Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte Tour: Two Chateaux Day Trip

Two centuries of royal splendor in one morning and afternoon

This small-group day trip from Paris visits Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau, two of France's most significant chateaux and their gardens. You travel by air-conditioned minivan with a driver-guide, skip the entrance lines at both sites, and spend the morning exploring the 100-acre French gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte before moving to Fontainebleau's palace in the afternoon. The group stays under eight people, and the 10-hour tour includes transport and all museum entry. Lunch in Fontainebleau is on your own.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau

• Visit Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
• Explore French gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte
• Stop outside medieval castle for photos
• Lunch in Fontainebleau town (not included)
• Visit Fontainebleau Palace

The experience

Vaux-le-Vicomte opens the day. Built for Nicolas Fouquet, King Louis XIV's Minister of Finance, the château brought together the era's most talented architect (Louis Le Vau), artist (Charles Le Brun), and the father of French garden design (André Le Nôtre). The result is a 100-acre formal garden that became the template for every grand French estate that followed, including Versailles, which is actually filmed here for the TV series. You walk the grounds and move through the château itself, seeing how a single vision of splendor took shape across both building and landscape.

After Vaux-le-Vicomte, the group stops briefly at a medieval castle on the way to Fontainebleau for photographs, then arrives at the palace itself. Fontainebleau is one of France's largest and most decorated palaces, a working residence for more than seven centuries of French monarchy. The scale and the layers of history (Renaissance rooms next to Baroque ones, royal apartments alongside imperial chambers) make it feel less like a museum and more like a place where power actually lived. You move through at your own pace inside, with the guide available for questions.

The minivan is air-conditioned and holds eight people maximum, which means the group stays small enough to move together without becoming a crowd. Your driver-guide speaks English and handles all the logistics: pickup from your Paris hotel or meeting point, the route between the two sites, and entry at both chateaux without waiting in line. Lunch happens in Fontainebleau town, where cafés and bakeries are within walking distance. You choose where and what to eat, and the cost is separate from the tour price.

What’s included

• Small group of eight people maximum.
• driver-guide speaking English.
• air-conditioned minivan transport from Paris.
• skip-the-line entry to both Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau.
• access to all interior rooms and galleries at both châteaux.

Information

Lasts 10h, runs every day except Tuesday at 08:30, from € 220 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 8 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day except TuesdayDeparts at 08:30Another time? ›

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.2 with pickup ›

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Under 7: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Blue Fox Travel - Blue Bike Tours - Paris

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to see both Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau in one day: the small group and guided pace let you visit both palaces without backtracking between Paris and each site.

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Top questions

What exactly is Vaux-le-Vicomte, and why is it filmed for Versailles?

Vaux-le-Vicomte is a 17th-century château built for Nicolas Fouquet, King Louis XIV's Minister of Finance, and it holds the first complete expression of French garden design created by André Le Nôtre. The château and its 100-acre formal gardens are so architecturally significant and visually intact that the TV series Versailles is actually filmed there instead of at Versailles itself.

How much time do I spend at each château on this day trip?

The tour is 10 hours total from Paris and back. Vaux-le-Vicomte takes up the morning portion, giving you time to walk the gardens and move through the château. Fontainebleau fills the afternoon, and you explore at your own pace inside the palace. A brief photo stop at a medieval castle happens between the two on the drive.

Is lunch included, and where do we eat?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. When the group arrives in Fontainebleau, you have time to eat at one of the cafés or bakeries in town. You choose the restaurant and pay separately. Your guide can recommend options.

Do I need to wait in long lines to get into either château?

No. The tour includes guaranteed skip-the-line entry at both Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau, so you move straight to the entrance without waiting outside.

What is the group size, and will I be with a large crowd?

The group is capped at eight people maximum, which keeps it small and manageable. You travel together in an air-conditioned minivan with a single driver-guide who speaks English.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour operates in all weather conditions. Dress appropriately for rain or cold, and bring layers. The châteaux and gardens are open year-round regardless of weather.