47.34° N · 0.51° E · Loire Valley
Villandry château is visited for its terraced gardens, with an ornamental vegetable garden laid out like a parterre. The gardens are open every day of the year except Christmas; the château closes for a few weeks in winter.
Part of Loire Valley
Who offers it
Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.
Villandry was a medieval château that Jean Breton transformed in Renaissance style from 1532. In the early 20th century Joachim Carvallo remade its gardens on terraces, and it is they that bring in the visitors, above all the ornamental kitchen garden: a vegetable garden laid out like a parterre, drawn in geometric shapes between hedges.
The gardens take an hour and a half; the château, an hour. Climb to the high terraces to see the whole kitchen garden from above: the design is better understood that way. The château is toured freely with a leaflet in thirteen languages, Spanish among them, or with an audio guide; from March to November there are also guided tours in French, except on Sundays, with no booking or supplement.
The gardens are open every day of the year except 25 December. In November, from 9:00 to 17:30 until the 11th and from 9:00 to 17:00 from the 12th to the 27th; in December, from 9:30 to 17:30. From April to September, until 19:00.
The château is open from 7 February to 11 November and from 28 November to 3 January 2027. It closes from 12 to 27 November and from 5 January to 6 February. If you go in those weeks, buy only the gardens ticket.
An online ticket does not avoid the queue. With your ticket you can go out for lunch and come back the same day.
From Tours: 15 km, about 20 minutes on the D7. Without a car, bus line 32 from Tours, stop Villandry Centre, 280 metres away. From Paris: TGV from Montparnasse to Tours in about 55 minutes, and then bus or taxi. By bike: La Loire à Vélo passes 500 metres from the entrance. Parking is free, also for motorhomes during the visit.
The gardens can be toured with a pushchair; inside the château pushchairs are not allowed and are left at the entrance. There is a baby-changing area and bottle warmer.
More to do
Tips
The design is only understood from the high terraces.
You cannot eat inside, but there is a picnic area 100 metres away, behind the tourist office.
From the 12th to the 27th only the gardens are open.
Questions
€14 château and gardens, €8.50 gardens only. Free up to age 8.
Yes, every day except 25 December.
On a lead in the gardens. In the château, only small dogs in a bag or basket.
On bus line 32 or by bike on La Loire à Vélo.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/france/centre-val-de-loire/loire-valley/things-to-do/chateau-and-gardens-of-villandry
