Marc-Antoine, Versailles tour guide specialist
Versailles tour guide presentation: Marc-Antoine
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.
Always passionate about art and history, he 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). As an official Versailles tour guide, Marc-Antoine thinks storytelling lies at the heart of an entertaining tour. Thus, while visiting Versailles Palace, his guests can easily picture the daily life of kings and queens.
What drawn you to become a tour guide of history and art?
Personal experience. When I improvised the visit of a historical place I always found it frustrating. You don’t really know what to look at or what happened to the people who lived there and you are always afraid to miss out. So I started to enjoy guided tours better and better before I realized this job would really fulfill my desire for sharing knowledge and making people happy.
What makes you passionate about your job?
Guided tours are first and foremost about meeting people and sharing an experience, which I want to be unique for my guests. Are they familiar with art and history? Are they coming with children? Do they suffer from old age? Whatever makes their visit enjoyable and memorable is my primary concern so I constantly adapt my speech to my audience and make sure every tour is a different story.
How would you describe your style of guiding?
Both informative and relaxed : I use what people actually see during the tour – architecture, portraits, furniture, gardens… – to add anecdotes and comic relief. It helps the guests forgetting about the jet lag and the fatigue of a dense visiting program.
What is your favorite part of Versailles
The gardens. They are really magnificent, especially the groves which are hidden behind hedges and always offer surprising discoveries.
What are the tours that Marc-Antoine run ?
If you are keen to know more about the extravagant life and personality of France’s last Queen, this is the tour for you.
Price: 145€ / pers for 6
Duration: 4 hrs door-to-door
A perfect taster to Versailles if you are short of time or if you are a first time visitor. A private tour of the Palace and its gardens.
Price: 180€ / pers for 6
Duration: 5 hrs door-to-door
Go behind the scenes with your personal guide with exclusive access to areas closed to the general public.
Price: 220€ / pers for 6
Duration: 9 hrs door-to-door
An hidden gem! A magical place that inspired the construction of the Palace of Versailles. Come with us to see for yourself how the King of France found himself a rival. The largest, still inhabited private estate in France, Vaux le Vicomte will not disappoint.
Price: 180€ / pers for 6
Duration: 5 hrs door-to-door
Residence of the French King before becoming a Museum, who wouldn’t have heard of the most famous art Museum in the world? But with this tour, you will discover a more hidden history of this grandiose landmark. Plus, view and interpret our selection of the best artefacts found at the Museum.
Price: 90€ / pers for 6
Duration: 2,5 hrs door-to-door
Captivating art, impressive history, stunning gardens! Enjoy this and even more with this special tour, visiting two of the most alluring places in France. Learn about Monet & the Impressionist art movement in Giverny then immerse in the life of the French Monarchs in Versailles.
Price: 270€ / pers for 6
Duration: 9 hrs door-to-door