The Palace of Versailles is one of the most extraordinary buildings in the world. Once the seat of French royal power, today it welcomes millions of visitors from across the globe. If you are planning your first visit, this Palace of Versailles guide covers everything you need to know — from tickets and transport to what to see inside and how long to spend there.
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Versailles sits just 20 kilometres southwest of Paris. It is one of the great day trips from Paris — though a full day is barely enough. Most visitors spend six to eight hours here and still leave wishing they had more time.
What Is the Palace of Versailles?
The Palace of Versailles began as a hunting lodge built by King Louis XIII in 1624. His son, Louis XIV, transformed it into the grandest royal residence in Europe. Between 1661 and 1710, he oversaw a massive building campaign that turned a modest country house into a palace of 700 rooms, set within formal gardens that stretched as far as the eye could see.
In 1682, Louis XIV moved the entire French royal court from Paris to Versailles. It remained the centre of French government until the Revolution of 1789, when crowds forced Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to leave Versailles and return to Paris. Over a century of royal life unfolded within these walls.
The palace became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Its Hall of Mirrors, royal apartments, formal gardens, and the smaller palaces of the Trianons make it one of the finest examples of 17th-century French architecture and landscape design in existence.
For more on the woman who made Versailles legendary, read our article on the truth behind Marie Antoinette.
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The easiest and cheapest way to reach Versailles is by train. The RER C line runs directly from several Paris stations to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, which is a short walk from the palace entrance. The journey takes around 35 to 40 minutes and costs approximately €4–5 each way. Trains run frequently throughout the day.
Your Paris Navigo pass covers the RER C if you have a weekly or monthly pass — otherwise buy a single ticket at any Paris RER station. Do not use your Paris Metro ticket for the RER C journey beyond the central zone.
You can also reach Versailles by the Transilien N line from Paris Montparnasse (Versailles Chantiers station, a 15-minute walk from the palace) or the L line from Paris Saint-Lazare (Versailles Rive Droite, further away).
By car, Versailles is about a 30-minute drive from central Paris via the A13 motorway. There is paid parking near the palace. Driving during peak tourist months (June–August) adds significant time due to traffic.
Organised tours from Paris are another option. These typically include transport, a guided tour of the Hall of Mirrors, and garden access. They cost more than going independently but remove the logistics entirely.
Tickets and Entrance Prices
Ticket prices at Versailles change regularly, so always check the official Versailles website before you visit. As of 2026, the main palace ticket costs around €21 for adults. Children under 18 enter the palace free. The ticket covers the State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and the royal chapel.
The gardens are free to enter on most days. On weekends and public holidays from April to October, a Musical Fountain Show or Musical Gardens event takes place, for which there is an additional charge of around €10.
The Passport du Château is the best-value option for a full day. It covers the palace, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette’s Estate, and the Musical Fountain Shows. It costs approximately €32 per adult in 2026.
The Paris Museum Pass is accepted at Versailles and includes the palace ticket. If you plan to visit several Paris attractions in a short trip, a museum pass can offer good value. Holders still need to book a timed entry slot in advance on the Versailles website.
Book your tickets before you go. Versailles receives around 15,000 visitors per day in peak season. Long queues at the ticket office are common. Booking online guarantees you a timed entry slot and avoids waiting in the sun for an hour before you even get inside.
The palace is closed every Monday. Plan your visit for Tuesday through Sunday.
What to See Inside the Palace
The Hall of Mirrors
The Hall of Mirrors is the centrepiece of any visit to Versailles. Built between 1678 and 1684, the gallery stretches 73 metres along the western facade of the palace. It has 357 mirrors arranged in 17 arched bays facing 17 windows that look out over the gardens.
The mirrors were a deliberate statement of French power. At the time, Venice held a monopoly on mirror production. Louis XIV ordered French artisans to replicate Venetian techniques, and they succeeded, creating a gallery that dazzled every foreign diplomat who walked through it. The ceiling paintings by Charles Le Brun depict Louis XIV’s military victories.
The Hall of Mirrors also carries deep historical weight. In 1871, Germany proclaimed its empire here after defeating France in the Franco-Prussian War. In 1919, Allied leaders signed the Treaty of Versailles in the same gallery, ending the First World War.
The Royal Apartments
The King’s State Apartments are a series of seven rooms named after the gods of antiquity — Venus, Diana, Mars, Mercury, and Apollo among them. Craftsmen decorated each room to reflect the grandeur of the Sun King. Painted ceilings, coloured marble lining the walls, and gilded furniture fill every space.
