Paris

Versailles Palace Guided Tour from Paris with Optional Gardens & Fountain Show

Paris, France
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From US$90.83

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Up to 24 hours in advance.
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  • 4 hours
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Immerse yourself in the opulence and drama of Versailles Palace and Gardens on a fully guided small-group tour from Paris to Versailles. With your skip-the-line ticket, breeze past the queue and join your expert guide for a fun and informative walk through the castle and gardens. Witness the extravagance of Louis XIV—the Sun King—who built up the massive 700-room complex, adorning the space with luxuries fit for the French monarchy.
  • Half-day, fully guided small-group tour with skip-the-line access to the Palace & Gardens of Versailles
  • Guaranteed to skip the long lines at Versailles
  • The tour also includes the famous Versailles fountain show or musical gardens on selected days
  • Small-group tour up to 25 people ensuring a more personalized experience
  • With Skip-the-Line Access to the Palace of Versailles, return coach transfers and your guide to get you there, let this tour take the hassle out of your Versailles visit so all you have to do is to relax and enjoy

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

This tour is perfect for those short on time who want the ease of transport and skip-the-line access.

What's Included

  • Skip-the-Line Access to the Palace of Versailles
  • Skip-the-Line Access to the Gardens of Versailles (if option selected)
  • Small group of 25 people or less
  • Expert, English speaking guide
  • Headsets to hear the guide clearly
  • Round-trip transfers from Paris in an air-conditioned coach
  • Musical Fountain Show or Musical Gardens (on selected days)
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Rue de l'Université
    Rue de l'Université, 75007 Paris, France

    Meeting point is outside the Metro stop Invalides on the rue de l'Université, 75007 Paris. Arriving by metro, take the exit 1 (Esplanade des Invalides). Your guide will be standing in front of the metro exit with a City Wonders flag.

End point

  • Palace of Versailles
    Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France

    This tour ends at the Palace of Versailles. You will be provided with a return train to Paris.

What To Expect

Meet your friendly tour coordinator at a central location in Paris to board a private air-conditioned coach to Versailles, and let this half-day tour take all the hassle out of the journey so you arrive in Versailles relaxed and ready to explore.

Once inside, explore the lavish design and ornament that adorns every room of the enormous complex. Marvel at the more than 13,000 pieces of art and fine furnishings, the sumptuous private chambers, and the elaborate gardens. With your pass, view the King’s and Queen’s luxurious apartments, the Royal Chapel, the Hall of Mirrors, the Coronation Room and the Hercules Drawing Room—a reminder that King Louis XIV glorified himself as a deity.

As you walk, enjoy your guide’s colorful commentary. Hear about the eccentricity and ambition of the French monarchy from the mid-17th century until the French Revolution. Discover the exciting details of the day in 1789 when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were dragged from Versailles by an angry mob, to be eventually beheaded in Paris. 

Finish your tour with a stroll through the gardens, covering more than 1,800 well-manicured acres. Depending on the day and your tour option, catch the Fountains Show or the Musical Gardens show before departing.

Palace of Versailles

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

The Hall of Mirrors

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Royal Chapel

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Jardins du Chateau de Versailles

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • We strongly recommend all clients who are traveling with infants to bring their own infant or child seat. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to ensure the safety of their child.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

I would recommend that you make sure to bring lots of water to keep you hydrated as the lines in the cafes can be quite long!
It would be great if we can have at least 30 mins - 45 mins more to spend in the garden in order to be able to catch the ride back, especially if it is summer and is peak period.

