What to see in Versailles?
If you decide to explore Versailles on your own, our best recommendation is to get a good map (at the entrance of the Palace they provide you with one) or use Google Maps to discover the most emblematic places. To give you an idea of the size of the place, the gardens alone measure 77 hectares, and the public park, where Marie Antoinette’s house is, measures more than 400 hectares.
We always recommend taking a guided tour through Versailles because, apart from having the explanation of a guide, you will be able to visit all of Versailles without getting lost and knowing only what is worthwhile, saving you a lot of time.
Well, two small recommendations before: first, you must purchase your ticket in advance, in summer they sell out due to the number of visitors, we leave you here a post with the options available. The second one is that you visit Versailles Palace in this order, so you can maximize the time of your visit:
Palace (visit from 1:30 to 2:30 hours)
The Palace of Versailles is unique in the world, it has been emulated by many but has never been equaled. The person who commissioned its construction, King Louis XIV, defined an era in mankind’s history and his legacy in French culture is still present nowadays.
In itself, visiting the Palace is quite simple because all visitors follow the same path, it’s not like in other museums such as the Louvre, where you can visit many rooms in any order. It’s enough to follow the visitors to see everything there is to see: the Chapel, the Hall of Hercules, the main apartments, the gallery of mirrors, the King’s room, the Queen’s room, the Queen’s apartments, the room dedicated to Napoleon, and the Gallery of Battles.
The whole tour will take you between an hour and a half and two hours and a half, depending on how many people are there, or whether you want to see it fast or in detail.
Before starting the visit, once you are inside the Palace, you will find that there are audio-guided tours if you like. It costs 5 euros, and you have to return them at the exit of the Palace.
To visit the gardens, you should bring a map, we do not recommend that you visit without one because you can waste valuable time wandering around trying to find the small gardens, we often meet people who get lost.
Gardens (visit time from 1 to 3 hours)
If you find the palace impressive, you should know that King Louis XIV, who ordered its construction, loved his gardens more than his own Palace, and to understand why the French-style gardens have marked a whole era, you must walk through them.
When you get to the main section, where you can see the Latona fountain, the Apollo fountain, and the Grand Canal, you will see how big and beautiful they are. From there, you’ll see that trees give the illusion there’s a forest in the middle of the gardens. Designed this way to hide the surprises inside them: small, specially decorated gardens that you must visit if you truly want to understand the gardens of Versailles.
These small gardens or groves are hidden in 77 hectares of gardens. It’s strongly recommended to visit them, though only the most important ones: the grove of the Ballroom, grove of the Colonnade, grove of the Enceladus, grove of the Baths of Apollo, grove of the Three Fountains and if you like nature, also visit the little forest called the King’s Garden.
You should also note that on Saturdays and Sundays from April to October the fountains of Versailles lit at certain hours. Seeing them is quite a spectacle as it gives a different view of the gardens. These fountains also were designed in the time of Louis XIV, their operation remains the same as four centuries ago. The times when they are turned on change every season, so at the Garden’s entrance you can ask for the schedules.
Marie Antoinette's House (30 minutes)
This is the site where Marie Antoinette felt free and could be herself, away from the court living at the Palace. Although Marie Antoinette is known for her excessive spending, the house decoration contrasts with the luxury of the Palace. You will be able to enter the Queen’s intimacy, visit her room and understand why she is the most famous queen of France.
The house of Marie Antoinette (known as the little Trianon) is easy to visit. It will take you a maximum of 30 minutes. More complicated is getting to the house because you have to cross all the gardens and the public park. If you come from the Palace, it will take you about 40 minutes to walk, but if you come from the Grand Canal, it will take you about 10 minutes to get there.
Marie Antoinette's Medieval Village (1-hour walk)
Few people know that Marie Antoinette had a Medieval Village inside Versailles, therefore, few people visit this place. If you have the opportunity to come and see it, you will not regret it. This magical place enchants everyone.
To get there, the access is through the Marie Antoinette House or Petit Trianon, when you finish visiting it, you will go out to the gardens, and you must walk 10-15 minutes through the gardens to get to this medieval village. Here we recommend you bring your map because there are many ways to get there or get lost.