France,  Itinerary

Two Wonderful Days in Amboise, France

Amboise France

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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Château d’Amboise

HoursHours vary depending on the time of year. Generally, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Length of Visit1.5-2 hours
Cost€16.40
Highlightschapel, 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.

Chateau d'Amboise
Château d’Amboise from the bridge leading into town
The Loire River From Chateau D'Amboise
The view of the Loire from the Château d’Amboise

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.

Chateau D'Amboise From Le Shaker In Amboise France
You can’t beat this view of the chateau from Le Shaker.

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.

Explore the Loire Valley

Amboise is great, but this is the real reason for staying here. You should plan to do any exploring on your second day so you have as much of the day as needed to see the sights.

The two châteaux listed here are by no means a definitive list. We chose these two because of their proximity to Amboise and each other, and because they each offer slightly different experiences. We liked the fact they were all close to each other because it allowed plenty of time to tour at our leisure and still have time to relax in Amboise after.

However, there are plenty of other places worth visiting if you want to go farther afield. The châteaux in Blois, Cheverny and Chambord are particularly beautiful in pictures and have great reviews.

You can also add in some vineyards if that is more your style. We opted to only visit châteaux since we were getting plenty of wine in Amboise and I wanted to see some European castles.

Château de Chenonceau

My Full ReviewA Visit to Château de Chenonceau
HoursHours vary depending on the time of year. Generally, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Length of Visit2 – 3 hours
Cost€17 for general admission
€22 with audio guide
HighlightsGardens, chapel, the Grand Galerie

Château de Chenonceau was our first stop. It’s only about 25 minutes away from Amboise via car on easily drivable roads.

This château is considered one of the best in the Loire region. As you make your way up the tree-lined path and the château comes into view, you quickly realize why it is so highly regarded. It’s one of those places that lives up to the expectations you set in your mind and then manages to exceed them.

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.

Château de Chenonceau is the perfect combination of gorgeous panoramic views and exquisite intricate detail. Take your time seeing all it has to offer!

Chateau Chenonceau
It’s easy to see why Château de Chenonceau is one of the must-see stops near Amboise, France.
Cheateau Chenonceau's Iconic Covered Bridge
Chenonceau’s iconic bridge over the river is bound to be the highlight of your visit.

Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

My Full ReviewWhat to Know About Domaine Chaumont-sur-Loire
HoursOpens at 10:00 throughout the year, closing time varies based on season,
check before your visit for exact times
Length of Visit2 – 3 hours
Cost€15 – €20 depending on time of year
HighlightsThe 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.

If you grew up playing with toy knights and castles, Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire looks like something from your childhood imagination. In fact, I’m almost positive I had a Lego set that looked very similar to this château.

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. Truth be told, it’s more of an art exhibit than a garden.

Unfortunately, the interiors left a little to be desired. The artistic theme carried over into the château with the chapel having a modern art exhibit in it and much of the upper floor being dedicated to exhibits from a Japanese artist. I actually quite liked these exhibits, but I would have preferred seeing the rooms in their original state.

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.

Chateau Chaumont
The rest of Chateau Chaumont may be a bit underwhelming, but you can’t deny it’s an impressive building.

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 dex 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 chose it essentially 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. These were the two main reasons we chose La Florentine.

The food was excellent! We shared a pasta and pizza. Unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly what we had so I can’t give a recommendation. I will recommend getting one of each to share like we did so you can sample both.

It’s worth mentioning that when I researched information for this article, some recent Yelp reviews mention rude staff. I can assure you this was not the case when we visited in 2019. I have no qualms recommending La Florentine based on my experience. Every person’s experience is unique, though, so I can’t speak to what is said on Yelp reviews.

Other Attractions in Amboise, France

In addition to the attractions I described above, here are two other popular things to do in Amboise that Michelle and I didn’t get to. There are also many other cafes to have regional wine while people watching if you just want more time to relax and take in the views.

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.

Advanced tickets are recommended. Tickets are €19.

More Château Content You Might Enjoy: Day Tripping to the Ornate Versailles Château from Paris

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.

Visit their website for more information and to purchase tickets in advance.

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). 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…

Clocktower In Amboise France
Raphael’s place is to the left just behind this clocktower.

Resources to Book Your Trip to Amboise

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30 Comments

  • Barry

    This is certainly “chateau country” and it looks like you got your fill of them! I never knew Leonardo d’Vinci is buried in Amboise. You don’t mention it, but did you get to see his grave/tomb? It’s a ciy I know very little about, although I know of Tours nearby as the city in the UK where I was born and grew up in is twinned with it.
    Being on the banks of the Loire you were certainly well placed for some great wine growing areas and the cafes and eateries sounds fab. Lots of info here to make to most of travelling around this area.

    • paulpassingthrough

      We saw his supposed grave in the chapel of Château d’Amboise but it’s not confirmed. I forget the whole story off the top of my head. I’ll write more about that château in the future and cover its history so it’ll be in there!

  • Sydney Brown Travels

    Another great post, Paul! I’ve never thought of visiting Amboise but now I would love to make a visit one day and use it as a base for chateau exploration (and also indulging in wine from nearby vineyards).

    • paulpassingthrough

      Great! I’ll be writing a few more posts specific to each château in the next month or so, so hopefully that’ll give you more planning help. Tours is the other recommended city to stay in for the western part of the region.

  • Peggy

    As usual, fantastic post, Paul. I love your writing style. Amboise looks like a great stop on your trip. I didn’t know anything about it prior to reading this. I’d love to see a layout of your entire 2-week itinerary!

  • Wanderingkellers

    Great post. Sounds like a great place to visit. I also love to see a new place with an early morning run. Often sets the tone for where I eat and explore later that day.

  • Mitch - Very Tasty World

    Great post and lots of info about some very interesting places to visit. The chateaux look wonderful. We would love to travel to the area one day. We do like a tipple, so the wine experience at Caves Duhard would also be of interest. We’re not runners but are always up for an early morning walk!

  • kasia

    I think I stopped briefly in Amboise when I did the Loire Valley tour years ago. I would love to go back and explore it (and the castles) some more.

  • Vanessa Shields

    Ambiose looks so beautiful and quaint! Walking out and seeing that clock tower every morning would be a treat. It looks like a wonderful town to explore with Château d’Amboise at the top of the list! The other chateaus are stunning and ones I’d love to see one day. Oh and experiencing the wines caves would be a must too!

    • paulpassingthrough

      I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of AirBnB but being right next to that clock tower was pretty cool. The chateaux are lovely and definitely the highlights of a trip to the Loire Valley. I hope you get to visit!

  • Mind Beauty Simplicity

    i’ve always wanted to go to France – hopefully in the near future. the archetecture of the castles and churches are beyond beautiful. 🙂 thanks for sharing your travels & including such wonderful photos.

  • kmf

    Amboise, France sounds like the perfect homebase for exploring the eastern part of the Loire Valley. I’ve never been to this part of France before so would love to explore.