Loire Valley
The Loire Valley in 3 days, from Amboise
The Loire Valley is not to be rushed: it is to be savoured. Three days are enough to see the essentials, provided you choose your base well. From Amboise, the Strolling King has traced the itinerary: two châteaux a day, and the rest spent strolling.
The Loire Valley in 3 days: the itinerary
Amboise is the ideal starting point: central, on the banks of the Loire, an hour from Paris. You unpack once, then set out from there. Here are three full days, without ever rushing.
| Day | Where | What to see |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Amboise | Royal Château, Clos Lucé, the old town |
| Day 2 | Chenonceau & Chaumont-sur-Loire | the château over the Cher, the garden festival |
| Day 3 | Chambord or Villandry | the largest château, or the Renaissance gardens |
Day 1: Amboise and Leonardo da Vinci
Begin with your base. The Royal Château looks out over the Loire, with its chapelle Saint-Hubert where Leonardo da Vinci rests. Five minutes away, Clos Lucé was his last home: his machines, his gardens, the workshop of a genius. In the evening, you stroll through the old town and dine at Le Manoir.
Day 2: Chenonceau and the gardens of Chaumont
Head south: Chenonceau, some fifteen kilometres away, spans the Cher with its arches, the most graceful of châteaux. Then Chaumont-sur-Loire and its international garden festival, about twenty kilometres on. Two visits, a full day.
Day 3: Chambord or Villandry
Depending on your mood, finish in style. Chambord, some fifty kilometres away, is the largest of the Loire châteaux, bristling with turrets. Or Villandry and its Renaissance gardens in embroidered parterres, about thirty kilometres away. Grandeur or gentleness, the choice is yours.
Your base: Le Manoir in Amboise
Each evening, you return to the same place. Le Manoir by Louis 26, at 19 avenue de Tours, brings together a bar, a terrace and a barbecue restaurant, along with the City Suites for the night. You sleep in the centre, you wake in Touraine, ready for the château of the day.
The King has a room in your name. Discover Le Manoir, your base in the Loire Valley.
