Versailles Royal Palace and Gardens Tour | Semi-Private Experience
Explore the golden opulence, royal history, and sheer magnificence of the famous Palace and Gardens of Versailles, with an expert, English-speaking guide on this semi-private tour, with no more than six guests.
Enjoy priority access to Versailles, the lavish golden palace designed by and for the Sun King, Louis XIV. Wander through the private royal rooms of the King and Queen, see the state apartments, admire the frescoed Chapel Royal, and walk along the famous Hall of Mirrors with its dazzling array of chandeliers as you learn all about the scandals and intrigues of courtly life in 17th Century France. Discover the enchanting gardens decorated with mythical fountains and step back in time to a bygone era.
- Discover the opulent Palace and Gardens of Versailles with an expert guide
- Explore the Kings private apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and Chapel Royal
- Admire the Queen’s Rooms, many priceless artworks & aristocratic portraits
- Hear about all the many scandals and intrigues of the Sun King’s courtiers
- Wander the magnificent gardens and admire the mesmerizing golden fountains
Semi-Private tours and experiences are guaranteed six participants max.
Our prices always include tickets and reservations fees (no waiting in lines!)
Our tour guides and staff are selected experts and speak perfect English
Easy to book and prepay your tours with our secure payment system
Eco-sustainable tourism, designed to respect and support local culture, art and traditions
Explore the golden palace and exquisite gardens of the Sun King, Louis XIV with an expert, English-speaking guide on this semi-private tour of Versailles with no more than six guests.
You will meet your expert, English-speaking guide at the heroic equestrian statue of King Louis XIV – the Sun King himself – situated in the forecourt of the palace in front of the gleaming golden gates. Skip the line and enjoy priority access through security, and begin you expertly guided walking tour of the legendary Palace and Gardens of Versailles.
Versailles was once the humble countryside hunting lodge of King Louis XIII, but in the 17th century, King Louis XIV decided to transform it into the most lavish palace Europe had ever seen. Not happy in Paris, he moved the whole French court and government there in 1682. As you wander through the King’s Apartments and the famous Hall of Mirrors with its dazzling chandeliers, you’ll hear how Louis called himself the Sun King and would perform the ballet dressed up as the sun god Apollo – with other members of the aristocracy made to dress up as the planets and orbit him as he pirouetted his way around the place! Yes, you will step back through the veils of time into a world of painted splendor, into a world inhabited by the fashionable French elite, a world of high heels, powdered cheeks and patches, of big wigs and bigger skirts, of priceless art, sumptuous interiors, hunting parties and masked balls – a bygone world of aristocratic privilege, that was all to come tumbling down in less than 100 years.
You’ll hear about King Louis’ wars – both abroad and within his own family. You’ll hear about how he was kidnapped as a child, which possibly led to his lifelong paranoia over his safety, and why he created his fantasy world of Versailles – where he could control every movement of every courtier, and quash any and all assassination plots.
Learn about the less-than-hygienic living conditions in the palace, and hear many royal scandals of love affairs and duels and gambling debts. Hear of ambitious cardinals and hotheaded princes. On your tour, you’ll see the sumptuous Chapel Royal, covered in gold leaf and frescoes where the ill-fated King Louis XVI married Queen Marie Antoinette, the beautiful and deeply unpopular Austrian princess. You’ll hear how the French Revolution brought about the brutal destruction of the French monarchy, aristocracy and Church – indeed the entire social order. The many trappings of wealth like Versailles were razed to the ground.
You’ll hear about the amazing 30-year restoration project of Versailles by Gerald Ven Der Kamp as you wander through the maze of magical, mythical fountains that adorn the extensive gardens. After a tour of the formal gardens, your guide will leave you to enjoy the rest of the estate at your own leisure, or escort you out of the palace.
- Priority tickets to Versailles Palace and Gardens
- Guided tour of Versailles Palace
- Hall of Mirrors
- Kings Apartments
- Chapel Royal
- Guided walk of the gardens
LivTours’ group size of max 6 participants is and always has been based on sustainable travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront of change and innovation in the industry. LivTours is committed to providing travelers with truly sustainable tours with the lowest possible environmental impact, all while supporting the local industries and people of each unique destination. To learn more about how you can actively support sustainable tourism and how LivTours is contributing, click here.
All LivTours Semi-Private Group Tours are limited to 6 guests per tour guide. Our commitment to maintaining our uniquely tiny group sizes can sometimes be a little tricky, mathematically speaking. For example, we want to ensure that traveling families and friends can tour together so on rare occasions we may add one or two guests in order to not split groups. On that same note, you may also find yourself on tour with less than six people! We thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
By selecting Choose Dates Later / Buy as Gift at booking, any tour can be purchased without fixed dates. This is the perfect option if you want to purchase your tour as a gift for a loved one, or if you are in the pre-planning phase of your vacation. After booking, you will receive a Travel Voucher Code and full instructions on how to schedule your tours when ready. Once your travel plans are confirmed, you can easily use the Travel Voucher Code on the LivTours website to formally schedule your tours. You can find out more here.