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Tours

Lively university city and rail hub for the western châteaux. Stay 2 days. This guide pulls together 5 sights, 1 place to eat and 2 bars & cafés from our curated routes.

Plan Tours with friendsBrowse 9 places
Tours, France
Places
9

5 See · 1 Eat · 2 Drink · 1 Shop

Curated routes
1

Loire Valley Châteaux

Best season
May – Sep

from our route notes

Warmest month
July

27°C / 80°F avg high

Coolest month
January

7°C / 45°F avg high

Wettest month
December

about 72 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Tours

9 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

5 sights worth building a day around across Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau and Vieux Tours. 2 of them are free.

  • Château de Villandry in ToursPhoto: Michael Volchok · Google
    See

    Château de Villandry

    Last great Renaissance château on the Loire, known for its geometric kitchen gardens.

    Tip The gardens matter most; allow time to climb the keep for the view.

    • Villandry
    • $$
    • 2.5 hr
    • Morning
  • Château d'Azay-le-Rideau in ToursPhoto: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 3.0
    See

    Château d'Azay-le-Rideau

    Renaissance château set on an island in the Indre, reflected in its moat.

    • Azay-le-Rideau
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Afternoon
  • Place Plumereau in ToursPhoto: H S · Google
    See

    Place Plumereau

    Square of half-timbered medieval houses filled with café terraces.

    • Vieux Tours
    • Free
    • 45 min
    • Evening
  • Tours Cathedral in ToursPhoto: Nidhi Bansal · Google
    See

    Tours Cathedral

    Gothic Saint-Gatien Cathedral with 13th-century stained glass.

    • Centre
    • Free
    • 45 min
    • Morning
  • Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours in ToursPhoto: Casper Moller · CC BY 2.0
    See

    Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours

    Fine arts museum in the former archbishop's palace, with a giant cedar in the courtyard.

    • Centre
    • $
    • 75 min
    • Afternoon

Eat

Where we would book a table in Tours in Centre.

  • Le Petit Patrimoine in ToursPhoto: Le Petit Patrimoine · Google
    Eat

    Le Petit Patrimoine

    Small bistro serving Touraine dishes like rillons tart and local wines since 1991.

    Tip Book ahead; closed Sundays and Mondays.

    • Centre
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Tours across Rochecorbon and Vouvray.

  • Marc Brédif in ToursPhoto: Brédif Marc (Ets) · Google
    Drink

    Marc Brédif

    Historic Vouvray house with tastings in troglodyte cellars cut into the hillside.

    Tip Cellars are chilly; bring a layer.

    • Rochecorbon
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Afternoon
  • Cave de Vouvray in ToursPhoto: Neil Savla · Google
    Drink

    Cave de Vouvray

    Growers' cooperative with tours of rock galleries and sparkling Vouvray tastings.

    • Vouvray
    • $
    • 75 min
    • Afternoon

Shop

Markets and shops worth the detour in Les Halles.

  • Les Halles de Tours in ToursPhoto: Eric.B · Google
    Shop

    Les Halles de Tours

    Covered market for rillettes, goat cheese and Loire produce.

    Tip Busiest Saturday morning.

    • Les Halles
    • $
    • 45 min
    • Morning

How to fit Tours into a trip

Tours is stop 1 of 3 on our Loire Valley Châteaux route. Follow it as-is or lift Tours into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Tours month by month

Average daily highs run from 7°C / 45°F in January to 27°C / 80°F in July. December is the wettest month, with about 72 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Tours weather and the best time to visit →

Near Tours

4 other destinations from our guides within about 350 km (217 mi), measured in a straight line.

Tours questions, answered

How many days do you need in Tours?

Our route notes suggest 2 days in Tours. On our Loire Valley Châteaux route it is stop 1 of 3 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 12 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Tours best known for?

Lively university city and rail hub for the western châteaux. Stay 2 days. Standouts on our list: Château de Villandry (Last great Renaissance château on the Loire, known for its geometric kitchen gardens); Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (Renaissance château set on an island in the Indre, reflected in its moat); Place Plumereau (Square of half-timbered medieval houses filled with café terraces).

When is the best time to visit Tours?

Our Loire Valley Châteaux route is best May – Sep. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (27°C / 80°F), the coolest in January (7°C / 45°F) and the most rain in December (about 72 mm).

What are the best things to do in Tours?

Start with Château de Villandry, Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, Place Plumereau, Tours Cathedral and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 5 sights, 1 place to eat, 2 bars & cafés and 1 shop.

What is near Tours?

The closest destinations in our guides are Amboise (about 22 km / 14 mi), Saumur (about 59 km / 37 mi) and Paris (about 204 km / 127 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Tours with your crew

Open the Loire Valley Châteaux route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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