Palace of Versailles

Versailles was the seat of the French kings from 1682 to 1789: the palace, the Hall of Mirrors, the fountain gardens and Marie-Antoinette's estate at Trianon. Since 2026 there is no separate Palace ticket: the Passport (€35 from April to October, €25 from November to March, €3 less for EEA citizens and residents) is the only ticket with a timed Palace slot, and only tickets bought online are guaranteed entry. The Palace is closed on Mondays.

About Palace of Versailles

What to see

1. Hall of Mirrors

   The 73-metre gallery built between 1678 and 1684, with Charles Le Brun's painted ceiling and mirrors facing the garden windows. It is the busiest room in the palace by late morning. Visitors on the forums report having it almost to themselves when they head straight there with the first 9:00 entries.

2. King's and Queen's State Apartments

   The enfilade of state rooms, each named after a planet and its Roman god, leads to the Hall of Mirrors and on to the Queen's Apartment. The one-way route through them is included in the Passport and gets very crowded in summer.

3. King's Private Apartments

   The private rooms of Louis XV and Louis XVI are not on the standard route and can only be seen on a guided tour, either the palace's own guided tours (€10–16 on top of admission) or the tourist office's English tour (from €55 including admission). Groups are small and the rooms are quiet compared with the State Apartments.

4. The gardens and fountain shows

   Le Nôtre's gardens have 55 fountains and pools. From April to October the gardens are paid on show days: Musical Fountains Show (fountains switched on to Baroque music, in October 2026 on Saturdays and Sundays) and Musical Gardens (music and the normally closed groves, Tuesday to Friday). On Musical Fountains days the big fountains play in sets between about 10:30 and 17:00. In October 2026 the palace said the Water Theatre Grove fountains were temporarily out of service.

5. Grand Trianon

   The palace Louis XIV built near the Grand Canal as a retreat from court, later restored and refurnished by Napoleon in 1810. It opens at 12:00, is about 30 minutes' walk from the palace across the park, and is fully accessible on the visitor route.

6. Petit Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet

   Marie-Antoinette's private estate: the small neoclassical château, her English-style garden and the mock farm village built for her in the 1780s. Opens at 12:00 (the Petit Trianon alone from 10:00 between 17 October and 1 November 2026 for the Marie Antoinette exhibition). Only the ground floor of the Petit Trianon is accessible to wheelchair users.

7. Grand Canal

   The cross-shaped canal at the end of the gardens is in the free park. Rowing boats (€16 for 30 minutes, €20 an hour, up to 4 people) and bikes are hired at Little Venice on its bank, and it is the most relaxed way to reach the Trianon palaces.

Palace of Versailles tickets: which to buy and where

Buy the Passport on the official site, ticket.chateauversailles.fr: it is the only ticket that includes the Palace, with a timed slot, plus the Trianon estate and the gardens on fountain-show days. The price depends on the season (€35 April–October, €25 November–March) and you pay €3 less if you are an EEA citizen or resident, with ID checked at the door. Tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged, and a slot only guarantees entry within half an hour of the time you booked.

• Passport

  €35 April–October (€32 EEA); €25 November–March (€22 EEA)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Palace at a timed slot, Estate of Trianon (Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Queen's Hamlet, from 12:00), temporary exhibitions, and the gardens on Musical Fountains Show and Musical Gardens days (one entry). Not the Night Fountains Show

  Best for

  Most visitors. Skips the ticket office; everyone still queues for the security check at Entrance A

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Late-afternoon Passport

  €28 from 16:00 April–October (€25 EEA); €18 from 15:00 November–March (€15 EEA)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Same as the Passport, with a Palace slot from 16:00 (high season) or 15:00 (low season). You can use the gardens from 9:00 and Trianon from 12:00 before your Palace slot

  Best for

  Visitors who start with the gardens and Trianon, or who found the morning slots gone. The opening-times page gives last Palace entry as 17:45 (16:45 in winter), another palace page says 18:00, so do not cut it fine; you will not see everything

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Free timed ticket or reduced Passport

