How to Buy Tickets for the Palace of Versailles in Paris

Paris is a city with a dizzying number of famous attractions, from the Eiffel Tower to the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur and from the Montparnasse Tower to the Arc de Triomphe. But one attraction on every full Paris itinerary that isn’t even in the city is the wonderful Palace of Versailles. This UNESCO World Heritage site is full of royal glamour and can easily take up a day of your trip. Due to the palace’s popularity among tourists, it is essential to plan your visit in advance, which means knowing the options for getting tickets to the Palace of Versailles before your arrival.

We have created this guide on how to buy tickets for the Palace of Versailles in France, packed with all kinds of information to help you make the most of your visit. Keep reading and enjoy!

How to buy tickets for the Palace of Versailles: unless you like spending your holidays waiting in long lines, we strongly recommend booking your skip-the-line tickets for the Palace of Versailles in advance or booking a guided tour of the Palace of Versailles. Of these two, the guided tour is the best option as you can learn the history of this beautiful palace from an expert guide.

The best ways to get tickets for the Palace of Versailles

With such a popular and large attraction like this, it makes sense that there are several ways to book tickets for the Palace of Versailles. Most ticket purchase options allow you to order them in advance, but this is only helpful if you are organized and know exactly when you want to visit. Ultimately, it’s best to choose the option that suits you and your itinerary best.

1. Queuing up (not recommended)

If you decide not to purchase tickets for the Palace of Versailles in advance, the only option is to queue when you arrive there on the day itself. This is the slowest and riskiest approach to take as you will have to queue outside the ticket office just to get your tickets and then join a separate line to enter and pass through security. Ticket queues are notoriously long, usually taking from 30 minutes to two hours, which really is time better spent inside the palace.

Where you need to go to buy tickets in person will depend on the type of ticket you want, as there are different ticket offices for the palace and the Trianon estate. Tickets for the Palace and the Passport are purchased on the left side of the Courtyard of Honor, while tickets for the Trianon are bought at the Grand or Petit Trianon. Guided tours can be booked separately on the right side of the Courtyard of Honor.

2. Book online (recommended)

A much better option for travelers is to book skip-the-line tickets for the Palace of Versailles online before the trip. This allows you to skip the ticket office and go straight to the entrance. It should be noted that all visitors must go through a security line, which can often take from 30 minutes to an hour alone, but at least you will skip one line with these tickets.

Tourists can book their tickets online on the official Palace of Versailles website. However, it should be noted that these tickets are non-refundable, which means you will be out of money if your plans change. Instead, we recommend booking through this link for your Passport tickets, as this option allows you to cancel up to 24 hours before and receive a full refund for almost no difference in price.

3. Book a guided tour

Those who want to get more from their experience at the palace should consider booking a guided tour of the Palace of Versailles. Visitors who choose this option will spend their time visiting the Palace of Versailles while an expert guide leads them through the history and nuances of the imposing palace.

We recommend booking this guided tour including the gardens or this guided tour without the gardens. There is also the possibility to take a guided tour from Paris including lunch, saving you the hassle of going back and forth from the palace.

4. Buy a Paris Museum Pass

Another option that may appeal to tourists with big plans to do lots of sightseeing is the Paris Museum Pass. Just like other city passes around the world, this pass provides access to a long list of attractions and helps pass holders save money during their trip.

The Paris Museum Pass offers access to more than 50 museums and monuments in the city of Paris and beyond. These include the Musée D’Orsay, the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe and, importantly, the Palace of Versailles. The passes are valid for two, four, or six days.

Museum passes can be purchased here and come with free cancellation with more than 24 hours’ notice.

Useful Information for Visiting the Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles Opening Hours

The opening hours of the Palace of Versailles vary for different parts of the palace complex, but are also set differently for high and low seasons. The high season runs from April 1 to October 31, while the low season runs from November 1 to March 31. The palace park and gardens are open every day throughout the year except in exceptional weather conditions, while the palace and the Trianon estate are closed on Mondays and January 1, May 1, and December 25.

