Castles · Tour
Versailles and the Estate of Marie-Antoinette, by the Petit Train
The afternoon is what this booking is for. Most Versailles days end at the palace gates; this one crosses the park to the private estate Marie Antoinette kept for herself, and takes the Petit Train there and back so the walk does not eat the visit. The morning is the palace. A guide meets you in central Paris and escorts the train out to Versailles. Under Louis XIV this was where you had to be seen, and the guided route runs through the State Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors, with an account of how the kings and queens lived their lives in public, how they kept the courtiers in hand, and how a day in Marie Antoinette's life explains why she disliked the place. Her spending here ran directly into the Revolution: she left Versailles in 1789 and never came back. The gardens follow, once used for balls, parties and firework displays, with the fountains running on show days as they did under the kings. After lunch comes the Petit Trianon. Louis XVI gave his wife a key set with diamonds to a world the court could not enter, and the rooms are furnished as they were then. Her private theatre is in there too, built so she could act in front of friends and servants; it is often called the hidden jewel of Versailles. The Hamlet finishes the day, a Normandy village in miniature with thatched cottages, a vineyard, a farm and vegetable gardens, where she kept away from the rituals of the court. The tour ends in Versailles. Your guide provides return train tickets, and trains leave every 15 minutes; all of them go to Paris.
What's included
- Discover Marie Antoinette’s private estate, from the Petit Trianon to her rustic hamlet.
- Walk the glittering Hall of Mirrors and royal apartments with an expert guide.
- Explore the spectacular gardens that once hosted Versailles’ grandest celebrations.
- Benefit from timed entry, all reservations and tickets including Palace, gardens and Petit Trianon
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- Enjoy an easy, escorted train ride from central Paris
- Experience Versailles in full, including areas most visitors never get to see.
Itinerary
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5 Bd de Vaugirard, Paris
5 Bd de Vaugirard, 75015 Paris, France
Meet your coordinator by the green newspaper kiosk on the corner of Boulevard de Vaugirard, a few metres from number 5. It is next to the Montparnasse train station complex, close to the Montparnasse-Bienvenüe metro station. They will be wearing an orange cap and an orange badge.
1 Rue de la Convention, Paris
1 Rue de la Convention, 75015 Paris, France
Meet your guide outside the Café Regalia, next to the metro entrance for Javel André Citroën (line 10). If you arrive by RER you will need to cross the main road. Your guide will be wearing an orange cap and an orange badge.
Palace of Versailles
Meet your guide in central Paris for a short escorted train ride to Versailles. On arrival they take you into the world of the kings and queens of France. Under Louis XIV, the Sun King, Versailles was the place to be and to be seen. Visitors still come from every country to see what he built, and the local guides know how to work a group through the crowds while bringing the people who lived here back into the room.
La Galerie des Glaces
The Hall of Mirrors, and the stories of the kings, queens and courtiers who lived out their lives in it. You hear how the royal family conducted their private business in public, how they kept the gossiping courtiers under their thumb, and how they took the artistic centre of Europe away from Italy by building this. A typical day in the life of Marie Antoinette makes it clear why she hated the palace so much. The way she lived here ran into the Revolution and into her death; she left Versailles in 1789 and never returned.
Jardins du Chateau de Versailles
After the royal apartments, your guide takes you through the gardens, once the setting for balls, parties and elaborate firework displays. On fountain show days the waterworks run as they did in the time of the kings and queens. Otherwise there are the Musical Gardens to walk with your guide.
Le Petit Trianon
Then the parts of the estate the public rarely reached. After a break for lunch, the afternoon goes to the hidden corners of the gardens, away from the crowds, where only the king, the queen and their closest friends were once allowed. Louis XVI gave Marie Antoinette a key encrusted with diamonds. It opened a world apart from the public life of the palace, and few people had access to it. You follow her through the English-style gardens and into the rooms of her house, furnished today as they were then. Her tiny theatre is here as well, built so she could perform on stage to an audience of friends and servants, and often called the hidden jewel of Versailles.
Le Hameau De La Reine
At Trianon, Marie Antoinette lived a simple country life. Her Hamlet is a replica of a Normandy village, with thatched cottages and vegetable gardens, where she kept away from the elaborate rituals of the palace and played at being a shepherdess among the farm animals. No visit to Versailles is complete without the Petit Trianon and the hamlet. The Petit Train takes you to and from the Petit Trianon.
Place d'Armes, Versailles
The tour ends in Versailles. Your guide provides return train tickets and directions for the journey back to central Paris. Trains leave every 15 minutes, and all trains departing Versailles go to Paris.
Not included
- Hotel pick up/drop off
- Gratuities
- Lunch
Good to know
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- From 1 April to 31 October, the gardens of the Palace feature special Musical and Fountain Shows. Fountain Shows take place on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on Tuesdays in May and June and on national holidays. Please note that the fountains operate according to a set schedule — they do not run continuously throughout the day. On the other days of the week during this period, the gardens host the Musical Gardens, where music is played throughout the groves.
- There will be a break in the gardens at the end of the morning tour for lunch, where there is a choice of restaurants or sandwich bars.
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- Please note lunch is at your own expense
- You can cancel your tour up to 24 hours prior to departure and receive a full refund. Please note that refunds are not possible for missed tours.
- This tour requires a significant amount of walking. Comfortable shoes are recommended
- If you plan to arrive at the meeting point by taxi, please ensure you leave yourselves plenty of time, it can often take a considerable amount of time to find a taxi in Paris!
- Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before your tour departure time. We have to catch a train to Versailles and we cannot wait for late arrivals.
- Please note this tour requires a lot of walking. The tour is paced to be comfortable but you will need to be able to walk throughout the whole day. This tour is not suitable for guests with limited mobility.
- Up to 15 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en.
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