  €0 for the Palace and Trianon; reduced Passport with the gardens on show days €12 (April–October)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Timed Palace entry for under 18s of any nationality, EEA citizens and residents under 26, disabled visitors and one companion, and other groups listed by the palace. In high season the free ticket does not cover the paid gardens; the €12 reduced Passport does

  Best for

  Families and young EEA visitors. Book a slot even if you go in free; bring ID and proof

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Estate of Trianon ticket

  €15 (€12 EEA) all year; €20 (€17 EEA) combined with the Musical Gardens or Musical Fountains Show

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and their gardens, the Queen's Hamlet and the exhibitions shown there, from 12:00. No Palace. No timed slot

  Best for

  Second visits, or when all Palace slots are gone. The combined ticket is the cheap way to see the fountains and Marie-Antoinette's estate without the Palace

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Paris Museum Pass

  €85 (2 days), €105 (4 days), €125 (6 days)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Admission to the Palace and the Estate of Trianon plus dozens of museums and monuments in and around Paris. You must still book a free timed Passport ticket on the palace's ticket site. The palace's pages disagree on the gardens on show days: one says the pass does not cover them, another that holders get a free Passport, which includes them

  Best for

  Adults who will also visit several paid Paris museums within the pass period; not worth it for under 18s or EEA under-26s, who get in free

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  Paris Museum Pass (official) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Versailles: Skip-the-Line Guided Palace Tour and Full Access

  from €78 per person

  ResellerSkips the ticket line

  Includes

  1.5-hour guided Palace tour with headsets, entry through a separate group entrance, and a Passport ticket for Trianon and the gardens on show days handed over at the meeting point. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

  Best for

  First-time visitors who want a guide and a fixed entry time, especially when official morning slots are gone

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  GetYourGuide (provider: Paris' TRIP) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

Guided tours of Palace of Versailles

A guide is worth it here mainly for the rooms you cannot see alone: the King's Private Apartments are only open on guided tours, and the palace's tours also take you into the Royal Chapel. The palace's own tours are the cheapest (€10–16 on top of a Passport, free under 10) and come with direct entry at the tour time. For the standard route, the free official app has better audio tours than most visitors expect; a rental audioguide is also available.

• Official guided tour

  Official guided tours (King's Private Apartments and others)

  Château de Versailles

  Palace speakers take small groups into rooms closed to other visitors. You enter the Palace directly at your tour time and can continue on the standard route afterwards. Meeting point at the guided-tours desk in the North Ministers' Wing (Trianon tours meet in front of the Petit Trianon). Some tours are in French only, so check the language when booking.

  €10–16 plus admission; €7–10 reduced; free under 10

  Duration: About 1.5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Small-group guided tour with admission

  Exclusive guided tour of the King's Private Apartments, Palace admission included

  Versailles Tourist Office

  English tour of Louis XV's and Louis XVI's private apartments with a professional guide picked by the town's tourist office, then the State Apartments and Hall of Mirrors on your own. Changeable and refundable up to 7 days before. Does not include the Trianon estate or gardens.

  from €55

  Duration: 1.5 hours, then up to 1.5 hours on your own

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Guided Palace tour with Passport

  Versailles: Skip-the-Line Guided Palace Tour and Full Access

  Paris' TRIP (sold on GetYourGuide)

  Meets at the equestrian statue of Louis XIV in front of the palace; English, French, Italian or Spanish. The Passport is included, so you can stay on for the gardens and Trianon. The provider warns of a possible short wait at the group entrance on busy days. Not suitable for wheelchair users.

  from €78

  Duration: 1.5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Guided e-bike tour with timed entry

  Best of Versailles Full Day Electric Bike Tour

  Fat Tire Tours

  Starts at the operator's shop by Versailles Château Rive Gauche station, stops at the town market for picnic food (not included), rides about 16 km through the park and includes timed Palace entry, the formal gardens and the Trianon estate. Minimum age 14 on e-bikes; no transport from Paris; refunds only up to 72 hours before.

  from €129

  Duration: About 7.5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

Palace of Versailles deals and discounts

• Free for under 18s and EEA under-26s

  Under 18s of any nationality and EEA citizens or residents under 26 get into the Palace and Trianon free, but must book a €0 timed slot and bring ID. From April to October the free ticket does not cover the paid gardens on show days; the reduced Passport for free-entry visitors adds them for €12 (the palace's older FAQ still says €10).

