Visiting the Palace of Versailles
The Palace and the Trianon estate are closed on Mondays. The Gardens and the Park are open every day, and the Gardens are free except on fountain-show and musical-garden days. Pick your date to see its hours, then choose the ticket that matches what you want to see (official site, read Oct 5, 2026).
Versailles on Wed, Oct 7
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- Gardens and Park openGardens charged
- Palace opensEntrance ALast entry 17:45
- Musical Gardens, groves openCloses 19:00
- Estate of Trianon opensLast entry 17:45
- Expected attendance, officialLow
What is open on your day
The Palace and the Trianon estate close on Mondays and on three fixed days a year. The Gardens and the Park open every day, with seasonal hours, and the Trianon estate opens at noon, except the Petit Trianon on the dates the date picker shows. Pick a date to see what is open, the last admission and whether the Gardens are free that day.
High-season hours and the Musical Fountains Show run to Nov 1, 2026, and the Musical Gardens to Oct 30, 2026, on the official pages read Oct 5, 2026. Low-season hours follow from Nov 2, 2026. The date picker covers Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027.
Versailles on Wed, Oct 7, 2026
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- Gardens and Park openGardens charged
- Palace opensEntrance ALast entry 17:45
- Musical Gardens, groves openCloses 19:00
- Estate of Trianon opensLast entry 17:45
- Expected attendance, officialLow
What each ticket opens
The Passport opens the whole estate. The Estate of Trianon ticket opens only the Trianon estate, and a gardens ticket opens only the Gardens on show days. Prices below are the official ones, read on the date shown.
Passport
- Includes
- The Palace with a timed slot, the Estate of Trianon, the temporary exhibitions and the Gardens, including show days (one entry on show days).
- Price
- €35 standard. €32 for residents or nationals of the EEA, which the tickets page labels the reduced rate.
Estate of Trianon ticket
- Includes
- The Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, their gardens and the Queen's Hamlet, from noon. It does not open the Palace.
- Price
- €15 standard, €12 reduced.
Gardens ticket for show days
- Includes
- The Gardens only, for a Musical Fountains Show or Musical Gardens day, with one entry.
- Price
- €15 standard, €12 reduced. The show page words the Musical Fountains Show rates as online rates, and this page shows no price for buying at the Gardens entrance.
Passport plus VR
- Includes
- Everything in the Passport, plus the 15-minute Light of Liberty virtual-reality experience. The official page says it includes skip-the-line access to the Palace after the experience.
- Price
- €42. The experience alone costs €7.
Palace guided tour
- Includes
- Added to a Palace ticket or a Passport. A speaker from the Palace takes visitors into rooms that are otherwise closed.
- Price
- €10 to €16 on top of admission, depending on the tour.
Car into the Park
- Includes
- The Park by vehicle through the Queen's Gate.
- Price
- €12 per vehicle.
To enter the Palace, every visitor books a time slot. Admission within half an hour of that slot is guaranteed only for tickets bought online, and an online ticket does not include priority admission, so you may still wait to enter the Palace on crowded days. Visitors under 18, and EU residents under 26, enter the Palace and the Trianon estate free but must still book a slot. Passport and Estate of Trianon tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
Fountain shows and musical gardens
In high season the Gardens cost money on show days: the Musical Gardens run from Tuesday to Friday and the Musical Fountains Show runs on weekends. On Mondays no show runs, so the Gardens are free. The Passport includes the Gardens on show days, and the Night Fountains Show is a separate ticket that the Passport does not include.
Groves open
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- 9:00 to 19:00
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- 9:00 to 19:00
Musical displays
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- 10:00 to 19:00
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- 10:00 to 19:00
Great Perspective, morning
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- 10:30 to 12:00
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- Not listed on the show page
Great Perspective, afternoon
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- 14:00 to 14:30, 15:00 to 16:15 and 16:45 to 17:00
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- Not listed on the show page
Neptune Fountain, 5 minutes every 15
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- 10:00 to 17:00 and 17:45 to 18:45
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- 10:00 to 18:45
Neptune finale
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- 17:20, except on the early-closing dates
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- Not listed on the show page
Mirror Pool, 7 minutes every 10
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- 10:00 to 19:00
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- 10:00 to 19:00
Water Theatre Grove fountains
- Sat and Sun, fountains
- Suspended, technical issue
- Tue to Fri, gardens
- Suspended, technical issue
Monday
- Garden entry
- Free
- Includes
- No show. The Palace and the Trianon estate are closed.
Tuesday to Friday
- Garden entry
- Charged: Musical Gardens day
- Includes
- Groves open with music and some fountains. The Passport includes the Gardens, or buy a gardens ticket.
Saturday and Sunday
- Garden entry
- Charged: Musical Fountains Show day
- Includes
- Groves, music and the larger fountain displays. The Passport includes the Gardens, or buy a gardens ticket.
A day plan for your date
A full day follows the official route: the Palace when it opens at 9:00, the Gardens and the Park from 10:00 to noon, and the Trianon estate from noon. On Tuesdays and weekends in high season the official FAQ advises being at the Palace as soon as it opens. The plan below moves around the Monday closing and the show windows for the date you pick.
