Versailles Palace and Gardens Tour by Train from Paris
Description
Join this half-day tour to the prestigious Palace of Versailles and Gardens. Walk in the footsteps of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. See the Hall of Mirrors, lavish staterooms, and beautiful gardens. Your English-speaking guide will lend their expertise to enhancing the experience with historical facts and interesting anecdotes. Take the RER train from Paris and enjoy access.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide in central Paris and enjoy a short, escorted train ride to Versailles. On arrival, take a journey in the footsteps of the Kings and Queens of France. During the reign of Louis XIV - the Sun King - Versailles was the place to be and to be seen. Nowadays visitors from all over the world still come to Versailles to marvel at the splendours of this incredible palace. Our skip the line access allows you to bypass the long lines that form each day, and our friendly local guides will steer you expertly through the crowds, bringing the famous figures who once inhabited this palace back to life. Learn how the Kings and Queens lived out their lavish lives in public, how they kept the gossiping courtiers under their thumb, and made Versailles the artistic center of Europe. Discover a typical day in the life of Marie Antoinette; you’ll quickly understand why she hated the palace so much! Her opulent lifestyle here would lead to her tragic demise under the French Revolution.
See the dazzling Hall of Mirrors, and learn the secrets of how it came to be, and the fascinating goings on at the time of the royal court.
After visiting the royal apartments inside the palace, your guide will lead you through the spectacular gardens, once the setting of balls, parties and elaborate firework displays. On fountain show days you will discover the amazing waterworks, still running today as they did in the times of Kings and Queens. The fountains run to a very precise schedule, and your guide will ensure you are in the right places at exactly the right time! At the end of your tour you are free to return to Paris with your guide or to remain in Versailles at your leisure. Your guide will be happy to give you advice on further places to visit or where to enjoy a great meal in this beautiful royal city.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- From 1 April to 31 October, the gardens of the Palace feature special Musical and Fountain Shows. Fountain Shows take place on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on Tuesdays in May and June and on national holidays. Please note that the fountains operate according to a set schedule — they do not run continuously throughout the day. On the other days of the week during this period, the gardens host the Musical Gardens, where music is played throughout the groves.
- Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before your tour departure time. We have to catch a train to Versailles and we cannot wait for late arrivals.
- The tour of Versailles Palace and gardens is 3 hours guided.
- You need to add approx. 40 minutes each way to get to and from the palace on the train.
- You can cancel your tour up to 24 hours prior to departure and receive a full refund. Please note that refunds are not possible for missed tours.
- If you plan to arrive at the meeting point by taxi, please ensure you leave yourselves plenty of time, it can often take a considerable amount of time to find a taxi in Paris!
Reviews(960)
The weather was extremely hot. The venue was closing early because of the heat. Our guide was great, but we had to rush though the palace. We also couldn't tour the palace gardens as they were closed also.
Our guides were fantastic! The pick up spot was a little confusing-could he better explained in the details. Due to the heatwave, our tour was cut short and we were not able to go to the gardens so the price of the tour wasn’t necessarily worth it.
As expected the Palace was packed but our guide was thorough and informative. She easily maneuvered around the crowds and kept us very informed. The gardens were specatcular,
Great tour, good pace, very knowledgeable guide!
Our guide did her best to give us a good tour on one of the hottest days in Paris. We spent a lot of time discussing the art of the room, and it would have been interesting to learn more about the actual use of the rooms and the families that lived there in general. We had a large group of 20 people which made it difficult to navigate inside the house, especially since all tour groups were trying to cram through at the same time. It would have been nice if our guide waited a bit before thrusting us into the crowded rooms, but understand she's also on a schedule. The train ride guide in the morning is helpful if you're new to the metro as they will show you had to use the transit system. However, if you are already accustomed to the trains I would go earlier to Versaille and start a tour. Our tour started at 8:45 am however we didn't actually start our Versaille tour until closer to 10-1030, and by then we were already battling other tour groups. Our guide was friendly but overall I would find a different version of this tour or go on my own much earlier in the morning before the tours hit.
Our guide was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and gave us time to explore and take photos.
Amelie is a consumate professional. She knows whatever there is to know about Versailles and is truly a pleasure. Don't forget to tip your guide, whomever you may get!
Thank you Jonathan! Amélie truly is a consummate professional and her depth of knowledge about Versailles is extraordinary — we are very lucky to have her. And what a lovely thing to say about tipping your guide! We'll make sure she sees your kind words. Hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris.
The tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable. She gave us a great tour filled with facts and humor. I highly recommend this tour, we didn’t have to wait in line which was wonderful.
Thank you Jeanette! Facts and humour is a perfect combination for a day at Versailles and we're so glad Cécile delivered both so well. We really appreciate the recommendation — it means a great deal to us. She'll be delighted to hear this. Hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris!
I was a little nervous about taking the train to Versailles but our guide, Berrick, met us at a cafe across from the train station, escorted us on the train, and made sure everyone knew exactly how to get where they wanted to go after visiting Versailles. After the tour, we were able to explore the gardens and palace on our own and take the train back whenever we decided. The flexibility of this tour is perfect for anyone who wants to make sure they see all of the highlights and learn the history behind them while also having the freedom to explore the expansive grounds at their leisure.
Thank you Daniele — and what a perfect title for your review! Berek is wonderful at making the train feel easy and stress-free, and that flexibility afterwards is one of the things we love most about this tour. Unlike a bus, the train means you leave when you're ready — whether that's a quick look at the gardens or a full afternoon exploring at your own pace. You've summed up exactly why we do it this way! We'll make sure Berek sees your kind words. Hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris.
The tour was super informative. Wonderful to have a tour of the palace and gardens from a local woman in Paris. Cecile had a great sense of humor and explained the history and the meaning it has in France. Make sure you are aware if you booked morning and afternoon tour sessions. There are policies the palace has in place that must be followed so plan your day accordingly. They let you in with water containers so you can use the pump by gardens and enjoy the public park beyond the gardens which is huge!
Thank you Lauren! We're so glad Cécile's local knowledge and humour made the history of Versailles so enjoyable. And great tip about the water and the public park beyond the gardens — it really is a wonderful spot that so many visitors miss! We'll make sure she sees your kind words. Hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris.
