3 Days in Paris with a Day at Versailles
Most first-time visitors to Paris ask the same question: is Versailles worth one of my three days? The answer is yes, on one condition: give it the whole day. The palace, the gardens and the estate of Trianon cover more than eight hundred hectares, and the people who leave disappointed are the ones who tried to see them in a morning and spent half of it in a queue. This route gives Versailles a full day and fits the essentials of Paris into the other two.
Day 1 is the heart of Paris: Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Louvre with a guide, then the Tuileries to the Place de la Concorde. Day 2 is Versailles: the State Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors at opening, a picnic by the Grand Canal, the gardens, the two Trianons and Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet. Day 3 is the Eiffel Tower in the morning and Montmartre in the afternoon.
The arrival day does not count. The three days can go in any order, but Versailles closes on Mondays and the Louvre on Tuesdays, so keep Day 2 off a Monday and Day 1 off a Tuesday. The planner sorts this out for your dates.
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This route at a glance
| Best for | First-time visitors who want Versailles without sacrificing the essentials of Paris, and history lovers who want the palace done properly. |
| Pace | Two full city days and one long palace day; the Versailles day is the longest walk of the trip. |
| Walking | 20.0 km on foot over three days (5.0 / 9.0 / 6.0) |
| Metro and RER | Line 1 and 4 in Paris; RER C from the center to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, about 40 minutes each way. |
| Tickets per adult | from €145 (Day 1 €89, Day 2 €25, Day 3 €31) |
| Book before you fly | Sainte-Chapelle, Louvre with a guide, Palace of Versailles, Eiffel Tower |
Tickets to book before you fly
Book the Versailles ticket and the Eiffel Tower first; they are the two that fix the shape of the trip. Prices start at the figures shown, per person.
| Ticket | From | Why book it | When to book | Used on |
| Palace of Versailles: entry, gardens and the estate of Trianon | €25 | Every visitor needs a time slot for the palace; this ticket covers the whole estate for the day, including the gardens on fountain-show days. | As soon as your dates are fixed, especially from April to October. | Day 2, 9:00 |
| Louvre, reserved entry with a guide | €64 | With only one morning for the Louvre, a guide gets you to the essentials first. | 2 to 4 weeks ahead. | Day 1, 12:30 |
| Sainte-Chapelle with the Conciergerie | €25 | The stained-glass chapel next to Notre-Dame, on a timed slot. | A week ahead. | Day 1, 9:45 |
| Eiffel Tower | €31 | The ticket that sells out first in Paris. | As early as possible. | Day 3, 9:30 |
Arrival evening: a walk by the river
Use the first evening for a short walk along the Seine and an early night. Day 2 at Versailles is long, and Day 1 starts with Notre-Dame at opening.
If you have time, check the Versailles fountain-show calendar for your dates: from April to October, the gardens hold musical fountain shows on many days, and the fountains are at their best then.
- The RER C to Versailles leaves from stations along the Left Bank, including Saint-Michel, Musée d'Orsay and Invalides.
- A single Ticket Métro-Train-RER covers the trip to Versailles.
- Pack comfortable shoes: Versailles is a lot of walking on gravel.
Day 1: Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Louvre
Start at Notre-Dame at opening, free to enter, when the restored nave is filled with morning light. Then walk five minutes to the Sainte-Chapelle for 9:45. Its upper chapel, almost entirely of thirteenth-century stained glass, is one of the most beautiful rooms in the world, and its ticket includes the Conciergerie next door.
Cross the Pont Neuf to the Right Bank and have an early lunch near the Louvre. At 12:30, enter the museum with a guide who takes you to the essentials in two hours: the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory, the Mona Lisa and the great French paintings of the Salle Denon. After the tour, stay on alone for whatever you want to see more of.
In the late afternoon, walk through the Tuileries Garden to the Place de la Concorde, where the obelisk of Luxor stands on the site of the guillotine, and look up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. It is the perfect preparation for Versailles: you will see how the axis of Paris was laid out by the same kings and gardeners.
