In the 1670s, Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles on the site of his father’s hunting lodge. Louis was fed up with the scheming nobility and relocated the entire French court from Paris to a remote location where he could monitor them more closely. Versailles was designed to show off Louis’s absolute power as the Sun King and the wealth of the French monarchy. Today, Versailles is one of the most popular attractions in the world. In 2022, the palace had nearly 15 million visitors! That’s a lot of people crammed into those gilded rooms. Hopefully these Versailles visitor tips will help make your experience more pleasant.
You might be wondering if Versailles is even worth visiting. Yes, definitely! Especially since it’s so easy to get there from Paris. But having realistic expectations is key. And I strongly recommend signing up for a guided tour. (This is one of the few places where I think it’s worth it.) I opted instead for an unaccompanied tour, and the included audio guide wouldn’t play. There was too much interference from the thousands of other headsets in each room. This wouldn’t have been a problem except there weren’t any written descriptions to read. You can find tour information and ticket prices on the official website.
Palace of Versailles
The most dazzling room in Versailles is the Hall of Mirrors. The 73-meter-long hallway is lined with 357 mirrors which reflect the light from the wall of windows opposite. Golden pedestals hold crystal candelabras and the ceiling drips with crystal chandeliers. The painted ceiling shows off victories Louis XIV achieved during his reign.
The Hall of Mirrors runs between the king’s and queen’s state rooms. These spaces were open to any member of the court who wanted to watch the royal family going about their day. Note that many rooms are unfurnished because most items of value were auctioned off during the French Revolution. Other notable areas of the palace include the royal chapel and “gallery of battles.”
Mesdames’ Apartments
For a more intimate look at royal life, head to the Mesdames’ Apartments. Located in a private wing with a separate entrance, these are the rooms that Louis XV gave to his six darling daughters, two of whom stayed in residence until the Revolution. This lovely corner of the palace is furnished as though the ladies will return home at any moment and boasts full English descriptions in every room. Even better, hardly anyone else was inside!
Marie Antoinette’s Estate
If you want to truly escape the crowds, make like Marie Antoinette and leave the palace behind. In 1774, Marie moved into Le Petite Trianon, a “modest” mansion surrounded by gardens. Its secluded location meant she was able to enjoy some privacy away from the hustle and bustle of the court.
A decade later, longing for the simple pleasures of country life, Marie had a village installed on the grounds near her home. The “Queen’s Hamlet” consisted of 11 houses spread around a lake, along with orchards, vineyards, and a livestock enclosure. Peasants were brought in and soon turned the place into a working farm whose produce fed the royal court. Marie liked to visit the farm with her ladies-in-waiting and play the milkmaid in her replica dairy, further contributing to her reputation as a spoiled rich girl completely out of touch with reality. We all know how that turned out.
Le Grand Trianon
Marie Antoinette wasn’t the only French noble who wanted to escape the prying eyes of Versailles. Louis XIV needed someplace to enjoy private time with his mistress, so naturally he built her a palace. Le Grand Trianon is a vision of pink marble stretching languidly across the far corner of the grounds. After the Revolution, Napoleon had le Grand Trianon restored and lived here with Empress Marie-Louise.
Gardens of Versailles
Even in winter, without the famed fountains running or leaves on the trees, Versailles’ Gardens are still impressive. Pools of water reflect the ever-shifting sky, while bronze and marble sculptures embellish the immaculately tended walkways and parterres. Hidden groves bring to mind the covert meetings of lovers and revolutionaries alike.
Don’t leave Versailles without dining at Angelina. The restaurant is best known for its decadent hot chocolate, which was Louis XV’s favorite drink. But I was delighted to find savory items like foie gras salad and truffle ravioli on the lunch menu. (If there was ever a place to eat like a queen…) For dessert, I recommend the irresistibly light Millefeuille à la vanille Bourbon.
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Have you been to Versailles? What were your impressions?
Thanks, Heather, for this lovely blog! It brings back such nice memories. I’ve been to Versailles twice but many years ago, and fell in love with it both times. I definitely recommend taking a guided tour. Beautiful pictures and informative writing, as usual!
Thanks, Mom! I thought you’d like this one 🙂
I’ve never seen such a decadent place … stunning photos!
That’s exactly what Louis XIV was going for so I’d say he accomplished his mission! 🙂
Oh I absolutely love the interior, so elegant!!!
So. Much. Gold! It really is dazzling!
Our last visit to Versailles was to visit the Queen’s Hamlet again…one of my favourite areas of the Palace.. and to see the King’s private apartments. This was quite an experience. Even though we had a guide, we had to have a Palace guide as well and were accompanied by a security guard! There’s so much to see that you could keep going back again and again. Thanks for the memories your stunning photos bought back Heather!
Thanks, Jenny! I wish we’d signed up for a tour of the King’s Apartments this time around. It would have made the visit much more special. As it was, my travel partner couldn’t wait to get away from the crowds!
Thanks we’re going in June and staying in Versailles so we can get an early start i will look into getting a tour guide
Regards
Thats a smart way to do it, Britta. I hope you have a nice trip!
Loved getting a peek at Versailles through your photos but the visitor numbers are insane! I think I’d go crazy with such crowds!
Debated going to Versailles when I was in Paris a couple of years ago but then decided visiting in July would just irritate me too much. And I think I was right judging by the crowds in March. 🙂
Thanks, Kati! I cannot even imagine what it would be like in July. Probably an exercise in misery! That’s one of the reasons I enjoyed the Chateau de Fontainebleu so much – there was hardly anyone else there! Have you visited there?
Hi Heather,
No, haven’t seen any castles or palaces in France yet but would really love to! Chateau de Fontainebleu sounds perfect given my “crowd allergy”! 😉
Crowd allergy – I love that expression and am a sufferer as well 😉
Thanks for your comment, Kati!
My husband, my 6 yearly son, and I were just in Versailles 4 days ago and it was so crowded and hot we didn’t really enjoyed it. It was like being in Disneyland or New York on New Year’s Eve.
I strongly suggest to anyone to get tickets in advance marked with a specific time of entrance if you feel you must visit the palace. If you don’t get tickets in advance, you have to get in a long line to go through security first. Then, you get into another line to purchase entrance tickets. After that you get in another EXTREMELY long line to get into the palace. (You’re timed entrance is like a Fast Pass at a theme park, the line is short and it gives you priority. That is why it takes a long time for the rest of the visitors to get into the palace). Were was I? Oh! Lines…If you’re getting an audio you get into another line. Lastly, if you need to use the restroom you get into another long line (especially for women).
We bought our tickets in advance for the palace and the garden and it saved us 1-2 hours of waiting in line under the scorching sun. Children don’t pay to get into the palace, but if they are 6-17years of age, they do pay 8 Euros to get into the garden.
We honestly enjoyed the gardens much better than the inside of the palace due to the crowds. After 24 days of travel through 6 other countries before France, and having walked closed to 250 miles, we decided to rent a golf cart to admire the gardens. It costs 36 Euros for 1 hour and 8 Euros each quarter hour. We were under a shade. We stopped to buy lunch and ice cream and enjoyed it while we listened to the automated music and audio detailing a narration of specific places of importance in the garden. The gardens are beautiful and immense!
If visiting Versailles has been a dream of yours and you visit during the summer, then plan ahead and take at least one big bottle of water. If you have seen other palaces and if you think you can live without regret or trauma for not visiting Versailles, then I would recommend to postpone your visit to a less crowded time. My husband was upset that I didn’t talked him out skipping the palace.