With so many different tour options available, the only challenge about taking a Versailles day trip from Paris is choosing the best one. We narrow down the options to bring you our top five tours.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Roughly 20km (12 miles) outside central Paris is one of the true treasures of France: The Palace of Versailles. Although only a royal residence from 1682 to 1789 (start of the Revolution), Versailles remains a unique snapshot of the decadence of the ruling classes that ultimately led to so much unrest in the country. Versailles bus tours from Paris are a great way to maximise your time there, while all of the particulars are taken care of so you can make the most of your trip.
Versailles Tour After the Crowds
The best way to explore a marvel like Versailles is when most of the crowds have already gone home. This tour gets you through the gates for the last possible entry time, so that you can explore the royal rooms and gardens closer to the way they were intended to be experienced. The fully guided tour of both palace takes in the most impressive rooms in Versailles and ensures you can learn the important facts and hear all about the lives of the people who lived here. Tours run on Tue, Sat and Sun, and transport from Paris is by minibus. From €85 per person.
From Paris: Versailles by Bike and Palace Entrance
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Versailles is a lovely place for a bike ride. This tour takes you from Paris to Versailles by train then gets you onto two wheels. You will explore the town of Versailles, visiting a farmer’s market and the Grand Canal, as well as cycling through the Versailles Gardens, visiting the peasant hamlet built for Marie Antoinette and her Petit Trianon personal residence. Plenty of time is allotted to entering the Palace of Versailles too, with an audio guide provided. Please note that this tour only runs on Sundays and Tuesdays. From €95 per person.
Versailles Priority Access Guided Tour with Paris Hotel Pickup
For a more straightforward tour of Versailles, you can take this priority access option, which allows a queue-jump and three or four hours to explore the Palace of Versailles. Whilst exploring the castle’s interior, you will be part of a group tour (maximum 30 people), although you’ll have time and space to explore the Versailles gardens at your own leisure before the return trip to Paris. Transport is by minivan and the whole tour lasts around six hours. From €156 per person.
Full-day Guided Tour of Versailles with Lunch
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Thorough tours of Versailles are also possible, such as this nine-hour option. You will get the chance to see the revered Hall of Mirrors, the Queen’s Bedroom and the grounds of Louis XIV’s extravagant building. See the smaller Trianon castles, where royalty went to escape the fusty court ways of the main Versailles building (as though one couldn’t simply find a quiet spot in one of the scores of palace rooms). This tour includes coach transportation to and from Paris, a tour guide, all entrance fees and skip-the-line tickets, and a lunch. Departures run from Tue-Sat. From €164 per person.
Private Half-day Guided Tour of Versailles from Paris
If you’re travelling with a group and you’re short on time, this four-hour private tour is a great way to visit Versailles. With a round-trip from your hotel in Paris, your own guide and a queue jump entrance ticket to save time, this tour is especially useful for seeing the highlights of Versailles, such as the State Rooms and the Hall of Mirrors. Better yet, this tour can pose excellent value as the fee is the same for two people as it is for up to 48 people; ideal if your group is on the larger side. From €800 per group.