The Best Tours of the Palace of Versailles in 2024 and Why
Brie Greenhalgh
Ahh, Versailles. Its magnificence is almost unrivaled, which is why it’s one of the most popular attractions near Paris. The question is merely whether you want to explore on your own or enjoy an unforgettable day thanks to a passionate guide. If the latter sounds ideal, check out some of the best tours of the Palace of Versailles.
Pro Tip: Planning what to do on your trip to Versailles Palace? Bookmark this post in your browser so you can easily find it when you’re in the city. Check out our guide to Versailles for more planning resources, our top Versailles tours for a memorable trip, and if a Versailles tour is worth it.
Should You Take a Tour of Versailles Palace and Gardens?
The Palace of Versailles is a massive, opulent estate that will take your breath away. There’s so much to explore here but you’ll miss so much if you don’t have the help of a guide who knows about the rooms, art, and scandals here.
It’s located just outside of the city, so it takes extra planning and time to get here. You can leave the details to your guide and book an all-inclusive trip from Paris to Versailles with skip-the-line tickets for your guided tour of this incredible palace. Don’t trust us. Read our 5-star reviews!
Did you know that Versailles is a town and Versailles Palace is the attraction? Or that the palace grounds are 3.1 square miles with 2,300 rooms in the palace alone? If that sounds complicated, then trust a local guide to help you make the most of your day trip to Versailles and make it easy to see the highlights.
Our tours include skip-the-line tickets to the palace, but you can also decide if you want a guided tour of the gardens or the palace. And for extra convenience, our most popular Versailles tours leave from Paris, which means you don’t have to worry about how to get there on your own. Keep reading to choose which tour of Versailles is best for you.
1. Skip the Line Palace of Versailles and Gardens Tour from Paris
Round-trip Transportation from Paris
This tour takes all the hassle out of planning how to get to Versailles. Meet our local guide in the center of Paris and board the train towards the ideal stop for the Palace of Versailles. You’ll have round-trip tickets so you can return to Paris anytime after your tour ends.
Palace of Versailles
The lines at Versailles are notoriously long. Thankfully, you’ll have skip-the-line tickets that let you bypass the hoards of other tourists who will wait for hours just to get inside. Thanks to your headphones, you’ll be able to hear your guide as you navigate through the accessible areas of the palace. There are 2,300 rooms here, but you won’t have to wander through them all!
Gardens and Trianon Estate
Your guide will lead you through the ticket booth and into the famous gardens of Versailles. Hear a brief overview of how these gardens came to be and what to explore here. You’ll be free to wander the gardens on your own, and your tickets even include entry to the Petite and Trianon Estates where King Louis XIV often used to escape his larger palace.
Highlights
3 hours (plus travel time)
Round-trip transportation from Paris (usually train)
Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Versailles Guide for more resources.
2. Versailles Gardens Tour from Paris with Skip the Line Palace Access
Round-trip Transportation from Paris
When you’re staying in Paris, you don’t want to have to worry about how to get all the way out to Versailles to see the gardens. That’s why we’ve taken care of the round-trip transportation from central Paris on this tour. Just meet your guide and small group, hop aboard the train, get off at the ideal stop, then head to the palace.
Gardens and Trianon Estate
This tour makes sure you get to explore the best of the Gardens of Versailles. If nature’s beauty is what really thrills you, then a guided tour of the perfectly planned gardens designed by then-famous André Le Nôtre. Your garden tickets also include access to the Petite and Trianon Estates, which are other popular spots to visit here.
Palace of Versailles
After the guided garden tour, you’ll head to the ostentatious palace where your guide will share the most fascinating facts and stories about its creation and those who lived there. You’ll see long lines of people waiting to get in, but this tour includes skip-the-line tickets so you don’t waste any time getting in to explore on your own. Feel free to wander through the palace at your own pace.
Highlights
3 hours (plus travel time)
Round-trip transportation from Paris (usually train)
3. From Versailles: Skip the Line Royal Palace of Versailles and Gardens Tour
Palace of Versailles
So what’s different about this tour? Well, we don’t assume that everyone visiting Versailles is staying in Paris. If that’s you, then this tour is ideal for you. It starts right at the edge of the Palace of Versailles so you can simply meet your guide and group and off you go!
This tour also includes skip-the-line tickets, which means you’ll bypass that super-long line of tourists. Follow your guide who knows exactly which rooms are worth spending more (or less) time in to maximize your visit. You’ll have plenty of time in the jaw-dropping Hall of Mirrors, of course.
Gardens and Trianon Estate
With this tour, your guide will escort you through the ticket checkpoint to head out to the gardens. You’ll get an overview of what to see and how to see it all from the fountains to the Trianon Estate. And yes, your tickets do include entry at both Petite and Trianon, so be sure to head over there on your own.
Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Versailles Guide for more resources.
4. Private Golden Versailles Palace and Garden Tour
Round-trip Transportation from Paris
A private tour of Versailles is the way to go. Start in central Paris where your private guide will escort you onto the right train and off at the exactly right stop at Versailles. It’s about 40 minutes outside of the city, so leaving the details to your guide makes this day stress-free.
Palace of Versailles
The crowds at Versailles are notorious, but booking this private tour ensures two things: you’ll skip past the lines and enter quickly, and you’ll be able to interact closely with your private guide despite the crowds. They’ll know just where to take you to find a quieter space to talk about what you’re seeing. And if you want more time in a certain area, like the Hall of Mirrors, just let them know!
Gardens and Trianon Estate
The beauty of the gardens at Versailles almost rival the beauty within the palace. These impeccable gardens are still well maintained and worth exploring. Your private guide will talk about the incredible undertaking of planning and constructing these gardens. And you’re free to explore them and the Trianon Estate with your entry ticket here.
Highlights
3 hours (plus travel time)
Round-trip transportation from Paris (usually train)
5. Palace of Versailles and Eiffel Tower Full Day Combo Tour
Roundtrip Train Journey
Versailles is located just outside the city, but you don’t want to miss it on your trip to Paris. On our day tour with the Palace of Versailles and Eiffel Tower, go on a roundtrip train journey to see the palace with countryside views along the way. With all the logistics taken care of, all you have to do is enjoy a day of French opulence.
Palace of Versailles, Gardens of Versailles, and Trianon Estate
Get straight in with skip-the-line tickets and explore areas like the famed Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, the magnificent Gardens of Versailles, and Trianon Estate.
Seine River Cruise and Eiffel Tower
Back in the city, see more of Paris’ majesty from the river Seine as you cruise past the Louvre, Notre Dame, and other top sights. And the cherry on the cake: visit the iconic Eiffel Tower. Skip the line, get priority access to the elevator, and enjoy the incredible views from high up on the second floor. Is there a better way to see Paris?
Highlights:
8-hour tour
Skip-the-line guided tour of the Palace of Versailles
Round-trip transportation by train from Paris to Versailles
1-hour guided riverboat cruise on the Seine
Skip-the-line elevator tickets to the Eiffel Tower second floor
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Writer, editor, teacher, hiker, traveler, dreamer. With a book or pen in hand and a majestic sunset on the horizon, life is never short of fulfilling moments for Brie. She has a background in history and writing, and enjoys writing and editing for BobVila.com, The Tour Guy, and her own business.
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