Amboise, France: Planning Two Days in the Loire Valley
Amboise, France is an excellent jumping off point for exploring the eastern part of the Loire Valley. From Amboise, you have convenient access to some of the region’s best châteaux and vineyards. What really makes it work as a home base, though, is its own two chateaux and many cafes for you to explore without stepping in a car.
Whether you’re in Amboise, France just to relax or here to sightsee around the Loire countryside, this post should give you a good idea of what Amboise has to offer.
Updated November 2024
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Things to do in Amboise, France
Château d’Amboise
| Hours | Hours vary depending on the time of year. Generally, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Length of Visit | 1.5-2 hours |
| Cost | €16.40 |
| Highlights | chapel, views of Amboise, gardens |
Château d’Amboise is the main attraction in Amboise for reasons that are obvious as soon as you enter town. It’s a literal towering presence over the town. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you only observe it from the town.
A visit to Château d’Amboise takes you to Leonardo da Vinci’s rumored resting place, through rooms with impressive period tapestries and out on to the ramparts where you’re treated to amazing views of Amboise. It’s also an important part of French history during the 15th century for you history buffs.
Château de Chenonceau
| Hours | Hours vary depending on the time of year. Generally, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Length of Visit | 2 – 3 hours |
| Cost | €17 for general admission €22 with audio guide |
| Highlights | Gardens, chapel, the Grand Galerie |
Château de Chenonceau is considered one of the best in the Loire region. It has everything Loire visitors could want: a charming location, iconic architecture, lovely gardens, and plenty of history.
As you make your way up the tree-lined path and the château comes into view, you quickly realize why it’s so highly regarded. Chenonceau is one of those places that lives up to expectations and then manages to exceed them.
The highlight of Château de Chenonceau is undoubtedly its covered bridge going over the river. You’re guaranteed a great view of this feature no matter where you look at it from on the château’s grounds. Depending on the time of year, you can even take a paddling tour under the bridge.
Beyond the building itself, there are two different gardens and a number of manicured paths to explore. The inside of the château is equally beautiful, with room after room offering impressive design and decor.
Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire
| Hours | Opens at 10:00 throughout the year, closing time varies based on season, check before your visit for exact times |
| Length of Visit | 2 – 3 hours |
| Cost | €15 – €20 depending on time of year |
| Highlights | The château itself, International Garden Festival, chapel, Council Chamber, the King’s Room |
There are other grander châteaux in the region than Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire. Nevertheless, I demanded we see this one because I wanted to see one epic “castle” while in France, and this was it.
In addition to the fantastic exteriors, there is also a wondrous garden worth exploring called the International Garden Festival. This garden is unique from the more traditional château gardens throughout the Loire Valley in that it not only changes yearly, but it also has more modern themes.
Unfortunately, the interiors left a little to be desired. A couple rooms were interesting with some nice historical artifacts, but much of the interior was rather barren and devoid of much to see.
I didn’t regret my visit because the exteriors and gardens made up for everything else. If neither of those tickle your fancy, you may want to consider a different château.
Go for an Early Morning Run (or Walk)
Morning runs are one of my favorite ways to see new places. It may be just a quick look, but you get to see so much more of the area with far fewer people than you otherwise would.
My Amboise run took me through some of the residential areas south of the touristy town center and along the river. The trail along the river was quite lovely. It wasn’t quite up there with my runs along the Seine in Paris, but it certainly is worth checking out.
It’s always nice going through a town center when no one is around early in the morning, too. You don’t realize how pretty these areas can be when they’re crowded with people, and Amboise is no different. Take time to admire the château on the hill and some of the café facades as you make your way along Rue Victor Hugo.
Other Attractions in Amboise, France
In addition to the attractions I described above, the area around Amboise has plenty more to offer that we didn’t get to. Here are just a few of the things you can do with more time.
Visit More Loire Valley Châteaux
Amboise is a great little town, but the real reason to visit here is to see the region’s iconic châteaux. Fortunately, you have over 300 different châteaux to choose from and a large number just around Amboise for easy access.
We chose the two we visited based on proximity because we wanted to have a relatively restful day without much driving. However, there are plenty of other places worth visiting if you want to go farther afield and have more time in Amboise.
The four châteaux listed below are some of the more well known and popular in the region:
- Château de Blois
- Château de Cheverny
- Château de Chambord
- Château de Chinon
Try Different Wineries Through the Region
With the Loire Valley being one of France’s premier grape-growing regions due to its fertile fields and ideal growing conditions, it’s no surprise that many people come here eager to try the area’s wine.
