Palace Of Versailles Tickets & Tours

The Palace of Versailles is a grand former royal residence and former center of government that spans a floorspace of 67,002 square meters with 2,300 rooms, the gardens spanning 800 hectares which includes a 5.57km long artificial canal.

An architectural feat, it was originally a rural hunting pavilion used by King Louis XIII but his son, Louis XIV extended the building, transforming it into an immense and extravagant palace complex with North and South wings, the Grand and Petit Trianon, Chapel and Opera plus stunning French and English landscaped gardens with breathtaking vistas and numerous fountains and statues which took 40 years to complete and became the apogee of palace architecture around Europe.

In 1789 Louis XVI was forced to flee Versailles for Paris due to the start of the French Revolution. The palace was abandoned and never used as a royal residence again, instead becoming the Museum of the History of France in 1837. Its opulent royal rooms were used to house collections of paintings and sculptures, the collections expanding right through until the early 20th century when the central rooms were restored to their original royal residence appearance.

Versailles is the epitome of opulence - It is the symbol of Absolute Monarchy, a symbol of power, wealth, and beauty in an age when France was at the forefront of fashion and power.

It was built to impress everyone who laid eyes on it with no expense spared - So much so that even the chamber pots were made of silver! It is the largest royal domain in the world and still a magnificent sight to behold that tells a powerful tale of political history, grandeur, and royal life.

Being the center of the French Court which consisted of 3,000 individuals including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette,other members of the royal family and government ministers, aristocrats, diplomats, and civil servants, it was the backdrop to one the grandest theatres in the whole of Europe with many parties, concerts, games, hunts, and other diversions being the talk of the country for months afterwards.

In more recent history, it was here where the Treaty of Versailles was signed which ended World War I.

The Palace of Versailles is a magnificent example of French Baroque architecture inside and out with an architectural theme of 'creation by diversion' meaning a series of simple repetitions are balanced by the repetition of large windows. The finest furniture and furnishings filled the rooms with quality and expense never spared.

The Hall of Mirrors
One of the most famous rooms in the world, The Hall of Mirrors is a central 73 meter long gallery that pays tribute to the political, economic and artistic success of France. It consists of 17 mirror-clad arches (made with 357 mirrors by Venetian craftsmen) that reflect the 17 windows and has a vaulted ceiling painted by Le Brun with the political successes of Louis XIV from the first 18 years of his reign. Along with gilt bronzes, polychrome marbles, and chandeliers, it is a feat of 17th century 'French Style' art.

The War Room
Marble panel covered walls are decorated with trophies and weapons in gilded bronze, this room being a tribute to the military victories which led to the peace treaties of Nijmegen. One wall has an oval bas-relief showing King Louis XIV on horseback trampling over his enemies with 2 captives in chains below. The cupola ceiling shows a personified depiction of France sitting on a cloud, armed and holding a shield that shows a portrait of Louis XIV, surrounded by victories shown in the arches of the room; Germany kneeling with an eagle, Spain making threats with a lion, and Holland overturned on another lion.

The Gallery of Great Battles

The most important of the historic Galleries, the Gallery of Great Battles is the largest room in the palace covering almost the entire 1st floor in the South Wing. The 33 works of art within cover 15 centuries of the greatest French military successes from Clovis' victory in Tolbiac to Napoleon's victory in Wagram.

The Royal Chapel
This 2-floored Royal Chapel with its large windows and buttresses that give it a Gothic look and feel was the last chapel to be built in the palace, 5 other chapels having been previously built. A vaulted ceiling, unique in that it was designed without transvers ribs, depicts the Holy Trinity with God the Father in his Glory painted by Antoine Coypel. In the apse, is The Resurrection by Charles de la Foss, and above the Royal tribune is a painting of The Descent of the Holy Ghost by Jean Jouvenet.

The Royal Opera House
Seating up to 1,200 guests, making it the largest concert hall in Europe at the time, The Royal Opera House was one of the earlier ideas of Louis XIV who wanted a luxurious place to host shows with machines. It was one of the greatest architectural works ever achieved by Ange-Jacquest Gabriel who incorporated the greatest innovations of the time into the building including the oval plan, staggered seating levels, and Frensh-style boxes and using moving floors on winches and hoists, the Opera House became an adjustable hall fit for a number of purposes.

The Kings Apartments
Consisting of 7 rooms named after the Greek Gods (The Venus Room, The Hercules Room, The Diana Room, The Mars Room, The Mercury Room, and The Apollo Room along with The Hall of Plenty) these prestigious 'parade apartments' were where the King attended to official matters of the sovereign. The rooms are all lavishly decorated in the Italian-style with marble panelling and painted ceilings. The Hercules Room, containing The Meal in the House of Simon by Veronese has a ceiling decoration on par with masterpieces by Italian fresco painters showing The Apotheosis of Hercules. The Apollo Room was used as the ceremonial and throne room.

