Versailles Tour: Private Guide Palace Entry Hotel Pickup

You see the Petit Trianon and Hameau de la Reine before most visitors arrive at the main gates.

A private guided tour of Versailles departing from your Paris hotel with a dedicated English or French-speaking guide, including Palace entry, the Versailles Gardens, the Grand Trianon, Marie-Antoinette's Estate, and the Hameau de la Reine, plus free time for lunch at the Grand Canal. The tour runs five hours and begins early to avoid crowds. Your driver picks you up and returns you to your hotel at the end.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Orangerie of Versailles15m · entry included
2. Versailles Gardens1h · entry included
3. Grand Canal45m
4. Grand Trianon10m · entry included
5. Marie-Antoinette's Estate30m · entry included

Versailles guided tour with hotel pickup

• Pickup at Paris hotel
• Travel to Versailles
• Meet private guide
• Visit Orangerie of Versailles
• Explore Versailles Gardens
• Free lunch at La Petite Venise
• Ride train to Grand Trianon
• Tour Grand Trianon palace
• Visit Petit Trianon palace
• Walk through Marie-Antoinette's Estate
• Free visit to Grand Apartments and Hall of Mirrors
• Return to Paris hotel

The experience

Your Mercedes arrives at your hotel in Paris and takes you directly to Versailles, where a guide assigned to your group waits at the Palace. Starting before the day's main crowds, you move through the Versailles Gardens (André Le Nôtre's formal masterpiece of perspectives, fountains and groves), and the Orangerie, where hundreds of exotic trees once demonstrated the Sun King's technical reach and power. The guide walks you through how Versailles became the symbol of absolute monarchy, then later the stage for its collapse.

After the guided portion of the gardens, you have free time to lunch at the Grand Canal, a peaceful spot within the estate. Then a small train carries you to the Trianon domain, where your guide shows you the Grand Trianon (the pink marble palace Louis XIV built as a retreat from court ceremony), and the Petit Trianon, Marie-Antoinette's more intimate personal residence. The Hameau de la Reine, a Norman-style village she had built as a refuge from formal court life, sits nearby and completes the picture of her private world.

Once the guided tour ends, your Passeport ticket, included in the booking, lets you move freely through the Palace's Grand Apartments and Hall of Mirrors at your own pace. Your driver then returns you to your hotel. The tour timing aligns with the Grandes Eaux Musicales fountain displays on weekends and public holidays from April through October, so you may catch them as you move through the grounds.

What’s included

• Private Mercedes transportation with hotel pickup and return.
• dedicated guide in English or French.
• Passeport entry ticket to the entire Versailles domain including the Palace, Grand Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, gardens and Trianon estates.
• guided tour of the Versailles Gardens, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Hameau de la Reine.
• free lunch time at the Grand Canal.
• small-train access to the Trianon domain.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• timing coordinated with the Grandes Eaux Musicales fountain displays on weekends and holidays (April–October).

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Child (under 6)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Lutecia Heritage

Is this one for you?Your hotel pickup means you don't need a car or public transport to reach Versailles. The five-hour tour fits a single day and leaves you free to explore the Palace's interior rooms on your own pace after the guide finishes, so you control how long you linger in each room.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 6).

What's included in the Passeport ticket I get for the Palace of Versailles?

The Passeport ticket gives you access to the entire Versailles domain: the Grand Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and all open public spaces, which you explore at your own pace after the guided portion ends.

How does the timing work with crowds at Versailles?

The tour starts early, before the main rush of day visitors, so you move through the gardens and the Trianon estates when they are less crowded. You then have the flexibility to explore the Palace's interior rooms on your own schedule.

Do I need to arrange my own way to Versailles from Paris?

No. A private Mercedes picks you up at your hotel and brings you back there at the end, so you don't need a car or public transport. The driver is part of the booking.

What is the Hameau de la Reine and why is it part of this tour?

The Hameau de la Reine is a Norman-style village Marie-Antoinette had built within the Trianon estate as a private retreat from court life. It reveals a more personal side of royal life beyond the formal Palace.

Is lunch included, or do I need to bring my own food?

Lunch is not included, but you have free time at the Grand Canal, a scenic spot within the estate where cafés and food options are available. You choose what and where to eat during this break.