Address: Château de Versailles, Place d’Armes, Versailles
RER C: Versailles – Rive Gauche Château
Hours: See Below
Fees: Versailles Palace 18 €, Chateaux de Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s estate 12 €, Passport 20 € (allows you to visit the Palace, Châteaux de Trianon, Marie-Antoinette’s estate – the Musical Gardens and Musical Fountain show is included from April to October for 27 €), 2-Day Passport 25 € (or 30 € if you want the Musical Gardens and Musical Fountain show included). Free admission for everyone below 18 years old, as well as residents of the EU under 26 years old. Entrance to the Musical Gardens and the Musical Fountain Show is free for children under 6 years old.
Phone: +33 1 30 83 78 00
Website: Château de Versailles
Château de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) is situated in the outskirts of Paris and you need to take the RER or train to get there.
The Palace of Versailles was originally built by Louis XIII as a hunting lodge. Eventually, Louis XIV, who reigned fro 72 years, turned it into a castle. From May of 1682 to 1789, Versailles was the official residence of the Court of France.
The present state of the prestigious Palace of Versailles is the cumulative work of Louis XIV, XV, and XVI and their respective architects. Restorations have been done to keep the grandeur of the palace.
Divided into various quarters, don’t miss the Queen and King’s apartments, Hall of Mirrors, the Drawing Room of Plenty and the beautiful formal gardens.
The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles is about 70 meters long and has a significant history. This was the room where Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War.
In order to keep up the appearance of this grand château, there will be temporary closures of different rooms at different times.
Here are some interesting places to visit at Château de Versailles:
The Formal Gardens with their perfect geometric shapes.
The King’s Garden created by Louis XVIII in the 19th century.
The Grand Canal where Louis XIV threw boat parties!
Fountain of Neptune, groups of sculptures designed by Le Notre to spray water.
Petit Trianon, a small castle, built for Louis XV as a retreat. It also became Marie Antoinette’s favourite place to retreat.
Grand Trianon, built by the order of Louis XIV in 1687 to escape the pressured life of the court where he spent time with Madame de Maintenon, the governess to his illegitimate children who later became the king’s wife in secret.
The Orangery, built to keep exotic plants safe during winter time.
The Kings’ and Queens’ Bedrooms.
Salon de Guerre (the Hall of Battles).
The Chapel consists of the upper and lower chapel.
The Drawing Room of Plenty, the Mars drawing room, the Mercury and Apollo drawing rooms, the Hall of Mirrors, the Coronation room, and the Royal Opera.
Paris Conciergerie is offering booking service for Versailles Castle guided tours.
Paris Must See Tour, Eiffel Tower Lunch and Versailles Castle is another wonderful option for tourists. No need to worry about getting to Versailles. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Please note that you can spend a whole day at the Versaille Palace. The gardens are particularly beautiful and vast. You can in fact rent bicycles or carts to get around.
Good to know: From early fall to summer, Versailles Spectacles and the center of Baroque music offer various shows including Royal Fireworks.
Fees are broken down as follows:
The Passport – Admission to all the palace including grounds, Trianon palaces and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate – 20 €
The 2-Day Passport – Includes everything the Passport has to offer, but for 2 days instead of 1 – 25 €
The Palace – Admission to the most famous parts: the Hall of Mirrors, Grand Apartments of the King and of the Queen, King’s Bedchamber, Coach Gallery, Palace Gardens – 18 €
The ticket for the Trianon Palaces and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate: Grand Trianon and gardens of the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Queen’s hamlet, French and Anglo-Chinese gardens, French pavilion, Temple of Love – 12 €
Free for kids under 18, as well as residents of the EU under 26 years of age.
Admission to Parts of the Palace is included in the Paris Museum Pass.
During high season, beware of heavy line-ups. Even if you have your ticket, you still need to stand in the line-up for security check.
Interested in a Versailles Full Day Tour, more details…
Interactive map of Versailles
Hours of Château de Versailles:
From April 1 – October 31, the Palace is open from Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm – Last admission at 5:50 pm. Trianon Palaces and Marie Antoinette’s estate is open from Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 pm to 6:30 pm – Last admission at 5:50 pm.
From November 1 – March 31 Palace is open from Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm – Last admission at 4:50 pm. Trianon Palaces and Marie Antoinette’s estate is open from Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm – Last admission at 4:30 pm.
The Gardens are open everyday from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm.
The Coach Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Versailles Palace is closed on Mondays, January 1, May 1, and December 25.