3 Days at Versailles: Suggested Itineraries
Cultural Experience, Must-Do Experience, Tip - Suggested Itineraries, Tip - What to See & Do
Got a hunger to wander through a wonderland of luxurious, artistic decadence? Then you're going to love Louis XIV's opulent 17th century Palace of Versailles. This three-day itinerary will immerse you in the Baroque details, flamboyant furnishings, works of art and amazing French gardens.
Day 1: Dive into the Grandeur
The best way to truly appreciate the history and detail of Versailles is to put yourself in the hands of the expert. Join a guided tour, where a guide-interpreter will bring back to life the history of the Palace of Versailles. You'll discover the Great Royal Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen's Apartments. Afterward, stroll the sculpture-filled French gardens. For a fitting end, take in a magnificent Versailles Fountain Show, accompanied by music composed at the time of Louis XIV's court. It'll make you want to reach for your powdered wigs!
Day 2: Show Me the Monet!
See where the inspiration for those famous Impressionist paintings originated from in a trip to nearby Giverny, Claude Monet's home from 1883 to 1926. (This is also an ideal day trip from Paris if you're there.) It was here that he painted his famous Nympheas water lily sequence. Wander his inspiring gardens before stopping for lunch at the Moulin de Fourges, a picturesque riverbank mill, then head back for a little more Versailles.
Day 3: Bikes and Baguettes
For your last day, feel truly French by taking to your bike, cycling through the greenery of Versailles and stopping for a picnic. Sounds like heaven, right? Together with a guide, you'll get to see highlights of Versailles that most visitors miss, including Marie Antoinette's country-style Hameau, the Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon. You'll also enjoy a picnic (that you've picked up from Versailles' village market – ham, cheese, wine…) by the Grand Canal in the exact spot where Louis XIV, XV and XVI ate while they marveled at their palace. You'll finish off with a final lap around the chateau. What a glorious day!
This tour was the highlight of our trip to Paris! It was amazing! The palace was so beautiful and the experience of going to the market to select your picnic items and then have a picnic in front of the palace was unforgettable! The tour guide was very professional and was very nice and really made the tour enjoyable. One thing to note, when you go to the Palace you must visit the Palace first before the gardens because they will not let you in to the Palace after the gardens without waiting in line again. We made this mistake because it looked like it was going to rain and we went to the gardens first and were not able to get in the Palace. The actual time for the Palace and garden tour is too short and I would have loved to spend more time there but the tour was still totally worth every penny and more!
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Loved this tour! Giverny is amazingly beautiful. Versailles was also beautiful in its own way. It was great to skip the lines at Versailles (there were huge lines to get in) and the tour guide was great!
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