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- Last Updated on November 3, 2024
The Loire Valley is considered an “outstanding cultural landscape of great beauty” by UNESCO. This is where French royalty built their castles during medieval times, and their palaces during the Renaissance. This region is full to the brim with historic towns, villages, and outstanding châteaux to choose from. You could spend weeks in the area and still not see all the châteaux. This Loire Valley day trip itinerary will help you narrow it down to the best châteaux to see if you have one day to visit. See them in this order to maximize your time. You can easily do this itinerary as a day trip from Paris, Amboise, or Tours.
Table Of Contents
STAR RATING KEY:
★★★ Top priority
★★ Highly recommended
★ Worthwhile
No Star – Skippable if not interested
Loire Valley Day Trip
Château de Chenonceau
This is one of the best châteaux in the Loire. The setting is gorgeous, built right on top of the Cher River. This is perhaps the most picturesque of the Loire châteaux. Like Chambord, it is also one of the most popular, so try to get there early or late in the day, and buy your tickets online in advance if you are not traveling by organized tour.
Cost and Hours: €15 per adult. Generally open at least 9:30am-5:30pm, but hours vary by month, check website for details.
Address: 37150 Chenonceaux, France
Website: www.chenonceau.com/en/
Château de Cheverny
This delightful hunting palace has been in the Hurault family since the 1600s, and they continue to live there today (on the third floor, not open to the public). Because of this, it has more furnishings and feels lived-in, unlike many of the valley châteaux.
Cost and Hours: €13.50 per adult. Open daily 9:15am-6:00pm April-September, 10:00am-5:00pm October-March.
Address: Av. du Château, 41700 Cheverny, France
Website: www.chateau-cheverny.fr/en/
Château de Chambord
This, along with the Château de Chenonceau, is one of the top two châteaux to visit in the Loire Valley. This is the grandest of the valley addresses, and is truly the fairytale hunting lodge one imagines when thinking of the Loire Valley. There are over 400 rooms, over 300 fireplaces, and a huge historic hunting ground with a rooftop viewing area to watch it all from above. Unlike Chenonceau, it is huge, so crowding is not a common problem here.
Cost and Hours: €14.50 per adult. Open daily 9:00am-5:00pm (closes 6:00pm April-October).
Address: Château, 41250 Chambord, France
Website: www.chambord.org/en/
If You Have Time
Château du Clos-Lucé and Leonardo da Vinci Park
The Château du Clos-Lucé was the last home of Leonardo da Vinci after he moved from Rome in 1516 to work for France’s king Francois I. He lived in this palace during the last 3 years of his life. Inside you can see the rooms he lived in, though the furnishings are not original. Outside, there is a huge park with life-size recreations of many of his inventions. This château is definitely worth adding to your Loire Valley day trip, particularly for engineer-types. Of note, you won’t have time to visit both this and Cheverny, so choose your favorite between these two.
Getting there:
If you’re staying in Amboise, just walk here from your hotel/rental. Otherwise, get to Amboise by train, then walk to the chateaux from the station. It’s a 25 minute walk from the station, but you’ll get to see the town on your way, which is worth it.
Cost and Hours: €18 per adult. Open daily, hours vary by month, check the website for details.
Address: 2 Rue du Clos Lucé, 37400 Amboise, France
Website: www.vinci-closluce.com/en/
Getting To The Loire Valley
You can get anywhere in the Loire Valley by car, just use Google maps, which works well in this area. Without a car, you will need to go by minibus tour if you want to see more than one château in a day.
Loire Valley Day Trip Minibus Tour From Paris
1. This small-group tour of the Loire Valley château leaving from Paris is a good bet. They take you in a small group (15 people max) from Paris to the châteaux of Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Chambord. The problem with this one is that they sell out, often more than a month in advance.
2. Another great option is this different small-group tour of the Loire Valley chateaux. Both options are run by the same company. The difference is this one goes to the Château du Clos-Lucé instead of Cheverny.
Loire Valley Day Trip Minibus Tour From Amboise Or Tours
We took this small-group tour to Chenonceau and Chambord, which we loved. They take you in a small group (7 guests max) to the châteaux of Chenonceau and Chambord, as well as to Les Caves Ambacia for the best wine tasting experience we have ever enjoyed. The sommelier went step by step through the process of wine making, storing, and tasting. He then proceeded to educate us on how the flavor of various wines change with different types of food. It was very interesting and useful for entertaining! The obvious downside is you only get to see two châteaux on this tour, but if you are staying in Amboise or Tours anyway, you can see Clos-Lucé on your own.
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