One of the activities you can do from Paris is to visit Versailles, home to the impressive royal palace commissioned by Louis XIII in the 17th century and later expanded by Louis XIV as the official residence.
Visiting the Palace of Versailles means encountering luxury in every corner, including the famous Hall of Mirrors, the royal bedrooms, and the Royal Chapel.
But Versailles is not just about the palace. You should also explore the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, Queen Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet, and the vast royal gardens.
Below you’ll find all the information you need to visit Versailles from Paris.
💯 Check out our article on a recommended 4-day Paris itinerary, which includes a visit to the Palace of Versailles.
How to get to Versailles from Paris
Getting to Versailles by train
This is the most convenient and fastest way to reach Versailles from Paris. Take the RER C5 line (the Paris suburban train) and get off at Versailles Rive Gauche station. You can catch the RER C5 from central Paris stations such as Saint Michel – Notre Dame, Invalides, or Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel.
The journey takes about 40 minutes, and from the station it’s just a five-minute walk to the gates of the Palace of Versailles.
For a round trip from Paris to Versailles by train, you need to buy a combined metro–train–RER ticket (€2.50 per trip) or use the Navigo Easy Travel pass or Navigo Découverte pass for one day (€12) or one week (€31.60), covering all zones.
Getting to Versailles by bus
Another way to get from Paris to the Palace of Versailles is by bus. You’ll need a combined bus–tram ticket (€2 per trip) or the Navigo Easy Travel pass or Navigo Découverte pass for one day (€12) or one week (€31.60), covering all zones.
From central Paris, take the T2 tram and get off at Musée de Sèvres. From there, cross the Seine River bridge on foot and you’ll see the stop for bus line 171, which drops you right at the gates of the Palace of Versailles.
This option is slightly cheaper than taking metro line 9 to Pont de Sèvres station, then crossing the bridge to catch bus line 171.
Visiting Versailles on a tour from Paris
If you want to avoid all the hassle and visit Versailles with transfers from central Paris, and skip-the-line entry to the Palace, then this Palace of Versailles tour is for you.
Getting to Versailles by car
One option for getting to Versailles from Paris is to rent a car. There are several parking areas in Versailles where you can leave your vehicle.
The Place d’Armes parking is located right next to the palace entrance, but it’s expensive (about €20 for roughly four hours, which is the minimum time you’ll need to see everything).
There are other parking areas slightly farther away—about a 10-minute walk to the palace entrance—where you’ll pay less than half the rate of the Place d’Armes parking.
What to see on your visit to the Palace of Versailles
Depending on how much time you spend exploring the palace, gardens, and surroundings, a visit to Versailles can take at least six hours, considering you might spend about an hour in line to enter the palace.
If you visit Versailles in summer, when it’s most crowded, it might be best to start with the gardens, have lunch there at one of the food stands or restaurants, and then tour the palace, as lines tend to be shorter in the afternoon.
Here’s a breakdown of what to see in Versailles, the vast 800-hectare royal estate that flourished from the 17th century until the late 18th century, when it was looted and damaged during the French Revolution.
📷 Book your guided tour of the Palace of Versailles here, including access to the gardens, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and the Queen’s Hamlet.
1. Tour of the Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is one of France’s must-see landmarks, so much so that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Exploring its main halls and the royal apartments takes at least two hours, plus about an hour waiting in line to enter.
The palace is accessed through the impressive Gate of Honour, leading to rooms such as the Gallery of Battles, the Palace History Gallery, the Louis XIV rooms, and the royal bedrooms.
But without a doubt, the star attraction is the Hall of Mirrors, a grand hall designed to impress visitors of Louis XIV. At over 70 meters long with 350 mirrors, it was the height of luxury for its time. The 17th-century ceiling paintings are still preserved today.
2. Tour of the Grand Trianon
Located about a 30-minute walk from the main palace, the Grand Trianon is a pink marble pavilion built by order of Louis XIV, surrounded by gardens and ponds.
As if the grand palace wasn’t enough, Louis XV ordered the construction of another, smaller yet equally luxurious, mainly used as a leisure retreat for the king and queen. The Grand Trianon also served as the residence of Louis XV’s wife and even Napoleon Bonaparte.
3. Tour of the Petit Trianon
More modest in size, the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet were key places in the life of Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI.
Built by order of Louis XV, it was initially a zoo, garden, and greenhouse. Under Louis XVI, it became almost a private retreat for Marie Antoinette, who had two new gardens built. It was the perfect spot for the queen to avoid the grandeur of the main palace.
The Queen’s Hamlet was built at Marie Antoinette’s request as a replica of a typical rural house in the French countryside.
To reach the area where the Grand and Petit Trianon are located, you’ll need to walk at least 30 minutes from the main palace. However, there are several options to skip the walk:
- Take the mini train, which costs €8.50 round trip or €4.60 one way.
