Palace of Versailles: Complete Visitor Guide with Tickets, Hours, and Must-See Highlights
The Palace of Versailles is a symbol of French royalty, featuring opulent rooms, expansive gardens, and the iconic Hall of Mirrors. Don’t miss it—book tickets in advance!
The Palace of Versailles, just outside of Paris, is one of the best Royal residences in the World.
It was originally built as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII in 1623 but was later expanded and transformed into a majestic palace by his son Louis XIV, who moved the royal court there in 1682.
The palace is known for its opulent architecture, exquisite gardens, and extensive art collection.
It was the principal royal residence of France from 1682 until the French Revolution in 1789 when it was turned into a museum.
More than 10 million tourists visit the Palace of Versailles every year and if you’re on a tour in Paris, this historical landmark should be on your travel list.
This article covers everything you should know before booking tickets for the Palace of Versailles.
It’s highly recommended to book your Palace of Versailles tickets in advance. These tickets sell out quickly, so securing your spot early ensures you don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience.
The Versailles Estate has three distinct parts – the Palace of Versailles, the Versailles Gardens Queen, and Marie Antoinette’s domain.
The Palace of Versailles has 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 square meters (that’s more than 12 football fields) and is one part of the Versailles Estate.
Versailles Palace’s history is more than 300 years old, with many architectural beauties to see and stories to hear.
Where to book tickets
Tickets for the Palace of Versailles are available online and at the attraction.
Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the venue.
When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the attraction’s ticket counters.
When you book early, you also get your preferred time slot.
Because some attractions sell a limited number of tickets, during peak days they may sell out. Booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointments.
How do online tickets work
Go to the Palace of Versailles booking page and choose your desired date and time and the number of tickets.
Once you purchase Palace of Versailles tickets, they get delivered to your email address.
There is no need to get printouts of the ticket.
You can show the e-ticket on your smartphone when you visit the attraction.
The cheapest Palace of Versailles ticket costs €21 for all adults 18 years and older.
This ticket is cheap because it doesn’t get you access to some sections of the Palace.
The most popular Palace of Versailles ticket costs €24 and gets you access to everything in the Versailles Estate, but it is available only from Tuesday to Sunday.
The all access ticket which includes Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens costs €106 and is available only on all days of the week except Monday.
The Guided Versailles tour ticket, which helps you skip all the long lines, under the guidance of a local guide, costs €59 per person.
The Versailles visit + transport from Paris combo ticket costs €70 for every adult, and includes transport both ways.
Palace of Versailles tickets
If you are planning to visit Versailles Palace, the number of ticket options available can be baffling.
We will take you through the various Palace of Versailles tickets and propose our recommendation – you can buy the ticket that suits you best.
Must know
– Some of these tickets are available only on certain days of the week
– The audio guide comes free with all these Palace of Versailles tickets
– These are smartphone tickets, and you don’t need to take printouts. On the day of your visit, show the voucher on your mobile and walk-in.
– Some of these tickets are seasonal, and you can’t book them during winter.
Regular vs Skip the Line tickets
There are two queues at the Palace of Versailles.
Line 1: Queue at the ticketing counter to buy tickets (at Entrance B)
Line 2: The line at the security check (at Entrance A)
When you buy regular tickets online, you can avoid waiting in the first line because you will already have your tickets in the email.
Depending on the day of the week and season, avoiding this line helps you save 60 to 90 minutes of waiting time.
But you must still stand in the line for the security check.
When you buy the Palace of Versailles Skip the Line tickets, you avoid standing in both Line 1 and Line 2.
When you have ‘Skip the Line’ Versailles tickets, security staff at the Palace of Versailles will merge you at the beginning of the security check line.
Depending on the time and day, a ‘Skip The Line’ ticket can help you save anywhere from 2 to 3 hours of waiting time.
There are two kinds of Skip the Line tickets –
Skip the Line tickets with a Guided tour in English
Skip the line tickets with Audio Guide
Here are two photographs to give you an idea of the long queues to expect at the Palace of Versailles.
