Chateau Gaillard Royal Domain Admission Ticket

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. 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.

   Admission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 262 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 3Not impressed

  I dont understand all the high reviews. This seems to be a private owned château open ti the public to collect money for their personal use. While the gardens may have been impressive during the king's day they have a long way to go to be on such a high listing. You can only tour the bottom floor of the château so I'm not sure if the second is private quartier or not renovated yet. From the rénovation photos it seems it was restored. This château seems like a work in progress, especially the garden, and should be half the price . Chennanceou is so much nicer and the same price

  sophiebN2512JMAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Really enjoyed our visit

  Small but perfectly formed trip. Small chateau but full of interesting stuff. Beautiful grounds and friendly family atmosphere to the place.

  TaymarMay 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Fascinating Hidden Gem 10 Minutes’ Walk From Clos Luce in Amboise

  This is a château that until several years ago was in a state of ruin. When you read how a business man in love with Renaissance architecture in the Loire first heard about it, drove down from Paris two days later, purchased it, then spent years authentically restoring it, you can’t help but be fascinated! This is where the first oranges were grown in France, where the children of Catherine de Medici played in the vast gardens, and where Marie Stuart spent her honeymoon and first years of marriage. It is built into a mountain, has several troglos and a rich history. We hadn’t even heard about it until we saw a sign. It is literally a 15-20 minute walk from Chateau Amboise, A big thank you to EVELYNE, who enthralled us with so many amazing details as we purchased our tickets that we were fascinated even before we stepped inside. It’s a great story and a must see. The introductory room shows all the restoration work, before and after photos, the number of artisans…the original real estate for sale flier stating that ‘serious work’ (des lourds travaux) should be expected! Félicitations M. et Mme. Lelandais!

  kmmtthOctober 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5Quiet, peaceful and shady in the middle of a very busy tourist spot.

  A very beautiful house and garden, lovingly restored by its owners. It retains the atmosphere of the original renaissance house and the gardens are beautifully shady and peaceful. Mary, Queen of Scots spent her honeymoon there with her teenage dauphin husband. It must have been one of the happiest times in her pretty tragic life!

  40carolenJuly 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5A beautiful, calm place

  This is a small chateau but its location, its history, and the gardens make it very special indeed. I had never really thought about then introduction of oranges to Europe but this place played a vital role in it. The link to Mary Queen of Scots is fascinating and her story is told well (in French). This is a calm place but well worth the visit.

  JohnB240May 2025via Tripadvisor

• 4Italian style caste just outside of Amboise

  This is an Italian style castle just outside of the city centre of Amboise. It is open from 10am to 6pm daily while entry is €16 per adult. Around 500 metres away, we found a shared public car park that can be used for visiting Château du Clos Lucé as well. Built by King Charles VIII near the end of the 15th-century, Château-Gaillard was known for its orangery and gardens during centuries past. Interestingly, the property fell into decline in recent decades but after a 5 year major restoration effort was revitalised and opened to the public in 2014. Now you can visit and explore the beautiful castle, garden grounds as well as forest around the property. We enjoyed our time within Château-Gaillard learning about the history of the property as well as its restorations. The gardens were nice to explore and a light walk along some of the forest trails was also a pleasant experience. Around 60-90 minutes is sufficient to leisurely visit the property. Given proximity to the city centre, you can easily combine with visits to nearby Château du Clos Lucé and/or Château Royal d'Amboise wanting to see another castle or two on the day.

  BradinHKOctober 2024via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Tours

• Its from-price is 90% below the median of the 81 experiences we list in Tours.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 4 of 81.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Tours

Tours is a calm university city on the Loire in central France, with a medieval quarter, a Gothic cathedral and Renaissance châteaux close by.

Tours stands between the Loire and the Cher, in Indre-et-Loire, and is the main city of the Touraine. The medieval centre round Place Plumereau is packed with half-timbered houses and café terraces, and the Gothic cathedral of Saint-Gatien has tall stained-glass windows and twin towers topped with Renaissance domes. Saint Martin, bishop of Tours in the 4th century, is honoured in a basilica built on the site of his tomb.

Top-ranked sights in Tours: Tours Old Town.

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