Palace of Versailles: how to get there, what to see, tickets, map

Regardless of how many days you will spend in Paris, our immediate answer is: yes, it is worth visiting the Palace of Versailles!

However, if your stay is up to 3 days, it is more interesting to stay in the city and visit the numerous museums of Paris and the tourist attractions of Paris.

But, if you are staying more than 3 days in Paris, it's worth spending one day in Versailles. After all, Versailles is the most beautiful and opulent palace in the world.

To start, we have prepared an infographic with some curiosities, practical information, and a bit of the history of the Palace of Versailles.

If you don't have time to read all the information in this post, the infographic provides a summary with the most important information for your visit.

Click here or on the image to download the infographic.

This is the most important point: you need to buy your tickets in advance online to avoid, at least, the ticket office queue.

There are several ticket options.

It can be a bit confusing, but we describe below the main tickets, which parts of Versailles they grant access to, and which days of the week and times of year they are valid:

Option 1:

• Best option if you have little time and intend to visit only the interior of the main castle.

• Valid only for visiting the interior of the castle and the garden, with an audio guide in English.

• Valid any day and month of the year.

• Price: 21 euros

Option 2:

• THIS IS THE TICKET WE RECOMMEND.

• Valid for visiting the interior of the castle, the gardens, and all other attractions in the estate (click here to see the item where we explain each of them), with an audio guide in English.

• Option 2 is divided into two:

Option 2.1:

• For visiting any day of the week from 11/01 to 03/31 or on Wednesdays in April, May, June, September, and October. On these days, the Fountain Show and the Musical Garden do not occur.

• Price: 24 euros

Option 2.2:

• For visiting on Tuesdays from April to October from 04/01 to 10/31 or on Wednesdays in July and August from 04/01 to 10/31 or on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 04/01 to 10/31. On these days, the Fountain Show and the Musical Garden occur.

• Price: 32 euros

The correct price - 24 or 32 euros - will appear after you select the day and time of your visit.

Ticket with transportation

Some companies offer the package that includes ticket plus round trip transportation by coach, 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 8:30 AM or 12:30 PM, including entry only to the main castle and gardens (audio guide included). Ideal if you do not have much time.

• full-day tour leaving from Paris at 8:30 AM and departing from Versailles around 6 PM, including entry to the main castle, gardens, and Marie Antoinette's estate (audio guide included).

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

An alternative is to visit the palace with a Brazilian tour guide. You will travel by train with her, skip the lines, and learn all about the history of the castle alongside a professional guide.

To book the guided tour, click here and get in touch with us.

Read here the account of what the guided tour of the Palace of Versailles is like.

The Palace of Versailles is located on the outskirts of Paris, specifically in the city of Versailles, 22 km from the French capital.

How to get to the Palace of Versailles from Paris?

By RER train | the cheapest option

Take the RER C train heading to the final station at 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.

NOTE: On the same platform, there are RER C trains heading to other destinations; check the screens along the platform to ensure the train is going to Versailles Château Rive Gauche.

The journey takes about 50 minutes. Get off at the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station and walk about 10 minutes to the main entrance of the castle. Follow the flow of people.

View the metro and RER map by clicking here.

Ticket price (one way): 2.50€. Buy the ticket from the machines at the metro stations or use your Navigo Découverte card.

By tourist bus | comfort and tranquility at affordable prices

Go by comfortable, air-conditioned tour bus. Besides round-trip transportation, the tickets are already included in the tour price.

There are 2 visiting options: half-day and full-day, learn more information and make your reservation here.

Is this your first trip to Paris? Be sure to get our PDF guide with 5 itineraries around Paris. With it, you will visit all the tourist spots in Paris. The guide is for sale on the HotMart website and can be downloaded immediately after payment. Buy it here.

A complete visit to the Palace of Versailles includes touring various buildings and different locations: the main palace (which houses the famous Hall of Mirrors and the rooms of Queen Marie Antoinette, for example), the adjacent gardens, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's Farm.

Here's a more detailed overview:

1. Visit the Palace of Versailles from the inside

Versailles has no less than 2,300 rooms spread over 63,000 m² of built area. Obviously, not all rooms are open to visit.

Upon entering the castle's interior, a pre-established route will guide you to see its main wings:

• The rooms of the Dauphin and Dauphine

• The rooms of the Mesdames

• The salons of Louis XIV

• The King's rooms

• The Hall of Mirrors (from where you have a unique view of the grand perspective of the gardens) and the Hall of War and Peace

• The Queen's rooms

• The Gallery of Battles

To get an idea of all the wealth inside, see our video below, which shows the main rooms listed above.

2. Discover the Gardens of the Palace of Versailles

In 1661, King Louis XIV invited landscaper André Le Nôtre to design the gardens of Versailles.

For the Sun King, the gardens were as important as the palace itself. The work was carried out simultaneously with the palace and lasted 40 years. The garden covers 800 hectares, including French and English gardens and the Trianon Estate.

The French Gardens

With its grand perspective, geometric shapes, and perfect symmetry, the Grand Canal is an icon of the French gardens. Designed by Le Nôtre, the garden features 372 statues, 600 fountains, and 35 km of canals!

3. The Trianon Estate

The Trianon Estate, located in the castle park, consists of two other small palaces (the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon) and the Hameau de la Reine (Queen's Farm).

The Trianon Estate was built so that the King and Queen could retreat from the bustle and excesses of the court.

• The Grand Trianon, built entirely of pink marble, was where the King held meetings with his mistresses, away from prying eyes.

• The Petit Trianon was Marie Antoinette's favorite location, where the queen spent most of her time.

