Palace of Versailles
ℹ️ Information
The Palace of Versailles is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French, it is known as the Château de Versailles. When the château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a wealthy suburb of Paris. The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France from 1682, when King Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital city in 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution.
The Palace of Versailles is located in the town of Versailles, about 20 miles southwest of Paris. The palace complex comprises the royal château, the royal park, and the outbuildings of the royal domain, all of which are surrounded by an immense park with forests, canals, and ornamental gardens.
The Palace of Versailles was built by King Louis XIV between 1661 and 1710. It is the largest palace in Europe, and covers an area of more than 67,000 square meters. The palace has more than 2,000 windows and more than 700 rooms.
The Palace of Versailles was originally built as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII. Louis XIV, who was only four years old when his father died, expanded the palace and made it his principal residence. Louis XIV was a great builder, and under his reign, the Palace of Versailles was transformed into one of the largest and most magnificent palaces in the world.
The Palace of Versailles was the center of the political and social life of France for more than a century. It was here that the kings of France held their court and entertained their guests. The palace was also the scene of many important events in French history, such as the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I.
The Palace of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in France, and receives more than seven million visitors each year.
🕒 Opening hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
🎟️ Buy your ticket
🗣️ Palace of Versailles: Reviews
The best place to visit the true splendor of the bourgeoisie. Extravagant palace with breath taking Gardens. Better to visit on a sunny day, I went in a rainy day and it was still very nice. After visiting the place you realize why the French revolution took place. Definitely one of the stops on a Paris trip. Visited on Weekday Wait time 10–30 min Reservation recommended Yes … More
Spent an entire day here, and sure wasn’t disappointed! The inside was interesting with lots of exhibits and photo opportunities! Outside in the garden, the car ride and tram rides were absolutely necessary for a comfortable chill experience! Ultimately, photo opportunities were everywhere and a wonderful place to visit!
We visited Versailles recently and while the castle was pretty incredible, the gardens are where it's at for me! They were so beautiful. We easily spent 4 hours walking around in them. I would definitely go again. Also, the restaurant inside the castle boasted amazing staff and even more amazing food! Add this to your travel itinerary. You won't be disappointed.
We visited Versailles recently and while the castle was pretty incredible, the gardens are where it's at for me! They were so beautiful. We easily spent 4 hours walking around in them. I would definitely go again. Also, the restaurant inside the castle boasted amazing staff and even more amazing food! Add this to your travel itinerary. You won't be disappointed.
When we arrived at the Palace of Versailles (it is easily accessible with public transport) all the tours were already booked, so we weren’t able to enter the palace itself, only the gardens. Since this was my second visit to Versailles I wasn’t too mad about this but if you want to see the Palace from inside I’d recommend booking a ticket beforehand! The gardens are definitely also worth a visit, not only for their many statues and maze like hedges.
Our favorite tourist destination, the palace is rich with history with a story that brings this place to life. It is ornate with so much to appreciate. Then when you think you have seen what there is to offer, the gardens will leave you in awe in it's beauty. Highly recommended which is about a 1/2 day tour. The other location that is equally breathtaking will be the Basilica which is also about a 1/2 day event.
The palace is massive. You can easily spend all day here between the palace and gardens. It was absolutely stunning. Be prepared to walk a lot! We took the train from Paris, it’s a short walk from the station to the palace. We bought our tickets online. If you don’t buy tickets ahead of time, there’s a long line to purchase, then another long line to enter the palace. We rented the golf cart to drive around the gardens. Well worth it to see the gardens without having to walk all of it. I highly recommend going here.
An incredible place to visit. We were there 6 hours and still need to go back. Here's a good tip. Arrive in the morning and visit the gardens, they will be quiet. Then visit the palace in the middle of the afternoon, it will be quieter.
A must-visit in Paris. Highly recommend purchasing tickets ahead and for opening hour. We did the self guided tour and were fine. Everything you could see was impressive. Be prepared for a lot of walking. We rented the electric golf cart to tour the gardens, glad we did, and it does take about an hour.
I was blown away by the sheer size of this place!! Lots of walking and you could easily spend an entire day here. The gardens alone are a maze and the golf cart rental in getting around definitely makes it easier on the body! Highly recommend though!!
