Castles · Loir-et-Cher
1 Château de Blois
The castle was built on a promontory overlooking the Loire and the Arrou. This place has been fortified since very ancient times.
View full page →The Loire castles in 4 days
Between Blois and Saumur, the Loire lines up some of the most beautiful castles in France. Four days let you see eight, from the royal fortress to the castle standing on the water.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — Château de Blois to Château de Chambord
Blois and its royal castle, then Chambord and its immense estate.
Driving for the day: about 16.8 km, or 28 min behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
↓ 16.8 km · about 28 min by car to the next stop
Castles · Loir-et-Cher
2 Château de Chambord
Chambord, which measures 156 m by 117 m and has 440 rooms, is the largest of the Loire castles.
View full page →Day 2 — Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire to Château de Chenonceau
Chaumont-sur-Loire and its garden festival, then Chenonceau, the Ladies' castle built over the Cher.
Driving for the day: about 24.8 km, or 42 min behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Castles · Loir-et-Cher
3 Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire
The château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, which overlooks the Loire Valley classified as UNESCO World Heritage, illustrates both the defensive architecture of the Gothic period and the pleasure architecture of the Renaissance.
View full page →↓ 24.8 km · about 42 min by car to the next stop
Castles · Indre-et-Loire
4 Château de Chenonceau
In the heart of the Loire valley, Chenonceau is the most visited private castle in the world. The present castle was built from 1513 to 1521 by Thomas Bohier, receiver of finances under Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I.
View full page →Day 3 — Château d'Amboise to Château du Clos Lucé
Amboise and the Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years.
Driving for the day: about 1.7 km, or 5 min behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Castles · Indre-et-Loire
5 Château d'Amboise
The Château d'Amboise rises above the Loire. One of the most visited monuments in France, on a par with the castles of Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau.
View full page →↓ 1.7 km · about 5 min by car to the next stop
Castles · Indre-et-Loire
6 Château du Clos Lucé
The château du Clos Lucé, formerly called the manor of Cloux or the Clos, is a residence in the town centre of Amboise in the heart of the Loire Valley.
View full page →Day 4 — Château de Villandry to Château d'Ussé
Villandry and its gardens, Azay-le-Rideau reflected in the Indre, then Ussé, the castle said to have inspired Sleeping Beauty.
Driving for the day: about 26.7 km, or 38 min behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Castles · Indre-et-Loire
7 Château de Villandry
Villandry, completed around 1536, is the last of the great Loire castles built in the Renaissance in the Loire Valley. Villandry was built by a finance minister of Francis I, Jean le Breton.
View full page →↓ 11.1 km · about 15 min by car to the next stop
Castles · Indre-et-Loire
8 Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
Located in Touraine, it belongs to the prestigious line of Loire Valley châteaux.
View full page →↓ 15.6 km · about 23 min by car to the next stop
Castles · Indre-et-Loire
9 Château d'Ussé
The Château d'Ussé overlooks the Indre. It is built halfway up the slope, on the south side of the valley.
View full page →Practical tips
Sites are numbered in the recommended order. In season, book your tickets online and start early: Chambord and Chenonceau are the busiest.
More itineraries
What to see in the Ardèche in 3 daysWhat to see in the Dordogne (Périgord) in 3 daysWhat to see in Corsica in 5 daysWhat to see in Alsace in 3 daysWhat to see in Finistère in 3 daysWhat to see in Vaucluse and the Luberon in 3 daysWhat to see in the Hautes-Pyrénées in 3 daysWhat to see in the Lot in 3 daysWhat to see in Haute-Savoie in 3 daysWhat to see in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in 3 daysAll itineraries →