Castles · Tour
Versailles Half-Day: Audio Guide or Live Guide, Same Coach
The transport and the fast-track entry are the same either way; what you choose is whether a person or an audio guide takes you round. Book the self-guided version and you go at your own speed with the audio commentary; book the guided one and an English-speaking guide leads the group. Both are half a day, both include the round trip by air-conditioned coach. Versailles was a hunting lodge before Louis XIV rebuilt it in the 1660s. It stayed the centre of royal and political power in France until 1789, when the Revolution forced Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette back to Paris. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside, the route covers the State Apartments of the King and Queen, the Royal Chapel, and the Hall of Mirrors, where 357 mirrors line a gilded gallery under crystal chandeliers. There is time afterwards for the gardens à la française. André Le Nôtre laid out the 2,000-acre park for Louis XIV in 1661, and the perspectives, parterres, fountains and groves he drew are what the phrase French garden has meant ever since. The tour starts from the Paris TRIP Agency, 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007. Nearest metro: École Militaire, line 8.
What's included
- A local, English-speaking guide if you chose the Guided Option
- Free time to explore the gardens
- Timed Entry Passes for the Self-Guided Tour Option
- Round-trip transportation by coach from Paris to Versailles
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- Entrance to the Palace for the Guided Tour Option
Itinerary
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41 Av. de la Bourdonnais, Paris
Departure point: central Paris, near the Eiffel Tower. Address: the tour starts from the Paris TRIP Agency, 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007 Paris. Directions: nearest metro station École Militaire (line 8). Take exit 1 (Tour Eiffel), then follow Avenue de la Bourdonnais to number 41.
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the emblem of French royal extravagance. Fast-track entry is guaranteed, which takes the queue out of the day, and the coach is fully air conditioned. The chateau was a hunting lodge until the Sun King, Louis XIV, transformed it in the 1660s. It remained the centre of royal and political power until the French Revolution of 1789, which forced Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette back to the capital.
The Royal Chapel
The audio guide covers the State Apartments of the King and Queen, the Royal Chapel and more.
La Galerie des Glaces
The Hall of Mirrors is French opulence at its most concentrated: three hundred and fifty-seven mirrors along a gold-adorned gallery, with crystal chandeliers overhead.
Jardins du Chateau de Versailles
There is also time for the manicured gardens à la française, which match the interior for ambition. André Le Nôtre designed the 2,000-acre park for Louis XIV in 1661, and its perspectives, parterres, fountains and groves have defined what a French garden is ever since.
41 Av. de la Bourdonnais, Paris
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and Gratuities
Good to know
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- It is strongly advised not to wear high-heeled shoes (parquet flooring in the rooms and cobblestones in the courtyard)
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- Strollers are not permitted inside the palace
- Musical show of the gardens of Versailles is available only on Tuesdays
- Fountains show of the gardens of Versailles is available only Saturdays and Sundays
- Up to 9 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en.
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