The area around Amboise has a number of different wineries for you to try. You have a choice between smaller, family-owned wineries or larger vineyards operated by the various châteaux.
Whatever you do, make sure to take into account how you’re getting to the different wineries by having a designated driver. Better yet, it may be worth looking into a guided tour with a local to take you to several different wineries so you don’t have to worry about driving.
Château du Clos Lucé
Château du Clos Lucé isn’t as epic in scale as Château d’Amboise, but it does pack some interesting local history.
During the latter stages of his life, Leonardo da Vinci was invited to live in Amboise by King Frances I in 1516. da Vinci accepted and was named the “Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect of the King.” He went on to live there until his death in 1519.
Now, the château houses exhibits showcasing da Vinci’s life, art and various inventions. You can also walk through the house to view rooms as they were decorated when da Vinci lived there. As an added bonus, there are hands-on exhibits and a playground making this chateau ideal for families with young children.
Caves Ambacia
Just a short distance east along the Loire River from Château d’Amboise, Caves Ambacia is a wine experience for the oenophiles out there. These caves have been in use for various purposes over the past five centuries but have been used for storing wine since 1874.
They offer several different experiences for your visit ranging from a tasting with a sommelier to an audio-visual tour of the caves.
Go for a Hot-Air Balloon Ride
Taking a hot-air balloon ride over the Loire Valley is a unique way to see the region. How else can you see sweeping vistas of the valley’s many vineyards, châteaux and small towns from a bird’s perspective?
Several companies offer balloon rides throughout the area. They’re all a little pricey, but you’re paying for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so it may be worth it if you’re okay with splurging a bit.
Where to Eat and Drink in Amboise, France
Café du Château
After you’re done at Château d’Amboise, it’s time to kick back with some wine at a few different spots around town. Fortunately, you have plenty of options to choose from right outside the chateau gates.
Our first stop was Café du Château. It’s pretty standard French café fare: plenty of outdoor seating, reasonably priced wine and good people watching. It’s also directly across from Château d’Amboise, giving it a bit of an edge over the rest of Amboise’s cafes (though to be fair, none of them are much farther).
Service was a bit slow, but Café du Château was our first café experience in France, so we weren’t yet sure what to expect. Still, it was slower than other cafes we would eventually visit during our time in France. Nevertheless, this fact didn’t really detract from our experience as we were content with taking our time after touring the Château d’Amboise.
Le Shaker
Sitting on Amboise’s L’ile d’Or in the Loire River, Le Shaker is worth checking out for a drink and a meal. The reason for this is because of the stunning views Le Shaker offers of the bridge and Château d’Amboise.
The menu was fairly standard fare. I had the croque monsieur. It was alright but nothing special. It seemed as if Le Shaker relied more on their location to draw people in.
And they can do that for good reason. Le Shaker is open throughout the day, but you should really try to visit at night if possible. The château is lit up in the evening creating a fairytale scene for you to admire while sipping on some wine. It’s a wonderful way to end a day in Amboise.
Caveau des Vignerons d’Amboise
This small wine bar sits right under Château d’Amboise along Rue Victor Hugo. They have a variety of local wines to meet whatever palate walks in. You can also purchase local cheeses and meats to pair with your wine.
The real allure of this wine bar is its location carved into the rock the château sits on. Because of this, it has great atmosphere for a wine bar.
There’s not much else to say about Caveau des Vignerons d’Amboise. If you want a fun little wine bar with knowledgeable staff in the side of a rocky cliff, add this to your itinerary.
La Florentine
La Florentine is one of several cafés located across from Château d’Amboise. We essentially chose it at random but could not have been more pleased with the experience.
The prices were reasonable compared to the rest of the restaurants along Rue Victor Hugo (the main road through Amboise), and we were able to get seated quickly.
The food was excellent. We shared a pasta and pizza. Unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly what we had so I can’t give specific recommendations. I will recommend getting one of each to share like we did so you can sample both.
Where to Stay in Amboise, France
Amboise has several hotels to choose from for your stay. We opted for an Airbnb right in the center of town because of its great location and price.
We booked our stay with Raphael. Raphael has several rentals located right next to the Tour de l’Horloge (the clocktower in Amboise). His rentals are just minutes away from many of Amboise’s top destinations.
This is the specific rental we stayed in while we were at Amboise. We picked this one because it has a washer/dryer unit (it was the middle of a two-week trip to England and France) and air conditioning.
Just be warned, everything is in French (or was when we visited) so it was a learning curve figuring out how to use the appliances. In fact, come to think of it, we never did learn how to turn on the air conditioning…
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