All Access Versailles tickets
This Palace of Versailles all access ticket allows you to visit all areas of the French palace and hence is the most popular with visitors.
You can access the below-listed attractions. – The Palace (with the audio guide) – The Trianon Palace – Marie-Antoinette’s Estate – The Versailles Gardens and the Park – The Coach Gallery – The ongoing temporary exhibitions
However, this ticket is available only on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
This is a regular Versailles ticket, so you skip the ticket counter lines and stand at the line for security check.
Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket (18+ years): €22 Child Ticket (up to 17 years): Free EU Citizen Ticket (Up to 25 years): Free Disabled Visitor Ticket: Free
Versailles Palace entrance tickets are the cheapest Versailles entry ticket you can buy.
Visitors with only 3 to 4 hours opt for this admission ticket, making it the second most popular Versailles ticket.
With this regular Palace of Versailles ticket, you can enter:
– The Versailles Palace* – The Versailles Gardens** – The Coach Gallery – The ongoing temporary exhibitions
*You get access to the most important rooms of the Palace of Versailles – Hall of Mirrors, Grand Apartments, King’s Chamber, Queen’s Chamber, Apartments of Mesdames, etc.
**On Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays – when Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens are on – you must pay a small fee at the Gardens entrance to enter.
This ticket doesn’t get you access to The Trianon Palace and Queen Marie-Antoinette’s Estate.
This is a regular ticket so you skip the ticket counter queues.
Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket (18+ years): €21 Child Ticket (Up to 17 years): Free EU Citizen Ticket (Up to 25 years): Free Disabled Visitor Ticket: Free
Besides the Palace, this regular Palace of Versailles ticket also provides you access to the Fountains Show or the Musical Gardens.
During Parisian summer – usually from early April to the end of October – Musical Fountains Show and the Musical Gardens become additional attractions at the Palace of Versailles.
Since these shows are planned only on Saturday, or Sunday, you can only book this ticket only for these days.
What is Fountains Show at Versailles?
During the Fountains show at Versailles, the fountains in the Gardens spout water to the music’s rhythm and that’s why it is also called the musical fountain show.
These musical displays start at 10 am and last until 7 pm.
As part of the Fountains show, you can also see what is known as ‘Water Displays.’
This happen at the three major fountains at Versailles – Mirror Fountain, Water Theatre Grove, and the Neptune fountain.
These ‘Water Displays’ also start at 10 am and go on until 7 pm.
They last for 10-15 minutes and keep getting repeated for the tourists.
What are Musical Gardens show at Versailles?
At Versailles, the Musical Garden show is when you explore the French-style formal gardens designed by André Le Nôtre while listening to music.
Musical displays start at 10 am and go on until 7 pm.
This ticket provides three critical things you need to make your visit to Versailles Palace memorable:
– Skip the Line access, so you don’t waste your time waiting in the line – Access to the whole Versailles Palace and Gardens – A human guide to give you inside stories
The guide takes you on a 90 minute guided tour of the Palace of Versailles, after which you are free to roam around on your own.
This ticket doesn’t include transport from Paris.
Ticket Prices
Group Tour in English with Self-Guided Access to the Gardens
Adult Ticket (18+ years): €59 Youth Ticket (6 to 17 years): €39 Child Ticket (Up to 5 years): Free
Group Tour in English with a Guided Access to the Gardens
Adult Ticket (18+ years): €65 Youth Ticket (6 to 17 years): €45 Child Ticket (Up to 5 years): Free
From Tuesday to Sunday, the Palace of Versailles is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm. It remains closed on Monday.
The ticket office closes at 5.50 pm, and the last admission inside is at 6 pm.
The Versailles Palace is closed on 1 May every year.
Besides the Palace of Versailles, the Versailles Estate has many other attractions and each of these attractions has different opening hours, separate last entry, etc.
To explore the Palace of Versailles, visitors need at least 2 to 3 hours, and to explore the whole Estate, including the Versailles Gardens and the Trianon Palaces, you need 5 to 6 hours.
