Step inside one of Europe’s most opulent buildings on this fully-guided tour of the Palace of Versailles from Paris. Discover the immense fountains that punctuate Louis XIV’s gardens, the splendor of the King’s and Queen’s Apartments, and the incomparable Hall of Mirrors.

Travel on a comfortable train from Paris to Versailles. Immerse yourself in the sights, stories, gossip, and legends of France’s lost age of splendor. See where Louis XIII first built a hunting lodge that was later extended by his son into the royal palace you see today. 

Find out how the Sun King set aside nearly 2,000 acres for gardens. Learn how these came to be considered the epitome of the French style of gardens. Hear how Louis snatched his garden designer off another project out of jealousy. 

Watch as your guide points out details like symbols of the Greek sun god, Apollo, which Louis used all over the grounds as a reference himself as the Sun King. Admire immense statues and fountains, which still run on a system of gravity-driven hydraulics.

Visit during the weekend see and witness the fountain's full grandeur when they are turned. After the gardens, enjoy skip-the-line entrance into the palace itself. It’s the final entrance of the day so Versailles will be as peaceful as you can get it without renting it.

Find out how the enormous palace wasn’t just a home for the King. In its heyday, it was a literal gilded cage for thousands of nobles whom Louis kept here for much of the year to make sure they weren’t plotting against him. 

Go from one unimaginably decadent room to the next, as your guide brings the palace to life with stories of courtly intrigue and royal plots, while also giving you insight into the everyday lives of the people who lived here.

Head to the most famous and impressive rooms in the palace, from the Royal private apartments, where the last of the Bourbon monarchs lived out their private lives, to spaces like the War Room and Peace room, which hosted balls, concerts, and political functions. 

Marvel at the Hall of Mirrors, which is packed with so much art, symbolism, and imagery, that your guide will make sure to spend extra time there helping you decode it all. This is one of, if not the greatest and most ostentatious throne room ever created.

Feel free ask lots of questions and soak it all up. Since you entered the chateau from the back, you’ll leave from the front, making your last view of Versailles also the most impressive.