Grand voyage · Renaissance · guide verified on July 30, 2026
In the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci
Florence, Milan, Amboise: eight days to connect the places where an apprentice becomes a court painter, engineer and legend.
This route does not juxtapose museums. It follows a trajectory: the Florentine formation and the landscape of Vinci, the major Milanese construction sites, then the final French residence with François I.
View itinerary day by day
The short answer
The journey that truly tells the story of a life
Start with Florence and the Uffizi, dedicate a day to the hills of Vinci and Anchiano, join Milano for The Last Supper, the Ambrosian and the Sforza Castle, then finish at Amboise between Clos Lucé and the Saint-Hubert chapel.
Order is essential. Florence explains how Leonardo learns; Milan shows what he becomes in the service of a prince; Amboise reveals the exceptional position of the elderly master, invited to think, transmit and organize his papers with François I.
Florence and Vinci
Workshop, painting, anatomy of the gaze and native landscape.
Milano
Sforza Court, fresco, engineering, manuscripts and modern city.
Amboise
Francis I, final resting place, transmission and tomb.
Recommended plan
Eight days, without running in front of the works
The route allows for real half-days in museums and room for travel. Book The Last Supper first, then place Milan at the center of the trip. The other stages are more flexible.
Florence
Arrival, historic center, Palazzo Vecchio and first reading of the workshop town.
The Offices
Leonard Hall: Annunciation, Baptism and Adoration of the Magi.
Vinci & Anchiano
Museo Leonardiano, town, birthplace and olive path.
Towards Milan
Fast train from Florence, installation and walk in the town of Sforza.
The Last Supper
Santa Maria delle Grazie, reserved slot, then district and Science Museum.
Complete Milan
Ambrosienne, Codex Atlanticus, Castello Sforzesco and Sala delle Asse.
Towards Amboise
Journey to Touraine, then first visit to Clos Lucé depending on arrival time.
Amboise
Clos Lucé, royal castle, Saint-Hubert chapel and Leonardo's tomb.
Florence · days 1 and 2
Seeing Leonardo's gaze born
Florence is the intellectual starting point. Leonardo enters the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio, a collective space where painting, sculpture, drawing, mechanics and decor are not yet separate disciplines. The city allows us to understand his taste for precise observation, light transitions and the movement of figures.
The essential core: the Léonard room at the Uffizi
Three works tell almost the entire story of the first Leonardo. In The Annunciation'space, garden and atmosphere establish a new distance. In The Baptism of Christ', the angel attributed to the young artist is distinguished by his flexibility and by the oil modeling. The Adoration of the Magileft unfinished, exposes the mental construction site: architecture, horses, crowds and gestures converge towards the sacred group.
Day 1 · the city before the paintings
Palazzo Vecchio: the absent masterpiece
Before or after the Uffizi, enter Palazzo Vecchio to measure the gigantism of the project The Battle of Anghiari. Leonardo was no longer to paint a small devotional panel, but a civic story intended to dominate a power room.
The original is no longer visible and the hypothesis of a fragment hidden behind a Vasari fresco is not established. However, the place remains essential: it makes perceptible the ambition, technical experimentation and material failure which accompany certain major projects of Leonardo.
A coherent Florentine journey
- morning: Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria;
- midday: Santa Croce district or walk along the Arno;
- next day: three hours at the Uffizi, without adding a second large museum;
- end of the day: panoramic view from Piazzale Michelangelo to reread the topography.
Vinci and Anchiano · day 3
Rediscover the landscape before genius
Vinci is located outside Florence, but the stage is too important to be reduced to a biographical note. The Museo Leonardiano, installed notably in the Castello dei Conti Guidi, presents the history of models built from Leonardo's drawings and allows us to approach his research on water, flight, mechanics and architecture.
About three kilometers from the town, Anchiano retains the house traditionally identified as his birthplace. The site connects to Vinci via the Strada Verde, a route of approximately two kilometers through the olive groves. The walk gives a precious rhythm after the museum rooms.
How much time to allow?