Reviews

4.0
1,087 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 1,087 reviews
Skip the line a Must!
Mouvielle_C, Sept 2023
Martha was an excellent tour guide she was very knowledgeable about the history and was informative without being boring. Always making sure everyone in the tour had a wonderful experience. The bus ride was comfortable and on time .
Excellent tour and tour guide
Pilar_A, Sept 2023
Our tour guide Martha was superb. She spoke clearly and in a easy way to understand and follow the historical context of all that she presented to the group.
Needs improvement
Jose_L, Sept 2023
The palace and the gardens are beautiful This tour doesn’t give you enough time to see the garden. Is impossible to see it in one hour your are rush to go back. Then you have a option to buy a ticket to go around in a train, waste of money you don’t see anything.
Beautiful Palace, tour guide Martha was great!
Donna_W, Sept 2023
The palace was spectacular and Martha, our guide was pleasant, knowledgeable and expertly guided us through the crowds. Very impressed. The gardens were a huge disappointment. No fountains were working, that I could find in the hour given, so even though the landscaping was nice, it lacked a wow factor.
Worth doing
Daniela_D, Sept 2023
Maxime was entertaining and knowledgeable. The rain affected the garden experience but it is a great tour
versailles palace
Meryl_H, Sept 2023
tour guide kristina was excellent very informative - she gave lots of information, and very organized bus driver terrible left everyone waiting for return bus for over 45 minutes in pouring rain we were all very angry
Response from Host, Sept 2023
Hi Meryl_H, Thank you for sharing your feedback about your Versailles Palace Guided Tour from Paris. We are delighted to hear that you found our tour guide, Kristina, to be excellent, informative, and organized. We appreciate your kind words about her dedication to providing a memorable experience. However, we deeply regret the inconvenience you experienced with the bus driver during the return journey. Prolonged waiting times and adverse weather conditions are certainly not in line with our standards of service. Please accept our sincere apologies for the frustration and inconvenience this caused. We take your feedback seriously and will address this matter with our coach providers to ensure that such situations are avoided in the future. Your comments are valuable in helping us improve the overall experience for our guests. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for choosing City Wonders for your tour. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another enjoyable and hassle-free experience. Warm regards, The City Wonders Team
A wonderful experience
Leslie_B, Sept 2023
The trip to Versailles was wonderful. At first we weren't sure. The person who was supposed to be at the pick up point didn't arrive until it was time to leave. No one was sure we were in the right place. But once we got going it went very smoothly. Our guide, Martha, was lovely and very knowledgeable. It was crowded, but she was able to move us along very nicely. Her direction was very clear so we never felt lost. All in all a wonderful time. I would highly recommend it!
Plan time to stay at this lovely Palace and its grounds.
Janice_D, Sept 2023
Enjoyed the history and art work! Would have liked to stay longer in the gardens...lots of ground to cover with only 45 minutes. We took the golf cart route to see more ground.
Very Rushed.
Diana_L, Sept 2023
Very rushed. If you book this tour, do not book the gardens. There isn't enough time to do that after the main tour. Instead, plan to visit the first floor apartments.
Response from Host, Sept 2023
Hello Diana_L, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent Versailles Palace Guided Tour from Paris with Optional Gardens & Fountain Show. We appreciate your input as it helps us improve our offerings. We apologize if you found the tour to be rushed and felt that there wasn't enough time to explore the gardens after the main tour. We typically provide our guests with approximately 3 hours at Versailles to explore its grandeur, but we understand that some guests may wish to have more time for a comprehensive visit. Visiting the gardens at Versailles can indeed be a time-consuming endeavor, and we appreciate your suggestion for those who prefer a more in-depth exploration of the palace itself, such as the first-floor apartments. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we will take your comments into consideration as we review and refine our tour itineraries to better meet our guests' preferences and expectations. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have encountered and hope that you were able to enjoy the splendors of Versailles during your visit. We would be delighted to welcome you back on another tour in the future, offering a different perspective on this magnificent palace. Thank you for choosing City Wonders, and we appreciate the opportunity to improve based on your feedback. Best regards, The City Wonders Team
All day tour
Danette_D, Sept 2023
