Giverny and Monet's Garden Half-Day Trip from Paris
Description
Entering Normandy, you will visit Claude Monet's home, the father of "Impressionism". During this half day trip, you will discover in a Small-Group the famous gardens created by the impressionist painter, and the well-known Japanese bridge in the midst of its flowered paths and wather-lily ponds.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This half-day trip will lead you to the edge of Normandy, where you will visit the idyllic home of Claude Monet. There, get a Skip-the-Line Access as you enter into the garden with your guide by the special small group entrance! You will have the opportunity to discover the precious collection of Japanese engravings is displayed in several rooms, hung in the marmer chosen by the master of Giverny himself. Claude Monet’s property at Giverny, left by his son to the Académie des Beaux-arts in 1966, has, after completion of large scale restoration work, become the Claude Monet Foundation, inaugurated in 1980. The huge Nymphéas studio, a stone’s throw from the house, has also been restored and contains the Foundation’s Shop.
You will also enjoy time in the gardens which have been replanted as they once were and offer visitors the “painting from nature” which Claude Monet’s contemporaries considered to be one of his masterpieces. The rectangular Clos Normand, with archways of climbing plants entwined around brilliantly coloured shrubs, lies before the house and studios, offering from Spring to Autumn the palette of varying colours to the painter-gardner who was “ecstatic about flowers”.
Lastly, the Water Garden, formed by a tributary of the Epte, lies further away, shaded by weeping willows. With its famous Japanese Bridge, its wistarias, azaleas and its pond, it has once more become that casket of sky and water which inspired the pictorial universe of the water lilies.
Take a walk in the village of Giverny. Enjoy an ice cream, have a drink or look for souvenirs to take home.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- All clients must make sure to be at the meeting point 15 minutes before departure. Late comers will not be accommodated and missed tours or tickets cannot be refunded.
Reviews(138)
A magnificent, relaxing, and enchanting place Very flowery A poetic place Very beautiful experience The guide is very respectful, he explains the events and provides interesting details Very pleased with the visit
If I could give zero stars I would. No one responded to any of my messages. There was an accident in booking wrong date which I reached out immediately several times and called. No response and was still charged.
Dear Guest, If we may ask, are you the person who made the reservation? We are genuinely sorry that you made a mistake when booking the wrong date. Mistakes happen; we are all human beings, aren't we? However, it is difficult to understand why our business should receive a zero-star review for an error that was not ours. Your reservation was submitted on June 29, 2026, at 12:02 AM (GMT+2), which was the middle of the night in Paris. Two minutes later, at 12:04 AM, you sent us the following message: "I booked wrong day I was supposed to be July 4th can I reschedule" Then, at 12:54 AM, you wrote: "Sorry it reverted the date when I changed it to 1 person and I didn’t notice." At that time, we were still asleep. Our office opens at 8:00 AM. When we started work that morning, we had received no phone call or email from Viator Customer Service informing us of any urgent issue. Apart from the messages left in the Viator Extranet overnight, there was no other communication. If Viator Customer Service had contacted us that morning, we would very likely not be having this conversation today. Later that day, at 2:04 PM, you sent another message: "Hello can this be changed to Saturday? It reverted to wrong day when I changed to one person." Unfortunately, by then it was already too late. Our licensed guide had already gone to the meeting point, waited 20 minutes, and eventually left. You were the only participant booked on that tour, yet we still honored the reservation. We did not cancel it because there was only one guest. In fact, we even purchased the required entrance ticket and incurred the costs necessary to operate the tour exactly as booked through Viator. Did we make a mistake? Yes. Our mistake was not noticing your overnight messages in the Viator Extranet before the guide departed. We readily acknowledge that. But does overlooking messages sent while we were asleep justify being described as unprofessional or deserving "zero stars" when the original mistake was simply that the wrong date had been booked? We never judged you for your error. We understand that booking mistakes happen. That is part of life. Yet you chose to judge our entire business based on a situation that began with your own booking error. You mention calling "many times." We can only ask: at what time? During the night, when our office was closed? We have no record of any communication from Viator Customer Service alerting us to an urgent issue that morning. We have built our reputation by being reliable. We honor reservations—even when there is only one participant—because we believe every guest deserves the experience they booked. Had you allowed us to discuss the situation calmly before posting this review, we would have gladly explored a possible solution. Unfortunately, once such an unfair review is published, it leaves little room for constructive dialogue. We wish you all the best and hope that, despite this unfortunate misunderstanding, you can appreciate that we acted in good faith and fulfilled the service exactly as it was reserved. Thank you, Arnaud
Matthieu was excellent - so polite, knowledgeable, and a true local expert. He drove us in a lovely air conditioned van to Giverny at 8am, and shared some history and local anecdotes along the way. We arrived quicker than expected, and generously took us to the grave of Claude Monet before the museum opened with our extra time. He walked us to the entrance of the museum and met us after our exploration back at the exit. Our drive back to the city was smooth and pleasant. We loved our experience - one of the highlights of our family trip to Paris! Merci Matthieu!!
Ask for Matthew on the 8 person van. Very informative, gardens were beautiful and the house was amazing. Beat all the crowds as were on the 8:00 am tour. Even visited church in town (Monet’s tomb). Again Matthew was the best !
Dario was a fantastic host and guide as we were the only two on the trip. And the gardens and home were a great place to visit and enjoy Monet!
Hello, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re really happy to hear you enjoyed your time in Giverny and Monet’s gardens, it’s such a special place to visit. It’s also great to know that Dario helped make the trip even more enjoyable for you, especially in such a small and personal group. We’ll make sure to pass on your kind words to him. We hope to see you again soon for another beautiful experience from Paris. Kind regards, The Paris TRIP Team
Our guide drove us there and only started talking about Monet and Giverny as we approached our destination. When we arrived at the house, there was a very long line to get in and it was a very hot day. He gave us pointers about how to structure the visit to reduce the wait time and left us on our own. I understand that guides do not go into the house but I would have thought he would have stayed with us for most of the rest of the visit with more commentary any maybe take some photos of us in the garden rather than having to rely on strangers. There was a guide with people in front of us who was explaining things right up until they entered the house. Basically, we paid a lot of money for a ride in a nice SUV to Giverny. He was very nice but we expected more.
It was a wonderful experience. Summer is hot 🔥 dress lightly. If you are a handicapped anyway , be warned that you must walk stairs to go in the house and the gift shop. It is well worth the trip! Beautiful french countryside on the way.
Hello, Thank you very much for your wonderful and detailed review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Giverny and Monet’s gardens, and that you appreciated the beauty of the French countryside along the way. We also really appreciate you sharing your helpful tips for future visitors, especially regarding the summer heat and accessibility within the house. This kind of feedback is very valuable for helping others prepare for their visit. We’re so pleased to know that you found the experience well worth the trip, and we hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable journey from Paris. Kind regards, The Paris TRIP Team
We saw a good representative sample of everything. Matt was friendly and informative and a safe driver. A good guide. The gift shop was spacious and set out a variety of of merchandise with a range of prices.
Don’t miss this great side trip. The gardens are breathtaking and the house is interesting. The trip From Paris was comfortable. The guide was delightful.
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear that you and your mom enjoyed your Versailles tour with Julie. It’s great to know that her explanations in Spanish helped make the visit both interesting and enjoyable. We’ll be sure to pass along your message to her. Thank you again for choosing Paris TRIP for your Versailles visit. Warm regards, The Paris TRIP Team
Very lovely but go early to avoid crowds & heat. The gardens do not disappoint, & the village is sweet