Allow half a day for the museum, the village and the church, then one to two hours for Anchiano and walking according to your mode of transport. The house alone can be visited quickly; it is the museum-landscape-birthplace ensemble that gives strength to the day.
Milan · days 4 to 6
The Sforza court laboratory
Milan concentrates the greatest diversity of traces: a fragile mural, a portrait, manuscripts, a room decor, engineering projects and a museum capable of showing its mechanisms.
Read the city
Settle near a convenient metro line, then spot Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Castello Sforzesco. Save the museums for the next day.
Last Supper first
Arrive at the ticket office at least thirty minutes before the indicated time. The fifteen-minute visit requires you to have already prepared your gaze.
Ambrosian and Sforza
Dedicate the morning to Portrait of a musician and at the Codex Atlanticus, then reach the castle and the large scientific gallery.
Day 5 · 15 decisive minutes
Watch The Last Supper without enduring it
The reservation is nominative, the control is strict and the time in front of the work is short. This constraint can become a method: before entering, know what you are looking for. Start with the geometric calm of Christ, follow the four groups of three apostles, then watch the real light of the refectory dialogue with that of the image.
Don't look for an intact fresco. Leonardo experimented with a dry wall technique that was slower than the traditional fresco, but much more fragile. Losses, repetitions and restorations are part of visible history.
Day 6 · Ambrosian Pinacoteca
A face and hundreds of leaves
The Pinacothèque Ambrosienne brings together two complementary experiences. THE Portrait of a musician allows you to stay in front of an easel painting linked to your stay in Milan. The Sala Federiciana shows, by rotation, original sheets of the Codex Atlanticus: machines, architecture, water, geometry and notes respond to each other on the page.
The Codex is not a book composed by Leonardo. This is a huge later grouping of sheets of various formats and dates. The pieces on display change for conservation reasons: you must accept not knowing in advance which precise drawing will be visible.
Recommended time
Reserve about an hour and a half. Start with the portrait, walk through the rooms without wanting to absorb everything, then give time to the Sala Federiciana. The interest is less the quantity than the possibility of seeing the ink, the paper, the corrections and the actual scale.
How Leonardo drew
Day 6 · castle and engineering
From the Sala delle Asse to the machines
At the castle, the Sala delle Asse transforms a room into a monumental pergola: sixteen trees, foliage, ropes and interlacing abolish the walls. Access, however, depends on the restoration project. In 2026, consult the official program and digital devices before traveling.
Complete the day at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology. Its 1,300 m² permanent gallery brings together models, books, installations and works to explain how the drawings were interpreted. The museum usefully distinguishes between original pages, historical reconstructions and contemporary readings.
Amboise · days 7 and 8
Final resting place, last ideas
In the fall of 1516, Leonardo joined France with Francesco Melzi and several manuscripts. Francis I grants him the title of "First painter, engineer and architect to the King". Clos Lucé is not a museum of originals comparable to the Uffizi: it is a historic house and an interpretation center.
The room, the oratory, the restored workshops, the models and the park make it possible to connect daily life, transmission and late projects. The three paintings reported to Leonardo in 1517 - The Mona Lisa, Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist - are at the Louvre today.
Good order in Amboise
- start with the house and intimate rooms of Clos Lucé;
- continue with the workshops, models and park;
- then reach the royal castle on foot;
- finish in the Saint-Hubert chapel, where Leonardo's tomb is located.
Concrete organization
Reserve in the correct order
Name slot, identity check, early arrival and fifteen-minute visit.
The fast train usually connects the two centers in about two hours. Check the actual schedules.
Combine train or flight to France, then rail connection to Tours or Amboise.
Check local transportation and the opening condition of the restored room.
Official pages to keep
Offices · AnnunciationMuseo LeonardianoCenacolo VincianoAmbrosianScience MuseumClos LucéAmboise Castle
Adapt the trip
Express, ideal or in-depth version
The express route
Two days Florence and Vinci, two days Milan, two days Amboise. Possible, but dense: remove secondary museums and travel early.
The best balance
The program detailed in this article. He leaves a whole day for Vinci and three nights in Milan around the Last Supper ticket.
