Versailles Semi-Private Guided Tour with Train
Description
In our tour, we provide a unique presentation of the Castle by putting together the history of the building, the description of many pieces of art exhibited in it, and a lot of interesting stories about the life of kings in the Palace over centuries. After the tour, you will feel acquainted with the Sun King, Marie Antoinette, and Madame Pompadour. You will understand the events of the French Revolution and the development of the building in modern times. Now it is still used for meetings of the French Parliament and for the receptions of foreign Heads of State. During the tour will show you the concept behind this building, which is the result of the imagination of one single man: King Louis XIV. He conceived this project at 20, and when he died at 78, it was still not achieved. A project of a lifetime with a monumental result that knows no comparison all over the world.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Already during the ride on the train, the guide will tell you the history of the Palace of Versailles and many interesting and funny background stories. You will discover the Palace of Versailles with its famous mirror gallery, the private apartment of King Louis XIV, and the bedroom of Marie Antoinette.The guide will show you the most amazing paintings and pieces of art in this incredible building. You will further visit the huge gardens of the castle, and see the magnificent fountains and the hidden king's garden. The Palace of Versailles wouldn't be empty walls with precious pieces of art and furniture for you, but the theatre of more than two centuries of history lasting from 1682 to Bastille Day in 1789.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(16)
We toured with Christian today to see Versailles. He was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. He gave detail and answered questions that we could not have gotten on our own. It was a great experience!
Our family of 5 had a great day touring Versailles thanks to Christian (My Super Tours). He was extremely knowledgeable and made the whole experience very interesting - especially the gardens. The little bits of information (he is very well read) and stories he shared helped us appreciate them so much more. Even with the heat and big crowds, we felt well looked after. Christian kept things moving at a comfortable pace and made sure we were always in a good spot to enjoy what we were seeing. We are so glad we had him as our guide and would definitely recommend him to anyone heading to Versailles!
I booked this tour the end of March 2025. However, I can't rate it because the guide never showed up. I was billed on May 22, 2025 for the half private tour of Palace of Versailles with train ticket for the tour on 5/24/25. We got to the meeting place early and met another two people who booked the same tour as us. We waited for over 30 minutes for the guide and then called Viator who immediately refunded us the money. Not sure what happened and there was no explanation as to why the guide never showed up.
Liza, our guide was wonderful. She enhanced our trip to Versailles. She navigated us from Paris to the palace via the train. She kept us together and navigated us through the entrance into the Palace efficiently. The beauty and wonder was in each room. No favorite, loved the experience. Ending in the tranquil gardens was a great ending. Returning to Paris was at our Leisure.
The palace and gardens were stunning. Our tour guide Dina was awesome, very friendly helpful and knowledgeable. I would love to have her as a tour guide again!!!
A couple of notes regarding our particular trip: 1. The others in our party didn't show up. Our guide, Christian, tried to reach them via phone, text, and WhatsApp while we waited well past the meeting time. I was impressed at how careful he was to reach out the day before to confirm our meeting point (he sent me a text and whatsapp message), checked in again the morning off, and sent a photo of him at the meeting point just prior to our arrival so we would know what he looked like and what he was wearing. 2. It was great to do the train ride tour, instead of a hired coach/bus, because we got some great historical background from Christian during the ride out, and it left the afternoon open for us to wander the grounds on our own, enjoy a late lunch, and explore the town without any time constraints. All the trains back take you to where we started so it was impossible to get lost! 3. A very interesting insight into the life of historical French Royalty. 4. The palace grounds are absolutely beautiful! Wonderful day!
The tour guide was on time, friendly and very knowledgable. She did all the coordination for the train and had tickets pre-purchased making it so easy. On the short train ride there she took the time to give some of the backstory of Versailles and what to expect. I thought that was great and saved time. The tour itself was very informative and interesting. We got to see all the main sections of the palace that were open to the public and she told the history and significance of each room. The only thing I’d suggest to change are there are several times where you’d stand in one place for 5-10 minutes. It felt like a lot of wasted time when we could be walking and seeing more. Maybe a new thing to do would be tell a lot of the lineage stories while walking the garden areas instead of standing idle in the rooms. When you’re on these tours people always feel like they want to make the most of their time and standing idle makes them feel antsy. I would absolutely recommend this tour and would probably book it again if I brought another group there again.
We had the most amazing and entertaining guide, Elizabeth. She was not only extremely fluent and articulate in English, but was an amazing story teller. She made the entire trip into Versailles and the tour itself very entertaining and informative by explaining the history of the people and events connected with this famous chateau, most importantly, King Louis XIV. How she told the story really brought the experience to life and the entire small group felt this tour was the highlight of our visit to Paris. Elizabeth also ensured our safety and comfort by directing us along the way as we took the train, grabbed snacks and found bathrooms as needed. Overall, an excellent experience!
I only gave 4 reviews bc the skip the line was a mess and out of our guides control. But sitting in the rain and waiting 30/45 min was irritating
This was the best tour thanks to the fabulous tour guide. We got to the meeting spot late, she waited, and found us. She knew the history of Versailles and told us in a way to captivate our attention the entire time! The small group was perfect, so much easier to get around. Wonderful experience.