2026 prices, a ticket comparison, opening hours and expert tips for visiting the Palace of Versailles without losing an hour in the queue. Book online, instant confirmation.
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Check availability →The Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited sites in France: close to 8 million visitors a year crowd into the Hall of Mirrors and the State Apartments. The direct consequence is this: without a ticket booked in advance with a timed slot, you risk facing two separate queues — one for the ticket office, then one for the security check.
This independent guide brings together everything you need to know to buy the right ticket at the right price: a comparison of the entry options, official 2026 prices, real opening hours by season, and the tips I’ve gathered over several visits to get in quickly and enjoy the estate without the crush.
One thing to watch: Versailles now requires a compulsory timed-slot booking to enter the palace, even with a full-price ticket or free admission. Booking online is therefore not a matter of convenience — it’s the condition for getting through the gates on the day.
The estate can be visited with several types of ticket, depending on whether you want to see only the palace, or also the Trianon Estate and Marie-Antoinette’s hamlet. Here’s how they compare.
| Ticket | What it includes | Guaranteed slot | 2026 price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palace ticket | State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, exhibitions | Yes | from €21 |
| Passport | Palace + Trianon + gardens (+ Musical Fountains in season) | Yes | €25 (low) / €32 (high) |
| Evening Passport | Same access, late-afternoon entry | Yes | from €15 |
| Trianon Estate | Petit & Grand Trianon, the Queen’s Hamlet | No | from €15 |
| Gardens (Musical Fountains) | Park, groves and the fountain show | No | €15 in high season, free off-season |
*Indicative prices based on the official ticket office (chateauversailles.fr). Residents of the European Economic Area get roughly €3 off. Always check the official price before you buy.
The main queue forms in front of the Royal Courtyard, beneath the golden gate. But not every visitor goes through the same door.
With a skip-the-line ticket and a booked slot, you go straight to the security check at the Pavillon Dufour. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your stated time, no earlier: they won’t let you in ahead of schedule.
Crowd levels at Versailles follow a very regular rhythm. Tuesday (right after the Monday closure) and mid-morning are the worst moments: the coach groups pour in around 10–11am.
For the gardens, the Musical Fountains Show days (weekends and certain spring–summer dates) are magical but cost extra and draw more people. Conversely, a winter morning in the frosted, free-to-enter gardens remains one of my favourite memories of the estate.
Since 14 January 2026, Versailles has applied seasonal pricing: high season from 1 April to 31 October, low season the rest of the year. The key reference points:
Tickets sold through our approved partner Headout include a small service fee, but also instant confirmation, a mobile ticket and, depending on the offer, flexible cancellation. For the full breakdown, see our dedicated prices page.
Several categories of visitor get in free or at a reduced rate. Worth checking before you buy:
Be careful: even when it’s free, the timed-slot ticket is still compulsory to enter the palace. Remember to book it. The Paris Museum Pass covers entry but not the slot booking, nor the gardens in season — a detail many visitors discover on the spot.
Versailles lies about twenty kilometres south-west of Paris. The easiest way to get there:
Allow a full day if you want to see the palace and the Trianon Estate: the distances in the park are considerable (the Grand Canal is 1.5 km long). A little train and the hire of electric buggies or bikes will spare your legs.
A few practical rules to avoid nasty surprises:
Versailles is vast and changes its face with every season. Use the themed pages of this guide to dig deeper into whatever interests you — from the Passport to the gardens, and the combined Louvre and Eiffel Tower options.
The palace has hundreds of rooms, but a handful of places hold most of the magic. If you’re visiting for the first time, don’t miss these highlights.
If time is short, follow this order from the Pavillon Dufour: apartments, Hall of Mirrors, then the Gallery of Battles before heading out to the gardens. That gives you the heart of Versailles in under two hours.
Versailles can enchant children, as long as you pace the day. The long runs of salons tire them quickly; the gardens, on the other hand, are an endless playground.
On the practical side: entry is free for under-18s, but a timed-slot ticket is still required for each child. Pushchairs are tolerated in the gardens but sometimes have to be left in the cloakroom inside the palace. Bring water and a snack — the food outlets are expensive and far apart.
The time you have completely changes your itinerary. Here are three formats that work.
A useful benchmark: the estate stretches over more than 800 hectares and the Grand Canal is 1.5 km long. Underestimating the distances is the most common mistake — always allow more time than you think to reach the Trianon on foot.
Each season offers a different Versailles. Choosing the right moment also means choosing the mood of your visit.
A practical reminder: the palace opening hours (9am–6.30pm) are stable all year, but the gardens close earlier in winter and the Musical Fountains calendar varies. Check the exact dates on the official ticket office before fixing your visit.
Yes. Entry to the palace is by booked timed slot, including with a free ticket. In high season the morning slots often sell out several days ahead. Booking online guarantees your entry time and saves you the ticket-office queue.
The Palace ticket gives access to the palace (State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, exhibitions). The Passport adds the Trianon Estate, the Queen’s Hamlet and the gardens, with the Musical Fountains Show in season. For a complete first visit, the Passport is usually the best value.
No, the palace is closed every Monday for maintenance and conservation. The estate is also closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. The gardens and the park stay open on other days, including Monday.
It’s free for all under-18s, and for under-26s resident in the European Union or the EEA, on presentation of proof. A timed-slot ticket is nonetheless still compulsory to enter the palace.
Allow 2 to 3 hours for the palace alone, and a full day if you add the Trianon Estate and the gardens. The park is very large: bring comfortable shoes or use the little train.
Yes, as long as you balance the visit. Children quickly tire of the rooms but love the gardens, the Queen’s Hamlet with its animals, the rowing boats on the Grand Canal and the Musical Fountains. Entry is free for under-18s, but a timed-slot ticket is still needed for each one. Start with the palace at opening, then enjoy the gardens in the afternoon.
Spring and autumn offer the best compromise: beautiful gardens, more manageable crowds than in high summer. Autumn also switches prices to low season from November. Winter is ideal for seeing the Hall of Mirrors in peace and enjoying the free gardens, even if the fountains are switched off. Summer remains the busiest.
Book your skip-the-line tickets online and save hours of queuing.