Chateau Gaillard Royal Domain Admission Ticket: A Day in Charles VIII's Forgotten Paradise

Immerse yourself in the majestic Forgotten Paradise of Charles VIII for an entire day. This ticket allows you to delve into 500 years of history!

Journey into the past and uncover the extraordinary saga of French King Charles VIII, who transported 22 Italian craftsmen to Amboise and established the ‘First Renaissance’ at Château Gaillard.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Chateau Gaillard - You will discover this palazotto, wanted by Charles VIII, which has passed through the centuries and known all the great characters of the French Renaissance: Louis XII, Anne de Bretagne, François Ier, Dom Pacello da Mercoliano, Catherine de Medici, the Cardinal de Guise, Mary Stuart, etc.
    Rich Renaissance collections are shown in the castle and a full renovation by Master of Art artisans has been done in 5 years by 300 workers of the Loire Valley.
    Discover unique art pieces of XVI century such as Rembrandt, Titien, 8000 handmade glass windows, Comedia dell Arte tapestry, Italian collections…

You will finally know the fabulous history of the acclimatization of the first orange trees of France in the royal orangery under the castle. In 1496, Charles VIII brought back in his luggage the greatest master gardener of Europe: Dom Pacello da Mercoliano (a Neapolitan monk).

In 1500, Château Gaillard became “Les Jardins du Roy” and Pacello inherited the estate against a bouquet of orange blossoms to offer to the king every year! Château Gaillard becomes a place of experience for this illustrious gardener. In a 15-hectare park, Pacello will create the beginnings of “French-style” gardens, he will develop a new variety of plums (greengage), etc.

Stroll through the 7 walking path of Paradise, explore the caves in the hill, smell the citrus in the greenhouses and finish your visit to the citrus bar. You can taste the honey of Heaven, the orange blossom jelly and most importantly, enjoy a homemade orange cake and a freshly pressed orange juice.

What's Included
  • Free guided tours conducted by professional art historian guide
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information
  • Pedestrian access only (29 allée du Pont Moulin, 37400 Amboise)
Location
Chateau Gaillard
29 allee du Pont Moulin, Parking estival gratuit au 99 avenue Léonard de Vinci
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(228 Ratings)
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914karinev
Jul 19, 2024
Nugget - Watch out, little nugget! To do absolutely!! Erin of greenery and calm! Beautiful restoration! To be redone and redone 🥰
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Opheliemtk
Jul 3, 2024
To visit! - Very nice estate to visit! We stayed just over 2 hours and did everything. The castle was very well redone and the few touches of modernity and humor were very appreciated. It might be worth adding small explanatory signs in the rooms for more details and the trails should be clearer and better signposted to avoid thinking one is lost 😂. The area in general is definitely worth visiting we enjoyed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Craipeaum
Jun 16, 2024
Magnificent visit with a but. . . - We visited this castle in June 2017 and we really enjoyed this visit. We visited it again to see its evolution and we were not disappointed, both the exteriors which are wonderful and the interior of the castle. You have to take your time, look, wander around. . . the staff at reception, the ticket office or at the small snack bar are very pleasant and eager to explain. We put very good and not excellent because of certain prices of the snacks which seemed really very expensive to us e.g. coffee 5 euros, a canned niçoise salad (good) not from the region made near Amiens in price of 17 euros (other products from the region are offered) for two people / 2 entry tickets, 2 niçoise salads and a coffee (16x2) + (17x2) +5 = 71 euros. We will definitely come back because we loved the setting of Château Gaillard, but with our sandwiches. We highly recommend a visit to this castle.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jujul62
Jun 16, 2024
Great - At the top, very beautiful castle which was restored not long ago. Guided tour included in the ticket price. The guided tour is great, it allows you to discover the history of the castle and the restoration, well done to the guide who started in May 2024, top guide, very good, very clear explanation. You can see the owners' animals, unfortunately they were not present during my visit. The gardens are great too, it is pleasant to sit on the few benches available and then relax while looking at the very beautiful castle. Chateau which is located right next to Clos Lucé (approximately 200m), moreover there is a reduction if you present your Clos Lucé ticket, but it is a shame not to specify on the site that you must keep the ticket du Clos Lucé to claim the reduction. Castle and garden which is calming. Perfect to do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G5534rpdelphineb
Jun 5, 2024
Great discovery - Wonderful surprise. Visited by chance, this place was a surprising discovery!!! The gardens are magnificent. The fully furnished residence is just very, very beautiful. We recommend the guided tour, included in the entrance price. The children loved this place as much as we did, the jams and the orange cake in particular..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margotg414
Jun 5, 2024
A splendid castle! Absolutely worth visiting. - A great experience. I recommend lunch on the castle terrace in the sun! The free parking and the visit are real advantages.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Schoner01
Jun 22, 2024
Beautifully restored house - Nice house. Beautifully restored and nicely decorated. Super nice staff and great gardens. We just wanted to see the house. You'll be through in 25 minutes. Which is very unfortunate that everything is only explained in French. Especially for €16 entrance Do you expect with gen that there are more languages available.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Princess5tam-tam
May 3, 2024
Place not to be missed on the banks of the Loire in the continuity of the castles: 1 nugget - Top guided tour by a passionate and exciting young speaker! A private lesson by 2 adorable and expert gardeners in the art of caring for citrus fruits! An Italian-inspired garden bordered by a charming little wood where it was good to stroll! We took the time to hang it with tea served with a smile :) I highly recommend this Palace on a human scale
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alpr86
May 23, 2024
Castle YES, restoration NO - The park is sumptuous, the castle is not very big, but it is magnificent. In the first room, we follow the work which removed this castle from very invasive vegetation. You will find a very wide variety of citrus fruits there. What I regret is the lack of information on the paintings and the objects. There are a few pages here and there, but it's not enough. It is still a place worth the detour. Following my visit, I wanted to eat on the site. Don't make this mistake. It is offered, among other things, a Niçoise salad for 17 euros. I was expecting a real Niçoise salad, on a plate with everything that goes with it. I saw a small tray arrive with a small jar of vegetables and anchovies; a salad that can be found in boxes in supermarkets. Everything tasted the same. No bread, but 3 Swedish rolls, one of which was very soft. a dirty glass, and no napkin. I wanted to have a coffee: 5 euros for a small coffee, with 3 orange pims (we're generous...). The specialty of the site being citrus fruits, jams (very good by the way) are sold: 9 euros a small jar... In conclusion, go see this beautiful castle, enjoy the park and leave.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
B2874pxandyb
Jun 26, 2024
Absolute rip-off - This place is a joke - they charge 16euros for sight of a few rooms inside this restored chateau, filled with apparently random antiques. There is a small, boring garden and then acres of featureless woodland. We did the inside in 15 mins and the small garden in about 15 mins more. How they have the cheek to charge a similar ticket price as to chateaus such as Chenonceau, Chambord etc defies belief. They also have a rip-off 'juice bar' charging at least 8euros for a juice and 9euros for a tea. I was so disgusted that I asked for a refund at the ticket office, but the woman just laughed and refused. There are much much better places to go in the area than here.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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