Just 20 km from the hustle of Paris lies one of France’s most iconic landmarks — the Palace of Versailles. What started as a humble little hunting lodge eventually became the centre of royal power, extravagance, and drama for over a hundred years — up until the French Revolution put a rather abrupt end to it all.
The original building was expanded into a proper chateau by Louis XIII, who began buying up land to create grand parks and gardens. But it was his son, Louis XIV (famous Sun King), who truly went all-out. He turned Versailles into a lavish palace, partly to get away from Paris and partly to weaken the power of the nobility.
Construction began in 1661 and took nearly 20 years, with expansions continuing over decades. After the revolution, the palace sat neglected for years until Napoleon, Louis XVIII, and Charles X brought it back to life. Then, in 1833, King Louis-Philippe decided to turn it into a museum — and in 1837, the Museum of the History of France officially opened its doors.
Today, Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with more than 2,300 rooms and 800 hectares of sprawling gardens and parkland. And yes — it’s just as massive as it sounds.
How Long Do You Need at Versailles?
Short answer: an entire day. Long answer: depends on how much walking you’re willing to do and how much you want to see.
We arrived around 13:30, and even though we stayed until closing, we still ran out of time — much to my fiancé’s relief, as his legs had officially given up by then 😅. I, on the other hand, was suffering from serious FOMO. We missed most of the fountains — although the park stays open until 20:00, the fountains shut down at 19:00, and they began quietly locking the gates to the groves well before that. It was a bit confusing, especially since some fountains weren’t running earlier in the day either, so we weren’t sure what was supposed to happen or when.
We also didn’t make it to the Trianon Estate or the Queen’s Hamlet, which honestly still hurts a little.
Areas to Explore at Versailles
There are several distinct areas, and each one deserves a good chunk of your time:
The Main Palace
The palace is huge. Plan to spend at least 2–3 hours just inside. You’ll join the crowd flowing in one direction through a selection of rooms, including the famous Hall of Mirrors, Marie-Antoinette’s bedroom, the King’s Apartments, and the Royal Bedchamber.
It gets very crowded. At one point, there was barely space to move, let alone take a good photo. But funny enough, the second you step away from the main route, you suddenly find yourself almost alone. There’s so much space that the quieter corners are just a few steps away — perfect for catching your breath.
As for the palace itself? “Stunning” doesn’t quite cover it. The opulence, grandeur, and sheer extravagance are jaw-dropping. It’s not hard to understand why this level of luxury led to some serious class tension and — well — that whole revolution thing.
The Gardens
Talk about massive. The gardens of Versailles cover roughly 800 hectares (2,000 acres). Between the formal gardens, woodlands, winding groves, and the estate buildings of the Grand and Petit Trianon you could spend a whole day here alone.
You’ll definitely want comfy shoes. There are endless groves and hidden paths to explore — many with fountains tucked away inside. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting during the Musical Fountains Show, it’s a lovely change of pace with classical music and water choreography.
That said… the show wasn’t as magical as I’d hoped. It honestly felt like most other fountain shows I’ve seen, and it was a bit tricky to locate which fountains were running and when. They don’t all turn on at once — they’re on a rotating schedule. (You can check the schedule here: Fountain Timetable).
If walking isn’t your thing, you can rent a buggy cart to cruise the grounds — just don’t wait too late like we did. By the time we got there, the carts were already “fully booked” for the day.
For something a bit more romantic, you can even rent a rowboat on the lake. There are combination tickets available online that include a boat ride, and I’m fairly sure you can buy them on-site too (though I didn’t double-check).
Trianon and Queen’s Hamlet
If you’re crossing the gardens to reach Trianon or the Queen’s Hamlet, prepare for more walking. And make sure to head there early enough — we didn’t make it in time and I’m still not over it. From what I’ve read, these parts of the estate are much quieter and more peaceful than the palace itself, offering a great escape from the crowds.
Where to eat
If you’re visiting Versailles on a budget, bringing your own food is a great option. The gardens have plenty of benches and green spaces where you can sit down, relax, and enjoy your meal with a royal view.
That said, there are also plenty of restaurants and cafés both inside the palace grounds and in the nearby town. We ended up trying two during our visit — because after hours of walking, and thanks to pregnancy hunger kicking in, I needed food immediately. 😅
“Ore – Ducasse au Château de Versailles”
This is the upscale restaurant right inside the palace, and… let’s just say it was not our best decision. We knew it would be pricey — and the food was good — but the real issue was the wait time. It took over an hour (closer to 1.5) to get our food. We were literally standing up and ready to cancel when it finally arrived.
Unfortunately, this long lunch meant we had to skip a few parts of the estate, which was super frustrating — especially given how limited our time was. Later, I looked at the reviews and, surprise! We weren’t the only ones waiting ages for food. So… unless you’re going for the experience or have time to spare, maybe skip this one.
“La Buvette du Dauphin”
Later in the day, while exploring the groves, we stumbled across this little garden café — and it turned out to be a much better experience. We got food fairly quickly, the spot was peaceful, and it felt amazing to finally sit down and refuel. My fiancé especially appreciated it, as his legs were very much in “please no more walking” mode by then. 😄
Tickets
Buy your tickets in advance! I cannot stress this enough. You can buy them on the spot, but there’s a good chance you’ll get turned away — we saw a few unlucky tourists get denied at the gate while we waited in line.
I’m not the world’s best planner (ahem), so I booked tickets just a week before our trip. Out of all the days we were there, the earliest slot I could get was 14:00. You can book tickets up to 3 months in advance, so if you’re more organized than I am — go for it.
We chose the “Passport” ticket, which gives you access to everything: the Palace, Gardens, Trianon Estate, and the Coach Gallery (open on weekends).
Note that if there’s no fountain show happening, the gardens are free to enter. But if there is a show, you’ll need a ticket.
Also — the website is a little… glitchy. It might show available dates, but then no available time slots. Or sometimes you won’t know availability until after you click through several steps. Not the smoothest user experience, let’s just say. 😅
One important detail: there’s a 30-minute window for timed tickets. So if your ticket is for 3 PM, you can enter between 2:30 and 3:30 PM. We queued up at 13:00 for our 14:00 entry and were among the first to enter when the gates opened at 13:30.
And some good news! If you’re:
- Under 18
- An EU resident under 26
- A person with a disability (plus one accompanying person)
you can enter for free.
How to get there
It’s super easy! Versailles is well-connected by public transport. I used Google Maps to check the best route and hopped on the RER C train. A single ride cost about €2.50. Grab a travel card at the station, or top it up at one of the machines or via phone.
Once you get off the train, it’s a short walk to the palace — and honestly, you can just follow the flow of people heading in that direction.
