Top Tips for Visiting Versailles: How to Plan Your Day
The Palace of Versailles is one of the most incredible sites to see when traveling to Paris, but your visit can be greatly enhanced with some careful planning. Read on for our top tips for visiting Versailles to make sure your day is as seamless and special as possible.
The Palace of Versailles is a can’t-miss addition to any Paris itinerary. However, while any visit to Versailles will be magical, your experience there can be greatly enhanced with a little advanced planning. Ensuring your visit includes special events like the musical fountains show, night fountains show – or even an annual spectacle like Fire Night – can take your experience from lovely to life-changing. However, there are many details to consider in order to make this happen! We’re here to lay out all the key considerations and helpful tips for visiting Versailles to make sure your day is as optimal as possible. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know to plan the perfect day – how to get there, the must-see attractions, and the special events that will take your visit to the next level.
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Why Visit Versailles?
The Palace of Versailles is pure magic. While it is a bit outside of the city, it’s absolutely worth the journey and, in our opinion, a must-see attraction, even if your time in Paris is limited. From the ornate splendor of the Hall of Mirrors to the beautifully manicured gardens, every inch of this UNESCO-listed estate displays the wealth and extravagance of the French Bourbon monarchy.
Originally built by King Louis XIII as a simple hunting lodge, the estate was dramatically transformed by King Louis XIV, beginning in 1682 and continuing for several decades. By the time he finished, Versailles boasted over 2,300 rooms and covered over 63,000 sq meters (nearly 680,000 sq ft!). It was a decision that showcased French wealth, power, and taste, and the palace became admired and emulated by dynasties all over the world. In fact, Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria and the Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, were both modeled after it. Unfortunately, the monarchs’ time in Versailles was short-lived, as King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were forced to flee it in 1789 due to the French Revolution. In 1837, Versailles began its life as a museum, and it now receives over 15 million visitors per year.
The Must-See Attractions & Special Events
There are several attractions you can see during your visit to Versailles. These include the Palace, the Gardens, the Estate of Trianon, the Park, the Royal Tennis Court, the Great Stables (housing The Coach Gallery), the Small Stables (housing The Sculptures and Mouldings Gallery), and the Estate of Marly. Of these, the Palace and the Gardens are the must-see attractions, followed by the Estate of Trianon (which includes the Queen’s Hamlet), if you have time.
However, one tip for visiting Versailles that will really bring your experience to the next level is to time your visit to align with one of Versailles’s several special events. These include the musical gardens, the musical fountains show, the night fountains show, the royal serenade, and a full musical season of operas, concerts, and ballets. In addition, there are special, annual events such as Bastille Day, Fire Night, Electro Night, and the Grand Masked Ball. In our opinion, the musical fountains show and the night fountains show are can’t miss events, followed by the royal serenade. And, if you’re lucky enough to attend one of the extraordinary annual events, it will certainly be one of the most memorable evenings of your life. We attended Fire Night in 2024, and the Grand Masked Ball is definitely on our bucket list.
Planning Your Visit - Logistics
The perfect day in Versailles takes a little bit of planning, but we’re here to help by walking you through all of the key considerations.
When to Visit
Choosing the right date is key to optimizing your visit to Versailles. First things first – Versailles is closed on Mondays. With that out of the way, we recommend visiting during the peak season of April to October, which ensures that, at a minimum, you’ll be able to experience the musical gardens show. Planning your visit for a weekend will mean you also get to see the Versailles fountain show, though there are also certain weekdays throughout peak season where the musical fountains show are held. Check the full Versailles fountains show schedule to see if you can get lucky with one of these other dates if you can’t make a weekend visit work with your itinerary.
Visiting during a peak-season weekend will set you up for a great visit, but if you’re looking to really enhance your day with the night fountains show (highly recommended!) or the royal serenade, you’ll need to visit on a Saturday between June 7 and September 13 (see the 2025 schedule). Special event night fountains shows are also held on July 14 (Bastille Day), August 15 (Fire Night), and September 20 (Electro Night).
When organizing your Paris itinerary, reserve a full day for Versailles. The Park and Gardens open at 8:00am, the Palace opens at 9:00am, and the Estate of Trianon opens at noon. The Palace and the Estate close at 5:30pm and the Park and Gardens close at 6:00pm. If you’re attending the royal serenade, 50-minute shows run from 6:30pm to 8:40pm, and the night fountains show runs from 8:30pm to 11:05pm.
Which ticket(s) you need to purchase depends on when you are visiting and what you want to see on your visit. If you’re visiting in off-season, you can get by with the 21 EUR Palace ticket, which will grant you access to the Palace and the Gardens, but not the Estate of Trianon. However, in peak season, you’ll want to buy the 32 EUR Passport ticket, which will grant you access to the Palace, the Gardens (including the musical garden and fountains shows), and the Estate of Trianon. Tickets to the estate can be purchased here, and you’ll want to buy them in advance, as entrance to the Palace requires a timed reservation.
Tickets for special events like the night fountains show, royal serenade, and the annual events are run by a different organization, Château de Versailles Spectacles, and will need to be purchased separately. The night fountains show costs 33 EUR and the royal serenade costs 30 EUR, or you can buy a combined ticket for 55 EUR – buy here. Same goes for tickets to the operas, concerts, and ballets, which can be purchased here.
Both the main estate tickets and the spectacles tickets are subject to free or discounted rates for people under age 18 and the disabled, as well as for the general public on the first Sunday of the month during off-season (November to March).
