The Palace of Versailles isn’t just a tourist attraction — it’s one of the most extraordinary places on earth. The seat of French royal power for over a century, it is a building that was literally designed to make your jaw drop. It is a must see on your Paris itinerary.
There are two kinds of Versailles visitors: those who booked tickets in advance and those who didn’t who spent the first few hours of their visit in a queue. This page makes sure you’re in the first group.
Below is everything you need to know about Versailles tickets — the cost, how to pre-book, what different options include, where to buy them, and what options include reserved access.
⚡ Quick Facts — Palace of Versailles
📍 Location: Versailles, 30 min from central Paris by train
📅 Opening Hours: 9am-6:30pm| Trianon: 12:00pm-6:30pm| Gardens: 7:00am-8:30pm daily| Palace and Trianon Closed Monday
💵 Entry: Passport Ticket €35 timed access to Palace and Trianon| €15 Trianon only| Prices may vary by time and season – see chateauversailles.fr official website for details
💡 Best Time To Visit: Weekday mornings (Tue–Thu)| Arrive before 9:30 AM. Advance Booking Always Recommended
🚂 How To Get There: RER C from central Paris to Versailles Château Rive Gauche (10 minutes walk from station)
⏰ Time Needed: Half-Day (3-4 hours for Palace Only)| Full day with gardens and Trianon (6–7 hrs) ♿ Accessible: Palace and Grounds are accessible. See official website for details
→ Buy Versailles Timed Access Tickets Now
Timed entry · Instant confirmation · No Lines
The 5 Ways to Buy Versailles Tickets (Compared)
Not all Versailles tickets are equal. Ticket prices can also vary with season and timing. Here’s an honest breakdown of each option:
|
Ticket Option |
Price |
Skips Line? |
Best For |
Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Walk-Up ‘Passport’ or ‘Trianon’ |
€15-€35 |
No (average 1-3 hour wait) |
Nobody – this option is not recommended |
On Site. |
|
Official Website Timed Entry ‘Passport’ or ‘Trianon’ |
€15-€35 |
Partial. Timed entry line with others entering at that time. |
Budget travelers who plan ahead and do not want a guide. |
chateauversailles.fr |
|
Tiqets Timed Entry |
€12-€35 |
Partial. Timed entry line with others entering at that time. |
Travelers exploring options including garden show tickets. |
|
|
Viator Skip-the-Line Tour |
€55 (adult) |
Yes. |
Travelers seeking expedited entry and palace highlights tour. Meet at Versailles (transport not included) |
|
|
Guided Tour |
from €55 |
Yes. |
Travelers looking for variety of guided tour options including tours with transport. |
|
|
Paris City Pass |
€89-€299 |
Partial. Timed entry line with others entering at that time. |
Multi-day, multi-attraction Paris visitors. |
🇫🇷 Les Frenchies Tip: Timed entry options on the ‘official website and Tiqets offer you a much shorter wait to enter. Tiqets offers an easy interface to see different options- including garden musical fountain shows on the weekends. If you want to walk straight in – book a tour. Some tour options also include transport – which is good if you are worried about figuring out how to get to and from Versailles. Tours have the added benefit of providing deeper insight and background on the wonders of the palace and gardens.
What Do Versailles Tickets Include?
Ticket options for the Palace of Versailles, the palace gardens and the Trianon estates can be confusing. Here’s exactly what each ticket type covers:
🎫 Passport Ticket (€35)
- Full access to the palace interior and Trianon estate (all open rooms)
- Audio guide included
- Do not miss places like the Hall of Mirrors, Royal Apartments, Chapel, Opera House
- Entry to the gardens including on fountain show days
- Price may be lower dependent on season and timing.
- Ticket is non-refundable and not changeable (timed palace entry)
- Where to purchase? Palace of Versailles official website and Tiqets (check what’s included and description prior to purchase).
- Palace of Versailles is closed Mondays.
🎫 Estate of Trianon Ticket (€15)
- Full access the Grand and Petit Trianons, Trianon Gardens and Marie Antoinette’s Village
- Audio guide included
- Price may be lower dependent on season and timing.
- Ticket is non-refundable and not changeable
- Where to purchase? Palace of Versailles official website or as a walk-up (not recommended).
