Château de Chenonceau, the gallery that crosses the Cher.

Chenonceau is the château that appears on Loire postcards even though it is not on the Loire: it rises over the Cher, a tributary, and its two-storey gallery crosses the river on arches. Its history was written mostly by women, among them Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici, hence its nickname, the ladies' château.

What you see

You enter along an avenue of plane trees and over a drawbridge. Inside you walk through the furnished rooms, the kitchen below, beside the water, and the great gallery over the Cher, which is the château's signature image. Outside, the French formal gardens of Diane and Catherine, on either side of the entrance, the kitchen garden and the maze. The rooms are decorated with bouquets prepared in the château itself. Allow two or three hours for the château and gardens.

Opening hours in 2026

Open every day of the year. The hours it publishes are last-admission times: the château closes half an hour later and the gardens half an hour after that. In November, from 9:30 to 17:00, with last admission at 16:30. From 4 April to 3 July and from 24 August to 27 September, last admission at 18:00; from 4 July to 23 August, at 19:00. In December it varies by week and is extended at weekends and at Christmas.

Prices in 2026

• Adult: €19 with leaflet, €24 with audio guide.
• Over-65s and students: €16 or €21.
• Ages 7 to 18: €15 or €20.
• Under-7s: free, with leaflet.

Buy only at chenonceau.com or at the ticket office. The château warns of fraudulent websites that sell at a higher price and give false opening hours.

Getting there

From Paris by train: TGV from Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, in Tours, in about an hour, and then the TER from Tours to Chenonceaux, about 25 minutes. The station is about 400 metres from the ticket office. By car: 214 km from Paris, about two hours on the A10, leaving at Blois or Amboise; from Tours, 34 km.

Eating there

The château's restaurants are open until 11 November. Outside that season, bring something or eat in the village: there are picnic areas beside the moat and at the end of the green car park.