Palace of Versailles: When and How to Visit

The Palace of Versailles, a UNESCO World Heritage site for over 30 years, is one of the most beautiful achievements of French art in the 17th century.

The castle visit includes the grand apartments of the king and queen, the famous Hall of Mirrors, the rooms of the Dauphin and Dauphine, the rooms of the Mesdames, the salons of Louis XIV, and the Gallery of Battles.

It is the Hall of Mirrors, Galerie des Glaces, the highlight of the visit. Louis XIV destroyed six rooms of the king's and queen's apartments to create this gallery to immortalize the glory of the sovereign.

The Grand Trianon is a refined set with elegant proportions. It is a small palace made of pink marble influenced by Italian architecture and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

The property of Marie Antoinette includes the small palace Petit Trianon, the queen's gardens, and the Hameau, which is a replica of a small farm. The Domaine allowed Marie Antoinette to escape the court and live in a pastoral setting.

The Hameau features a small lake, rustic-style houses, vegetable gardens, gardens, and various animals.

There are different options:

on foot: about a 25-minute walk.

by little train: the stop is near the La Flotille restaurant, located in the gardens of the castle.

by electric cart: the most comfortable option. It costs 36 euros per hour and is used to explore the gardens, the Grand Trianon, and the Domain. The stop is at Terrasse Nord, and a driver's license is required. Reservations by phone +33 01 39 66 97 66.

by bike.

by Segway.

There are several types of tickets for Versailles. Which one to buy?

Ideal if you plan to do the complete visit to Versailles, that is, the main palace and its gardens, the Grand Trianon, and the Domain of Marie Antoinette.

for visits on any day of the week from November 1st to March 31st and Wednesdays from April 1st to October 31st, click here. Use the code paris-story.com and get 5% off.

for visits from April 1st to October 31st on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, click here. Use the code paris-story.com and get 5% off.

Allows access only to the main palace and its garden and temporary exhibitions. This price includes the audio guide. Click here to buy. Use the code paris-story.com and get 5% off.

For those who want to visit the entire complex at a leisurely pace, there is the 2-day passport. Here, the audio guide is also included. Click here to buy.

Ticket for those who want to visit only the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and the Hameau of Marie Antoinette. Click here to buy.

The Museum Pass allows access to the entire Versailles complex except on the days of the water shows and musical gardens (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April 1st to October 31st). To access the gardens on these days, you need to buy a separate ticket on-site. Read our article about the Museum Pass here.

Attention: Even if you have a ticket or the Museum Pass, you will have to queue for security checks to enter the castle. During the warmest months of the year - May to August - this line can be quite long and time-consuming.

Some companies offer a package that includes ticket plus round-trip transportation by tour bus, click here to learn more and make your reservation.

This is a practical, comfortable, and stress-free option. Ideal for those traveling with children.

There are 2 tour options:

half-day tour leaving from Paris at 8:15 AM and leaving Versailles around 2:00 PM, with a ticket only for the main castle and the gardens (audio guide included). Ideal if you don't have much time.

full-day tour leaving from Paris at 8:15 AM and leaving Versailles around 6:00 PM, with a ticket for the main castle, the gardens, and the property of Marie Antoinette (audio guide included).

Click here to learn more and make your reservation. After selecting the number of participants, date, and language for the audio guide, click 'Check availability' to choose between the half-day tour and the full-day tour.

An alternative is to visit the palace with the Brazilian guide Zildinha. You will take the train with her, avoid the lines and discover the history of the castle with a professional guide.

To hire a guided tour with Zildinha, write to her at the email [email protected]

Click here to learn more about the services of guide Zildinha Figueiredo.

Read here for a description of what the guided tour of the Palace of Versailles is like.

Duration: 3 hours inside the castle (about 5 hours including travel time and introduction).

Days of visit: preferably on Wednesdays.

Price: 100€ per person. Children up to 7 years: 70€. This price includes the admission to the museum.

To truly experience Versailles, you need at least a full day. But if you don't have that much time, at least visit the castle and the nearby gardens.

If you can dedicate a full day to Versailles, the ideal route, to escape the crowds, would be to visit the gardens and park from 9 AM to 12 PM, the Trianon castle and the Domain of Marie Antoinette from 12 PM to 3 PM. Save the interior of the Palace of Versailles for last.

On weekends and Tuesdays, from 10 AM to 3 PM, visiting the Grand Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors can be unpleasant. You will find yourself trapped in a crowd with no way to backtrack, advance, or escape.

