The Château Royal d'Amboise on its rocky spur above the town and the River Loire, with round towers and steep slate roofs

Climb to the royal château above the Loire

The Loire's royal château, with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb and a HistoPad tablet in 12 languages. We handle the booking — you just arrive.

See ticket options
  • UNESCO Loire Valley World Heritage Site, 2000
  • 15th–16th c. Home of the French court under Charles VIII and François I
  • Leonardo Buried in the Saint-Hubert chapel since 1519
  • 12 HistoPad tablet languages, included with entry

Choose your ticket

Adult ticket

Full château, royal apartments, ramparts and terrace + HistoPad

€42

  • Skip-the-line entry to the royal château — straight past the ticket-office queue
  • The royal apartments, ramparts and the Saint-Hubert chapel with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb
  • HistoPad augmented-reality tablet included, in 12 languages
  • Open-dated — valid any open day, no time slot to book
  • Pay in your local currency — the price you see is the price charged
Reserve adult ticket
  • Skip the ticket-office queueYour e-ticket walks you straight in.
  • Undated, flexible ticketsValid any open day — no date to lock in.
  • HistoPad in your languageAugmented-reality tour included, 12 languages.
  • Honest, independent serviceNot the ticket office — a concierge that books for you.

5-minute audio guide

Your Amboise 5-minute guide

Hand-written, narrated by a heritage host, sent to every customer the day before their visit. Five minutes on the château that raised François I, the Italian Wars that brought the Renaissance home to France, and the artist who came with it and never left.

Included with your booking — your full guide arrives with your ticket.Get your guide
  • Why Amboise, not Paris, was the cradle of the French Renaissance
  • Charles VIII, François I and the court that filled these walls
  • How Leonardo da Vinci came to Amboise — and where he lies
  • Reading the Loire from the ramparts, as the kings did

Included free with every ticket. No app, no download — plays in any browser.

About Château Royal d'Amboise

The Château Royal d'Amboise sits on a rocky spur above the Loire, and for a century it was a favourite home of the French kings — Charles VIII was born and died here, and François I grew up within its walls.

François I brought Leonardo da Vinci to Amboise in 1516. The artist spent his last years nearby at Clos Lucé and is buried in the château's Saint-Hubert chapel, a few steps from the royal apartments. The included HistoPad tablet rebuilds the vanished wings as they stood at the height of the court.

From the ramparts and terrace you look straight down the Loire — the reason the kings chose the spot. Part of the gardens is currently fenced for rampart restoration, so the terrace views, the royal apartments and the chapel are the heart of the visit for now.

Practical information

Opening hours
Open daily except 1 January and 25 December. Hours vary by season — roughly 09:00–19:00 in July and August, with a midday closure in the depths of winter. The ticket office closes about 45 minutes before the park. Check your date's hours when you book.
Address
Château Royal d'Amboise, Montée de l'Émir Abd el-Kader, 37400 Amboise, France
Getting there from Tours
Amboise is about 25 km east of Tours, roughly 20 minutes by regional train (TER) or car. Tours has TGV connections to Paris and Bordeaux.
Getting there from Paris
TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Tours or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (about 1h15), then a 20-minute TER to Amboise; some direct Intercités trains also stop at Amboise.
Getting there by car
A short drive from the A10 motorway, about 25 minutes from Tours. Paid parking is available in the town below the château.
Time needed
Allow around 1.5 hours for the royal apartments, chapel and ramparts.
Accessibility
The château sits above the town and the approach is a climb; inside there are stairs to the royal apartments. For specific access needs, ask us before booking and we'll check the current arrangements.
Photography
Personal photography is generally welcome; the view down the Loire from the terrace is the classic shot. Check the current rules for the interior on the day.
Food
There are plenty of cafés and restaurants in the town directly below the château.

About our service

Château Royal d'Amboise Tickets acts as a facilitator to help international visitors book skip-the-line entry to the Château Royal d'Amboise, which is owned and run by the Fondation Saint-Louis. We are not the château's ticket office and we do not resell tickets — we place your booking and provide English-language support. Our concierge service fee is included in the displayed price. If you prefer to buy directly, the official site is chateau-amboise.com.

Plan your visit

Practical guides written by our concierge team

The Best Time to Visit the Château Royal d'Amboise

A month-by-month guide to crowds, opening hours and the quietest times at the Loire's royal château.

Frequently asked

What's included in the ticket?

Skip-the-line entry to the royal château — the royal apartments, the ramparts and terrace, and the Saint-Hubert chapel with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb. The HistoPad augmented-reality tablet is included, in 12 languages.

Do I need to choose a date and time?

No. The ticket is open-dated with no time slot, valid on any open day for months after purchase, so you can visit whenever suits you.

Is this really a skip-the-line ticket?

Yes. Advance tickets to Amboise are priority tickets, so you walk past the ticket-office queue and straight to the entrance — useful on busy summer middays.

What is the HistoPad?

A tablet handed to you at the entrance that rebuilds the château's rooms in augmented reality as they looked at the height of the French court. It's included free, in 12 languages.

Is Leonardo da Vinci really buried here?

Yes. Leonardo spent his final years in Amboise and is buried in the château's Saint-Hubert chapel, a few steps from the royal apartments.

Are the gardens open?

Part of the gardens is currently fenced for rampart restoration. The royal apartments, the chapel and the terrace with its Loire views are open and are the heart of the visit; check the current extent of the works when you book.

How do I get there from Tours?

Amboise is about 25 km east of Tours — around 20 minutes by regional train (TER) or car. The château is a short walk up from Amboise station across the Loire.

Do you sell child or reduced tickets?

We sell the full-price adult ticket. Under-7 (free), youth, student and disabled rates are booked directly at the château with proof of eligibility — we're glad to point you to the right place.

What if my plans change?

Because the ticket is open-dated and valid for months, you can simply go on another open day. All sales are final, except that we refund in full if the château cancels.