This private day trip to Versailles with your hotel transfer has been expertly crafted to offer those of you who have already visited Versailles to delve deeper into the history of Versailles and see parts of the chateau you have never seen before. During this exclusive tour, get to Versailles rooms not open to public..
While our Unmissables Tour focuses more on the construction of the Palace, the establishment of the royal court in Versailles and the reign of the Sun King (Louis XIV), this exclusive tour explores the history from the reign of King Louis XV and XVI and the French Revolution of 1789 that led to the end of the Monarchy.
During this exclusive visit, you will have the privilege of discovering the Versailles secret rooms of Louis XV & XVI, which are not accessible to the public during the classic visit.
These Versailles secret rooms not only contain some remarkable works of art but they also shed light on the more private life and individual personalities of these last two Kings. The rooms are reserved and semi-privatized for you. As part of the visit you will also be able to visit inside either the Royal Opéra or the Royal Chapel (depending on which one is open at the time) which are only open to a select few.
Opening Days
6/7 (except Monday)
Meeting-Point
Your hotel or apartment
Duration
5Hrs (half day)
8Hrs (full day)
Access
Skip the Line
Transport
Executive car
Type of tour
Private, suitable for both Families and Corporates
Choose a 5 star private trip to Versailles.
Driving a car and telling interesting stories require different specific skills. For maximum enjoyment and safety, we offer you to be guided by an expert, licensed tour guide and driven by a specific chauffeur.
This way, your Versailles specialist guide will be completely dedicated to you with more time to delight you with entertaining stories and anecdotes. Meanwhile your safety and comfort will be taken care of by a professional driver.
Once you arrive at Versailles, you will skip the queue and enter the Palace via the reserved group entrance. The Apartments of King Louis XV and XVI have limited access which means not only will you avoid the majority of the crowd but you will also learn about the undisclosed world of the French monarchs. All of our guides are fully qualified professionals who are passionate about Versailles and will be delighted to share with you all the secrets of the palace.
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Note: To be able to guide in the Private Apartments, our tour guides have to be fully licensed by the government as well as undergoing specialized training from Versailles Palace itself. Only a handful of guides have this obligatory double training. You can be sure you are getting the best of the best. |
It was King Louis XIV – The Sun King who first created a suite of rooms for himself and his most intimate courtiers, away from crowds allowing him a measure of a private life. Later these rooms were extended and adapted by Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, to suit their personal interests and needs. Visiting this part of the Palace is a unique opportunity to get to know more about the real characters of the royal family and to take get a closer look into their private lives .
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Among the many rooms you will visit is the Dogs’ Room which, as its name suggests, was specially created for Louis XV’s favorite dogs to sleep in. At Versailles, even dogs lived in the lap of luxury! You will also explore the Dispatches Room, whose walls heard many of the private discussions between Louis XV and his secret agents. Your guide will not miss out the Clock Room, with its famous astronomical clock, a masterpiece of science and art, and at last but not least, the Royal Dining Room where the young Mozart performed in front of the Royal family. |
To complete your visit to the private Apartments, you will also have the chance to see either the Royal Opera or the Royal Chapel (depending on the opening hours). The Opera, though started by Louis XIV, was not finished until 1770 to celebrate the wedding of the future King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, despite its grandeur over the next 20 years less than 25 performances would actually be held there!
The Royal Chapel was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, one of Versailles most celebrated architects. Sadly he never saw his masterpiece finished as he passed away 2 years before its completion. One of the most famous of the Chapel’s events was the wedding of the young Marie Antoinette, only 15 at the time, and the crown prince, future Louis XVI.
Your tour to Versailles cannot be complete without seeing the gardens.
With its 70 hectares, the gardens are vast and not surprisingly, it is easy to get lost among the many different alleys. Your expert tour guide will walk with you through special paths to his/ her selection of the best places to see. When the gardens were designed, the King was 26 and he had a love for art and all things beautiful. For him and for the men of his time, beauty meant Classical Antiquity. King Louis identified himself with Apollo (nothing less!), the God of the Sun in Greek and Roman Mythology. Each grove, fountain and statue have been designed to tell the stories of this Greek mythology.