Since you will be traveling from Paris, you must also factor in one hour of travel time each way.
Best time to visit the Palace of Versailles
The best time to visit the Palace of Versailles is after 2.30 pm when the guided tours starts slowing down.
If you still wish to start early, reach Versailles Estate by 10 am, explore the Versailles Palace Gardens and other attractions, and then enter the Palace of Versailles between 2.30 pm to 3 pm.
There are other factors that decides the best time to visit the Versailles.
Best time to visit Versailles to avoid the crowd
Most Versailles guides and travel websites recommend that tourists reach the Palace at 9 am for the best experience.
Thus, everybody lands up at the Versailles Estate in the morning itself.
100s of buses full of tourists leave Paris before 10 am and reach Versailles.
Once they are in Versailles, first, they wait in line to buy tickets, next, they wait in the queue for the security check.
Depending on the time and season, the total waiting time (in both the lines put together) can be as high as 3 hours.
As the day progresses, these lines trickle away.
That’s why you must wait until 2.30 pm to get into the Palace of Versailles.
That doesn’t mean you must reach Versailles Estate at 2.30 pm.
Here is the Versailles itinerary we suggest:
1. Buy the cheapest Versailles Palace tickets online, so you don’t have to wait in the ticketing line.
Or if budget is not a concern, you can get the tickets which give you access to more areas:
If visiting on Wednesday or Thursday, you can buy the all access Versailles ticket
If visiting on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Tuesday, you can get all access Versailles tickets which include Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens*
*Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens are scheduled only on certain days, and that’s why ‘all access tickets’ are bought depending on the day of your visit.
All these are free to enter (on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, there is a ticket to enter the Gardens, but you would have bought them online, anyway).
4. Have a picnic at Versailles. Or find a restaurant within the Estate (there are many!) and have your lunch.
5. At 2.30 pm, go to Entrance ‘A’ in the Dufour Pavilion to get inside the Palace of Versailles. The waiting time will be less than 15 minutes.
Note: Tuesday is a bad day to go to the Palace of Versailles because the Louvre Museum is not open, and many tourists end up in Versailles.
Best season to visit Palace of Versailles
Even though the Palace attracts a massive crowd during summer, it is still the best season to visit Versailles.
A good part of the Versailles experience is what’s outdoors – the gardens, the fountains, the groves, etc. Unfortunately, during winter, they aren’t in their best form.
France has harsh winters, and during the colder months, the average day’s lowest temperature hovers around 3 degrees Celsius (37.4 Fahrenheit).
Paris Museum Pass helps gain entry to more than 60of the top Museums and Monuments for only €65. To save time and money, buy Paris Museum Pass
Palace of Versailles free entry
On the first Sunday of every month, admission to the Estate of Versailles is free between November to March.
You also qualify for free entry into Versailles if you are less than 18 years old or are a European Union resident under 26 years of age.
If you qualify for free admission, there is no need to buy tickets.
Go directly to Entrance A in the Dufour Pavilion, with proof of your right to free entry and proof of identity.
What to see at Versailles Estate
The Palace of Versailles is the main attraction of the Versailles Estate.
Tourists in a hurry buy the Palace only ticket and finish their trip in two hours.
However, the Versailles Estate has other attractions, such as the Estate of Trianon, Versailles gardens, Coach Gallery, etc.
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is one of the most outstanding achievements in French 17th century art.
A succession of kings continued to transform Louis XIII’s old hunting pavilion into a palatial residence till it became what it is today.
In 1789, during the French Revolution, the kings had to leave Versailles for Paris, and the Palace would never be a royal residence again.
Today the Palace contains has 2,300 rooms, but only some are open for visitors.
The most important rooms being the Hall of Mirrors, The King’s State Apartments, the Royal Chapel, the Royal Opera, The King’s Apartment, The Queen’s Apartments, Marie-Antoinette’ Private Chambers, Gallery of Great Battles, etc.
Estate of Trianon
Estate of Trianon is the place the Kings of Versailles built to escape the busy court life once in a while.