• Around the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette gradually constructed gardens, a vegetable garden, and even a small village, similar to the Norman villages of the time. Known as Marie Antoinette's Farm, she spent time there with her children, away from the court etiquettes that so troubled her.

Marie Antoinette also ordered the planting of an English garden, more natural, without the geometric shapes that characterize the French gardens.

Read our complete article about Marie Antoinette's Farm.

There are several options for you to go from the main castle to the Trianon Estate (click on each option for more information):

• on foot: about a 25-minute walk through the gardens

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

• by golf cart

• by bike

• by Segway

The gardens of Versailles in video

In the video below, we offer some tips on how to visit the gardens and what to see.

To plan your visit, consult the interactive map on the official castle website or download here.

Palace:

Open daily, except Mondays and on December 25, January 1, and May 1.

Hours from April 1 to October 31: from 9 AM to 6:30 PM (gates close at 6 PM and ticket sales end at 5:45 PM)

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

Gardens and Park:

Open every day of the year.

Hours from April 1 to October 31: open daily from 8 AM to 8:30 PM.

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

Trianon Estate:

Open daily, except Mondays and on December 25, January 1, and May 1.

Hours from April 1 to October 31: from 12 PM to 6:30 PM (gates close at 6 PM and ticket sales end at 5:45 PM)

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

If you choose to visit the castle alone, without the company of a guide, we recommend that you go in the opposite direction of most tourists:

• Visit the French gardens in the morning | Duration: about 2 hours

• Visit the Trianon Estate starting at 12 PM, when it opens | Duration: about 3 hours

• Save the visit to the interior of the castle for after 3 PM, when the crowd will have started to leave | Duration: about 1.5 hours

Total duration: about 6.5 hours

There are several options, but it is necessary to plan in advance where to eat.

Restaurants inside the main castle:

• If you want to eat well, have breakfast or lunch at the gourmet restaurant Ore, by chef Alain Ducasse. In this case, it is essential to reserve in advance through the restaurant's website.

• Another good option is to eat at Angelina, a famous tearoom in Paris, which has two locations in Versailles: one restaurant and a tearoom at the Trianon (don't miss trying the famous hot chocolate). Access to the restaurant is via the first floor of the palace. Reservations: by phone +33 (0)1 39 20 08 32 or through the website.

• The Grand Café d'Orléans offers quick snacks and is accessible even for those without tickets, click here for more information.

Restaurants in the gardens and park:

• The Italian La Petite Venise is located between the Fountain of Apollo and the Grand Canal, click here for more information.

• La Flottille, a brasserie-style restaurant and tearoom (more casual). It is near the Grand Canal, click here for more information. Next to it is La Flottille takeaway, selling sandwiches to go.

• La Girandole serves breakfast and lunch and also sells sandwiches to go, click here for more information.

• Le Dauphin, a kiosk selling sandwiches, salads, crepes, ice creams, etc.

• A nice alternative on warm days is to have a picnic in the park (it's prohibited in the gardens). For this, it's best to bring a packed picnic from Paris. Click here for more information. Click here to find out where you can picnic in the castle park.

The Palace of Versailles was the last residence of the French kings. Maria Antoinette and King Louis XVI were forced to leave the Palace during the French Revolution, when they were executed. But the history of the palace begins long before...

Originally, there was a royal hunting lodge in Versailles. In 1624, King Louis XIII entrusted Jacques Lemercier with the construction of a castle on the site. The walls of this first palace were preserved - today, they make up the external facade facing the Marble Courtyard.

But it was under the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King (1661-1710), that the residence was transformed into an immense and extravagant complex surrounded by French gardens. Every detail of its construction aimed to glorify the king.

Gradually, the residence changed from a hunting lodge to a leisure residence, where great parties were held in the gardens. In 1682, it became the main residence of the court and the French government. Louis XIV moved not only the aristocracy to Versailles but also the main administrative body.

Upon his death in September 1715, the construction of Versailles was far from complete. However, with the king's death, the court returned to Paris. Versailles entered a long period of decline and neglect.

In 1722, young Louis XV returned to Versailles. His primary concern was to complete the work of his grandfather. But he also decided to create more intimate spaces, like the Petit Trianon, built for his mistress. His shyness led him to increase the number of small rooms where he felt more comfortable than in the large public spaces created by Louis XIV.

Louis XV did not exclusively reside in Versailles; he also spent part of his time in Fontainebleau (discover here the other castles in the Paris region).

Born in Versailles, Louis XVI became king before the age of 20. His wedding to Maria Antoinette was celebrated in 1770 at the Royal Opera of the palace. Four years later, the King gifted his wife the Petit Trianon. Maria Antoinette not only occupied it but transformed it into her personal domain.

Although there were constant parties in Versailles, the court spent most of the time in Paris. The King was quickly losing popularity among the people and also among the nobility due to heavy taxes and the extravagant expenses of Maria Antoinette.

Unaware of the social and economic situation, Louis XVI, who only wanted to be loved, and Maria Antoinette, who loved luxury, were forced to leave Versailles in October 1789, when the French Revolution began. They would never return.

To learn more about the history of the Palace, we recommend doing a guided tour - nothing beats learning history while visiting the castle. Another advantage: with the guide, you avoid queues.

Click here to learn more about the guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with a Brazilian guide.

• Paris month by month: tips for Paris each month of the year

• What to do in Paris: 18 unmissable tips

• Climate and temperatures in Paris

• How much does a tourist spend per day in Paris?

• Where to stay in Paris - complete guide to the best neighborhoods and hotels

• Documents needed to enter France

• How to get from the airport to your hotel in Paris

• The Tourist Attractions of Paris - a complete guide

• The Museums of Paris - a complete guide

• Louvre Museum - a complete guide

• Castles in France: which to visit? Where are they located?