Tour guide was amazing!! She was so educational and her story telling was very entertaining and easy to follow. We went in the side entrance (skip the line). We had the option to stay longer in the garden and take metro back into Paris or ride the bus. The fountain show is only on the weekend so we didn’t get to see that. Music wasn’t available either. Overall experience was 100%
Martha gave a great tour!
Susan_C, Sept 2023
Martha was an excellent guide, knowledgeable and professional. She didn’t rush, and gave ample time and information about getting the right viewing angles. Her historical details enhanced the tour. 5 stars for Martha⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well worth the visit. An amazing historical sight
Christopher_C, Sept 2023
Tour guide was very good. An amazing place to visit. We’ll maintained.very well preserved and presented
All about the guide and the ride.
Gwyn_G, Aug 2023
Seeing the Palace and Gardens was worth it. Our guide Fredrick was dry and focused on the influences to the art and decorations. I would have preferred history that brought to life the people that created a "French Revolution". Many times I did not know what or who he was talking about because I lost him in the crowd and he would just be looking at the piece he was referencing. He seemed bored with his job. That energy translates to the audience. The bus ride was nice but they al.ost left someone because they left 1 minute early!
Versailles is a must see...
Kinkini_B, Aug 2023
Versailles is a must see for those visiting Paris. Our guide was very knowledgeable but due to crowds it felt a bit rushed. She could've told us that the musical gardens only happen during certain times so visitors could've planned the visit better given the limited time.
Worthwhile, convenient and entertaining
Tamar_B, Aug 2023
The guide told great anecdotes. Loved Marie Antoinette’s bedroom! The gardens are magnificent. I would highly recommend this tour.
Overall just ok.
Jocelyn_T, Aug 2023
An ok experience. The bus there and back was fine, and we had no trouble finding the location. Versailles was extremely crowded and we had trouble seeing anything. Our tour guide was fine—thick accent (Russian?) so my husband struggled to understand her. She pointed us to the children’s garden since we had our daughter with us, but the time allotted didn’t even allow us to walk to the gate and back, and we walk quickly. We ended up walking half way to the children’s garden, then turning around and running to catch the bus. Not the best experience. If I did Paris again, I’d skip Versailles completely and spend more time at the Louvre. Many of the same type of artifacts and architecture.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello Jocelyn_T, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your Versailles Palace Guided Tour. We appreciate your comments, and we're sorry to hear that your experience didn't meet your expectations. Versailles can indeed get extremely crowded, especially during peak tourist seasons, and this can sometimes impact the overall experience. We understand your concerns in this regard. We're glad to hear that you had no trouble finding the location and that the transportation to and from Versailles went smoothly. Regarding the tour guide's accent, we apologize for any difficulties you and your husband faced in understanding her. We strive to provide guides who can effectively communicate with all our guests, and we appreciate your feedback, which will help us improve in this aspect. We're sorry to hear that the time allotted for the children's garden did not allow for a more leisurely visit. We'll take this into consideration when planning future tours to ensure a more balanced experience for families. While Versailles offers a unique historical and architectural experience, we understand that personal preferences vary, and the Louvre certainly has its own treasures to offer. We appreciate your honest feedback, and we hope that, despite the challenges you faced, you were able to appreciate the grandeur and history of Versailles to some extent. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we will use it to enhance the quality of our tours in the future. Kind regards, Edgar J. Communications Manager City Wonders
Versailles
Jansen_C, Aug 2023
Excellent guide! She was very informative! Outside grounds are beautiful! Every thing went off very timely!
Efficient tour, took stress away with transport, but actual tour could have been improved
whittington79, Aug 2023
What an experience. Great tour, although was supposed to include the garden light show which it didn't. Busy place and tour guide was very informative yet was slightly rushed. Some peoples headsets didnt work either. Gardens were amazing and left to roam ourselves. Easy bus meet for pickup and drop off.
Disappointed
Michael_M, Aug 2023
Disorganized, a representative from tour company did not stay with the group. Our tour bus had the wrong pick up time. Actual tour guide for venue was too irritating
Exceptional experience
Linda_S, Aug 2023
Christina was an outstanding guide. Her knowledge was an a distinct asset as we toured the Palace. The whole experience was organized and well executed.
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