Versailles Palace and Gardens Tour by Train from Paris with Skip-the-Line
4.6
262 Ratings
Paris
Join a half-day Versailles tour from Paris. Skip the line, explore lavish staterooms, and stroll through beautiful gardens with an expert guide.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Palace of Versailles - Meet your guide in central Paris and enjoy a short, escorted train ride to Versailles. On arrival, take a journey in the footsteps of the Kings and Queens of France. During the reign of Louis XIV - the Sun King - Versailles was the place to be and to be seen. Nowadays visitors from all over the world still come to Versailles to marvel at the splendours of this incredible palace. Our skip the line access allows you to bypass the long lines that form each day, and our friendly local guides will steer you expertly through the crowds, bringing the famous figures who once inhabited this palace back to life.

Learn how the Kings and Queens lived out their lavish lives in public, how they kept the gossiping courtiers under their thumb, and made Versailles the artistic center of Europe. Discover a typical day in the life of Marie Antoinette; you’ll quickly understand why she hated the palace so much! Her opulent lifestyle here would lead to her tragic demise under the French Revolution.

  • The Hall of Mirrors - See the dazzling Hall of Mirrors, and learn the secrets of how it came to be, and the fascinating goings on at the time of the royal court.
  • Jardins du Chateau de Versailles - After visiting the royal apartments inside the palace, your guide will lead you through the spectacular gardens, once the setting of balls, parties and elaborate firework displays. On fountain show days you will discover the amazing waterworks, still running today as they did in the times of Kings and Queens. The fountains run to a very precise schedule, and your guide will ensure you are in the right places at exactly the right time!

At the end of your tour you are free to return to Paris with your guide or to remain in Versailles at your leisure. Your guide will be happy to give you advice on further places to visit or where to enjoy a great meal in this beautiful royal city.

  • Le Petit Trianon - For those who have selected the option to visit the Petit Trianon, your guide will escort you there after a break for lunch. The Petit Trianon offers a unique insight into the private life of the royals at the Palace of Versailles. Hear how King Louis XVI presented a key encrusted in diamonds to his beloved wife, Marie Antoinette and admire the English-style gardens, as well as her beautiful private Hamlet, complete with vegetable gardens and thatched cottages, commissioned by the queen to replicate a Normandy village. Learn how she surrounded herself with farm animals so she could escape the court and play shepherdess, a far cry from her public persona. At the end of the tour, we will take the ‘Petit Train’ back to the palace, from where it’s a short walk to the train station to return to Paris. Please note taking this option will turn your tour into a full day tour.
What's Included
  • Musical Gardens or Fountain Show (weekends April through October & selected Tuesdays)
  • All reservations and entrance fees to the Palace of Versailles, with skip-the-line timed entrance
  • Headsets when appropriate so you can always hear your guide
  • Round-trip transportation from central Paris to Versailles by RER train
  • Fully accredited English-speaking guides
  • Fully guided visit to the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet (if option selected)
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Fully guided visit to the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet (unless option selected)
Additional Information

Take part in this half-day excursion to the eminent Palace of Versailles and its Gardens. Trace the path of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Visit the Hall of Mirrors, opulent state rooms, and exquisite gardens. Your knowledgeable guide fluent in English will enrich the adventure with historical data and intriguing stories. Board the RER train from Paris and benefit from a skip-the-line access, a genuine means to save time.

  • 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.
  • 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.
Location
Meeting point Memories Versailles tour
Rue de la Convention
Café Regalia, 1 rue de la Convention, 75015 Paris: Meet your guide outside the Café Regalia. It is next to the metro entrance/exit for Javel André Citroen (line 10). If you arrive by RER train you will need to cross the main road. Your guide will be wearing an orange cap and an orange badge.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(262 Ratings)
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Elizabeth_s
Jun 7, 2024
Versailles vrai Beaux! - Fantastic and spectacular site. Wonderful experience made even better by our outstanding Guide, Mattel. He is ver knowledgeable and tells such interesting stories of history.
Review provided by Viator
Jos_rafaelg2024
Jun 6, 2024
A must see for anyone going to France. - Incredible place. Quite crowded but, still enjoyable. Great guide, perfect english and good spanish which is a plus. An improvement would be starting the tour from Paris in a bus directly to Versailles, skipping the train experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynn_d
Jun 2, 2024
Can’t imagine NOT going via tour- so much detail from guide !! - Matthew was articulate and possessed a great depth of Palace knowledge. He was considerate to account for all participants despite the tight crowds. The gardens must be under construction bc there wasn’t a single flower planted which guide said he has never before witnessed. The meeting book point was clear and there was a separate host for that who made sure everyone knew what to expect on the train as well as when we departed for return trip. The Palwce tour was outstanding. Can’t imagine doing your on my own as we’d miss out on so much depth of detail on the Palace.
Review provided by Viator
Hawaiipb
Jun 2, 2024
Fun and educational trip to palace - The train to Versailles was seamless and easy. Our tour guide. Ivan made the trip so wonderful. He was so knowledgeable and humorous. He gave the perfect amount of history- not tedious details- yet made each part of the journey interesting and fun.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gary_s
May 31, 2024
Easy way to visit Versailles from Paris - Tourguide Ivan was knowledgeable with a good sense of humor. Did a good job of pointing out key elements in each room and gave nice tour of several high points of the gardens
Review provided by Viator
Jchatmanj
May 29, 2024
Versailles on a rainy day - My wife and I toured Versailles palace and gardens yesterday. Our tour guide Claire met us at the station in Versailles. She was outstanding - she knew her history and regaled us with very interesting stories; she was both informative and very funny. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with her and learned a lot about Versailles and 17th and 18th century French history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joyce_b
May 29, 2024
Excellent tour - We met our first guide who got us on the train and accompanied us to Versaille to meet our tour guide, Claire. Claire was excellent and had a good sense of humor about the rain. She showed us some great spots in the gardens!
Review provided by Viator
William_p
May 29, 2024
Ivan the Great - Ivan from Brazil was awesome! We had an absolutely informative and delightful time. We would certainly recommend the trip with Ivan as your guide.
Review provided by Viator
Regina_k
May 28, 2024
Over the moon - Matto was our guide, from Rome, and Italian with a little he was perfect!! He Studies History so is very knowledgeable and this is is summer job! Dreams realized what a day the train ride to Versailles the opulence the history the beauty the garden! Over the moon.
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_q
May 28, 2024
Beautiful, historical worth seeing - Easy to navigate with a host meeting and taking the train with us to the palace. From there the guided tour guide was informative and kind. Unfortunately the weather was rainy and cold so viewing the gardens was not optimal . However we are grateful we chose the tour. Once in a lifetime experience
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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