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

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 passes to enter the building after most of the crowds have left, you'll see its gardens and most famous rooms as you learn the story of the rise and fall of France's monarchs and the lavish (and cut-throat!) courtly culture they created in this opulent royal redoubt.

Your Versailles Tour from Paris begins in the city center. You'll meet your guide and no more than 18 fellow travelers before hopping on a train to Versailles for a comfortable ride to the outskirts of Paris where Louis XIV renovated his father's hunting lodge to create the gilded behemoth that we know today as the Palace of Versailles.

Just as important as the Palace, the 2,000-acre gardens that surround it are still considered some of the finest in the world. Your Versailles Tour begins in these gardens, where you'll learn 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. You'll also learn to read the symbolism packed into the garden - no prizes for 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 go on the 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.

Once you've seen the gardens, you'll skip the lines into the Palace for a tour of the most famous rooms. By utilizing the last entrance of the day, you will arrive after most of the crowds have left and see the palace as peaceful as it gets without renting it for a private function (which is actually possible). However, as your guide will explain, it'll cost you!

As you go from one sumptuous room to the next, you'll 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 apartment, the public State Apartments, including the War Room and Peace Room, and of course, the Hall of Mirrors, which is still considered one of the most impressive single rooms in the world. With art, symbolism and imagery packed into every corner, the expert knowledge of your guide will enhance your experience immeasurably; don't be shy about asking questions.

Your Versailles Tour ends on a high note! As you entered Versailles from the gardens, we'll make sure to take you out from the front to give 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, the perfect time to get a few dinner recommendations from your guide and enjoy an evening on the town.