The Royal Château de Blois can be visited all year (except January 1 and December 25), with no timed booking: admission costs €16 in 2026, HistoPad included, and a self-guided visit takes 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes according to the château. Set in the middle of the town, an 8-minute walk from the station, it brings together around a single courtyard four wings from the 13th to the 17th century, and has seen seven kings and ten queens of France. This page gathers the official 2026 hours and prices, the combined tickets, the sound and light show, the rules that surprise visitors (bags, strollers, animals) and sunset times month by month.
Blois is often the first stop on a circuit of the region: see our guide to visiting the Loire châteaux and choosing which ones to combine.
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Château de Blois: key facts
- 2026 hours: 9 am to 6:30 pm from April to September, 10 am to 5 pm in November–December and in January–February; last entry 30 minutes before closing — checked on 23 October 2026 on chateaudeblois.fr
- Full price: €16 (reduced €12, ages 6–17 €8, free under 6); HistoPad or brochure included.
- Booking: not necessary. The château states that you do not need to book a date or a time slot for the château or the sound and light show; buying online simply saves you the ticket desk.
- Time needed: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes self-guided, with HistoPad or audioguide; 1 hour 15 minutes on a guided tour.
- Closed: January 1 and December 25; closing at 5 pm on December 24 and 31.
- Address: place du Château, Blois (Loir-et-Cher); Blois-Chambord station an 8-minute walk away.
Opening hours of Château de Blois in 2026
The hours change seven times during the year. We copied them from the « Plan your visit » page of the official website and added, for each period, the last entry time (30 minutes before closing, the château’s rule).
| 2026 period | Opening | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| January 5 – February 28 | 10 am – 5 pm | 4:30 pm |
| March 1 – 31 | 10 am – 5:30 pm | 5 pm |
| April 1 – September 30 | 9 am – 6:30 pm | 6 pm |
| October 1 – 16 | 9 am – 6 pm | 5:30 pm |
| October 17 – November 1 (French school fall break) | 9 am – 6:30 pm | 6 pm |
| November 2 – December 18 | 10 am – 5 pm | 4:30 pm |
| December 19 – January 3, 2027 | 10 am – 6 pm | 5:30 pm (4:30 pm on December 24 and 31) |
Tickets and prices: what you need to know
The admission fee includes the HistoPad (an augmented-reality visitor tablet), subject to availability, or a brochure. The audioguide costs extra (€3). The individual 2026 prices published by the château are as follows.
| Service | Adult | Reduced | Ages 6–17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission (HistoPad or brochure included) | €16 | €12 | €8 |
| Sound and light show | €13 | €11 | €8 |
| Château + sound and light show | €24 | €19 | €12 |
| Château + Maison de la magie | €24 | €19 | €12 |
| Château + sound and light show + Maison de la magie | €31.50 | €26 | €19.50 |
| General guided tour (supplement) | +€5 | +€5 | free |
| Unusual tour (supplement, from age 8) | +€7 | +€7 | +€4 |
- Free entry: under 6, people with disabilities and their companion, holders of the Pass Blois Culture (with proof). Free entries pay €4 for the HistoPad.
- Combined tickets: valid for the whole 2026 season, usable on different days. Combined tickets with the Fondation du doute are sold on site only.
- Regional train: on presentation of a Rémi ticket validated less than 24 hours earlier, the reduced rate applies at the ticket desk.
- Exit and re-entry: the château states that the ticket is valid all day; you can go out for lunch and come back.
- Privilege card: €65 per person for one year of access to tours and exhibitions.
The official online ticket office is the one linked from chateaudeblois.fr. Beware of reseller sites: they offer neither skip-the-line (there is no slot to book) nor a guaranteed HistoPad, and often add fees.
What to see at Château de Blois
According to the château, the route includes 17 rooms in the royal apartments, 9 rooms of the Fine Arts museum and 4 other spaces. The route is signposted and numbered; each room has a bilingual French-English label.
