The Palace of Versailles is Louis XIV’s royal palace, 17 km south-west of central Paris, with the Hall of Mirrors, the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments, formal gardens, the Trianon palaces and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet. The all-day Passport, the only ticket that includes the palace, costs €35 until 31 October and €25 from November (as of October 2026), or €32 and €22 for EEA residents and citizens; under-18s go free. The palace opens 9:00–18:30 and is closed on Mondays. Book a timed palace slot, take RER C and give it a full day.
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Tickets and tours for Palace of Versailles
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Why Versailles matters
Louis XIII’s hunting lodge became, under his son Louis XIV, the most imitated palace in Europe. The court and government moved here on 6 May 1682, and for over a century Versailles was the real centre of the kingdom while Paris stayed the official capital. The Hall of Mirrors, built in 1678–1684, was where the king received ambassadors. The Revolution began here too: the Estates General opened in Versailles on 5 May 1789, the deputies swore the Tennis Court Oath on 20 June, and on 6 October the royal family was forced to leave for Paris. In 1919 the treaty ending the First World War was signed in the Hall of Mirrors. The palace and park are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
What you’ll see
- The palace: the Royal Chapel, the King’s State Apartments, the 73-metre Hall of Mirrors and the Queen’s apartments, on a one-way route with your timed slot.
- The gardens: André Le Nôtre’s terraces, groves and fountains running down to the Grand Canal. Until 1 November 2026 music plays in the gardens every day except Monday, and the fountains run on weekends (Musical Fountains Show); there is a charge on those days, included in the Passport.
- The Estate of Trianon: the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet, Marie Antoinette’s model farm, open from noon. From 22 September 2026 an exhibition devoted to the film director Sofia Coppola is shown on the estate.
- Free extras: the Gallery of Coaches (weekends), the Royal Tennis Court and the park around the Grand Canal, where you can hire bikes and rowing boats.
Tickets and how to visit
From the Palace of Versailles’ official website, as of October 2026:
- Passport (palace with timed entry, Trianon, exhibitions and gardens): high season (1 April–31 October) €35, or €32 for EEA nationals and residents; low season (November–March) €25, or €22.
- Late Passport: palace entry from 16:00 in high season, €28 (€25 EEA); from 15:00 in low season, €18 (€15 EEA).
- Without the palace: Estate of Trianon €15 (€12 EEA) all year; gardens on musical days €15 (€12), free in low season; gardens plus Trianon €20 (€17). Guided tours cost €10 on top of a palace ticket.
- Free: under-18s and EEA nationals and residents under 26, for the palace and Trianon (not for the garden shows), and visitors with a disability plus a companion. Paris Museum Pass holders must get a free Passport ticket with a time slot.
- Hours: palace 9:00–18:30 until 1 November (last admission 17:45), then 9:00–17:30 (last admission 16:45); Trianon from 12:00. Closed every Monday and on 25 December, 1 January and 1 May. The gardens and park open daily, 7:00–20:30 in high season and 8:00–18:00 in low season.
- How to book: buy online at chateauversailles.fr and choose your palace time slot; free visitors book too. With an e-ticket, go straight to Entrance A in the Main Courtyard. Tickets are not refundable or exchangeable.
- Security and bags: large bags and suitcases are not allowed. Free automatic lockers in the South Ministers’ Wing take bags up to 46 × 43 × 26 cm. Pushchairs are currently allowed inside.
How to plan the day
Book the first palace slot at 9:00, before the tour groups, and see the palace first. Have lunch in the gardens, then walk 30 minutes (or take the little train or an electric cart) to the Trianon estate, which opens at noon. Tuesday is the busiest day, as the palace is closed on Mondays and many Paris museums close on Tuesdays. Note the early garden closing on 25, 31 October and 1 November 2026.
Accessibility
A pedestrian path leads from the Main Gate to Entrance A, and visitors with a disability can be dropped off or park beside the palace near Entrance B. Manual wheelchairs are lent free for the palace and the Trianons, and visitors with a disability and their companion get in free. The Trianon palaces have ramps, but only the ground floor of the Petit Trianon is accessible. Audio guides work with induction loops, and the little train and electric carts offer reduced rates.
Getting there from Paris
The easiest route is RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche, about 40 minutes from central Paris and 10 minutes’ walk from the palace; you can board at Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel, Musée d’Orsay or Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame. Trains from Montparnasse run to Versailles Chantiers (18 minutes’ walk) and from Saint-Lazare to Versailles Rive Droite (17 minutes). Bus 171 runs from Pont de Sèvres, at the end of metro line 9, in about 30 minutes. A standard €2.55 Métro-Train-RER ticket covers each journey. Don’t drive: the A13 motorway towards Versailles closes from 16 November 2026.
Combine it with
Versailles fills a day, so pair it with something easy: RER C brings you back past the Eiffel Tower for an evening visit. Back in Paris, the Galerie d’Apollon at the Louvre was the model for the Hall of Mirrors. Rent a bike to ride around the Grand Canal (see our cycling guide), and find more day trips in our Paris travel guide and on our France page.
Palace of Versailles FAQ
How much does it cost to visit Versailles?
The Passport costs €35 until 31 October 2026 and €25 from November to March, or €32 and €22 for EEA residents and citizens. Under-18s and EEA residents under 26 go free.
Is Versailles open on Mondays?
The palace and the Trianon estate are closed every Monday. The gardens and park stay open.
How do I get from Paris to Versailles?
Take RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche, about 40 minutes, on a standard €2.55 ticket each way, then walk 10 minutes to the palace.
Do I need to book Versailles in advance?
Yes. Every palace visit needs a time slot, including free entry and the Paris Museum Pass. Book online, especially for morning slots and weekends.
Are the Versailles gardens free?
From November to March, yes. Until 1 November 2026 there is a charge on Musical Gardens and Musical Fountains days, Tuesday to Sunday; it is included in the Passport.
How long do you need at Versailles?
A full day: two to three hours for the palace, plus the gardens and the Trianon estate, which is a 30-minute walk away.