France / Loire Valley / Amboise (Loire Valley)

Amboise (Loire Valley)

Royal Châteaux and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Home

2 daysIdeal stay₹9,050From / night₹2,770Food / day₹2,020Entry

The Loire Valley's château country, with Amboise as the base: its royal château (Leonardo da Vinci is buried in its chapel), Clos Lucé where he spent his last years, and Chenonceau, built across the River Cher, 12 km away. Chambord, Villandry's gardens and Blois are day trips by car, tour minibus or the Loire à Vélo cycle routes. Trains from Paris take about 1 h 45 to Amboise, or an hour by TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Tours) and 15 minutes on.

Highlights

Chenonceau across the River Cher
Château d'Amboise and Leonardo's tomb
Clos Lucé and its da Vinci machines
Chambord's double-helix staircase
Villandry's formal gardens
Cycling the Loire à Vélo
Vouvray wine in tufa caves
Hot-air balloon over the châteaux

Things to do

Château de Chenonceau and its gardensMorning · 3h
Château d'Amboise and Clos LucéAfternoon · 3h 30m
Chambord day tripMorning · 4h
Villandry gardensAfternoon · 2h
Cycle a stretch of the Loire à VéloMorning · 3h
Vouvray wine-cave tastingEvening · 1h 30m

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Amboise (Loire Valley)via GetYourGuide Tours & tickets in Amboise (Loire Valley)via Klook

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When to go

Best time: April – June, September – October

Getting there

Fly into Paris (CDG), 190 km away

Then: Train · 1h 36m (TGV from Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps + TER)

Search flights to CDG from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhifrom ₹34,000
From Mumbaifrom ₹36,000
From Chennai (1 stop)from ₹32,000
From Hyderabad (1 stop)from ₹32,000
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹32,000
From Kochi (1 stop)from ₹32,000

Fly into Nice (NCE), 639 km away

Search flights to NCE from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹36,000
From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹37,000
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹40,000

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹9,590

Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa on france-visas.gouv.fr, up to six months and at least 15 days before you fly; 4-8 weeks ahead is safest in summer and December.
Book an appointment at a VFS Global France centre in India and go in person to give fingerprints and a photo (not needed again for 59 months). Pay the €90 visa fee (€45 for children aged 6-11, free under 6) plus VFS's service charge.
Allow about 15 days for a decision, up to 45 in peak season. Track it online; VFS returns the passport.
If you have used two Schengen visas lawfully in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's cascade for Indian nationals you can get two years, then five.
Did you study in France for at least a semester, with a master's degree or higher? Ask for France's five-year alumni short-stay visa.
At the first Schengen border, register your fingerprints and photo in the Entry/Exit System (EES). Stay no more than 90 days in any 180 across all Schengen countries.

Carry: Passport valid at least three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area, issued within the last ten years, with two blank pages; France-Visas application form (printed) and two recent passport photos; Return flight booking and hotel bookings (or an invitation) for the whole stay; Travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000, valid in all Schengen countries; Bank statements for the last three to six months, and recent income-tax returns; Employer's leave letter or proof of business; for students, a letter from the school; A short covering letter with your day-by-day itinerary; For children: birth certificate and both parents' consent if not travelling with both.

One Schengen visa covers France and 28 other countries, but a multi-country trip should apply through the country where you spend the most nights. Book the VFS appointment early: slots for June-August and December go weeks ahead. The ETIAS travel authorisation does not apply to visa holders.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Plan a trip to Amboise (Loire Valley)

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at Paris (CDG)