- The four wings of the courtyard: the Louis XII wing (brick and stone, equestrian statue of the king above the gate), the Francis I wing and its spiral staircase with salamanders, the Gaston d’Orléans wing (classical architecture, grand staircase under a dome) and the Estates General hall, inherited from the 13th century.
- The Estates General hall: 540 m² (5,813 sq ft), the largest in the château; 6,720 fleurs-de-lis on the paneling, according to the château. Henry III convened the Estates General there in 1576 and 1588.
- The royal apartments: restored in the 19th century by Félix Duban, fully furnished and colored. They include 35 monograms of Francis I, 180 of Catherine de Medici and 192 of Henry III.
- Catherine de Medici’s study (studiolo): 237 carved panels (candelabra) according to the château’s count.
- Henry III’s bedroom: the setting of the Duke of Guise’s assassination on December 23, 1588, the central story of the visit and of the sound and light show.
- The Fine Arts museum: labeled Musée de France, more than 35,000 works according to the château, in the Louis XII wing.
- The view: from the terrace and the loggias, the Loire and the old town.
A summary of history in four dates
- 1462: birth at the château of Louis d’Orléans, the future Louis XII (king in 1498), who made it his main residence.
- 1515: Francis I begins the wing that bears his name.
- 1588: assassination of the Duke of Guise on the orders of Henry III.
- 1840: listed as a historic monument; Félix Duban’s restoration follows.
Self-guided, HistoPad, guided or unusual tour: which to choose?
| Option | Length | Who it suits | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-guided + HistoPad | 1 h to 1 h 30 | Families, visitors in a hurry | Included in the ticket, 3D reconstruction of the château across its 4 periods |
| Audioguide (8 languages) | 1 h to 1 h 30 | Foreign visitors | +€3, 40 commented points, family route |
| General guided tour | 1 h 15 | History fans | Group limited to 25, not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility (many stairs) |
| Unusual tour | 2 h | Curious visitors, from age 8 | Towers, attics, fortifications; not recommended if you suffer from vertigo |
| Sound and light show | 45 min | Evening | From April to September and during the French school fall break, held in bad weather |
The sound and light show takes place in the courtyard every evening of the 2026 season (April 4 to September 26 and October 17 to 31, except June 21, August 29 and September 12): at 10 pm in April and September, 10:30 pm from May to August and 7:15 pm in October. There is no date to book and the show is not cancelled in bad weather, according to the château. One scene may upset younger children.
Mistakes that complicate the visit
These points come from the château’s rules and practical page; they are what most often trip up visitors at the entrance.
- Coming with a large bag: only small bags worn in front are allowed in the rooms. A cloakroom exists (lockers of at most 82 × 32 × 46 cm, or 32 × 13 × 18 in) but bulky luggage is refused; bring a €1 or 50-cent coin.
- Pushing a stroller through the apartments: not allowed, to protect the decor; an unattended stroller park is under the gallery. Rear baby carriers with a metal frame are also prohibited.
- Bringing your dog: no animals are accepted, whatever their size, except assistance dogs.
- Bringing a glass bottle or alcohol: sharp objects, glass and alcoholic drinks are prohibited (bag check at the entrance).
- Arriving 15 minutes before closing: last entry is 30 minutes before, and the visit takes at least an hour.
- Leaving a child under 13 alone: they must be accompanied by an adult.
When to visit Château de Blois
The château is open all year. The table below combines the Météo-France normals for Tours (the reference station for our Loire Valley page, about 60 km, or 37 mi, away) with the closing time and the sunset calculated at Blois: it shows whether you will have daylight left after the visit to stroll through the old town or along the Loire.