The Chateau of Versailles is one of the best places in Paris, a must see! Any pictures you have seen don't do it justice. The pure opulence of the Palace is extraordinary. Everywhere you go is beautiful art, even down to the walls. The Hall of Mirrors was my favorite area. The restaurant inside had the best club sandwich you will ever have, with the service to match. The gardens of the Chateau are expansive to say the least. Beautiful fountains and sculptures at every turn. Plenty of areas to sit and relax and just enjoy the gardens. I spent the entire day exploring the Chateau and the gardens, and I would do it all over again.
Majestic and beautiful. Its a must see for any tourist. They could do better with the toilet signs as everyone was confused about the location. Do well to rent a buggy for a tour of the gardens as it is quite a stretch. There are restaurants scattered far apart . Having a snack and a can for a quick water refill would help. There is a drinkable water fountain just after the main palace gate on the right hand side.
We really enjoyed our tour here. It was guided and it was very interesting to learn about the history of this beautifully decorated place. Do the skip the line tickets if you do not have a guide. You can also access Versailles by the high speed train from Paris... it takes about 12 minutes. And then possibly a 20 minute walk from there? Our group was on bikes and we arrived quickly
Amazing historical palace! BEFORE YOU GO DOWNLOAD THE APP. It has the audio recordings on it so you don’t have to wait in line to purchase it. You can spend a couple of hours there or the whole day. 4 hours is a good amount to see it all. I would recommend paying the extra fee to enter the garden as the landscape is beautiful. You can rent golf carts to tour the area but the bikes are much better (try the tandem ones if you can handle it).
I first visited the Palace of Versailles with school, and I came back almost three decades later with my family. It was exactly as I remembered it but I enjoyed the visit even more this time! My kids (9 yo, 6 yo) were very happy about the visit and particularly loved the gardens with all the spectacular fountains! Definitely a must-visit if you're in the Paris area!
A great visit on a hot sunny day ☀️You can easily walk to the gardens, even on a crowded day. (Like almost every day) The palace is beautiful and you should see the chapel from inside. Its best if you have two days to visit everything
All time favorite tourist attraction while visiting Paris. Highly recommend giving yourself a few hours to visit. You still may not have enough time to see everything. The palace is stunning. Marie Antoinette was living in opulence. The palace is massive, but the gardens go on for miles. PRO TIP- Rent the golf cart to visit the gardens. Better yet, rent a bike. The golf carts can only stay on their assigned path. If you venture off path, the golf cart will turn off. *Marie Antoinette’s cottage house is not open. You can only view the outside.
Amazing! This is a great experience. If you get the chance do visit. There is a free audio tour which you can download as an app. The rooms and the content are fabulous. Yes, it’s very popular. There are timed tickets for the Palace itself which are very good value. The grounds do require a lot of walking but you can hire a buggy. The fountains are beautiful and if you can do walk down to the boating lake. A good number of cafes and restaurants at the bottom of the gardens. We returned in the evening to see the water fountains display and fireworks. Over 3 hours of entertainment. My advice is to download the free map so you can see all the displays. You can bring a picnic for the evening.
Legendary place, you need at least 4-5 hours to spend instead it. The palace itself is breathtaking but better to go around it with a guide to tell the details about everything. The gardens are amazing. Better to rent a golf cart to go around it. Be aware that you rent it at the beginning of the garden there is usually waiting time and you need a driving license. If you want to go for a boat ride then you definitely need more time
It's nice! However it is very busy and you need to have tickets in advance! I will recommend you download the app and use the guide there much easier and faster. It also has an interactive map which helps you see where you are. I will say you need to have a full days especially if you buy the passport ticket which allows you to go to all the exhibitions.
The palace was incredible. It definitely explains why the French people started a revolution. I do think the audio tour and guide could be better. We recently toured Windsor Castle and found the way they did their tour more user friendly. My favorite part was the Musical Fountains. We had a great time exploring the grounds.
Legendary place, you need at least 4-5 hours to spend instead it. The palace itself is breathtaking but better to go around it with a guide to tell the details about everything. The gardens are amazing. Better to rent a golf cart to go around it. Be aware that you rent it at the beginning of the garden there is usually waiting time and you need a driving license. If you want to go for a boat ride then you definitely need more time