Blois tourism and travel guide

Visit Blois: highlights and tourist information

France This Way comment: The town of Blois, with its castle, cathedral, extensive historic centre and other monuments is one of our favourite Loire Valleyt towns

Blois is situated in the Loir-et-Cher department and Centre-Loire Valley region.

Attractions in Blois

One of the most impressive of the Loire castles, the Chateau de Blois is best known for its double helix renaissance staircase: Chateau de Blois

Tourist classifications for Blois include "secteur sauvegarde", "town of art and history" and "ville fleurie 4*". It is unusual for a town to have 3 awards, which indicates how important Blois is as a tourist destination!

Below you can see some of the places that we have visited and reviewed and can recommend when you are sightseeing close to Blois in Centre-Loire Valley.

Popular places to visit nearby include Chateau de Cheverny at 14 km and Chateau de Chambord at 14 km.

Blois, France: places to visit and attractions

Note that all distances below are 'direct' and real driving distances will be greater!

Chateau de Blois

Castle less than one km (direction south)

One of the most impressive of the Loire castles, the Chateau de...

See Chateau de Blois guide

Chateau de Cheverny

Castle at 14 km (direction south-east)

Cheverny Castle is perhaps the most opulently furnished of the Loire castles,...

See Chateau de Cheverny guide

Chateau de Chambord

Castle at 14 km (direction east)

The largest castle in the Loire Valley, Chateau de Chambord exceeds all...

See Chateau de Chambord guide

Chateau de Chaumont

Castle at 16 km (direction south-west)

The small village of Chaumont-sur-Loire is dominated by the Chateau de Chaumont,...

See Chateau de Chaumont guide

Vendome

at 30 km (direction north-west)

Now listed as a 'town of art and history', Vendome retains many...

See Vendome guide

Beaugency

at 31 km (direction east-north-east), in the Loiret department

A small town on the banks of the Loire River, Beaugency squeezes...

See Beaugency guide

Domaine Royal de Château Gaillard

Castle at 32 km (direction west-south-west), in the Indre-et-Loire department

The Domaine Royal de Château Gaillard in Amboise is the first Renaissance...

See Domaine Royal de Château Gaillard guide

Chateau de Clos Lucé at Amboise

Castle at 32 km (direction west-south-west), in the Indre-et-Loire department

The Chateau de Clos-Lucé was home to Leonardo da Vinci and you...

See Chateau de Clos Lucé at Amboise guide

Chateau d'Amboise

Castle at 33 km (direction west-south-west), in the Indre-et-Loire department

The Chateau d'Amboise is a castle with impressive gardens and a lovely...

See Chateau d'Amboise guide

Amboise

at 34 km (direction west-south-west), in the Indre-et-Loire department

Although it is the castle that attracts visitors to Amboise, you will...

See Amboise guide

Chateau de Chenonceau

Castle at 35 km (direction south-west), in the Indre-et-Loire department

The perfectly lovely Chateau-de-Chenonceau includes a renaissance gallery across the river and...

See Chateau de Chenonceau guide

Lavardin

Most Beautiful Village at 37 km (direction west-north-west)

With a river and ancient bridge below and an ancient castle above...

See Lavardin guide

Meung-sur-Loire

at 38 km (direction east-north-east), in the Loiret department

Meung sur Loire is a pretty medieval village near Orleans....

See Meung-sur-Loire guide

Les Jardins de Roquelin

Garden at 38 km (direction east-north-east), in the Loiret department

The Jardins de Roquelin is a pretty rose garden in the Loire...

See Les Jardins de Roquelin guide

... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Loir-et-Cher

Arrange a visit to Blois

Map of places to visit near Blois

Markets in and near Blois

Market days in Blois: weekly market: Wednesday & Tuesday & Thursday & Sunday & Saturday;

• Blois: market Wednesday & Tuesday & Thursday & Sunday & Saturday (0km)
• Saint-Gervais-la-Foret: market Friday (4km)
• Chailles: market Saturday (6km)
• Saint-Claude-de-Diray: market Tuesday & Friday (7km)
• Cellettes: market Thursday (8km)
• Huisseau-sur-Cosson: market Wednesday (9km)
• Chambon-sur-Cisse: market Saturday (9km)
• Montlivault: market Tuesday (10km)
• Les Montils: market Saturday (11km)
• Cormeray: market Tuesday (13km)

More information about Blois, Loire Valley

Tourist attractions near Blois, France

What to do at Blois? Some places with official tourist classifications and other places of interest to visit nearby that should provide inspiration if you are visiting Blois.

Aquarium

• Aquarium du Val-de-Loire (39km)

Most beautiful villages in France

(see also beautiful French villages)

• Lavardin (37km)

National Monuments

• Fougeres-sur-Bievre Chateau (16km)
• Talcy Chateau (22km)

Recommended detour towns (fr: plus beau détour)

• Beaugency (31km)

Remarkable gardens

• Roseraie des terrasses de l’évêché (0km)
• Parc du château de Beauregard (7km)
• Domaine régional de Chaumont-sur-Loire (17km)
• Jardin du château de Talcy (22km)
• Jardin du domaine de Sasnières (33km)
• Parc et jardins du château de Chenonceau (35km)
• Parc et jardins du château de Valmer (38km)
• Les prés-Culand (38km)

Protected historical centre (fr: secteur sauvegardé)

(see also historical French towns)

• Amboise (32km)

Towns of Art and history

• Vendome (31km)
• Orleans (55km)

Villages in bloom 4* (fr: ville fleurie)

• Olivet (52km)
• Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle (54km)
• Fleury-les-Aubrais (58km)

Zoo and/or wildlife park

• Réserve de Beaumarchais (27km)
• ZooParc de Beauval (38km)

Geography and distances

Blois is in the western-centre of France - it is the prefecture (capital) of the Loir-et-Cher department (general information: Blois is 160 kilometres from Paris).

Getting here

Most visitors will either fly into one of the airports in Paris or arrive from a ferry port such as caen or Le Havre, approx. 3-4 hours drive. For driving distances to Blois from anywhere in France see driving distances and route planner.

We have 8 other places listed as being close (less than kilometres from ): Chailles, Fosse, La Chaussee-Saint-Victor, Menars, Saint-Denis-sur-Loire, Saint-Gervais-la-Foret, Villebarou and Vineuil.

This page in French: Visiter Blois