All about the Palace of Versailles Opening Hours and How Much Time to Set Aside for Your Visit

With its 800 hectares of surface, Versailles is a huge space with different things to see. Its palace buildings, museums, gardens... Sometimes, each of these attractions has a different schedule. Something to know so that our visit to Versailles is as organized as possible and we can avoid any unforeseen events. In this article I show you everything you should keep in mind regarding the schedules of Versailles.

The entire site includes several elements. The best known, without a doubt, are the Palace of Versailles and the gardens. However, there is much more, such as the palace outbuildings known as the Trianons, as well as some very special gardens in the Queen's Village.

There are so many things to see that you should plan your visit well. To do this, you can first decide what you want to see. Maybe you just want to stroll through the gardens with your family. Or you are an art lover and want to immerse yourself in the lavish classicist baroque of its palaces. In any case, to better organize your visit, I advise you to check here how to make the most of your time in Versailles. Anyway, this is the average time you will need to visit each of its attractions:

• Palace of Versailles: between 1 hour and a half and 2 hours.
• Stroll through the Gardens of Versailles: 2 hours
• Visit to the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Queen's Village: 1 hour

As we will see later, not all of them open at the same time. In fact, they do so in staggered order. A fact that should be known to better organize ourselves.

We begin with the jewel in the crown of Versailles, its magnificent palace. A masterpiece of French classicist baroque and undoubtedly the attraction you can not miss if you move to this World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Hours vary depending on the season of the year. Take note:

• April to October: between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Hoursfrom November to March: between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• Closing time for admission: half an hour before closing time.
• Closing days: Mondays (weekly rest day, December 25th and January 1st).

If you want to know everything that awaits you inside, discover the things to see at the Palace of Versailles. A practical tip I give you is to take a good look at the way you are going to get to Versailles from Paris. If you plan ahead, you can better control your arrival time and better design the time you are going to reserve to visit Versailles.

I also advise you, to avoid surprises with the schedules, keep in mind that at the time of access, you will have to pass a checkpoint. Generally, this will not delay your visit to the Palace. However, you should take this into account, especially if there are people waiting their turn before you.

But if you want to go with the maximum tranquility and not have surprises with the schedules, a very good option is to book a guided tour of the Palace with an excursion from Paris. This way you will only have to worry about enjoying yourself and you will not have to waste time.

The "domains of Trianon" are the attractions that are part of two palace outbuildings separate from the Grand Palais. These are two very interesting buildings that are also worth a visit. They are authentic fairytale constructions; an essential visit especially if we visit Versailles with children. They are the following:

• The Grand Trianon
• The Small Trianon
• The Queen's Village (gardens included in the Petit Trianon).

The opening hours of these palaces are as follows:

• April to October: from 12:00 noon to 6:30 pm;
• From November to March: from 12:00 noon to 5:30 pm;
• Closing time for admission: half an hour before closing;
• Closing days: Mondays (day of rest), December 25 and January 1.

The Trianon domains are the area that opens the latest. You can take this fact into account to organize your visit: first to open are the gardens, then the Palace of Versailles and, finally, the domains of Trianon.

Just a fact that will help you to better organize your time and optimize your visit to Versailles. The so-called Trianons, although small, have a lot to see and admire. A quick visit, but with a focus on what is important, could take you about 1 hour. This visit could be extended even further, especially if you feel like exploring the Queen's Village in depth.

The Gardens of Versailles are another major attraction not to be missed. It has a different opening hours. In fact, it opens one hour earlier than the Palace of Versailles and 4 hours earlier than the Domains of Trianon.

The opening hours are as follows:

• Hours from November to March: from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• Hours fromApril to October: 8:00 am to 6:30 pm
• Opening days: open every day of the year.
• Closing: if weather conditions are very adverse, they may be closed.

I advise you to set aside about two hours to visit, as there is much, much to enjoy. Here you can find out what to see in the Gardens of Versailles. Also, your visit may be longer if you consider having a picnic in the picnic areas (especially around the Grand Canal and the Pond of the Swiss).

And a tip that could come in handy to visit the vast expanse of the gardens of Versailles. There are transportation services, such as trains and trolleys, that can be used to get around the garden area more quickly. You should take this into account, especially if you go with your family or children. In the latter case, it is best to opt for the tourist train.

Versailles Park is known as the expanse of greenery, paths, walkways and flowerbeds that open on the sides of the Grand Canal. A pond almost 2 km long is located in front of the Palace.

This is a very popular area in Versailles for a stroll, given the peacefulness of its surroundings. And, above all, a perspective towards one of the facades of the Palace that will inspire some of your best photos. As if that were not enough, you can also approach the Grand Canal and even spend a pleasant time sailing on board. The schedules are as follows:

• April to October: from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Hoursfrom November to March: from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Opening days: every day of the year
• Closing: if weather conditions are very bad.

To make the best use of our time, it is always useful to know what our option for lunch will be: do we opt for one of the restaurants or for a food stall? Maybe bring the food and have a picnic? Here you can check out all the options on where to eat in Versailles.

The Carriages Museum is a museum of 1,000 square meters that is a journey through the history of France through its carriages.

There you can see the vehicles of the kings of France, but also of other important personalities of French history, such as Napoleon and some presidents of the Third Republic. If you plan to visit it, remember the opening hours:

• Hours from April to October: from noon to 6:30 p.m.
• Opening hoursfrom November to March: from 12:30 to 17:30 hours.
• Closing time for admission: half an hour before closing time.
• Closing days: Mondays (rest day), December 25th and January 1st.

The Grand Eaux is a show that takes place regularly during certain times of the year. It consists of a visit to the gardens of Versailles at night. A walk enlivened by the illuminated fountains and a fireworks show that can be enjoyed from the Grand Canal. If you are interested in this proposal, just take note of the opening hours:

• Hours: from 8:30 p.m. to 11:05 p.m.
• Event days: every Saturday from June 12 to September 18, as well as August 15 and September 25.

However, I recommend that you visit the Versailles website for possible changes in times and days.

A good thing to know, especially if you visit Versailles on your own and you plan to queue. I show you the closing times of each of the ticket offices of the attractions that require the purchase of a ticket:

• Palace ticket offices: at 4:50 pm from November to March and at 5:45 pm from April to October.
• Trianon domains ticket offices: 5:00 pm from November to March and 5:50 pm from April to October.
• Carriage Museum ticket offices: at 4:50 pm from November to March and at 5:50 pm from April to October.

Anyway, to avoid queues and to be fully informed of the options available to us, here you can consult everything about tickets to Versailles.

The Versailles site has several pedestrian access gates. It is also important to keep in mind the latest access time.

• Main gate: last access at 5:30 p.m.
• Queen's Gate: last access at 5:30 p.m.
• The Sailor's Gate: last access at 5:30 p.m.
• Gate of San Antonio: last access at 17:30

Yes, that's right! In Versailles there are little trains by means of which you can take a leisurely tour of the palace and its gardens. It is called Train Versailles. It is perfect for a tour of Versailles without fatigue. Or if we are accompanied by the elderly or children for whom a 2-hour ride through the gardens can be exhausting. Here are the opening hours:

• From November 1 to March 31: first departure at 11:10 am and last departure at 5:10 pm.
• From April 1 to October 31: first departure at 11:10 a.m. and last departure at 5:50 p.m.

With all this information in mind, you can be sure to visit Versailles and make the most of your visit. Once organized, just enjoy its beauties. Art, architecture, landscaping and relaxation are waiting for you.