During the high season, opening hours are:

• The Palace: from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM, with last entrance at 6:00 PM and ticket offices closed at 5:45 PM
• Trianon Estate: from 12:00 PM to 6:30 PM, with last entrance at 6:00 PM and ticket offices closed at 5:50 PM
• Marly Estate: from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with last entrance at 4:30 PM, although on weekends between late May and September the park closes at 8:30 PM
• The gardens: from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM, with last entrance at 7:00 PM at the main gate
• The Park: from 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM, with last entrance at 7:45 PM at the Main Gate and the Queen’s Gate

In the low season, the opening hours are:

• The Palace: from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with last entrance at 5:00 PM and ticket offices closed at 4:50 PM
• Trianon Estate: from 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM, with last entrance at 5:00 PM and ticket offices closed at 4:50 PM
• Marly Estate: from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with last entrance at 4:30 PM
• The gardens: from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with last entrance at 5:30 PM at the main gate, chapel gate, and dragon gate
• The Park: from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with last entry at 5:30 PM

The Carriage Gallery is open only in the low season. Normally it is open on Saturdays and Sundays, but it is exclusively open from Tuesday to Sunday during the Christmas holidays from December 18 to January 2, except on December 25 and January 1. The opening hours are from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM, with last entry at 4:45 PM.

What is the best time to visit the Palace of Versailles?

Since the Palace of Versailles is such a major attraction, there are better times than others to visit it to avoid being surrounded by crowds of other tourists. But there are also outdoor areas of the palace to explore, which means you will also want pleasant outdoor weather during your stay there.

Although the low season with fewer visitors runs from November to March, the best times to plan your tour of the Palace of Versailles are from April to May and from October to November. The crowds during these times of the year are still relatively low, but you will benefit from milder weather than if you visit in winter.

How to get to the Palace of Versailles

To visit the Palace of Versailles from Paris, travelers have several options. However, determining which is best for you will depend on where you come from, although the main options for public transport all involve taking the train. Tickets for the journey must be for zones 1 to 4.

The fastest and closest option to get there is to take the RER line C to the Versailles Château–Rive Gauche train station and then walk 10 minutes to the palace. You can board the train at central stations such as Musée d’Orsay and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame.

Alternatively, there are SNCF trains from Gare Montparnasse to Versailles Chantiers train station and from Gare Saint Lazare to Versailles Rive Droite. For both routes, it is about a 20-minute walk from the palace.

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of public transport, you can also book a guided tour of the palace from Paris here.

For a quieter experience, the best time of day to visit the palace is first thing in the morning or late afternoon, although it will be easier in high season when the estate is open later. As for the best day of the week to visit, Wednesday and Thursday are usually the best choice since weekends are crowded and most museums are closed on Tuesdays, leaving the palace one of the few major attractions open.

How do tickets for the Palace of Versailles work?

Tickets for the Palace of Versailles are designed to give visitors the freedom to choose which parts of the palace they want to explore. The different types of tickets available are based on combinations of attractions within the palace complex, so visitors will need to decide what they want to see before booking. Tickets purchased online can be displayed either in paper copy or on a smartphone.

The most common type of ticket is the Passport, a ticket that allows access everywhere within the palace estate. This includes the incredible Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, as well as the Trianon Estate, the Gardens, the Park, and all temporary exhibitions. Entry to the palace is based on a scheduling system and visitors must select a time slot for their visit to this part of the palace complex.

For visitors who do not wish to see the entire palace complex due to time, cost, or lack of interest, there are two types of tickets to consider. Each includes access to the palace or the Trianon estate, as well as the gardens, park, and any temporary exhibitions.

Special tickets are also available that include one with full access to the palace estate plus an equestrian show and one with full access to the palace estate plus a gourmet meal at the restaurant La Petite Venise.

How much do tickets for the Palace of Versailles cost?

Now that we’ve covered the different types of tickets, you’re probably wondering exactly how much tickets for the Palace of Versailles cost. You can find all the different ticket prices on the official website, but here we’ll cover the prices for the most common tickets for the Palace of Versailles.

The all-inclusive Passport ticket costs €20 for adults and includes an audio guide for the palace. Meanwhile, tickets for the Trianon estate cost €12 for adults, and tickets just for the palace cost €18 for adults and include an audio guide of the palace. Tickets for a guided tour of the palace cost €10 for adults. Visitors under 18 and EU residents under 26 enter for free but must book a free ticket.

