The Royal Château d’Amboise is open every day except December 25 and January 1: admission costs €17.30 in 2026 for an adult, HistoPad included, and the one-hour guided tours are free and need no booking. Note that the closing times shown are those of the ticket office. Perched above the Loire, this château, where Charles VIII grew up and died, holds Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb in the Saint-Hubert chapel. Here are the month-by-month hours, the prices, the combined tickets with the Clos Lucé and Chenonceau, the visiting rules and sunset times.
Amboise is one of the major stops on the château circuit: see our guide to visiting the Loire Valley to plan your stay.
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Château d’Amboise: key facts
- Hours: from 9 am to 5–7 pm depending on the season, with a break from 12:30 to 2 pm from November to early February; closed on December 25 and January 1 — checked on 23 October 2026 on chateau-amboise.com
- Important: according to the visiting rules, the closing times shown are those of the ticket office.
- 2026 price: adult €17.30, student €14.40, ages 7–18 €11; free under 7; HistoPad included.
- Guided tours: 1 hour, in French, every day, at no extra charge and without booking.
- Combined tickets: with the Clos Lucé, or Clos Lucé + Chenonceau, online only.
- Address: montée de l’Émir-Abd-el-Kader, Amboise (Indre-et-Loire), from place Michel-Debré.
Opening hours of Château d’Amboise
The château publishes its hours day by day over a rolling twelve months. We have grouped them by period.
| Period | Hours |
|---|---|
| November 2 – December 17 | 9 am – 12:30 pm and 2 pm – 5 pm |
| December 18 (or 19) – December 31 | 9 am – 5 pm (closed December 25) |
| January 2 – 3 | 9 am – 5 pm (closed January 1) |
| January 4 – February 5 | 10 am – 12:30 pm and 2 pm – 4:30 pm |
| February 6 – March 26 | 9 am – 5 pm |
| March 27 – May 2 | 9 am – 6 pm |
| May 3 – July 2 | 9 am – 6:30 pm |
| July 3 – August 31 | 9 am – 7 pm |
| September 1 – 30 | 9 am – 6 pm |
| October and November 1 | 9 am – 5:30 pm (6 pm on October 1, 2027) |
In practice, if the stated closing time is 5 pm, you must have bought your ticket before 5 pm, not arrive at 4:55 pm hoping to see everything. The HistoPad offers a classic 1 hour 30 minute route and an « express » 45-minute route: so allow at least 1 hour 30 minutes before the posted time to enjoy the royal lodgings, the chapel and the garden.
Tickets and prices
| 2026 ticket | Adult | Student | Ages 7–18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission + HistoPad | €17.30 | €14.40 | €11 |
| Visitor with a disability and companion | €13.10 | €11.80 | €9.30 |
| Annual pass | €31 | €31 | €31 |
- Discounts: large families (−€2 per paying child), job seekers (−€2, certificate less than two months old), holders of an SNCF train ticket, a Rémi regional coach ticket or a Pass Rémi découverte dated within the last 3 days.
- Combined tickets: Château d’Amboise + Clos Lucé, or + Clos Lucé + Chenonceau, sold only online through the links on the official website, not at the desk.
- Payment on site: cash, checks, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Union Pay, WeChat Pay cards.
- Underground passage tours: special one-hour tours, in French, from age 7, with a €4.50 supplement, sold at the ticket office subject to availability.
Buy from the official ticket office linked from chateau-amboise.com. Since the guided tours are free and need no booking, a reseller offers no advantage.
What to see at Château d’Amboise
- The royal lodgings: three levels to visit; the ground floor and first floor evoke the Renaissance (guard room, great Council chamber, the king’s bedroom), the second floor the 19th century and Louis-Philippe.
- The Saint-Hubert chapel: former private oratory of the kings, with carved tuffeau stone decoration, stained glass, and Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb.
- The Minimes tower: a cavalier tower, whose core is seen on the underground passage tours.
- The gardens: just over 2 hectares (5 acres), with the Naples terrace, presented as the first « Italian-style » garden in the kingdom, and the contemporary garden; Jardin remarquable and LPO Refuge labels. The lawns are open for picnics.
- The ramparts: the château describes a 360° view over the town and the Loire.
- Note: the Garden of the Orient (a tribute to Abd el-Kader’s companions) is closed during work on the south-east rampart.
Historical landmarks
- 1434: the château is confiscated from the House of Amboise and attached to the Crown.
- 1492–1498: Charles VIII, raised at Amboise, turns it into a palace; he dies there on April 7, 1498 after hitting his head on a lintel.
- 1519: death of Leonardo da Vinci at Amboise; he now rests in the Saint-Hubert chapel.
- 1560: the Amboise conspiracy, a prelude to the Wars of Religion.
- 1848: Emir Abd el-Kader and about a hundred companions are held captive there.
- Today: the château belongs to the Fondation Saint-Louis; it has been listed as a historic monument since 1840.