  en.chateauversailles.fr (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Free first Sunday, December to March

  On the first Sunday of each month from December to March the whole estate, Palace included, is free for everyone. You still need a timed slot for the Palace, and these days are busy. The palace's pages disagree on November: the English FAQ says November to March, the free-admission pages in English and French say December to March. Check the booking calendar before planning a visit on Sunday 1 November 2026.

  en.chateauversailles.fr (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Low season: cheaper Passport and free gardens

  From 1 November to 31 March the Passport costs €25 (€22 EEA) instead of €35, and the gardens are free for everyone every day. The groves are closed and the fountains off in winter, and from 2 November the Palace closes an hour earlier, at 17:30.

  en.chateauversailles.fr (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Late-afternoon Passport

  Book a Palace slot from 16:00 (April–October) for €28 (€25 EEA), or from 15:00 (November–March) for €18 (€15 EEA). See the gardens and Trianon first; the tour buses have usually left by then.

  en.chateauversailles.fr (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• '1 Year in Versailles' card

  €65 for one person or €98 for the holder plus a guest, for a year of entry to the Palace, Trianon and the gardens on show days, with queue-cutting entry at the Palace (not at security). It pays off from about the second Passport visit.

  en.chateauversailles.fr (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Paris Museum Pass

  €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4, €125 for 6, counted from the first visit. It covers the Palace and Trianon but you still book a free timed Passport ticket, and the palace's pages disagree on whether the gardens on show days are included. Only worth it if Versailles is one of four or more paid visits.

  parismuseumpass.fr (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

Best time to visit Palace of Versailles

Tips and tricks

Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.

1. Queue before your slot, not at it

   The timed ticket skips the ticket office, not the security check at Entrance A. For a 9:00 slot, recent visitors joined the line at about 8:30. In summer, waits of 45 minutes or more in the sun at mid-morning are possible, even with a ticket.

   From Rick Steves France forum, 2015 and August 2026; chateauversailles.fr FAQ, 2026

2. Download the official app before you go

   The palace's free app has audio tours with maps and photos for the Palace, gardens, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and the Hamlet. Forum regulars prefer it to audio-only guides because you can jump to the room you are in when crowds slow you down.

   From Rick Steves France forum, August and September 2026

3. Head straight for the Hall of Mirrors

   With an early slot, follow the signs straight up to the Hall of Mirrors before the State Apartments fill, then walk back through the rooms at your own pace.

   From Rick Steves France forum, 2015

4. Do not walk to Trianon if you are short on time

   The Trianon palaces are a 30-minute walk from the main palace. The little train (€9, €7 under 18, free under 12, hop on and off) runs from the North Terrace; bikes (€10 an hour) and rowing boats are hired at Little Venice; electric carts cost €42 an hour for up to 4 people and need a driver aged 24 or over with a licence.

   From chateauversailles.fr facilities pages, 2026

5. Time the fountains

   On Musical Fountains Show days the fountains run in sets: roughly 10:30–12:00 and 14:00–17:00. On Musical Gardens weekdays only the Mirror Pool and Neptune Fountain play, every 10–15 minutes from 10:00.

   From Château de Versailles Spectacles water display times, 2026

6. Leave big bags in Paris

   Bags larger than 55 x 35 x 20 cm and suitcases are not allowed in. Free lockers in the South Ministers' Wing take items up to 46 x 43 x 26 cm. Every bag is checked at the entrance.

   From chateauversailles.fr security rules and FAQ, 2026

7. The park is always free

   Outside the gardens, the park around the Grand Canal is free every day for walkers and cyclists, so you can picnic by the canal without a ticket. The Gallery of Coaches in the Great Stables (weekends) and the Royal Tennis Court are free too.

   From chateauversailles.fr free admission and opening times pages, 2026

8. You cannot cross the gardens free on show days

   From April to October the gardens between the Palace and the Grand Canal are ticketed on Musical Fountains and Musical Gardens days. Without a Passport or gardens ticket, reach Trianon from the town through the Queen's Gate instead.

