Orleans tourism and travel guide
Visit Orleans: highlights and tourist information
Travel Guide To Visit AttractionsFrance This Way comment: The large town of Orleans has a great deal to recommend it: a famous cathedral, an extensive old town, a riverside promenade, and some lovely gardens nearby
Important note
This page features a summary of highlights that you might like to explore near Orleans. For detailed visitor information see the Orleans travel guide.
Orleans is situated in the Loiret department and Loire Valley region (now part of the Centre-Loire Valley region), in the western-centre of France - it is the prefecture (capital) of the Loiret department (general information: Orleans is 111 kilometres from Paris).
Attractions in Orleans
The arboretum des Grandes Bruyeres is a fabulous arboretum and garden near Orleans: Arboretum des Grandes Bruyeres
The carvings and grandeur of the western facade are the highlight of the 17th century cathedral in Orleans: Cathedral of Sainte-Croix, Orleans
The Parc Floral de la Source is an extensive park to the south of Orleans that includes the source of the Loiret river: Parc Floral de la Source, Orleans
The Hotel Groslot is a beautiful mansion close to the cathedral in Orleans.: Hotel Groslot
Tourist classifications for Orleans include "town of art and history" and "remarkable garden".
Popular places to visit nearby include Cathedral of Sainte-Croix, Orleans at 0 km and Parc Floral de la Source, Orleans at 7 km. For more places to visit and local tourist attractions see the map and listings below.
Orleans, France: places to visit and attractions
Some of the places that we have visited and reviewed and can recommend when you are sightseeing close to Orleans in Centre-Loire Valley.
Note that all distances below are 'direct' and real driving distances will be greater!
... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Loiret
Map of places to visit near Orleans
Markets in and near Orleans
Market days in Orleans: weekly market: every day except Monday;
- Orleans: market every day except Monday (0km)
- Fleury-les-Aubrais: market Tuesday & Sunday (3km)
- Meung-sur-Loire: market Sunday (18km)
- La Ferte-Saint-Aubin: market Thursday (20km)
- Chateauneuf-sur-Loire: market Friday all day (24km)
- Beaugency: market Saturday all day (25km)
- Ouzouer-le-Marche: market Friday (28km)
- Saint-Laurent-Nouan: market Friday (30km)
- Toury: market Sunday (33km)
- Lamotte-Beuvron: market Friday (34km)
More information about Orleans, Loire Valley
Tourist attractions near Orleans, France
What to do at Orleans? Some places with official tourist classifications and other places of interest to visit nearby that should provide inspiration if you are visiting Orleans.
National Monuments
- Talcy Chateau (37km)
Recommended detour towns (fr: plus beau détour)
- Beaugency (24km)
- Chateaudun (46km)
Churches and religious monuments
- Abbaye de Saint Benoît sur Loire (Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire Abbey) (32km)
- Eglise de Notre Dame (Boiscommun) (39km)
Remarkable gardens
- Les prés-Culand (17km)
- Arboretum des grandes bruyères (25km)
- Jardin du château de Talcy (37km)
- Roseraie des terrasses de l’évêché (55km)
- Parc du château de Beauregard (56km)
Protected historical centre (fr: secteur sauvegardé)
(see also historical French towns)
- Blois (55km)
Villages in bloom 4* (fr: ville fleurie)
- Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle (3km)
- Fleury-les-Aubrais (3km)
- Olivet (4km)
- Saint-Cyr-en-Val (9km)
- Quiers-sur-Bezonde (41km)
- Moutiers (45km)
- Pierrefitte-sur-Sauldre (47km)
Geography and distances
Geographical Information
Commune: Orleans
Canton: Orléans
Arrondissement: Orléans
Department: Loiret
Region: Loire Valley
New region: Centre-Loire Valley
Postcode: 45000
Distance to Orleans
from Orleans (prefecture): 0 km
from Paris: 111 km
from Calais: 339 km
from Nice: 625 km
from Bordeaux: 390 km
from Strasbourg: 439 km
Getting here
Orleans is in the western-centre of France. Most visitors will either fly into one of the airports in Paris (Orly / Charles de Gaulle) or come via a ferry from the UK to a port such as Le Havre and Caen, 3-4 hours drive from here. For driving distances to Orleans from anywhere in France see driving distances and route planner.
We have 12 other places listed as being close (less than kilometres from ): Fleury-les-Aubrais, Ingre, La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, Olivet, Saint-Denis-en-Val, Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin, Saint-Jean-de-Braye, Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle, Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, Saint-Pryve-Saint-Mesmin, Saran and Semoy.
This page in French: Visiter Orleans
