Skip-the-line Full-Day Excursion to Versailles: Guided Tour of the Palace and the Trianon with Lunch at the Grand Canal

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Palace of Versailles was the residence of three French kings, Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI, their courts, and the French government from 1682 to 1789. Your guide will stay with you throughout the day as you discover the majesty of the Palace of Versailles and its most beautiful rooms (guide commentary will be played through individual headsets). The supreme symbol of royal power, admire the sumptuous decoration, the palace's Baroque architecture, its works of art, and period furniture, all created by skilled craftsmen.

After your tour, spend time exploring the beautiful formal gardens before enjoying lunch in a restaurant near the Grand Canal. The second part of your visit includes an afternoon tour of the Small and Large Trianons and the Queen's Hamlet, located in a distant and peaceful corner of the palace's grounds.

Set off from our agency at 8:45 a.m. for a Paris to Versailles tour. Make the most of the 45-minute journey by air-conditioned coach and listen to your guide's introduction to the history of Versailles.

The Palace of Versailles covers an area of over 721,000 square feet and has more than 700 rooms. Follow your guide right to the front of the line with priority access to the palace's most beautiful rooms: the King's Apartments, with seven elegant salons all dedicated to a different god, and the Queen's Apartments, including the Queen's Bedroom, where Marie Antoinette once slept. Also, marvel at the majestic Hall of Mirrors, a large reception room in which to see and be seen, dreamt up by the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Designed to leave visitors to the Sun King speechless, this huge hall with marble and gilded bronze decoration was somewhere to stroll and meet. It was also the setting for sumptuous receptions and royal wedding balls.

After visiting the palace, make the most of your free time to explore the gardens: admire the many works of art (including more than 200 statues), fountains, ponds, flower beds, and trees.

After your stroll, enjoy an included lunch at the "La Petite Venise" restaurant in a peaceful spot right in the heart of the palace's grounds, near the Grand Canal.

Menu restaurant "La Petite Venise"*

Rocket salad with parmesan

**
Chicken supreme, mashed potatoes with oil olive

**
Fondant chocolate

**
Water
1 glass of red wine of Pays du Gard or white wine on request
Coffee or Tea

* Example of the menu, subject to modification

In the afternoon, your guide will take you on a tour of the royal family's secondary residences, including the large Trianon Palace of Versailles, a palace built for Louis XIV in the grounds. This pink marble palace is surrounded by delicate gardens and pools, making it one of the most elegant of all the buildings at Versailles. Also visit the Small Trianon, including Queen Marie Antoinette's boudoir, and the fairy-tale setting of the Queen's Hamlet. Like a small Normandy village, the Hamlet is home to 12 cottages, a lake, rivers, and a farm.

It was Marie Antoinette's favourite place; she would come here with her children and friends to experience the charm of country life and to amuse herself.

After visiting the Hamlet, return to your coach for your journey back to Paris. Arrive back in Paris at around 5:45 p.m.