The King's Private Apartments
Opening onto the Marble Courtyard and the Royal Courtyard, the King had a series of private chambers designed for personal use ranging from a private bedroom and dining room to library and laboratory as well as galleries in which to display his personal collection of artworks. The Clock Room shows Louis XV's interest in science and astronomy, a copper line marking the Versailles meridian on the floor.

The Congress Chamber

Built at the end of the 19th century, the Congress Chamber is still used today when the members of the National Assembly and the Senate meet in congress. The Vestibule, white with gold touches and featuring large columns has 5 statues from the statue that represent philosophers, poets, painters, and political thinkers.

The Garden & Estate:

Gardan of Palace of Versailles

The Grand Perspective

Best viewed from the Hall of Mirrors, the Grand Perspective is the unique East-West facing garden with grand canal (water parterre) leading to the Royal Way that stretches out to the horizon, as far as the eye can see.

The Groves

The place for entertaining the court outdoors, used as a sort of outdoor salon and a favourite walking place of the Kings, The Groves are miniature parkland gardens with walkways, fountains, statues, and sculptures situated within a larger wooded area, each one enclosed by shrubs and trellises with a gate at the entrance offering visitors surprises around every corner, each one being different in design and style.

The Grand Trianon

The larger of the two 'Pleasure Palaces' built purely for court fun and entertainment rather than official parliamentary and royal engagements, the Grand Trianon is an opulent single-story building of pink marble with arches and columns that was influenced by Italian architecture of the time.

The Queen's Hamlet

Located in The Estate of Triston (a 30 minute walk from the Palace) stands the complex of buildings used by Marie-Antoinette when she seeked a rural escape from the hustle and bustle of the palace. The Queen's House (cottage) is straight out of a Grimm's Brothers fairytale with rustic looking exteriors containing richly furnished interiors fit for a Queen.

 

The Palace Rooms are open Tuesday-Sunday 9am-5.30pm Closed every Monday plus 25th December and 1st January

The Gardens & Park are open 7 days a week 8am-6pm unless there are snowstorms or gails in which case the gardens are closed.

The Coach Gallery and The Estate of Trianon are only open in the afternoon. Usually from12:30-5:30pm or until 6.30pm in Summer.

The Palace of Versailles is located 10 miles (16 km) South-West of Paris city center in the department of Yvelines, in the region of Île-de-France.

Public transport options are as follows

Metro

Take RER Line C-5 to Versailles Chateau Rive Gauche (indicated as VICK or VITY on the trains) which is an end of line stop. Journey times from central Paris are approximately 30 minutes with trains departing every 15 minutes during daytime operating hours. The station is a 10 minute walk from the Palace and tickets cost 4.10 euro per person each way.

Train

There are 2 options when travelling by SNCF train, both journey times taking between 10-20 minutes.

From Gare Montparnasse to Versailles Chantiers train station - 20 minute walk from the station to the Palace. Tickets cost 3.45 euro each way.

From Gare Saint Lazare to Versailles Rive Droite train station - 30 minute walk from this station to the Palace. Tickets cost 4.20 euro each way.

T+ tickets cannot be used on these journeys but the passes Navigo, Mobilis and Paris Visite covering zones 1-4 can be used.

Shuttle Bus

Operating Tuesday-Sunday there is a shuttle bus departing from the Eiffel Tower. The shuttle bus departs at 7.45am, 9.45am, and 1.30am returning at 3.15pm or 6pm with journey times taking 45 minutes when there is no traffic. Return tickets cost 29 euro.

Regular Bus

RATP bus line 171 runs from Pont de Sevres to the Palace of Versailles within 30 minutes when there is no traffic. T+ tickets are accepted, otherwise the cost is 2 euro each way.

Taxi

Prices depend on the company and the time it takes to arrive, dependant on traffic, but prices are generally between 45-60 euro, the journey taking 45 minutes without traffic.

The Palace and grounds of Versailles are huge so you should dedicate an entire day to look around, this way you will get to see almost everything and won't be rushing as there's more than just the rooms inside the palace and the gardens to see - There is also The Royal Chapel, The Coach Gallery, The Estate of Trianon which contains The Queen's Hamlet and the Grand and Petit Trianon, the huge parkland, and a range of temporary art exhibitions plus daytime and evening shows such as the Fountain Show that takes place on Summer evenings.

The main entrance to the palace with ticket office is located at Grille d'Honneur from where you can also access the gardens at the cour des Princes entrance and then the park. The Estate of Trianon is located about 30 minutes away from the Palace on foot and contains The Queen's Hamlet and the Petit Trianon. The Coach Gallery is a museum located in front of the Palace, across the Place d'Armes, that contains a selection of Royal Coaches from the 19th century.

