10 Tips for Seeing the Palace of Versailles and Making the Most of Your Visit

The Palace and Gardens of Versailles are located near Paris, and if you’d like, you can book a guided tour —it’s truly worth it. Both the palace and its grounds are so impressive that it’s now a must-see attraction (it attracts approximately 15 million visitors a year) and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In this post , I’ll give you the tips you need to follow to avoid any hiccups and make the most of your trip.

The Palace of Versailles is a very popular tourist attraction. I recommend buying your ticket to the Palace in advance by choosing one of these options: visit the palace with the gardens included, for which you can book your tickets now, or take advantage of your visit to explore the palace, the gardens, and Marie Antoinette’s estate by booking these tickets. If, on the other hand, you plan to buy them at the ticket office, keep in mind that you may encounter a very long line.

On the first Sunday of every month during high season (May through September), admission to the Palace is free, but even so, booking your ticket in advance is essential. My advice is that, if you can adjust your schedule, choose another day to visit the Palace.

The Palace of Versailles is open every day except Mondays. The gardens and park are open daily and can be visited for free. Since they’re so large, this is a free visit you can easily take advantage of and enjoy.

If your visit to Versailles is a day trip from Paris, you have the option of booking an organized tour.

This is a very convenient option, as it saves you time on arranging transportation and deciding what to see. Specifically, what does this tour include? With the help of a specialized guide who will tell you all the details, the history, the anecdotes…

You’ll visit every corner of the palace—bedchambers, hallways…—and leave Versailles with a complete picture of this spectacular 17th-century palace. Plus, with this tour, you’ll also get to visit the famous Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, and the gardens—spanning 800 hectares—where you can enjoy the fountains, ponds, and plants… an unforgettable visit!

In short, this is a convenient option that allows you to learn everything there is to know about the place in depth, enjoy a comfortable and safe transfer, and secure your ticket in advance so you don’t have to deal with lines or long waits.

Useful Information

• Transportation: by bus from Paris.
• Departure: 22 Rue Jean Rey, 75015 Paris, France.
• Duration: Approximately 5 hours.
• Price: Starting at €109.

Another option for traveling to Versailles from Paris is to **use the palace admission included with your Paris Pass. In this case, you won’t have to pay for admission, but you will need to cover the round-trip transportation and meals.

If you decide to do this, I recommend downloading the Palace of Versailles app so you can arrive with all the information you need to enjoy your visit (I’ll tell you all about this app in tip number 7. Keep reading!).

I recommend setting aside at least 4 hours for your visit to the Palace of Versailles and the gardens. Keep in mind that the Palace of Versailles isn’t just a single museum or a simple stroll. It’s one of the greatest cultural World Heritage sites. If you want to spend 6 or 7 hours there, you won’t get bored.

During your visit, you can enjoy over a hundred rooms, the painting and sculpture collections of the Museum of French History, the Hall of Mirrors, the Royal Chapel, the Gallery of Battles… and get lost in the 30 hectares of gardens. What I mean is that there’s a lot to see.

For example, I recommend you don’t miss the stables. In addition to the carriages, you can see the baby carriages used by Marie Antoinette’s children, or their sleds. It’s a part of the Versailles site that can go unnoticed next to the grandeur of the palace’s other rooms, but it’s very interesting.

Useful Information

• Hours: The palace is open from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. The gardens have slightly longer hours, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

It’s hard not to associate Versailles with period films, but to explore its 787 hectares, it’s best to wear comfortable shoes, don’t you think?

The tour of the Palace takes an hour and a half (though I recommend giving it the time it deserves and taking your time to enjoy it at your own pace), plus the walk through the park and gardens and the round-trip journey to Paris.

In short, a visit to Versailles takes the whole day, and although in the following tips I’ll share some tricks so you can rest or take it easy (like renting an electric car to visit the gardens or stopping for a picnic in the park), don’t let uncomfortable shoes keep you from enjoying this unique setting.

Is it possible to eat inside the Palace of Versailles grounds? Of course! And you have several options that are sure to meet your expectations. The prices reflect the location of these spots (they’re a bit more expensive than what you’ll find outside), but you can grab a simple bite at a reasonable price without leaving the grounds. Now, when should you eat during your visit to Versailles? You can plan your schedule based on your Palace admission, which has a designated entry time and duration. A good option is to visit the gardens in the morning, sit down to eat on a terrace or at one of the designated picnic areas, and then visit the Palace.

Here are some places you’ll find on the grounds to eat, though you can also bring food from outside and eat at your own pace.