A day at Versailles, Wed, Oct 7, 2026
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- Palace, about 1.5 hoursEntrance ATimed entry
- Gardens, groves and musicCharged today
- Estate of TrianonUntil 18:30
- Last admission, Palace and TrianonLast entry
The official visit routes give the time for each part: about 1.5 hours for the Palace, 2 hours for the Gardens and fountains, and about 4 hours for the Trianon estate in the afternoon. The official suggested-day page also puts the Palace at around an hour and a half, and the official routes call a visit that covers the Palace, the Gardens and the Trianon estate a whole day.
| Part | Official time |
|---|---|
| The Palace | 1.5 hours |
| Gardens and fountains | 2 hours |
| Trianon, afternoons only | 4 hours |
| A day at Versailles | Whole day |
Getting to Versailles from Paris
Three train stations serve the Palace, and the official suggested-day page says to allow at least half an hour for the trip from Paris. The RER C station is the closest, at 10 minutes on foot.
Train stations for the Palace
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- Versailles Château Rive GaucheRER C10 min on foot
- Versailles Rive DroiteLine P from Saint-Lazare17 min on foot
- Versailles ChantiersLines N, U from Montparnasse18 min on foot
The official page says to buy two tickets for a two-way trip or to use a Navigo, Mobilis or Paris Visite pass, and the Île-de-France transit authority lists a Metro-Train-RER Ticket at 2.55 euros for a single trip, valid by metro, train and RER throughout the region except at the airports (read Oct 5, 2026). Its page does not name Versailles, and the Palace FAQ says the T+ ticket is not valid for this trip, so confirm with the transit authority that this ticket covers your trip before you buy. Bus line 171 also runs from Pont de Sèvres, the end of Paris metro line 9, in 30 minutes without traffic.
Rules and exceptions
Most surprises come from five rules, each from the official pages read on Oct 5, 2026.
- Bags. Large baggage over 55 x 35 x 25 cm is not admitted on the estate. The practical-information page says the baggage check is suspended and that strollers and small bags are tolerated inside the rooms for now, while the rules page says free baggage checks are available at the entrances, so leave big bags at your hotel.
- Cars. The Park is free for pedestrians and cyclists, and a car entering through the Queen's Gate pays 12 euros per vehicle.
- Inside the buildings. Food and drink, flash photography, tripods, selfie sticks, knives and animals are not permitted. The FAQ allows animals in the Park but not in the Palace, the Gardens or the Trianon estate, and the rules page says only that they must be on a leash, so ask at the gate.
- Clothing. The official rules summary mentions no dress code, jeans included. We did not read the full regulation documents.
- Exceptions. Early closings, the exhibition opening hours, free first Sundays and the closing days are in the date picker above, by date.
Going alone or with a tour from Paris
Going alone means the official ticket, a train trip and your own planning. Our Versailles tours from Paris guide covers the other way to go.
Visiting with reduced mobility or children
These are the official statements, worded as the Palace words them. For anything specific to your visit, contact the visitors' team named on the official accessibility page.
- Entry. Visitors with a disability and a companion enter the permanent collections, the Trianon estate and the temporary exhibitions free of charge.
- The Palace and the Trianon. The areas open for unaccompanied visits of the Palace and the Grand Trianon are accessible. Only the garden level of the Petit Trianon is accessible, and the attics of the Palace are not accessible to wheelchair users.
- The Gardens. The Gardens are not easily accessible for people with reduced mobility. Non-motorized wheelchairs are provided free for the Palace.
- Children. Visitors under 18 enter the Palace and the Trianon estate free with a booked slot. On show days the Gardens are free only for children under 6. The tickets page says under 5, so bring proof of age for a 5-year-old and ask at the gate. Strollers are tolerated inside the Palace while the baggage check is closed, and they are allowed in the Gardens and the Park.
Visiting Versailles: questions
Can you just show up to the Palace of Versailles?
The Palace needs a time slot, and every visitor must book one. Palace tickets can be bought on site at the ticket office in the South Ministers' Wing, but admission within half an hour of the slot is guaranteed only for tickets bought online. Tickets for the Musical Fountains Show and the Musical Gardens are not sold at that office. Buy them online, by phone or at the entrance to the Gardens.
How much time do I need to see the Palace of Versailles?
The Palace takes about 1.5 hours by the official route. A day that adds the Gardens and the Trianon estate is a whole day, and the official ideal route runs from 9:00 to about 16:30.
Can you wear jeans to Versailles?
The official rules summary page mentions no dress code. It lists what is not permitted inside: food and drink, flash photography, tripods, selfie sticks, knives and animals. We did not read the full regulation documents.
Are the gardens of Versailles free?
They are free except on fountain-show and musical-garden days. In high season those days run from Tuesday to Sunday, so Monday is the free day. From the start of low season the official site says the Gardens and the Park are free every day.
Is Versailles open on Monday?
The Palace and the Trianon estate are closed on Mondays. The Gardens and the Park are open, and the Gardens are free that day.
Which train station is closest to the Palace of Versailles?
Versailles Château Rive Gauche, on RER line C, is the closest at 10 minutes on foot. Versailles Rive Droite is 17 minutes on foot and Versailles Chantiers is 18 minutes.
Can I bring a suitcase to Versailles?
Large bags are not admitted, and the official page sets the limit at 55 x 35 x 25 cm. The practical-information page says the baggage check is suspended, while the rules page says free baggage checks are available, so check at the entrance.