The study trip
Add a Florentine day, a Milanese day for the collections and a day in Touraine for the Louvre or Chambord depending on your arrival.
And Paris?
Paris is not necessary for coherence Florence -Milan -Amboise, but the Louvre constitutes the great pictorial epilogue: The Mona Lisa, Saint Anne, Saint John the Baptist and The Virgin of the Rocks. If your return is through Paris, add a day rather than compressing Amboise.
Where to see Leonardo's worksExtend the trip
The store's important collections
Leonardo da Vinci
The paintings associated with the master and his workshop.
SelectionFamous paintings
Direct entry through the most famous images.
PeriodHigh Renaissance
Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and their contemporaries.
ContextItalian Renaissance
Florence, Milan, Rome and the innovations of the turn of 1500.
Frequently asked questions
Preparing the Leonardo da Vinci route
How many days does it take to follow Leonardo from Florence to Amboise?
Eight days offer the best balance: two days in Florence, one day in Vinci and Anchiano, three days in Milan and two days in Amboise. An express journey remains possible in six days; ten days allow you to add collections and more flexible travel times.
Should you start by booking The Last Supper in Milan?
Yes. Visiting the Cenacolo Vinciano is the main constraint: nominative reservation, specific slot and limited duration. Set this ticket before booking other activities, then build Florence and Amboise around this date.
Can you do Vinci from Florence without a car?
Yes, but the car remains simpler to connect the village, Anchiano and the birthplace. Without a car, plan a trip to Empoli then a local connection, and check the times the day before. An organized excursion is the smoothest option if you have just one day.
What do we see of Leonardo in Florence?
At the Uffizi, the Leonardo room brings together The Annunciation, The Baptism of Christ and The Adoration of the Magi. The Palazzo Vecchio recalls the lost construction site of The Battle of Anghiari, while Vinci and Anchiano place the artist in his native landscape.
What do we see of Leonardo in Milan?
The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Portrait of a Musician and sheets from the Codex Atlanticus at the Pinacothèque Ambrosienne, the Sala delle Asse at the Château des Sforza and the large gallery dedicated to the engineer at the National Museum of Science and Technology.
Is Sala delle Asse currently open?
The room is the subject of a restoration project and access varies. In 2026, the Château des Sforza offers digital devices and occasional openings. It is essential to consult the official page before your visit.
Are there any original paintings by Leonardo at Clos Lucé?
Clos Lucé is the artist's final resting place and a place of interpretation. The paintings documented with Leonardo in France - The Mona Lisa, Saint Anne and Saint Jean Baptiste - are today at the Louvre. Clos Lucé presents restitutions, models and immersive devices.
Can we visit Clos Lucé and the royal castle of Amboise on the same day?
Yes. The two sites are close and complement each other perfectly: Clos Lucé tells the life and work of Leonardo, while the royal castle and the Saint-Hubert chapel provide the context of the courtyard and the place of his burial.
What is the best order for this trip?
Florence, Milan, then Amboise followed both geography and biography: training in the Florentine workshop, major court projects in Milan, recent years with François I in Touraine.
Official sources and credits
Institutional information verified with Uffizi Galleries, du Museo Leonardiano, du Cenacolo Vinciano, from there Ambrosian Pinacoteca, du National Museum of Science and Technology, du Castello Sforzesco, du Clos Lucé and Royal Castle Amboise.
Free photographs hosted on Shopify after verification, from Wikimedia Commons: Alessandro Bello (Florence, CC BY-SA 4.0), Verum3414 (Offices, CC BY 4.0), Jordiferrer (Anchiano, CC BY-SA 4.0), Sailko (Vinci, CC BY 3.0), Yair Haklai (Santa Maria delle Grazie, CC BY-SA 4.0), Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (gallery, CC BY-SA 4.0), Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (gallery, CC BY-SA 4.0), Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (gallery, CC BY-SA 4.0), Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (gallery, CC BY-SA 4.0), Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (gallery, CC BY-SA 4.0), Museo n
Practical information verified on July 30, 2026. Schedules, prices, exhibitions, catering and reservation terms may change. Always check the official sites before traveling.
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