Situated close to the main Palace, the Estate of Trianon includes the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon Palaces and the Queen’s Hamlet.
Queen Marie-Antoinette regularly sought refuge at the Petit Trianon and spent time amongst the numerous ornamental gardens.
Estate of Trianon is included in the all access Versailles ticket.
Coach Gallery
If you want to truly enjoy the splendor of court life during the Ancient Régime, a visit to the Coach Gallery at the Palace of Versailles is necessary.
It is the collection of Majestic coaches, small carriages for the Royal kids, sedan chairs, and sleds used by the Palace’s inhabitants.
The Coach Gallery at the Palace of Versailles is open every day from 12.30 pm except on Mondays.
Access to the Coach Gallery is included with all access Versailles ticket and the Palace entry + Gardens ticket.
When the Versailles Gardens were complete, they included 372 statues, 55 water features, 600 fountains, and over 32 km (20 Miles) of canals.
Over the years, the Gardens of Versailles have become a favorite haunt for the locals, people from Paris, and visiting tourists.
One can’t visit the Palace of Versailles without taking a stroll at the Versailles Gardens.
Since the Gardens open at 8 am every day, some tourists prefer coming in early for a stroll.
The access to Versailles Gardens is free except during Musical Fountains Shows and Musical Gardens, which happen on Saturday and Sunday.
If you plan to visit Palace of Versailles on a weekend, we recommend the Palace entry plus Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens ticket.
Versailles Park
Beyond the gardens lie the Versailles Park – greenery as far as the eyes can see.
The Versailles Park surrounds the Estate of Versailles and provides it the necessary green cover.
Two prominent water features – the Grand Canal and the Lake of the Swiss Guards make it even more appealing.
To enter Versailles Park, visitors don’t need tickets.
Audio guide
All visitors above eight years qualify for the free Palace of Versailles audioguide.
Visitors can pick up these audio guides from two desks on the ground floor of the Palace.
The first desk is in the lobby of Dufour Pavillion (Entrance A), and issues audio guides every day from 9 am till 5.30 pm.
The second desk is in the lobby of the Gabriel pavilion and follows the same timing.
The Versailles audioguide is available in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, and Polish.
If you don’t want to pick up the audio guide, you can try the Palace of Versailles’ mobile application for Android or iPhones.
Primarily because of the crowd and the number of mobiles and iPads, the tourists hold over their heads as they take photographs.
Even if you enter the Palace after 5 pm, you will still find people in your frame.
But you can photograph the extensive artwork on the ceilings of the Palace rooms.
Some sections of the Versailles Palace, such as Marie Antoinette’s bedroom, are cordoned off. In such areas you to take photos without other tourists in the frame.
Since flash is not allowed inside the Palace, use a high ISO setting on your camera in the darker rooms.
The Gardens also offer fantastic opportunities for both professional and amateur photographers.
Jamshed is a versatile traveler, equally drawn to the vibrant energy of city escapes and the peaceful solitude of remote getaways.
On some trips, he indulges in resort hopping, while on others, he spends little time in his accommodation, fully immersing himself in the destination.
A passionate foodie, Jamshed delights in exploring local cuisines, with a particular love for flavorful non-vegetarian dishes.
Favourite Cities: Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Dublin, Prague, Vienna
1 thought on “Palace of Versailles: Complete Visitor Guide with Tickets, Hours, and Must-See Highlights”
What an incredible place to visit! I planned to spend just half a day here, but it quickly turned into a full-day adventure. The palace and its rooms are absolutely stunning. I didn’t book any special tours in advance, which I regret—especially since I wanted to check out Madame Du Barry’s apartment (you can only visit it with pre-booked tickets). No big deal, though! There were still plenty of other things to explore.
What an incredible place to visit! I planned to spend just half a day here, but it quickly turned into a full-day adventure. The palace and its rooms are absolutely stunning. I didn’t book any special tours in advance, which I regret—especially since I wanted to check out Madame Du Barry’s apartment (you can only visit it with pre-booked tickets). No big deal, though! There were still plenty of other things to explore.