In brief
Versailles, 20 km southwest of Paris, needs a timed-entry slot only for the Palace — the Gardens and Trianon estate don’t. A Passport ticket for the whole estate costs €35 in high season, €25 in low season, with a €3 discount for EEA residents. The Palace opens at 9 a.m., last admission 5:45 p.m. Under-18s and EEA residents under 26 enter free but still need a booked slot.
- Passport ticket (full estate): €35 high season, €25 low season, minus €3 for EEA nationals and residents26.
- Estate of Trianon only: €15 year-round, €12 for EEA nationals and residents2.
- Only the Palace requires a timed-entry booking; the Gardens and the Estate of Trianon can be entered at any point during their own opening hours1.
- Palace hours (high season): 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m., last admission 5:45 p.m., ticket office closes 5:40 p.m.; the Estate of Trianon opens at noon1.
- Gardens hours (high season): 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m.1.
- Versailles Château Rive Gauche, on RER C, is a 10-minute walk from the Palace1.
- Paris Museum Pass holders must exchange the pass for a free Passport ticket at the ticket office or online2.
- Free for under-18s and EEA residents under 26, with proof of eligibility and a booked slot12.
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This page covers what a Versailles ticket costs, which parts of the estate need a timed slot, how to get there, and a day plan built only from the durations and hours the palace itself publishes. For the wider set of decisions before any day trip from Paris, start at Day Trips From Paris. If you’re deciding between a guided visit and doing it yourself, see Versailles: Guided Tour or On Your Own?
Tickets and prices, as of September 2026
| Ticket | Low season | High season |
|---|---|---|
| Passport (full estate, standard) | €25 | €35 |
| Passport (EEA nationals/residents) | €22 | €32 |
| Estate of Trianon only (standard) | €15 | €15 |
| Estate of Trianon (EEA) | €12 | €12 |
| Gardens + Trianon combined | — | €20 (€17 EEA) |
| Discounted late-day Passport | €18 (from 3 p.m.) | €28 (from 4 p.m.) |
| “Light of Liberty” VR add-on | €7 alone, or €42 with Passport |
High season, for both hours and most of the tariff table, runs from April 1 to around November 1; the palace’s practical-information page gives the cutoff as November 1, and its separate ticketing page gives October 31 for the price change specifically16. Either way, a visit in September 2026 falls in high season.
Guided tours are a separate purchase on top of admission; how much they cost and what they cover is detailed in Versailles: Guided Tour or On Your Own? Group guided visits run €25 per person, plus a €10 per-person supplement for garden access on high-season event days7.
Who pays nothing. Free admission applies to under-18s (all nationalities), EEA residents and nationals under 26, ICOM cardholders, holders of a culture card, recipients of certain social-minimum benefits, and school groups. A disabled visitor and one companion get free access to the permanent collections7. Free admission does not remove the booking requirement: visitors eligible for free entry must still book a time slot online3. Paris Museum Pass holders are covered too, but the palace’s own tickets page is specific that they “must obtain a free Passport ticket” rather than simply presenting the pass at the door2 — so factor in the extra step before you go.
Who needs a timed-entry slot, and who doesn't
Only the Palace itself requires a timed slot. The Estate of Trianon and the Gardens can be entered at any time within their published hours, with no booking needed for a standard paid visit1. Booking the Palace online, rather than buying on arrival, is what guarantees admission within 30 minutes of your chosen time; without it, that guarantee doesn’t apply3.
Hours, as of September 2026
| Area | High season (Apr 1–Nov 1) | Low season (Nov 2–Mar 31) |
|---|---|---|
| Palace | 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m., last admission 5:45 p.m. | 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. |
| Estate of Trianon | Noon–6:30 p.m., last admission 5:45 p.m. | Noon–5:30 p.m. |
| Gardens and Park | 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m. | 8 a.m.–6 p.m. |
Sources for the table:1.
The Palace and the Estate of Trianon are both closed on Mondays, plus December 25, January 1, and May 11. The ticket office for the Palace closes at 5:40 p.m., five minutes ahead of last admission1. If you’re driving, note that the A13 motorway between Paris and Versailles was scheduled to close in the Paris-to-Versailles direction from November 16, 2026 to August 31, 2027; the palace’s own site recommends public transport instead for that period1.
A realistic day plan, built from the palace's own numbers
Versailles publishes both an ideal order for a one-day visit and estimated durations for its own suggested routes, so a day plan can be built from those figures alone rather than guesswork.
The palace’s FAQ gives this order for a full day, especially on the most crowded days: the Palace as soon as it opens at 9 a.m., the Gardens and Park from 10 a.m. to noon, and the Trianon estate and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate from noon to 4:30 p.m.3. Separately, the site’s own visit-routes page estimates a duration for each of those stops: “The Marvels of the Palace,” its short Palace route, takes about 1.5 hours and runs in every season; “Gardens and Fountains” takes about 2 hours, best attempted on a day without a fountain show; and “Trianon, Countryside Palaces” takes about 4 hours and only runs in the afternoon4. Laid end to end against the FAQ’s own schedule:
| Time | Stop | Official duration |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. | Palace (“The Marvels of the Palace” route) | About 1.5 hours4 |
| 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Gardens and Park (“Gardens and Fountains” route) | About 2 hours4 |
| From noon | Estate of Trianon opens | —1 |
| 12:30–4:30 p.m. | Trianon estate and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate | Up to about 4 hours, afternoons only4 |
Getting between the Palace and Trianon takes 30 minutes on foot through the Gardens and Park, or 20 minutes by the estate’s little train or an electric vehicle3. Both options are covered in the facilities the estate itself runs; the little train stops at multiple points in the park, and small electric vehicles, including wheelchair-accessible ones, are available on site5. Trianon’s own last admission, 5:45 p.m. in high season, leaves a buffer after the FAQ’s suggested 4:30 p.m. finish13. The Gardens stay open until 8:30 p.m. in high season, so there’s room for a slower walk back, or a stop at one of the on-site restaurants, without needing to re-enter a ticketed area15.
