Château de Versailles
A trip from Paris to the famous Château de Versailles and the adjoining gardens is a great way to spend a day
The Château de Versailles is a rather famous tourist attraction. It symbolised the monarchy of Louis XIV between 1682 and 1789. It was the centre of power during those years thanks to Louis XIV arranging to have the government and all seats of power housed there. Forcing the regional powers to spend a portion of their time at the palace prevented regional forces from gathering too much power.
It has, as many French landmarks have, been redesigned by the resident monarch a number of times. The first design was by Philibert Le Roy which were followed by four major renovations and extensions to the palace. One of the more significant improvements and extensions was the addition of the King's and Queen's apartments.
The Château de Versailles is now open to the public most days of the week. Modern restrooms have been installed and there are free audio guides available in ten major languages. For those who would like to purchase some knick knacks for family and friends there are a variety of souvenir shops and curio stores. They even have a resident photographer who will gladly take your picture, for a fee.
For those that prefer to ride than to walk around a tourist attraction as large as this, there is an electric vehicle hire available which you can take around the gardens and through the Trianon, the Queen's Hamlet, the Grand Canal and the entire estate. There's a mini train that will take you to the estate of Marie Antoinette the Grand Trianon and little Venice.
It is worth noting that it is best to visit the Château de Versailles on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. This is because Tuesdays are busiest as most other French museums are closed.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month from November to March. Otherwise admission charges apply. See the official website for details.Château de Versailles Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Address: Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France
Phone: 01 30 83 78 00
Official Website: Château de Versailles
Château de Versailles Reviews
Rated out of 5![]()
Versailles is a stunning place and an absolute must-visit! It is truly a full-day experience filled with an incredible amount of history, beauty, and grandeur. Every corner of the palace tells a fascinating story, and the architecture is simply breathtaking.
The gardens are especially spectacular—beautifully designed, vast, and immaculately maintained. The outdoor views are just as impressive as the magnificent interiors, with stunning fountains, sculptures, and pathways creating a magical atmosphere.
An unforgettable experience that left our entire family amazed. Highly recommended for anyone visiting France!💕
O T - 2 weeks ago
I bought a ticket for the 4:30 time slot and arrived around 4:15. I was allowed to enter with a fairly large group, and since it was later in the day, I felt that the visit was comfortable. I could explore the rooms without feeling rushed and enjoy the experience at a reasonable pace.
Every room is truly special and impressive. The attention to detail is incredible: the paintings, the decorations on the walls and ceilings, the furniture, and the overall design show an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and history.
What impressed me the most was the garden. It is enormous and absolutely beautiful. I would definitely recommend taking some time to walk around and discover it properly. There also seems to be an option to rent a small golf-cart-style vehicle, which could be useful because of the size of the area.
Overall, visiting the palace was a fantastic experience. It is a place full of history, beauty, and incredible details that you should not miss.
Düzgün Dilsiz - a week ago
Wow - now this is an impressive Palace - Louis knew what he was doing! The whole estate is vast - the Palace itself is incredibly grand and huge and the gardens literally go on for as far as the eye can see. We were incredibly lucky to have taken a guided tour with Paris Tours and our tour guide Ching was absolutely fantastic - she knew her stuff and kept us interested for around 90 minutes with a full tour of the main royal rooms before leaving us to explore the gardens. We were a bit caught out with our tickets - we thought our guided tour tickets included the gardens but they didn't so we had to pay extra for that but it was well worth the money as the gardens are something else - plenty to see and plenty to take photos of! This is an absolute must-visit, thoroughly recommended and easily enough to keep you occupied for most of the day!
Darren Gilbert - 2 weeks ago
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Palace of Versailles was one of the most impressive historical landmarks I have ever visited. The scale of the palace, the architecture, the gardens, and the incredible attention to detail are simply breathtaking. Every room feels like a piece of history, especially the Hall of Mirrors, which was truly unforgettable.
The entire estate is massive and offers much more than just the main palace. Walking through the gardens and exploring different areas of Versailles makes it easy to understand why it remains one of the most famous royal residences in the world.
If you are visiting Paris, Palace of Versailles is absolutely worth the trip. It was one of the highlights of our visit to France and a place I would gladly visit again.
Nurkan TOKSOY - 3 weeks ago
What an amazing place. So ornate, so much gold. We had tickets for the first entry of the morning, still busy, but no coach tours until later in the morning. Make sure you buy tickets for the tour of the King’s private apartments. A very informative tour by guides who tell you all about the things that went on behind closed doors. Everywhere is so ornate and opulent.
LOLLYB - 2 weeks ago
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Directions
| RER Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| RER-C | Versailles - Rive Gauche | 10 minutes |
How to get to Château de Versailles by RER
By RER: Take the RER-C Train to Versailles - Rive Gauche. Exit the station and go right (north) up Av de General du Gaulle the left on Avenue de Paris to the entrance of Château-de-Versailles.
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Photo Gallery
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Beautiful view of the Grand Canal at the Château de Versailles cc licensed photo by HarshLight -
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Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: corno.fulgur75 - cc license via Flickr