- Note. These sites do not open until noon.
- The Trianon estate is closed Mondays
🎫 Garden Ticket April-October (€12)
- Full access the Palace Gardens (April-October)
- Free Access November-May (no garden shows)
- Don’t Miss: Grand Canal, formal gardens, fountains, hedgerow mazes
- Grandes Eaux Musicales musical fountain shows run on Saturdays and Sundays from April to October. (ticket required)
- Jardins Musicaux fountain show runs from Tuesday to Friday (April-Oct ticket required)
- Grandes Eaux Nocturnes night-time fountain show takes place every Saturday evening (June-Sept ticket required)
- Where to purchase? Palace of Versailles official website or Tiqets
🇫🇷 Les Frenchies Tip: If you want to see the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon — and you should, they’re the most undervisited, most beautiful parts of the estate — buy the Passport and get access to the entire palace site. The separate ticket for the Trianons adds up to more than the Passport price if you try to buy them individually. The Trianon estate pass is good for return visitors who want to spent time exploring just this part of the site.
Does the Paris City Pass Cover Versailles?
Yes — the Paris City Pass covers palace entry at Versailles, which is one of the biggest reasons to buy it if Versailles is one of the stops on your multi-site, multi-day itinerary.
|
Pass type |
Price |
Valid days |
Versailles covered? |
Best For? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2-Day Explorer Pass |
€129.00 (adult) |
2 days, 5 attractions. Valid for 30 days from your first visit |
Yes. Timed entry, passport access |
Good if you’re also visiting Louvre, Orsay |
|
4-Day All Inclusive Pass |
€199.00 (adult) |
4 days, 43 attractions. Valid for 4 calendar days from first use. |
Yes. Timed entry, passport access |
Best value for busy museum and monument itineraries. |
|
6-Day All Inclusive+ Pass |
€299.00 (adult) |
6 days, 43 attractions. Valid for 6 calendar days from first use |
Yes. Timed entry, passport access |
For deep-dive art/history visitors visiting multiple sites per day. |
⚠️ Important: The Paris City Pass covers The Palace of Versailles but you still need a timed-entry reservation even with the pass. Book it on the official Versailles website (chateauversailles.fr) after purchasing your pass. Similarly if you only wish to visit the Trianon Estate you must book entry on the official website. Entry to Versailles includes garden shows. For more details visit the offical website.
Does Versailles Have a Skip-the-Line Option?
The short answer: yes there is reserved access for guided tours. However, pre-purchased, timed-entry tickets are also available and necessary if you want to avoid 1-3 hour lines between April and October and average hour-long waits at other times of the year. The walk-up queue at Versailles in peak season regularly runs 90–180 minutes. That’s time you’d spend standing outside the palace instead of inside it. This is why we urge you to pre-book timed-entry tickets or a guided tour of the Palace of Versailles.
The difference between reserved access (skip-the-line) and timed entry tickets is the guide. Guided Tours start around €20 over the standard ticket price. Guided tours offer navigation of this huge site as well as background, insight and opportunity to ask questions that you do not get in the audio-guide included with the timed-entry ticket.
When A Guided Tour With Reserved Access is most important
- April through September (high season) — worth it to navigate crowds and take in the best of Versailles
- Any weekend, year-round — lines form even in winter
- If you are on a short timeline visit to Paris – guided tours with reserved access can get you to the highlights efficiently.
- French school holidays and US spring break — extremely crowded
When you might skip reserved access
- Off-Season Weekday Mornings in January, February, or November — queues are minimal
- Self-Guided or Return Visitors. If you prefer to navigate Versailles without a guide and you have pre-booked timed entry tickets.
🇫🇷 Les Frenchies Tip: The timed-entry entrance is on the right side of the main courtyard as you face the palace — look for the ‘Online Tickets’ or ‘Billet Internet’ sign. If you go to the main ticket booths, you’ll be directed back to the queue. Check the Versailles website for current entrance instructions as they occasionally shift.