The Queen’s Bedchamber is one of the most visited rooms in the palace. This is where the queens of France gave birth, in public, to ensure the legitimacy of royal heirs. Nineteen royal children entered the world in this room. Curators have returned it to its appearance in 1789, the year Marie Antoinette last slept here.
The Royal Chapel
The Royal Chapel is easy to overlook but worth seeking out. Built between 1689 and 1710, it is a two-storey structure with a vaulted ceiling and painted panels depicting scenes from the life of Christ. The royal family worshipped in the upper gallery, looking down on the court below.
The Gardens of Versailles
The gardens of Versailles are as much a part of the experience as the palace itself. André Le Nôtre designed them between 1661 and 1700, creating a formal French garden on a scale that had never been attempted before. The grounds cover approximately 83 hectares.
The Apollo Fountain, at the far end of the main axis, depicts the sun god Apollo rising from the water in a golden chariot. Jean-Baptiste Tuby designed it and completed the work in 1671. The choice of Apollo was no accident — Louis XIV used the sun god as his personal emblem.
Beyond the Apollo Fountain, the Grand Canal stretches for 1.5 kilometres. Louis XIV held gondola races here and received Venetian gondoliers as gifts. Today you can hire rowing boats and paddle along it at a relaxed pace.
For a deeper look at the garden tradition that Versailles helped define, read our guide to French gardens from Versailles to the village potager.
The Trianons and Marie Antoinette’s Estate
Many visitors overlook the smaller palaces in the grounds of Versailles. They are worth the extra walk.
Louis XIV built the Grand Trianon in 1687 as a private retreat from the formality of court life. It is a single-storey pink marble palace with formal gardens on all sides. Napoleon later made it his residence and oversaw the restoration of its interior.
Louis XV had the Petit Trianon built for his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and it later became the favourite residence of Marie Antoinette. It is a small, elegant neoclassical building surrounded by an English-style landscape garden — a stark contrast to the rigid symmetry of the main gardens.
Behind the Petit Trianon is Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet, a rustic village she had constructed in the 1780s. It includes a farmhouse, a mill, and a dairy where the queen and her court played at rural life. It looks improbable now, and it looked improbable then. The Hamlet is free to walk through and gives a glimpse into the more eccentric side of royal fantasy.
Tips for Visiting Versailles
Arrive early. The palace opens at 9am and the first hour is noticeably quieter than the rest of the day. By 11am, the Hall of Mirrors fills quickly.
Wear comfortable shoes. The gardens alone involve several kilometres of walking, and the palace floors are uneven stone and polished parquet.
Bring a picnic. Eating in the gardens is one of the great pleasures of a Versailles visit. The on-site restaurants are expensive and frequently crowded. A baguette, some cheese, and a spot on the lawn near the Grand Canal costs nothing and tastes considerably better.
Allow a full day. The palace and main gardens take three to four hours. Adding the Trianons and Marie Antoinette’s Estate adds another two. Most visitors who rush through regret it.
Visit on a weekday if possible. Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days, particularly in summer. Tuesday through Thursday offer a noticeably calmer experience.
If you are planning a broader France trip and want to budget accurately, our France travel budget guide covers what to expect at different price points. And for ideas on how to fit Versailles into a larger Paris visit, see our 5-day Paris itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Versailles
Is one day enough to visit the Palace of Versailles?
One full day is the minimum recommended. You can see the main palace, the Hall of Mirrors, and walk the central axis of the gardens in around four hours. Adding the Trianons and Marie Antoinette’s Estate brings the total to a full six to eight hours. If you only have half a day, prioritise the Hall of Mirrors and the Apollo Fountain.
When is the best time to visit the Palace of Versailles?
The quietest months are November through March, when visitor numbers drop significantly and ticket queues are much shorter. Spring (April and May) and early autumn (September and October) offer pleasant weather without the peak summer crowds. Avoid August if possible — it is the busiest month of the year at Versailles.
Do I need to book tickets in advance for Versailles?
Yes. We strongly recommend booking in advance, especially from April to October. Timed entry slots can sell out days ahead during peak season. Walk-up tickets are sometimes available, but the queue can add an hour or more to your visit. Book on the official Versailles website to guarantee your slot and avoid third-party booking fees.
You Might Also Enjoy
- The Best Day Trips from Paris — where to go beyond the city
- Marie Antoinette: The Truth Behind France’s Most Misunderstood Queen
- Best Time to Visit France (By Month and Region)
Plan Your France Trip
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