Visiting rules to know
- Dogs: allowed, kept on a leash of less than 2 m (7 ft) in the gardens and carried in all indoor spaces (rules, article 2-4).
- Strollers: they stay in an open, unattended area on the ground floor of the royal lodgings, and must be emptied.
- Luggage: not recommended; bulky bags go to the paid luggage room on the access ramp. Small backpacks and baby carriers are worn in front.
- Photos: allowed without flash for private use; drones are prohibited without permission.
- HistoPad: issued free at the ticket office, in 12 languages; on busy days only one per family may be issued.
When to visit Château d’Amboise
The château is open all year. The table below combines the Météo-France normals at Tours, about 20 km (12 mi) away, with the ticket-office closing time and the sunset time calculated at Amboise. To the west, our guide to Fontevraud Abbey, necropolis of the Plantagenets completes a circuit of the great Loire sites.
| Month (15th) | Max temp at Tours | Rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | Ticket office closes | Sunset at Amboise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.7 °C (46 °F) | 11.0 | 4:30 pm (break 12:30 – 2 pm) | 5:32 pm |
| February | 9.0 °C (48 °F) | 9.8 | 5 pm | 6:19 pm |
| March | 12.9 °C (55 °F) | 9.3 | 5 pm | 7:01 pm |
| April | 16.0 °C (61 °F) | 8.9 | 6 pm | 8:44 pm |
| May | 19.6 °C (67 °F) | 9.0 | 6:30 pm | 9:25 pm |
| June | 23.4 °C (74 °F) | 7.6 | 6:30 pm | 9:54 pm |
| July | 25.9 °C (79 °F) | 6.7 | 7 pm | 9:49 pm |
| August | 26.0 °C (79 °F) | 6.6 | 7 pm | 9:08 pm |
| September | 22.1 °C (72 °F) | 7.5 | 6 pm | 8:08 pm |
| October | 17.0 °C (63 °F) | 9.8 | 5:30 pm | 7:08 pm |
| November | 11.4 °C (53 °F) | 11.4 | 5 pm (break 12:30 – 2 pm) | 5:20 pm |
| December | 8.1 °C (47 °F) | 11.5 | 5 pm (break until the 17th) | 5:05 pm |
How to read it: from May to August the sun sets more than two hours after closing: there is time left to stroll through town or along the Loire. From November to January, the midday break and the early night (around 5 pm) shorten the useful day: plan your visit for the morning. July and August are the least rainy months at Tours. The château publishes no monthly attendance figures.
Getting there and parking
- Entrance: via montée de l’Émir-Abd-el-Kader, from place Michel-Debré, in the town center.
- By train: the Tours-Saint-Pierre-des-Corps high-speed rail station is 20 km (12 mi) from the château, according to the official website; the château refers visitors to SNCF Connect for timetables.
- By bike: along the Loire à Vélo levees.
- By car: the town of Amboise publishes a parking map; charging points in town.
- Reduced-mobility access: by car via the private entrance on rue Augustin-Thierry (intercom). Ground floor, first floor of the lodgings, chapel and gardens are accessible by ramps; only the second floor is inaccessible, shown on an adapted version of the HistoPad. An able-bodied companion is compulsory; Tourisme & Handicap label renewed in 2022.
What to see nearby
A few minutes’ walk away, Château du Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, can be visited with the combined ticket. The same ticket exists with Château de Chenonceau. Add Chambord, Cheverny and ZooParc de Beauval for a stay of several days. For entry requirements, see entry requirements for France.
Frequently asked questions
What is the admission price of Château d’Amboise?
€17.30 for an adult in 2026, €14.40 for a student and €11 for ages 7 to 18, HistoPad included. Free for children under 7.
Do you need to book to visit Château d’Amboise?
No. The online ticket office lets you buy in advance, and the standard guided tours need no booking. Combined tickets with the Clos Lucé and Chenonceau are sold online only.
How long does it take to visit Château d’Amboise?
The HistoPad route takes 1 hour 30 minutes (45-minute express version) and the guided tour 1 hour. Add time for the gardens and ramparts.
Where is Leonardo da Vinci buried?
In the Saint-Hubert chapel of the Royal Château d’Amboise, according to the château.
What time does Château d’Amboise close?
Between 4:30 pm and 7 pm depending on the season. The time shown is the ticket-office closing time, according to the visiting rules.
Can you visit Château d’Amboise with a dog?
Yes: on a leash of less than 2 m (7 ft) in the gardens and carried in indoor spaces.
Our sources
- Royal Château d’Amboise (chateau-amboise.com): « Hours », « Prices », « Combined tickets », « Access », « About the château », « Ways to visit », « HistoPad » and « Visiting rules » pages, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Wikipedia: « Château d’Amboise » article (historical landmarks), consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France: Tours climate sheet (37179001), 1991–2020 statistics
- Sunset: Destination de Voyage calculation, NOAA solar algorithm, Europe/Paris time zone, coordinates of the château, on the 15th of each month (year 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices, hours and access rules may change: check the official website before you go.