Versailles Ticket Tips & Common Mistakes
Top mistakes to avoid
- Arriving without a ticket and expecting to buy one quickly — queues regularly hit 3 hours in summer
- Booking tickets for the wrong date – check dates and AM/PM time slots carefully before purchasing
- Forgetting to book a separate timed-entry slot when using the Paris City Pass – Visit the official chateauversailles.fr website for details
- Not accounting for the Trianons — if you want to see them, buy the Passport ticket or if this is all you want to see buy the Trianon estate ticket. Also make sure you include up to 2 hours in your itinerary for this part of the visit.
- Visiting on a Monday — the palace is closed every Monday
- Missing the Musical Fountain Show — worth planning around if you’re visiting on a weekend in summer
Best time to visit for smallest crowds
- Tuesday or Wednesday, arriving at 9:00 AM (opening time)
- Off-Season: November through February (excluding school holidays)
- Weekday Mornings in Spring (March–April) before tourist season peaks
“The single biggest tip I give visitors? Go on a Tuesday, arrive at 9 AM sharp, and head straight to the Hall of Mirrors before the tour groups arrive. By 10:30 it’ll be packed. By 9:15 you can have it almost to yourself. That first half hour is magical.”
— Antoine, Les Frenchies co-host & Paris Local
🇫🇷 Want More Than Just a Ticket?
A guided tour includes reserved access, an expert guide, and if preferred transport from Paris. For first-time visitors, it’s the difference between seeing Versailles and understanding it.
→ See Available Tour Options
⏰ Versailles Opening Hours & Closed Days
|
Day |
Palace Hours |
Garden Hours |
Good to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tuesday-Sunday |
9:00am-6:30pm |
7:00am-8:30pm |
Last palace entry at 5:00 PM |
|
Tuesday-Sunday |
Trianon Estate 12:00pm-6:30pm |
7:00am-8:30pm |
Last palace entry at 5:00pm. Trianon estate is a 20 minute walk from entry gate. |
|
Monday |
Closed |
7:00am-8:30pm |
Palace and Trianon estate are closed. |
|
December 25th, January 1st and May 1st. |
Closed |
7:00am-8:30pm |
Palace and Trianon estate are closed. |
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Frequently Asked Questions – Palace of Versailles Tickets
How Much Do Versailles Tickets Cost?
The passport palace entry ticket costs €35 for adults (includes timed-entry, gardens and Trianon estate). Children under 18 get in free. The Trianon Estate Tickets Palace cost €15. Garden tickets for shows cost €12 (April-October). Prices can be lower dependent on season and timing. Garden entry is free November-May. Check rates specific to your dates and preferred times on Tiqets.com or the official Chateau Versailles website.
Can I buy Versailles tickets at the gate?
Technically yes — but in high season (April-October) you will typically spend 2–3 hours in line to buy tickets and enter. We strongly advise against walk-up ticketing at most times of the year. Even in winter, weekend walk-up lines can run 60–90 minutes. Always book Palace of Versailles tickets online in advance.
Does Versailles Have skip-the-line tickets?
Pre-purchased, timed-entry tickets for the Palace of Versailles offer a dedicated, time-specific entry that avoids long lines. Your e-ticket, purchased online will be scanned at entry lines marked ‘Online Tickets’ or ‘Billet Internet’ – usually to the right of the entry courtyard. If you want skip-the-line access – a guided tour offers direct access that by-passes lines. Guided tours (from Tiqets, GetYourGuide, or another company) have a dedicated entrance where your tickets are scanned and you walk straight in with your guide.
Are Versailles tickets free for children?
Yes — children under 18 of any nationality get free entry to the palace. EU residents aged 18–25 also get free entry. You’ll still need to book a free timed-entry slot for children online — they cannot simply walk in without a reservation.
Is the Paris City Pass worth it for Versailles?
It depends on your full itinerary. If you’re visiting 3+ paid attractions (Louvre, Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle, etc.) in the course of your Paris trip, the 3 Choice Explorer pass at €89 will save you money and the Versailles entry alone (€35) makes up a large portion of the value. If you are visiting multiple attractions over multiple days – the pass options are worth exploring. If Versailles is your only major attraction, buying a timed-entry, standalone ticket is more economical.
Do I need to print my Versailles ticket?
No — tickets purchased in advance online are issued as an e-ticket with a mobile QR code accepted at all Versailles entrances. Screenshot it so it’s accessible without Wi-Fi or data on the day.