Tour Details
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
-
- Versailles Gardens
- The Queen's Hamlet
- Grand Trianon
- Petit Trianon
- Versailles Palace and Gardens
Photos & Highlights
- Revel in an personalized experience of this iconic venue, ensuring every question is answered and every corner of the estate is unveilled.
- This extended version of our flagship tour lets you dive deeper and leisurely immerse yourself in the intricacies of Versailles, hosted by a local expert.
Tour Description
Your Versailles journey begins with a convenient pickup from your Paris accommodations by our expert guide and a dedicated driver. En route to Versailles, gain insightful knowledge about the estate's rich history. Upon arrival, marvel at the palace's grandeur, explore the meticulously designed royal gardens, experience the elegance of the Trianon estate, and delve into the charm of Queen Marie-Antoinette’s Hamlet.
Your tour typically begins with the palace, showcasing the luxurious chambers of the King and Queen, the Royal Chapel, the Royal Opera, and the famed Hall of Mirrors. Following this, you'll move on to the royal gardens, renowned as one of the world's most impressive open-air museums. These gardens, crafted with precision and creativity, highlight André le Nôtre's unparalleled landscape artistry and skill.
Following a pause for lunch, your Context expert leads you to the intimate Grand and Petit Trianons. You’ll revel in the serene beauty of the Grand Trianon's pink marble façade and harmonious gardens. Then, witness the Petit Trianon's treasures, gifted to Marie Antoinette by Louis XVI, including the poetic Monument of Love and the picturesque Hamlet.
This tour not only reveals the architectural and artistic grandeur of Versailles but also brings to life the stories and figures that shaped its history, ensuring a memorable experience that will resonate long after your visit.
Important Notes:
- To ensure your Driver and Context Guide can meet you at your accommodations on the morning of your tour, please provide your address when booking.
- Our team will pre-purchase timed admission tickets on behalf of your party. However, due to enhanced COVID-19 safety precautions at this venue, there will be a mandatory security line which we must wait in together.
Experts
- You crave an in-depth experience – connecting historical context, remarkable gardens, and the allure of royalty.
- You want the benefit of expert insights, unveiling the secrets and stories behind each ballroom and garden at Versailles.
- Versailles Palace - Did you know? The Palace's Hall of Mirrors was once lit by a staggering 20,000 candles, creating a luminous spectacle in the evening.
- Versailles Gardens - These gardens required more soil to be moved for their creation than during the building of the Panama Canal!
- The Queen's Hamlet - Intriguingly, this village-style retreat was Marie Antoinette's haven, where she played at being a shepherdess away from court life.
- Grand Trianon - Built as a retreat for Louis XIV to escape the rigidity of court life, often with his mistress Madame de Montespan.
- Petit Trianon - This charming chateau was so private that even the King needed Marie Antoinette's invitation to enter.
Tickets
- Includes timed, skip-the-line access tickets to the Versaillles Palace and Gardens
- Note: Our tickets will get us to a special lane where our group will have to stand in line due to security and crowd control measures.
Headsets
- To ensure a quality experience for all visitors and to maintain the serene ambiance of Versailles Palace, all tour groups are required to use headsets. This allows guests to clearly hear their guide without disturbing the surroundings or other guests.
- Please be prepared to wear provided headsets during your guided tour.
Transportation information
- Your tour will begin with a car ride from your accommodation in Paris out to Versailles. Traffic conditions will vary greatly, but it is generally between a 60-90 minute journey.
- Your tour concludes in Versailles.
- You're a short 5-minute walk from the Versailles Rive Gauche Chateau station, where you can purchase tickets to catch the RER C metro back to Paris.
- Alternatively, we offer a convenient return transfer service directly to your Paris hotel. This must be indicated at time of booking.
- While adding the tour to your shopping cart, please tell us your hotel or apartment address in the 'Additional Details' box.
Lunch
- There will be time allotted to take a break for lunch, this is not included in the tour price and will be at your own expense.
Resources
- For more information on planning your time in Paris, take a read through our Context Stories.
- If you are looking to learn more about Paris prior to a visit, check out our online lectures and audio guides.
For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQ page.
Interested in a shorter version of this itinerary? Check out our Half-Day Tour of Versailles Palace and Gardens.
Interested in a shorter version of this itinerary? Check out our Half-Day Tour of Versailles Palace and Gardens.
Interested in a Tour focused more closely on French Monarchy? Take a look at our Paris History Tour: The French Revolution.
Our tours proceed as scheduled, come rain or shine. We suggest dressing in comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing.
Are there restrooms or coffee breaks available during the tour?
Absolutely! If you need to pause for a moment, just let your guide know.
Can I bring my camera and backpack? Are there limitations?
You're welcome to bring cameras to capture your experience. However, please be aware of any specific restrictions on backpack sizes or items within the palace and gardens.
Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
While the palace gardens are not easily accessible for guests with reduced mobility, we do have the ability to alter the tour route in order to better accommodate mobility concerns. Please let us know about any accessibility concerns at the time of booking so that we can best advise.
You can also find additional resources about Accessibility at Versailles here.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
30 Reviews
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Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Amélie provided such an incredible tour and experience at Versailles. Each stop of the tour and site we visited was so thoughtful and carefully planned out. Once we entered the more populated areas of Versailles, you could easily tell that Amélie was the best tour guide. She’s so knowledgeable of the property and it’s history. Even the pictures she took of us came out perfect! We can’t thank her enough for such a memorable, excellent tour and experience at Versailles.
Alexis
Oct. 29, 2023
Michael was a superlative tour guide. His knowledge base was extraordinary. His interest in European history and the history of France in particular was inspirational and made for an excellent experience. I hope to return in two years to do it again and intend to ask for Michael specifically. My only regret is that my wife was unable to join us due to to illness. Five stars!!!
Phil Jensen
Philip
Sep. 27, 2023
This was the perfect tour for us. We had been to Versailles on previous trips to Paris, but wanted this time to learn about the history and the politics behind the palace and the grounds. Thibaud did a great job in making it all come to life.
Phillip
Aug. 31, 2023
