 July and on 7 and 8 August
Les Tuffolies
in mid August
the August Vouvray wine fair, at the Caves de la Bonne Dame, with free entry; in 2026 from 14 to 16 August
Festival Européen de Musique Renaissance
in late September
the concerts of Renaissance music at the Clos Lucé; in 2026 from 25 to 27 September
Remember
Useful tips
The Amboise market is on Friday and Sunday mornings: those who arrive on Tuesday and leave on Thursday will not see it. Rillettes, rillons and Sainte-Maure can also be found in the shops and in the boutique of the Montlouis cellar
Ascension Thursday, in 2027 on 6 May, is a public holiday in France: the town bus does not run, the car parks in the centre are free, and line C of Rémi to Chenonceau runs as on other days. In 2026 Chenonceau required online booking on all the long weekends of public holidays, the Ascension one from Thursday to Sunday: the calendar for 2027 has not been published, but a Wednesday like 5 May, outside the long weekend, is the quietest day
The island's motorhome stopover has twenty-four pitches, and at the end of October two were left: for public holidays and long weekends it is best to book it in the network's app. Those who do not find a pitch have the municipal campsite next door, which in 2026 was open from late March to early November
At the Château de Chenonceau car park there is a car park reserved for motorhomes, but the castle does not say whether you pay or whether you can stay the night: to sleep there are the Chenonceaux stopover, eight hundred metres away, and the free one at the Père Auguste, two kilometres away, which however has no emptying point
The wine cellars you can visit without booking: the Caves du Père Auguste at Civray-de-Touraine, two kilometres from Chenonceau, with a free tasting for those who buy 12 euros of wine each, otherwise 4 euros; on Wednesday at 9:30 the winegrower takes you into the vineyards for 13 euros each, by booking, and from April to September on Sundays and public holidays the cellar only opens from 10:00 to 12:00, while from October to March it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The Maison Laudacius, the winegrowers' cellar of Montlouis-sur-Loire, opens its boutique with a free tasting Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 18:30, and on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00; it is closed on 1 May and on Sundays in January and February. The Cave de Vouvray, the cellar of the Vouvray producers, has its caveau open every day from March to December, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 19:00, in July and August from 14:00, with a free tasting at the counter and the guided tour of the galleries, 6 euros, at 11:00, 15:00 and 17:00: it is thirteen degrees all year round, and you need a jacket
The Amboise City Pass, sold by the tourist office, in 2026 was valid from 1 April to 31 October and cost 49 euros for 24 hours, with the castle, the Clos Lucé, the Pagode and seven other places: the castle, the Clos Lucé and the Pagode alone cost 49.30 euros. Chenonceau is not included. The combined tickets for the castle with the Clos Lucé, and with Chenonceau, can only be bought online, and the tourist office ticket desk gives adults 1 euro off castle tickets
At the castle large bags and suitcases are not allowed in, and bags are opened at the entrance; dogs are allowed in the logis if carried and in the park on a lead
The castle's Jardin d'Orient is closed because of the works on the south-east bastion, and because of the same works rue Victor Hugo is closed to cars from number 36 to 74: those walking to the Clos Lucé can still get through
The pont du Maréchal-Leclerc, the one to the island and the stopovers, is closed to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes: a heavier motorhome cannot reach the stopovers on the island, and crosses the Loire by the pont Debré
Eggs mimosa can be made in a motorhome with a single burner, with rillettes bought at the market or from the charcutier; the frittata with Sainte-Maure needs an ovenproof frying pan
Amboise · part two
and then?
What to do, what to taste, and where to go tomorrow.
Experiences from here
What we did starting from here, ordered by driving time.
Touraine is eaten above all at the charcutier's counter: rillettes de Tours, with protected geographical indication, pork cooked for a long time until it turns dry and dark, which Balzac mentions in Le Lys dans la vallée; rillons, cubes of pork belly browned and preserved in their own fat; and Sainte-Maure de Touraine, the goat's cheese shaped like a truncated cone, with an ash rind and a straw signed by the producer running through it. In the cellars dug into the tufa you eat fouées, little breads baked in the wood oven and filled with rillettes, as at the Cave aux Fouées on the quai des Violettes. To take away there are nougat de Tours, which is not a nougat but a shortcrust tart with jam, candied fruit and almonds, and poires tapées, pears dried in the oven and flattened. The town's wine is Touraine-Amboise, white from chenin and red from côt; downstream, towards Tours, on both banks of the Loire, Vouvray and Montlouis, whites from chenin, sparkling too, and around Chenonceau Touraine-Chenonceaux, white from sauvignon and red from côt and cabernet franc. Rillettes and cheese are bought at the market, on Friday and Sunday mornings.
the Château royal d'Amboise lit by the last sun and reflected in the LoirePhoto: Rolf Kranz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the château above the riverside houses, reflected in the Loire under a blue skyPhoto: W. Bulach, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Maréchal-Leclerc bridge over the Loire, with the château behindPhoto: Manfred Heyde, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0the château and the old town seen from the north bank of the LoirePhoto: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the château's ramparts and the terraced gardens, at the end of MayPhoto: Rolf Kranz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Tour des Minimes and the château's logis seen from belowPhoto: Gzen92, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the château's logis from the forecourt, under a blue skyPhoto: Axdae, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the château's Gothic dormers seen from the Tour des MinimesPhoto: Fab5669, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0two carved dormers on the château's slate roofPhoto: Gzen92, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the avenue of the château gardens, with planters and hedgesPhoto: Gzen92, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Chapelle Saint-Hubert on the château ramparts, where Leonardo liesPhoto: Gzen92, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Saint Hubert's stag in the frieze above the chapel doorPhoto: Carcajou, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0the tombstone of Leonardo da Vinci in the Chapelle Saint-HubertPhoto: ManoSolo13241324, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Salle du Conseil, with its columns and Gothic vaultsPhoto: xorge, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0a nineteenth-century bedroom in the château, with red walls and a canopy bedPhoto: W. Bulach, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the roofs of the old town seen from the château, with the Loire beyondPhoto: Leon petrosyan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Tour de l'Horloge at the end of the shopping streetPhoto: Fab5669, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Tour de l'Horloge among the slate roofs, seen from abovePhoto: xorge, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0the Romanesque doorway of the Église Saint-DenisPhoto: Cliciaantao, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Église Saint-Florentin with its bell tower, under a blue skyPhoto: Pymouss, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Clos Lucé manor, in red brick and white stonePhoto: Serge78960, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0the Clos Lucé at the end of the park lawnPhoto: Carcajou, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Leonardo da Vinci's bedroom at the Clos Lucé, with the red canopy bedPhoto: Fab5669, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Leonardo's study at the Clos Lucé, with the lectern and the booksPhoto: Pieter van Everdingen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Clos Lucé garden seen from abovePhoto: Zeist85, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0the Pagode de Chanteloup, the seven-storey tower in the forestPhoto: Giogo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Pagode de Chanteloup above the great crescent-shaped poolPhoto: Manfred Heyde, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0a sailing boat on the Loire at Amboise, among the sandbanksPhoto: Avi1111 dr. avishai teicher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the entrance to a wine cellar dug into the tufa at VouvrayPhoto: jamesonf, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0bottles on racks in a cellar carved into the limestone, in the Vouvray areaPhoto: Peter Dutton, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
