Loire Valley Castles: Chenonceau, Amboise & Da Vinci from Paris

Three Loire Valley Castles in One Day: Chenonceau, Amboise & Leonardo's Last Home

You get picked up from your hotel and spend the day visiting three of the Loire Valley's most significant castles: Château de Chenonceau with its Renaissance gardens, the Royal Château d'Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci is buried, and Clos Lucé where he spent his final years. All entrance tickets, a guided wine tasting at a local winery, and lunch time in Amboise are included. The drive is long, 14 hours round trip, but the minivan is air-conditioned and the group never exceeds seven people.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Château de Chenonceau1h 30m · entry included
2. Amboise1h
3. Château d’Amboise1h 30m · entry included
4. Château du Clos Lucé1h 30m · entry included

Loire Valley Castles and Wine Tasting

• 07:30 Hotel pick-up in Paris
• Drive 3 hours to Château de Chenonceau
• Visit Château de Chenonceau and gardens
• Drive 20 minutes to Amboise
• Lunch break in Amboise city
• Visit Château Royal d’Amboise with guide
• Wine tasting at local family winery
• Visit Château du Clos Lucé with guide
• Drive 3 hours back to Paris
• 21:00 Drop off at hotel in Paris

The experience

You're picking up at your Paris hotel at 7:30 in the morning, and the Mercedes minivan is already running. Three hours on the highway gets you to Château de Chenonceau, the one that actually spans the River Cher, not just sits next to it. Your guide walks you through the rooms, and you get a printed brochure so you're not just nodding along. The gardens have over 130,000 flowering plants, which sounds like marketing until you're standing in them and it's actually true. By 12:30 you're heading to Amboise, twenty minutes away, and you've got an hour to eat lunch wherever you want in the town itself.

The Royal Château d'Amboise is where things get personal. This is where Leonardo da Vinci is buried, not in some distant tomb, but in the Saint Hubert Chapel right there in the castle. You get an interactive Histopad guide that walks you through each room and explains the transition from Gothic to Renaissance architecture, which actually makes sense when you're looking at it. After that, there's a wine tasting at a local family winery: seven wines, with someone explaining how they've been made for centuries. It's not rushed.

The last stop is Clos Lucé, Leonardo's actual final residence. He lived there from 1516 until he died in 1519, invited by King Francis I. It's connected to Amboise by an underground passageway, which is the kind of detail that makes you understand how these castles weren't just monuments. They were homes for people who could afford to tunnel between them. The whole Loire Valley tour wraps up around 6 p.m., and you're back in Paris by 9 p.m. The group stays at seven people maximum, so it never feels like you're herding through with fifty others.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Paris.
• transportation in an air-conditioned Mercedes minivan for up to 7 passengers.
• entrance tickets to Château de Chenonceau, Château Royal d'Amboise, and Château du Clos Lucé.
• guided tour at each castle with printed brochures.
• one hour lunch break in Amboise.
• wine tasting of seven local wines at a family winery.
• bottled water.
• professional English-speaking guide.

Options for this experience

2 options

Entry tickets to the 3 castles are not includedGuide in English · 07:30Tickets for the 3 castles can be added for EUR 50 per person; pickup is included

Entry tickets to the 3 castles are includedGuide in English · 07:30Pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (25 to 79 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 39 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Clewel Travel

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see the Loire Valley's most famous castles without renting a car or juggling separate tickets: the small group size and fixed itinerary mean you spend the day looking at history instead of organizing logistics. The long day (14 hours round trip) is what makes three castles, a wine tasting, and lunch all fit into one trip from Paris.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (4 to 11 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

How long is the drive from Paris to the first castle?

About three hours on the highway to Château de Chenonceau, with one rest stop. The return journey is also around three hours.

Are entrance fees included?

Yes, all tickets to the three castles (Chenonceau, Amboise, and Clos Lucé) are included in the tour price.

What's included in the wine tasting?

A tasting of seven local wines at a family winery with explanations of how they're made. It lasts about 40 minutes.

Is lunch included?

No, but you get a full hour free in Amboise to eat at any restaurant or café you choose. The guide can recommend places or make a reservation if you ask.

What's the maximum group size?

Seven people per minivan, which keeps the experience smaller and more manageable than larger group tours.

Is the guide English-speaking?

Yes, the guide speaks English throughout the day and provides historical context about the Loire Valley and each castle.

What time does the tour end?

You're dropped back at your Paris hotel around 9 p.m., having left at 7:30 a.m.

Is water provided during the day?

Yes, bottled water is included throughout the tour.