   From chateauversailles.fr FAQ, 2026

9. Consider an overnight in Versailles

   A forum poster who slept in the town walked to a 9:00 slot without the RER rush and stayed on after the day-trippers left; the gardens stay open until 20:30 in high season on non-show days.

   From Rick Steves France forum, August 2026

How to get to Palace of Versailles

• RER C: to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, the closest station, about 10 minutes' walk from the palace. Trains run from central stops such as Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, Musée d'Orsay and Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel; the ride takes about 45 minutes. Check transilien.com for weekend engineering works, which often close parts of line C.
• Other trains: from Gare Saint-Lazare or La Défense to Versailles Rive Droite (17 minutes' walk), or from Gare Montparnasse to Versailles Chantiers (18 minutes' walk).
• Tickets: since 2025 one Metro-Train-RER ticket (€2.55, €1.30 reduced) covers the whole Île-de-France region except the airports, so Paris to Versailles is €2.55 each way; buy two, or use a Navigo pass. The palace's FAQ still describes the older zone fares.
• Bus: RATP line 171 runs from Pont de Sèvres (end of Metro line 9) to the palace in about 30 minutes without traffic.
• Car or taxi: A13 motorway, exit 5 Versailles Centre; parking on Place d'Armes in front of the palace. The A13 is closed towards Versailles from 16 November 2026 to 31 August 2027 (the palace says in both directions in July and August 2027), and the palace advises public transport. A forum poster in 2026 paid about €50 for an Uber from Paris.

Scams and problems to watch for

• Look-alike ticket websites

  Copycat sites use the palace's name and photos and sell the Passport for more than €35, or sell tickets the palace says may be counterfeit. The tell-tale sign: the address is not chateauversailles.fr, ticket.chateauversailles.fr or chateauversailles-spectacles.fr, or there is a booking fee.

• Resellers posing as the official site

  Forum posters in 2026 describe buying from agencies they thought were the palace itself. Tickets with a date and time usually work, but you pay extra for nothing. Search with the words 'official site' and check the domain before paying.

• Guides and sellers at the gate

  Nobody can take you past the security check, and groups inside the palace must be led by a guide with a professional tour-guide card and a booked group slot. Someone offering cheap entry or a tour 'right now' at the gate cannot get you in faster than your own timed ticket.

• Pickpockets on the RER C and in the queues

  As at the big Paris sights, pickpockets work where people are packed together and distracted: the crowded RER C trains, the security queue and the State Apartments. Keep phones and wallets zipped away while you queue and take photos.

• Buying the EEA rate without proof

  Not a scam on you, but a trap: the €3 cheaper EEA ticket is for EEA citizens and residents only, and staff can ask for an ID card, passport or residence permit at Entrance A, the Trianon palaces and the garden gates. UK, US and Swiss visitors should buy the standard price.

• Surprise fee at the garden gate

  On show days from April to October, under-18s on a free Palace ticket still need a gardens ticket (free only up to age 5), and one palace page says Paris Museum Pass holders do too. Buy the €12 reduced Passport or a gardens ticket in advance rather than at the gate, where it costs €1 more.

Accessibility

Combine it with

• Gallery of Coaches

  The royal coaches on the ground floor of the Great Stables, facing the palace across Place d'Armes. Free, weekends and French public holidays from 12:30.

• Royal Tennis Court

  The Jeu de Paume where the deputies of the Third Estate swore the Tennis Court Oath in June 1789, in the town near the palace. Free, Tuesday to Sunday from 12:30.

• Estate of Marly

  The park of the château Louis XIV built at Marly-le-Roi as a retreat from Versailles, a short drive north (the château itself is gone). Free and open daily; quiet even when Versailles is packed.

• Eiffel Tower

  On Sightsale

  The RER C runs straight from Versailles Château Rive Gauche to Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel, so the tower is the easy evening stop on the way back.

• Louvre Museum

  On Sightsale

  Where the palace's paintings were sent after the Revolution. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, which is one reason Versailles is busiest that day: plan the two on different days.

Questions people ask about visiting Palace of Versailles