This plan assumes a single day. If fountains shows or the Musical Gardens are running, the visit-routes page recommends a different, fuller itinerary that combines the Palace, Gardens, Trianon, and the Gallery of Coaches across the day, rather than the shorter routes above4.
Facilities and what's on site
Versailles runs several restaurants and cafés across the estate, from a formal dining room to takeaway stalls for coffee and ice cream, plus shops selling guidebooks and Versailles-branded goods5. An audioguide costs €5 and is available in eight languages5. The estate also offers a free mobile app with an audioguide and interactive map, useful for finding your way around the grounds on your own4. Bike and rowing-boat rental is available seasonally on the Grand Canal5.
Two official Versailles pages disagree on left luggage. The practical-information page states that, due to health measures, the left-luggage service is “temporarily suspended,” with pushchairs and small bags “exceptionally tolerated” inside the state rooms in the meantime1. The separate facilities page lists free left-luggage lockers among the estate’s standing amenities5. Given the conflict, the cautious plan is to travel light rather than count on checking a bag on arrival.
Getting there from Paris
| Station | Line | Walk to the Palace |
|---|---|---|
| Versailles Château Rive Gauche | RER C | 10 minutes |
| Versailles Rive Droite | SNCF from Gare Saint-Lazare (line L) | 17 minutes |
| Versailles Chantiers | SNCF from Gare Montparnasse (lines N, U) | 18 minutes |
Source:1.
RATP bus 171 also runs from Pont de Sèvres, a journey of about 30 minutes1. Drivers exit the A13 at junction 5, with the closure noted above in effect from November 20261.
Accessibility
Disabled visitors get free parking with proof of disability, and non-motorized wheelchairs are provided at no charge; guide dogs are permitted with documentation1. The Estate of Trianon is reachable by car, bus, or the estate’s own vehicles, and manual wheelchairs are available free for the Grand and Petit Trianon as well13. The first floor of the Petit Trianon is not accessible to visitors with a motor disability, though a ground-floor multimedia room presents that floor and the attic instead3.
Tours worth considering
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You don’t need a paid tour to see Versailles: a Passport ticket gets you into the Palace, Gardens, and Trianon estate on a self-guided basis, and the palace’s own guided-tour add-on costs less than most third-party products (the details and price range are in Versailles: Guided Tour or On Your Own?). A paid product from outside the palace is worth considering in a couple of cases:
- You want an English-speaking guide for the Palace and one booking that also covers the Gardens and the Estate of Trianon. See the Versailles Palace guided tour with garden access. By the operator’s description the guide covers the Palace, and the Gardens and Trianon are self-guided afterwards.
- You’d rather not manage the RER or SNCF connection yourself, especially with a full day already planned around timed entry. See the small-group tour with transportation from Paris.
Skip a paid product if you’re under 18 or an EEA resident under 26: your entry is already free, and you only need to handle your own transport and the free timed-slot booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Versailles Passport ticket cost?
Do I need to book a time slot for the Gardens or the Estate of Trianon?
Only the Palace requires a timed-entry booking for paying visitors. The Gardens and Trianon can be entered at any time within their own hours1.
What is the ideal order for a one-day visit to Versailles?
The palace’s own advice, especially for crowded days, is the Palace at 9 a.m. opening, the Gardens and Park from 10 a.m. to noon, and the Trianon estate from noon to 4:30 p.m.3.
How do I get from the Palace to the Estate of Trianon?
On foot through the Gardens and Park, about 30 minutes, or by the estate’s little train or an electric vehicle, about 20 minutes3.
Is the Paris Museum Pass accepted at Versailles?
Yes, but pass holders must exchange the pass for a free Passport ticket rather than presenting it directly at the door2.
What are Versailles' hours in September 2026?
High season hours apply: Palace 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (last admission 5:45 p.m.), Estate of Trianon noon–6:30 p.m., Gardens and Park 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m.1.
Can I drive to Versailles?
Yes, via junction 5 off the A13, though the Paris-to-Versailles direction of that motorway is scheduled to close from November 16, 2026 to August 31, 2027, and the palace recommends public transport for that period1.
Is Versailles worth a full day?
Related Articles
Sources
- Practical Information — Château de Versailles. Accessed 2026-09-19.
- Tickets and Prices — Château de Versailles. Accessed 2026-09-19.
- FAQ — Château de Versailles. Accessed 2026-09-19.
- Visit Routes and Advice — Château de Versailles. Accessed 2026-09-19.
- Facilities — Château de Versailles. Accessed 2026-09-19.
- 2026 Ticketing — Château de Versailles. Accessed 2026-09-19.
- 2026 Tariffs — Château de Versailles. Accessed 2026-09-18 (via research).