If only visiting the park there are 3 entrances from the city - The Queen's Gate on Boulevard de la Reine, St Anthony Gate on the D186 and Sailors Gate on the de Saint-Cyr route.

Book Your Palace of Versailles Tickets In Advance

When you book your ticket to Versailles in advance you avoid having to queue twice (once to buy the ticket, and again to gain entrance to the palace which can save you at least 1 hour in each queue, longer during peak Summer visiting times. You can also take advantage of online deals which can save you money - It generally costing more to pay for your ticket on the day from the ticket office at Versailles.

Are Skip-the-line Palace of Versailles Tickets Worth It?

Without a doubt, yes! A visit to Versailles is an all day event and time is precious when you want to see it all. By purchasing a skip-the-line ticket ahead of time you avoid queuing up twice, once for the ticket office, and again to be let inside the rooms. Skip-the-line ticket holders can use the automated ticket barriers avoiding the long snaking line of regular ticket holders although unfortunately no one gets to skip the security line! When combining a skip-the-line ticket with a guided tour of the King's Private Apartments you also get to use a different entrance therefore avoiding the crush of the crowd.

The Best Times to Visit Palace of Versailles

Visiting Versailles during the Spring or Summer allows you to see the gardens at their best when they're in full bloom, but Autumn is another magical time to visit as the trees change colour. However, visiting in the Winter months means less overall visitors.

The best time to view inside the Palace is before 10am (at which point the large tour groups arrive) or after 3pm (when they have left). There are 2 recommended routes for avoiding the most crowds whilst ensuring you see everything:

Take the guided tour of the King's Private Apartments as soon as the palace opens. Then, instead of staying inside the palace to explore at your own pace, head outside to see the gardens and park. From the park you can make the 30 minute walk to the Estate of Trianon which is open from 12.30pm. After this you can go back through the park and gardens, exploring different areas, as you make your way back to the palace. Stop at the Coach Museum first, also open after 12.30pm, and then head back inside the palace rooms after 3pm until closing time or until you feel you've seen everything!

Tuesday is the busiest day at Versailes due to several of the top Paris museums being closed, followed by the weekends. If you visit Wednesday-Friday (Versailles is closed Mondays) outside of July-August you won't have to battle so many crowds.

Fully Exploring the Palace of Versailles with Guided Tours

If you try to see Versailles without any kind of tour (guided or audio) you will miss out on seeing and learning so much and can easily become overwhelmed and lost.

Audio guides are available free of charge (with a ticket purchase) for the Palace, Gardens, and Grounds whether you pick up an audio guide from the front desk or download the audio guide on your smartphone ahead of time but the information they give is brief.

The King's Private apartments (the private rooms of Louis XV and Louis XVI) are only accessible as part of a 90 minute guided tour which this also includes a guided tour of either the Royal Opera House or the Royal Chapel. When booking the private tour (7 euro extra) you are given a time slot and can use a different entrance to other visitors. After the tour you have free time to wander the palace rooms on your own, without needing to go back outside and queue up again.

Splendorous Versailles is another guided tour offered by officials of the palace and lasts for 90 minutes. On this tour, visitors are shown the King's Chamber, the Hall of Mirrors, and much more whilst learning about the history of the rooms, and the people who used them.

On the Trilion Estate, the interior of the Queens House, can only be accessed as part of a guided tour, there is also a guided tour that explains the significance of the Petit Trianon, a place of refuge for Queen Marie-Antoinette, that takes visitors around the exterior only.

There is free entry to the Palace of Versaille the first Sunday of the month between November and March. EU residents under the age of 26 can also get free entry when proof of ID and a student card is shown.

It is free to visit the park, gardens, and coach gallery.

The fountain in front of the Palace is only switched on at certain times - Catch the display on Saturdays and Sundays from March-October or Tuesdays from May-June at 11am-12pm or between 3.30pm-5pm.

Photos are allowed inside the palace rooms (permanent exhibitions) but only without flash and selfie sticks and tripods are forbidden inside the palace rooms.

Pushchairs, prams, and metal framed baby carriers are forbidden inside the palace rooms and must be left in the luggage room. If visiting with babies and young toddlers a front-wearing harness or sling is recommended. Carrying kids on shoulders is also forbidden.

There is a road train and tram service running between the Palace and to/around The Estate of Trianon - Tickets cost 4 euro.

There are cafes and restaurants onsite but the food is expensive - It's possible to pack your own food for a picnic and enjoy it in the park - Food and drink cannot be consumed or taken within the palace rooms or gardens and must be left in the locker room.