- Rent an electric car, which is more expensive at around €34 per hour.
4. Tour of the Gardens of Versailles
Covering 800 hectares, these vast French-style gardens are perfectly designed. Besides the greenery, they are filled with grand sculptures and fountains from the era of Louis XIV.
Highlights include the Latona Fountain, the Apollo Fountain, and the Grand Canal, a body of water over one kilometer long where boat competitions were once held.
Exploring the gardens can take about two hours, as the walk from the back of the palace to the Grand Canal is quite long.
Access is completely free, except on days when the musical gardens or musical fountains shows are held (April 1 to October 31).
One way to enjoy the royal gardens is to rent a boat to row along the Grand Canal. Prices are €17 per hour or €13 for half an hour.
5. Musical Gardens and Fountains in Versailles
In addition to visiting the palace, the Grand and Petit Trianon, and the gardens, you can also watch the musical fountains show held in the gardens.
To the sound of baroque music playing through speakers in the gardens, you’ll see a display of dancing waters in the grand fountains.
To attend this show, you’ll need a separate ticket for garden access. If you’ve purchased the regular ticket that includes the palace, the Grand and Petit Trianon, and the gardens, you won’t be able to enter the gardens on days when the fountains or musical gardens shows take place.
The shows are not held daily and vary in format:
- Musical Gardens: where the fountains are not operating, but music plays in the background. Held Tuesday to Friday from April to October, with some exceptions.
- Musical Fountains: with fountains in full motion to music, held Saturdays and Sundays from April to October, with some exceptions.
You can check the calendar for the gardens and fountains at the Palace of Versailles here.
6. Night Fountains Show and Lights
Every Saturday from June 7 to September 20, from 8:30 p.m. to 11:05 p.m., the Gardens of Versailles host a spectacular night show. To the rhythm of music and the dancing waters of the fountains, the gardens are illuminated with light effects and colors.
The evening ends with fireworks over the gardens. If you can be there during these dates, it’s a must-see experience.
The ticket is more expensive than for the musical fountains show and allows access to the gardens from sunset.
Tips for Visit Versailles from París
- Regarding hand luggage, note that bags larger than 55 x 35 x 20 cm are not allowed inside the palace. There are lockers available in the complex to store your belongings.
- If you don’t want to spend money on food, you can bring your own and enjoy a picnic in the designated areas of the gardens, surrounded by a stunning setting.
- For the itinerary, we recommend visiting the gardens first in the morning, then the Grand and Petit Trianon, having lunch in the gardens, and leaving the palace visit for the afternoon, when it’s less crowded and the wait to enter is usually under an hour.
- If you’re visiting Versailles in summer, bring a hat or cap and stay well hydrated, as you could spend up to two hours in line without shade before entering the palace.
Eating in Versailles
While you can bring your own food and enjoy it in the Versailles gardens, there are also restaurants and food stalls on site.
Inside the palace, there are two dining options: Grand Café d’Orléans and Angelina Versailles. Prices for food and drinks in these places are quite high.
In the garden area, there are more options. For a sit-down meal, there are two restaurants that are slightly more affordable than those inside the palace.
The cheapest way to eat in Versailles, if you don’t bring your own food, is to buy from the stalls near the Grand Canal and enjoy your meal sitting on the grass by the water. They usually sell fast food and desserts such as ice cream.
Staying Overnight in Versailles
Most people visit Versailles as a day trip from Paris. But if you want to see the entire complex without rushing, it may be worth getting a two-day ticket and staying overnight near the palace.
🏨 Find the best accommodation near the Palace of Versailles here.
If you’re visiting Versailles from Paris in one day, you can book your accommodation in Paris here.
Opening Hours and Prices for Visiting Versailles
Opening Hours for Versailles and the Gardens
The Palace of Versailles is open daily, except Mondays and May 1st, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.. The Grand and Petit Trianon are open from 12:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m..
The Gardens of Versailles are open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with last admission at 7:00 p.m.
Ticket prices for visiting Versailles and the gardens
There are several ticket options for visiting Versailles:
- One-day Passport: includes the palace with an audio guide, the Grand and Petit Trianon, and the gardens. The price is €24 from November to March, and €32 from April to October. This is the most recommended option.
- Access to the gardens only on days without musical gardens or fountains shows is free.
- Ticket for palace-only access is €21.
- Ticket for musical gardens show only is €10.
- Ticket for musical fountains show only is €11.
- Ticket for the night fountains and lights show in the gardens is €33.
Children under 18 of any nationality, and residents of the EU under 26, can access all areas free of charge, except for the gardens on musical gardens or fountains show days, when only children under 4 enter for free.
Tickets can be purchased at the palace ticket offices, online on the official Palace of Versailles website, or here.
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