How to Get There
The Palace of Versailles is located 20 km (12 miles) outside of Paris and can be accessed by train, taxi, or as part of a group tour.Â
The most economical way to get to Versailles is by train, specifically the RER C (yellow) line. Take this line to the Versailles Château Rive Gauche stop, and from there it’s about a 15 minute walk to the palace gates. Depending on from where in Paris you’re traveling, this will take between 45 minutes and an hour, and tickets will cost you about 4 EUR each way.
If your budget is a bit more flexible, you can also get to Versailles by taxi, though we don’t recommend it. You’re not likely to save any time due to traffic getting out of the city, and you run the risk of not being able to find a return taxi when it’s time to leave. A taxi will cost you around 40 to 60 EUR each way.
Your final option is to reach Versailles by bus as part of a group tour. We toured Versailles self-guided and have plenty of tips for you below to help you do the same, but if you prefer the human touch of a guide, buying a tour that includes transportation is a nice way to remove the headache of logistics from your planning. See below for some of the best transportation-included tours on Get Your Guide:
Tips for Visiting Versailles' Attractions
You’ve picked your date and purchased your tickets, and now it’s time to plan for your actual visit. We’ll walk through an ideal order of events and then provide our top tips for each must-see attraction. For the sake of this discussion, we’ll assume you’ve taken our advice and planned your visit for a Saturday in peak season, including a ticket to the can’t-miss night fountains show.
Order of Events
Even though you’ll be spending your evening in the Gardens, you shouldn’t skip seeing them in the daylight. We recommend starting with the Gardens to break things up, then visiting the Palace, heading to the Estates of Trianon after if you have time, then grabbing dinner in town before the night fountains show. If you’ve decided to attend the royal serenade as well, you’ll need to skip a dinner proper, but you can grab a snack at one of the onsite cafés beforehand and then again after, as food and beverage vendors will be available throughout the night fountains show.
The Gardens
The Gardens of Versailles are expansive – 800 hectares (2,000 acres), to be precise. It would take nearly half a day to walk down every pathway, so don’t feel bad if you don’t see it all. The key to this visit is to ensure you catch at least one of the musical water shows at each of the key fountains: the Neptune Fountain, the Mirror pool, the Water Theater grove, and, our favorite, the Three Fountains Grove. The earliest show begins at 10:00am, and from that point, the Neptune Fountain runs for 5 minutes every 15 minutes, the Mirror pool runs for 7 minutes every 10 minutes, and the Water Theater grove runs continuously. The Three Fountains Grove only runs in the afternoon, from 2:30pm to 3:15pm and from 4:00pm to 4:45pm, so try to slot that in after your visit to the Palace. See the full schedule here.
During this time, the fountains will be flooded and romantic baroque music will be playing. Expect to feel like you’re in an episode of “Bridgerton.”
The Palace
Entrance to the Palace is based on a timed reservation, so once your entry time is near, go ahead and line up at the front gate. Once inside, you’ll follow a clearly-marked path through the main rooms that will take about 2.5 to 3 hours. The tour itself is amazing, but straightforward, so the top tip here is actually something you should do in advance of your visit.
In addition to access to the estate, your Passport ticket includes an excellent audio guide through a mobile app download. On the app, there is over 30 hours of content available. You won’t need most of it, but the guides are lengthy and will eat through your data and battery like crazy if you try to download them day of, let alone the risk that your cell service isn’t strong enough to do so. As such, we highly recommend that you download the app and the recommended content over wifi in advance of your visit.Â
To cover the main rooms, you’ll need to download The State Apartments, Coronation Room – Gallery of Great Battles, The Apartments of the Dauphin, and The Apartments of Louis XV’s Daughters. Note that to access the Apartments of the Dauphin and The Apartments of Louis XV’s Daughters in the palace itself, you’ll need to backtrack to the Coronation Room after you’ve completed the main tour route that ends in the Statue Gallery. From the Coronation Room, you can take the stairs down to the additional rooms, and exit the Palace after you’ve toured them.
Dinner (or Royal Serenade)
At some point, you’re going to need to eat. There are several cafés available on site, but don’t be afraid to leave the estate and head into town! The village of Versailles is only a ten minute walk from the Palace and has some cute bars and restaurants you can enjoy while you wait for the night fountains show to begin. We recommend a cocktail at The Coup d’Etat to rest and recharge after a long day of touring.
Alternatively, if you’ve purchased a ticket to the royal serenade, you’ll likely want to grab a snack beforehand onsite, and then another after during the night fountains show. The royal serenade is a 50 minute show that runs at 6:30pm, 6:50pm, 7:10pm, 7:30pm, and 7:50pm, which you’ll choose at time of purchase.
The Night Fountains Show
Time for the grand finale – the night fountains show. This was a magical experience and the highlight of our trip to Paris. Featuring baroque music, musical fountain shows, food and beverage vendors, and culminating in a drone and fireworks display, the night fountains show is a true spectacle. Make sure to wander away from the main promenade throughout the night to the other fountains and groves, where special surprises await. And, if you’ve traveled by train, keep an eye on the clock! The last train of the night often runs perilously close to the finale of this event, so we recommend you check your departure time in advance and work your way toward the exit as the night nears its conclusion. The night fountains show takes place from 8:30pm to 11:05pm.
Two Last Tips for Visiting Versailles...
If you get thirsty during your visit to Versailles, there is a water fountain in the women’s restroom near the gift shop, outside the entrance to the Palace. You are allowed to bring water inside the Palace on your tour. Â
This same bathroom often has a long line, but…
Pro tip: There are actually two women’s bathrooms where there appears to be only one, with two separate lines. Walk past the first line and queue up in the second to save yourself a good bit of time.
We hope these tips for visiting Versailles make your experience as magical as ours was! Tell us your favorite experience at Versailles in the comments.
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