Giverny: Monet's House & Gardens Half Day from Paris

Monet's Gardens & House in Giverny: A Half-Day Escape from Paris

You travel by coach from Paris to Giverny in about an hour, then explore Monet's flower and water gardens at your own pace using a downloadable audio app. After the gardens, you have free time in the village to visit shops, cafés, or Monet's tomb. If you upgrade to the full day, you'll also see the Palace of Versailles with a guided tour of the interior and self-guided time in the gardens, returning to Paris by 7pm. Entrance fees and round-trip transport are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Giverny30m · entry included
2. Clos Normand30m · entry included
3. Palace of Versailles1h 30m · entry included
4. Versailles Gardens1h · entry included

Visit Monet’s Estate and Gardens

• Travel from Paris to Giverny by coach
• Introduction to Monet’s estate and life
• Explore the flower garden with audio app
• Stroll through the water garden and bridge
• Free time to visit Giverny village
• Return to Paris by coach

The experience

The water lilies are still there. Monet painted them for decades from his studio in Giverny, and when you stand at the edge of the Japanese bridge (the one arching over the pond in all those famous canvases) you're looking at the same view he did, almost 43 years of it. The coach ride out takes about an hour from Paris, air-conditioned and quiet, and your guide talks through the day's shape: the flower garden first, then the water garden, then free time to wander the village itself. It's the kind of half-day tour that doesn't feel rushed because you're not being herded through rooms. You download a self-guided app before you go, and the gardens are yours to move through at whatever pace makes sense.

The Clos Normand, that's the flower garden, hits you first. It's not a museum garden, all roped off and precious. You walk through it, and the colors are deliberate: Monet designed it to bloom in sequence, so something is always flowering. The app tells you what you're looking at and why he planted it there, but mostly you just move through. After that comes the water garden, where the lily ponds sit under willows and the Japanese bridge is smaller than you'd think but exactly as it appears in the paintings. There's something almost unsettling about recognizing a place from a picture, like the painting was real all along and you're just now catching up to it.

Once you're done with the gardens, the village of Giverny opens up. There are small shops, a café where you can sit with coffee, and if you want to, Monet's tombstone near the church. The guide isn't with you anymore. This part is yours. Some people spend twenty minutes here, some spend an hour. If you book the full-day option, you rejoin the coach in the afternoon and head to Versailles for a guided tour of the Palace's interior and free time in the gardens. You're back in Paris by 7pm. The half-day version gets you home earlier, which matters if you have dinner plans or just want an evening to yourself.

One thing to know: the coach parking is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the garden entrance, so there's walking built into the day. It's not steep, but it's not nothing. The tour includes the entrance fee, the guide, the app, and the transport both ways, so you're not hunting for tickets or figuring out the train schedule. Just show up, get on the coach, and let the day unfold.

What’s included

Your half-day tour includes round-trip coach transfer from Paris in an air-conditioned vehicle, entrance fees to Monet's house and gardens, a self-guided audio app in multiple languages, an English-speaking tour leader, and free time to explore the village of Giverny. If you select the full-day option, you'll also receive a guided tour of the Palace of Versailles interior and self-guided access to the gardens, with return to Paris by 7pm.

Options for this experience

2 options

Half-day tour of Monet's House and Gardens in Giverny, departing from ParisGuide in English · 09:15

Upgrade: Giverny and VersaillesGuide in English · 08:30Duration: 11 hours 30 minutes. Full-day Giverny and Versailles option: upgrade to a full day, visiting the Palace of Versailles in the morning and Giverny in the afternoon!

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:15Last departure this season: 1 Nov

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (2 to 17 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

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

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by City Wonders Ltd

Is this one for you?Right for travelers based in Paris who want to see where Monet lived and painted without arranging separate transport or buying tickets separately. The half-day format fits a morning or afternoon. The full-day option lets you add Versailles if you have the time and energy for both estates in one outing.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 17 years); Infant (under 2): free.

How long is the coach ride from Paris to Giverny?

Approximately one hour in an air-conditioned coach.

Can I explore the gardens on my own, or do I have to follow a guide?

You explore at your own pace using a self-guided audio app available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. A brief introduction is given before you start.

What's included in the tour?

Entrance to Monet's house and gardens, round-trip coach transfer from Paris, the self-guided audio app, and an English-speaking tour leader. The full-day option adds a guided tour of Versailles Palace and free time in the gardens.

Is there time to visit the village of Giverny?

Yes, after the gardens you have free time to explore shops, cafés, and the village, including Monet's tombstone near the church.

What time do I return to Paris?

For the half-day tour, you return in the afternoon. For the full-day option with Versailles, you're back by 7pm.

Is there a lot of walking involved?

The coach parking is about 10 to 15 minutes' walk from the garden entrance. The gardens themselves are strolled at your own pace, with no steep terrain.

Do I need to download the audio app before the tour?

Yes, download instructions are provided on your booking confirmation.

What if I want to visit Versailles as well?

The full-day option includes a guided tour of Versailles Palace's interior and free time in the gardens. You'll return to Paris by 7pm instead of the afternoon.

Is public transportation available if I can't take the coach?

Yes, public transportation options are available nearby, though the tour includes coach transport from Paris.