Fontainebleau Palace Private Guided Tour

About this activity

Smartphone tickets accepted
Duration: 2 hours
English
Immediate confirmation
FREE Cancellation
From
£269 £245
FREE Cancellation
No hidden fees
  • Your booking is confirmed immediately
  • This activity is available in your language
  • This option includes FREE cancellation—book now, risk-free!

Experience Highlights

Discover the grandeur of Fontainebleau Palace with a private guided tour that opens the doors to more than eight centuries of French royal history: from François I to Napoleon III. Meet your certified guide at the palace's Golden Gate and enjoy an exclusive 2-hour tour of the imperial flats, the Trinity Chapel and the famous horseshoe staircase.

The service is available in English, Spanish or French (live guide). The tour is suitable for travellers of all ages and allows you to choose morning or afternoon hours to fit into your schedule. After the tour, you can stay in the gardens and explore at your own pace.

  • Book your ideal date and secure a guide just for your group.
  • Experience history: rooms closed to the general public open to you.
  • Avoid crowds with priority access and flexible opening times.

What’s included

  • Private qualified guide (Spanish, English or French) for 2 hours
  • Priority entry to the Château de Fontainebleau and fast-track access to security checkpoints
  • Individual headphones for groups of 6 persons or more
  • Free time afterwards in gardens and parks with no limit to the length of stay

Select participants and date

Step by Step

Begin your immersion in Renaissance art by crossing the Golden Gate, a vestige of the reign of Francis I, the patron of the arts who transformed Fontainebleau into "the New Rome" thanks to Italian masters such as Primaticcio and Rosso Fiorentino. In the Cour d'Honneur, your guide contextualises the famous horseshoe staircase, the architectural icon where Napoleon I said his emotional farewell before leaving for exile.

Inside, you pass through the Gallery of François I, considered to be the first decorative corridor in Europe: frescoed ceilings, gilded stucco panels and mirrored backs reflecting royal splendour. At each stop, you can relive scenes from coronations, weddings and conspiracies that marked the French monarchy.

You move on to the Imperial Apartments, richly furnished with Lyon silks and Aubusson tapestries, to discover the office where Napoleon drafted his Act of Abdication. The guide reveals curiosities about the imperial court and the Emperor's personal belongings, from his tricorne to his private library.

Before finishing, you enter the Trinity Chapel, with its painted barrel vault and baroque tribunes, the scene of royal baptisms and marriages. On leaving, you have free time to stroll through the gardens and the Grand Parterre designed by Le Nôtre, hire a boat on the Pont des Carpes pond or enjoy a coffee on the Place d'Armes, taking advantage of the proximity to the old town of Fontainebleau.

Departure and Return

Other Things You Should Know

Cancellation Policy