| Month (15th) | Max temp at Tours | Rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | Château closes | Sunset at Blois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.7 °C (46 °F) | 11.0 | 5 pm | 5:30 pm |
| February | 9.0 °C (48 °F) | 9.8 | 5 pm | 6:17 pm |
| March | 12.9 °C (55 °F) | 9.3 | 5:30 pm | 6:59 pm |
| April | 16.0 °C (61 °F) | 8.9 | 6:30 pm | 8:43 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 | 6:30 pm | 9:48 pm |
| August | 26.0 °C (79 °F) | 6.6 | 6:30 pm | 9:07 pm |
| September | 22.1 °C (72 °F) | 7.5 | 6:30 pm | 8:07 pm |
| October | 17.0 °C (63 °F) | 9.8 | 6 pm | 7:07 pm |
| November | 11.4 °C (53 °F) | 11.4 | 5 pm | 5:18 pm |
| December | 8.1 °C (47 °F) | 11.5 | 5 pm | 5:03 pm |
How to read it: from May to August the sun sets after 9 pm, well after closing: this is the period when you can fit château, town and sound and light show into the same day. From November to January night falls around 5 pm, about when the château closes. July and August are the least rainy months at Tours (6.6 to 6.7 rainy days); December and November the wettest. The château publishes no monthly attendance figures; it only notes extra vigilance during busy periods.
To choose the season for your whole circuit, see our guide to the Loire châteaux, which details the climate month by month.
Getting there and parking
- By train: about 1 hour 30 minutes from Paris-Austerlitz (Paris–Tours and Paris–Nantes lines), according to the château; then an 8-minute walk from Blois-Chambord station, or an Azalys bus to the foot of the château.
- By car: 180 km (112 mi) from Paris (about 2 hours) via the A10, Blois exit, according to the château. GPS coordinates: 47.585343, 1.331537.
- Parking: the Château underground parking lot 200 m (656 ft) away (423 spaces, entrance on avenue Jean-Laigret) and the Valin-de-La-Vaissière lot 500 m (0.3 mi) away, both €3.80 for 3 hours according to the château; more than 600 free spaces 10 to 15 minutes’ walk away.
- By bike: the château carries the « La Loire à Vélo » and « Accueil Vélo » labels; two bike parking areas at the foot of the monument.
- Motorhomes: Stationeo area at the exhibition center, south of the Loire.
Accessibility
The château holds the Tourisme & Handicap label for mental and hearing disabilities. For wheelchair users, the courtyard, the chapel, the ground floor of the Francis I wing (architecture interpretation rooms), the outdoor areas and the shop are accessible; the HistoPad shows the inaccessible parts in a virtual tour. Three reserved spaces for reduced-mobility visitors are on place du Château and rue de la Voûte-du-Château. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at reception (ID required).
What to see nearby
Château de Blois combines easily with other sites in our guide: Château de Chambord, Château de Cheverny, Château de Chenonceau, Clos Lucé in Amboise and ZooParc de Beauval. Facing the château, the Maison de la magie is part of the combined tickets. For entry requirements, see entry requirements for France.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to book to visit Château de Blois?
No. According to the château, you do not need to book a date or a time slot, either for the château or for the sound and light show. Only the « Murmures nocturnes » tour requires booking.
What is the admission price of Château de Blois?
€16 for an adult in 2026, €12 at the reduced rate and €8 for ages 6 to 17; free under 6. The HistoPad is included.
How long does it take to visit Château de Blois?
1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes self-guided, with the HistoPad or the audioguide, according to the château. Allow 2 more hours for the unusual tour.
What time is the sound and light show?
In 2026: 10 pm in April and September, 10:30 pm from May to August, 7:15 pm during the French school fall break. It lasts 45 minutes.
Can you visit Château de Blois with a stroller?
The stroller must stay in the stroller park under the gallery: it is not allowed on the visiting route.
Are dogs allowed?
No, no animals are accepted on the grounds, except assistance dogs.
Our sources
- Royal Château de Blois (chateaudeblois.fr): « Plan your visit » pages (hours, prices, accessibility, rules, access), « History and architecture », « The visiting route » and « 10 good reasons », consulted on 23 October 2026
- Blois-Chambord tourist office (bloischambord.com): « Château de Blois » page, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Wikipedia: « Château de Blois » article (historical landmarks), consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France: 1991–2020 normals, Tours station, as used on our Loire Valley page
- Sunset: Destination de Voyage calculation, NOAA solar algorithm, Europe/Paris time zone, approximate 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.