Closing Time at Versailles: Small-Group Palace Tour After the Crowds with Garden Show from Paris

COVID Update From July 21st, all sites visited on this tour require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test completed within 72 hours prior to entry. You will also be required to provide a legal form of ID matching the vaccination or test results. You can read more about it here.

Take a walk through France's decadent past on this fully-guided tour of one of Europe's most iconic buildings, the Palace of Versailles. Using last-entrance tickets to enter after most of the daily crowds have departed, see the gardens and most famous rooms while learning the story of the rise and fall of France's (cut-throat) monarchs and the lavish, courtly culture they created in this opulent royal redoubt.

Your Versailles tour begins in Paris's city center, meeting your guide and a small group of fellow travelers. Then hop on a train for a comfortable ride to the outskirts of Paris where Louis XIV renovated his father's hunting lodge into the gilded behemoth known today as the Palace of Versailles.

Just as important as the Palace are the 2,000-acre gardens that surround - still considered some of the finest in the world. We'll begin our time at the Palace in these gardens, learning the story of their creation and how Louis went to some very extreme (and slightly nefarious) lengths to employ the finest garden designer in Paris. Learn the various symbolism packed into the gardens - guessing why there are so many references to the Greek sun god - and marvel at the immense fountains which still run on their original hydraulics. Although the fountains are silent during the week, if you visit on a weekend, you'll enjoy them as Louis did - spouting thousands of gallons of water in one of the oldest and most impressive displays of aquatic engineering in Europe.

Then we'll head straight into the Palace to wander among the most famed rooms where the last entrance of the day ensures most of the bustling crowds have left. As you walk from one sumptuous room to the next, learn about the courtiers and courtesans who lived here and how their lives revolved around balls, backstabbing, and actually, a lot of boredom, as they vied for the king's favor. Highlights include the King's State Apartments, including the War Salon and Peace Salon, and of course, the Hall of Mirrors - still considered one of the most impressive single rooms in the world. With art, symbolism, and imagery tucked into every corner, the expert knowledge of your guide will enhance your experience immeasurably; don't be shy about asking questions.

Your time at Versailles ends on a high note! We will lead you into the front, giving you the best - and most famous - view of this fairytale palace. Your chariot, er, train will be waiting to take you back to Paris, where you'll arrive at 7:30 PM, the perfect time to get a few dinner recommendations from your guide and enjoy an evening in the City of Lights.