The castle's website suggests that visits should be made after 3 PM. If you're there in the morning, another option would be to visit the interior before 10 AM. This way, you can enjoy the wonders of the castle at a leisurely pace.

Be aware, during the peak season - June, July, and August - the above schedule may change due to heavy attendance. Click here and visit the castle's website to see the advice given by them.

The Palace of Versailles, the Grand Trianon, and the Domain of Marie Antoinette (Petit Trianon and Queen's Cottage) are closed on Mondays, January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th. The gardens and park of Versailles are open all year round.

Hours from April 1st to October 30th: 9 AM to 6:30 PM (gates close at 6 PM and ticket sales end at 5:45 PM)

Hours from November 1st to March 31st: 9 AM to 5:30 PM (gates close at 5 PM and ticket sales end at 4:50 PM)

Hours from April 1st to October 30th: 12 PM to 6:30 PM (gates close at 6 PM and ticket sales end at 5:45 PM)

Hours from November 1st to March 31st: 12 PM to 5:30 PM (gates close at 5 PM and ticket sales end at 4:50 PM)

Hours from April 1st to October 30th: open daily from 8 AM to 8:30 PM.

Hours from November 1st to March 31st: open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM.

You have several options: RER train, commuter train, and regular bus.

Take the RER C train heading to Versailles Château Rive Gauche from one of the following stations in Paris: Gare d'Austerlitz, Saint Michel - Notre Dame, Musée d'Orsay, Invalides, Pont d'Alma, Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel. WARNING: other RER C trains heading to different destinations stop at the same platform, check the screens along the platform to ensure the train is going to the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station. The journey takes about 40 minutes. Exit at the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station and walk about 10 minutes to the main entrance of the castle. Follow the flow of people. See the RER map by clicking here. Ticket price (one way): 4.05€. Purchase the ticket at the metro station machines or use your Navigo Découverte card.

From Line N train from the Paris Montparnasse train station to Versailles Chantiers station.

From Line L train from Paris Saint Lazare station to Versailles Rive Droite station.

From Line U train from La Défense station to Versailles Chantiers station.

Which one to choose? The most comfortable option is the RERC to disembark at Versailles Château Rive Gauche. The decision also depends on the area where you are located in Paris. Choosing the option closest to your address may be interesting. Be careful, some trains terminate at Versailles, others in different cities. I clarify this because you should check if you are looking for a train with the final destination of Versailles or Chartres.

By regular bus. First, take the metro, line 9, direction Pont de Sèvres. Get off at the last stop, which is Pont de Sèvres. At this location, there are several bus stops, look for bus 171 which will drop you off in front of the castle, at the stop Versailles Place d'Armes.

Versailles offers a beautiful year-round program with concerts, ballets, parties, fireworks, and other events. Many of them take place at the Royal Opera of Versailles, a delicate structure built of wood with a limited cultural program.

Some performances are presented in other areas of the castle. I recommend frequently checking the cultural program page on the official website of the Palace of Versailles.

One of the most beautiful programs in Versailles is the summer fireworks accompanied by classical music. They take place in the castle gardens, around the Grand Canal. They are usually organized in June and July. And don't worry about the return, as the last RER departs from the Paris Rive Gauche station at 11:50 PM.

The ticket prices for the fireworks vary. The most expensive ticket includes reserved seating in the stands, parking, a CD of the show, and a glass of champagne. The cheapest only offers a spot in the stands. To plan, know that it is a 20-minute walk from the castle entrance gate to the fireworks stands.

The Palace of Versailles is free on the first Sundays of November, December, January, February, and March.

The free admission includes visiting the Grand Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors, temporary exhibitions, the Hall of the Sacre, the Gallery of Battles, the Trianon Castle, and the Domain of Marie Antoinette.

Versailles is free all year round for those under 18, for EU residents aged 26 and under, and for people with physical disabilities and their companions.

Inside the castle, you can have lunch or grab a quick snack at the Grand Café d'Orleans, which is located on the ground floor just after the entrance gates, and at the restaurant and tea room Angelina Versailles, situated on the first floor. Or at the restaurant Ore by chef Alain Ducasse (click here to read our article about him).

In the park of the Palace of Versailles, there are two restaurants: La Flotille and La Petite Venise. And spread throughout its extent, there are kiosks selling quick meals, including boiled potatoes served with various sauces.

At the Petit Trianon, there is also an Angelina.

And on sunny days, enjoy the delights of a picnic in Versailles. Click here and see on the map where you can lay out a blanket in the park of the castle.