Entry to the Palace of Versailles and its estate is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month between November and March.

Hotels near the Palace of Versailles

Travelers might wonder what their options are for places to stay when planning their visit to the Palace of Versailles. Many will choose to stay in Paris, which makes sense given how much there is to see in the city. However, there are also hotels near the Palace of Versailles if you prefer to stay closer.

For a luxurious experience that will make you feel like royalty, stay at the extravagantWaldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon Palace. This five-star hotel is located at the northern end of the palace gardens and offers grand rooms, spa facilities, a swimming pool, and a MICHELIN-starred restaurant.

If you’re looking to balance comfort with cost, then it’s worth consideringHotel des Lys for your visit to Versailles. Located just steps from both the train station and the palace, this three-star hotel offers fresh and understated rooms with a touch of elegance.

Versailles is not the type of place for budget accommodations or hostels, so budget travelers are better off staying at a hostel in Paris. There you have the option of clean dorms and private rooms, plus the benefits of a well-established hostel including helpful staff and a social atmosphere.

Prefer to stay in Paris rather than Versailles? Then check out our guide to thebest hotels in Paris to find something in the city that suits you.

Palace of Versailles Safety Rules

To ensure there are no unforeseen complications at the start of your visit, it’s worth knowing the safety procedures and entry rules at the Palace of Versailles. These rules mainly concern what you can and cannot bring inside the palace, so be sure to review them before heading out for your visit.

Various items are not allowed inside the palace. These include animals, food and drinks, tripods, selfie sticks, drones, and strollers or pushchairs with metal frames. Soft-structured baby carriers without metal frames are allowed.

Visitors will normally find a luggage storage service at the palace where luggage and large items can be temporarily stored. However, the luggage storage service is currently suspended due to COVID-19 health measures.

Visitors to the Palace of Versailles must also undergo a COVID-19 check to access the site according to government guidelines. For entry, visitors must show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to be allowed in. More details can be found inthis statement on the official site.

Visiting the Palace of Versailles with a Disability

Accessibility measures have been incorporated at the Palace of Versailles to assist visitors with disabilities. These measures include free entry for people with disabilities in certain areas and reduced rates for tours.

Indoor and outdoor spaces have been designed to allow access for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility. Non-motorized wheelchairs are available for use at the Gabriel Pavilion and the Petit Trianon for tours.

Guide dogs are allowed upon proof of eligibility, and a tactile map is available for visually impaired people. Audioguides are equipped with induction loops to assist those with hearing aids, and guided tours using French Sign Language or lip reading are available upon request.

Exhibitions, Shows, and Events at the Palace of Versailles

Throughout the year, the Palace of Versailles hosts a variety of special exhibitions, events, shows, and concerts. The concerts include operas and orchestral works. In the months of July and August, the palace regularly hosts weekend performances by the Versailles Equestrian Academy.

FAQ – Information about the Palace of Versailles

How old is the Palace of Versailles?

The history of the Palace of Versailles began in 1623 when a small royal hunting lodge was built in the site’s forest and meadows. This makes the site almost 400 years old.

When was the Palace of Versailles built?

In 1631, construction began to replace the hunting lodge with a castle, which was completed in 1634, providing the foundation for the palace as it is today.

Who built the Palace of Versailles?

King Louis XIII had the original hunting residence and later the castle at Versailles built after hunting in the area as a boy. Philibert Le Roy was the architect responsible for designing the castle.

Why was the Palace of Versailles built?

The hunting lodge and the castle were built as a royal country residence for leisure and overnight stays when the king was hunting in the area.

Where is the Palace of Versailles located?

The Palace of Versailles is located in the small town of Versailles in the Yvelines department. It is about 19 km (12 miles) southwest of Paris.

What is the Palace of Versailles used for?

No longer used as a royal residence, the Palace of Versailles is now managed by the French Ministry of Culture as a tourist attraction, museum, and event venue.

You should now have everything you need to know about the benefits of skip-the-line tickets for the Palace of Versailles and visiting this incredible Paris attraction. All that’s left is to get the tickets and experience this truly dazzling place in person.