Together with your tour guide, immerse yourself in learning and in revealing the meaning behind the many wonders of the gardens! During your visit, you will also see the Orangerie and its amazing 2,000 orange trees, the French gardens as well as the English garden.
Your private VIP tour to Versailles Palace will include everything as described above plus the following:
During your lunch, you will have the chance to relax and enjoy the beauty of the park and take a hearty lunch in one of the restaurants (your guide will be happy to give you recommendations).
After lunch, your walk will take you to the Estate of Marie-Antoinette which forms part of the larger Trianon Estate.
Visit the Petit Trianon, a royal residence gifted to Marie Antoinette from her husband, allowing her to take refuge from the strict rules of the royal court. The famous Queen created a world of her own in this part of the estate, with the hamlet of cottages, a mill, farm animals and a dairy. Animals are still roaming the fields here, for the joy of many children!
This is a unique occasion to see, feel and appreciate the life of the most well known Queen of France.
At the end of the visit, your tour guide and your driver will take you back to Paris at the location of your choice.
Please Note:
How to book this tour?
This tour is available every day except on Monday. (the Palace is closed)
How to book this tour as a gift?
Why not offer some fun and educational ?
Further points:
As the Palace & its gardens are huge, we suggest you wear sneakers and comfortable clothes. Moreover, a bottle of water and some sunscreen will be welcome during the visit of the Gardens on Summer. On Winter, we advise you to wear some warm clothes for a best experience.
The best day to visit the Palace is on Saturday & Sunday: all the fountains are functional during the Fountains Shows. The fountains are working on Saturday & Sunday from April to October. The Musical Fountains show works on Tuesday and Friday.
The Queen’s apartment are closed for refurbishment until 2017. We propose you to replace these rooms with The Mesdames’ apartments. These rooms will give you an idea of what women apartment look like.
The Mesdames’ apartments were recently restored (2013) to their state of princely apartments. Mesdames, as the six daughters of Louis XV were referred to, settled there in 1752, but only two of them, Adelaide and Victoire – who did not marry and lived a long life – lived there until the revolution.
Next to the reinforcement of the security to enter in the Palace, the control may take longer than usual. Our skip the line tickets enable us to avoid the long queue. However you may have to wait a bit for the checking , especially during the high season.
Elisa is an Italian licensed tour guide , always smiling and full of energy. She moved to Paris more than twenty years ago and as soon as she discovered the city, she literally felt in love with it : today she considers herself half Italian and half parisian.
After graduating in Communication in Italy, she joined the famous French luxury brand, Hermès, where she was Customer Service manager.
Always passionate about art and history, she decided to start afresh a few years ago and become a licensed tour guide, graduating from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts). Visiting Versailles with Elisa, is traveling back in time and living an unique experience that you will never forget!
Elisa
Marc-Antoine is a French licensed tour guide and a true Parisian. Since he was a kid he has always enjoyed cycling up and down the city to discover hidden streets and architectural gems. After graduating in English, he joined the Associated Press bureau in Paris to become a journalist. He later worked as an editorial expert in PR companies.
Marc-Antoine
Yaelle was born and grew up in Paris. She is a 100% Parisian who loves her home city; its history, architecture, culture and gastronomy. She is a passionate and enthusiastic guide, who has a delightful desire to share her passion with customers from all around the world. Very personable and knowledgable, Yaelle will make you discover the bright side of Versailles in a local, funny and lively way. She will make your trip to Versailles and Paris a memorable expérience.
And always with her smile , and her sense of humor !
Yaelle
Lorenzo was born in Paris. He spent his childhood in Italy and returned to Paris in his early adolescence. He then studied French history and literature in the Sorbonne University and theater in private schools, where he discovered a passion for storytelling.
So he went back to historical studies and became a certified tour guide, dedicating himself to telling ancient and recent history of Paris using the techniques of storytelling. He is a keen history teller, joining together culture, history and art, he will take you for a trip back in time at the court of Versailles.
Lorenzo
Book one of our private experience to Versailles and get a safe & intimate guided tour with your partner/family.
Benefit from one of our gentleman drivers and his comfortable executive cars.