A simple option: La Brasserie de la Girandole

In the gardens, you’ll find the famous Brasserie de la Girandole, with two terraces where you can have a meal, breakfast, or a snack

They also offer takeout if you’d rather sit on your own or keep strolling while you satisfy your hunger. Would you like to take a look at the menu?

• Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Have a picnic in a unique setting

You can also have a picnic on your own anywhere in the park (note: not in the gardens) except in the covered area. You can eat whatever you bring in the gardens or by the Canal. The best part of this option is the view. A sandwich just doesn’t taste the same in this setting.

Enjoy a chef’s cuisine at Versailles

However, if you have a bit of a gourmet palate or want to treat yourself, you can enjoy Chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurant Ore at the Palace of Versailles.

It’s a pricier option than the previous two: for approximately €60, you can dine in a 17th-century pavilion.

This restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just don’t forget to make a reservation.

Take a baking class

And, if you have a sweet tooth, you can also take a pastry-making workshop in Versailles to learn how to make the most traditional French pastries under the guidance of a professional chef. It’s located in an easy-to-find part of the city, and you’re sure to have a blast with the experience. If you’d like to try this, book your spot here.

Bon appétit!

The Palace of Versailles app is free. You can download it on a tablet or your phone to access an audio guide for the palace and gardens, as well as an interactive map of the entire Versailles site.

The audio guide is available in 12 languages (including Spanish) and can be used offline, making it perfect for the trip to Versailles.

Once there, it can help you decide on your itinerary: it includes information on fascinating details beyond the official tour, such as the trees at the Trianon and two audio tours for children (they’ve adapted the tour of the gardens and musical fountains for younger visitors).

It’s a free and very useful resource that lets you learn more and delve deeper into the history of the Palace of Versailles. A well-thought-out luxury that can enhance your travel experience. I highly recommend it.

A promise is a promise: If, despite wearing comfortable shoes, you need to take a break during your visit to Versailles, here’s one of those tips to help you rest and catch your breath.

And the organizers make it very easy for you: to visit the gardens, the Petit Trains are available. It’s a little train that offers sightseeing tours
a little train that offers sightseeing tours through the gardens, connecting the different buildings on the tour.

The Petit Train stops at the Château, the Trianons, the Canal, and the gardens. You can use it to get from one place to another and see everything the gardens of Versailles have to offer, or simply to sit for a while and enjoy the view as you take a break.

Useful Information

• Schedule: The Petit Trains run very frequently, every 15 to 20 minutes. You can hop on and off as you please.
• Price: Approximately €8. Includes an audio guide in 10 languages (yes, including Spanish) starting at €5.
• Route: The train runs from the North Terrace of the Palace to the Petit Trianon. It then heads to the Grand Trianon and continues to the head of the Grand Canal.
• Suitable for children?: Absolutely! Visiting Versailles with children is a great idea.

In the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, every Saturday in the summer (from early June to late September) between 8:30 PM and 11:05 PM, there is a stunning music and light show: Les Grandes Eaux or “Grandes Eaux Musicales.”

Lights are projected onto the garden fountains and groves, illuminating this unique setting. The choreography of water jets and lighting effects is not to be missed. The evening ends magically with a fireworks display. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the beauty of the gardens.

I recommend checking the weather forecast before booking your ticket, as tickets cost approximately €30 and are non-refundable and non-exchangeable (even if it pours that night). However, admission is free for children under 5, and there is a reduced rate for children up to 17 years old or students.

Useful Information

• Schedule: Saturday nights from early June to late September, from 8:30 PM to 11:05 PM.
• Price: Prices vary depending on the show, but tickets start at around €25.
• Suitable for children?: Yes, in fact, it is an activity especially recommended for children.

Visit Versailles in the summer to fully enjoy the gardens and the surroundingsof the Canal. The high season in the Paris area is from May to September. Temperatures are pleasant (between 18 and 21 degrees) and mild, making it perfect for strolling and enjoying the scenery.

Additionally, this is the only time of year when you can enjoy outdoor shows in the gardens, such as the ones I mentioned in the previous tip.

If you go in winter, the average temperature is 6 degrees. Northern France is a cold region, and many of the places to buy food on the Palace of Versailles grounds are closed.

This doesn’t mean the visit isn’t worth it—not at all! The interior of the Palace of Versailles is culturally rich, so you can easily spend the whole day exploring these rooms. The visit to the gardens alone will likely be shorter, but it offers a different perspective on this unique place.

I hope you enjoy these tips for your visit to a place as incredible as the Palace of Versailles. Have a great trip!