Stops in order
- 8:30 · Notre-Dame Cathedral: free entry, at opening
6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Place Jean-Paul II, 75004, Paris - 9:45 · Sainte-Chapelle: timed ticket, with the Conciergerie
8 Boulevard du Palais, 75001, Paris - 12:30 · Louvre Museum: guided entry, then on your own
Pont du Carrousel, 75001, Paris - 16:30 · Tuileries Garden: the garden of the kings
113, 75001, Paris - 17:30 · Place de la Concorde: the obelisk and the view to the Arc
Place de la Concorde, 75008, Paris
The numbers for this day
| Walking | 5.0 km on foot |
| Metro and RER | Line 4 to Cité in the morning; walk to the Louvre across the Pont Neuf; line 1 home from Concorde. |
| Tickets per adult | €89: Sainte-Chapelle from €25, Louvre with a guide from €64 |
| Avoid putting this day on | Tuesday |
If it rains: The three monuments are indoors; take line 1 from the Louvre to the Concorde instead of walking the Tuileries.
Day 2: Versailles: the palace, the gardens and Trianon
Leave Paris by 8:00 to be at the palace for a 9:00 slot, before the tour groups arrive. Go straight through the State Apartments: the King's and Queen's apartments, the Royal Chapel and the Hall of Mirrors, seventy-three meters of mirrors and chandeliers where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919. Allow two hours inside. The palace is closed on Mondays.
Step out onto the terrace for the view down the gardens to the Grand Canal, laid out by André Le Nôtre for Louis XIV. From April to October the fountains play to music on many days; walk down through the groves, each a hidden outdoor room with its own fountain and sculptures, and have a picnic or lunch by the Grand Canal, where you can rent a rowing boat.
In the afternoon, walk or take the little train to the estate of Trianon, which opens at noon: the pink marble Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon of Marie-Antoinette and her Hamlet, a make-believe farm village with a lake, a mill and thatched cottages where the queen played at country life. Return to the palace gates by about 17:30 and take the RER back to Paris.
Stops in order
- 9:00 · Palace of Versailles: State Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors
Rue de la Chancellerie, 78000, Versailles - 11:30 · Gardens of Versailles: the groves and the fountains
Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles - 13:00 · Grand Canal, Versailles: picnic and rowing boats
Allée du Grand Canal, 78000 Versailles - 14:30 · Estate of Trianon: Grand and Petit Trianon, from noon
Esplanade du Grand Trianon, 78000, Versailles - 16:00 · Queen's Hamlet: Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet
78000, Versailles
The numbers for this day
| Walking | 9.0 km on foot |
| Metro and RER | RER C from the center to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, about 40 minutes; a 10-minute walk to the palace. |
| Tickets per adult | €25: Palace of Versailles from €25 |
| Avoid putting this day on | Monday |
If it rains: The palace and the Trianons are indoors; the gardens are big and exposed, so take the little train between them.
Day 3: The Eiffel Tower and Montmartre
After the longest day of the trip, take the Eiffel Tower slowly. Start at the Trocadéro for the photo, then go up at 9:30, before the crowds. The second floor gives you the best view of the city; from up there you can see the route of the RER to Versailles and, on a clear day, the forest beyond it. Have lunch on the rue Cler, the market street of the 7th.
In the afternoon, ride line 2 to Montmartre and climb to the Sacré-Cœur, or take the funicular with a metro ticket. The basilica is free, and the view from its steps is the best free panorama in Paris. Then walk through the Place du Tertre and the quieter streets behind it, the rue de l'Abreuvoir and the vineyard of the Clos Montmartre.
End the trip with dinner on the slopes of Montmartre and a last look at the city lit up from the top of the hill.
Stops in order
- 8:45 · Trocadéro Gardens: the classic photo
Paris - 9:30 · Eiffel Tower: second floor
5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007, Paris - 12:00 · Rue Cler: lunch on the market street
Rue Cler, 75007, Paris - 14:30 · Sacré-Cœur: basilica free
Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018, Paris - 15:30 · Place du Tertre: painters' square and the quiet streets behind it
Place du Tertre, 75018, Paris
The numbers for this day
| Walking | 6.0 km on foot |
| Metro and RER | Line 6 or 9 to Trocadéro in the morning; line 2 to Anvers after lunch. |
| Tickets per adult | €31: Eiffel Tower from €31 |
| Avoid putting this day on | Any day of the week |
If it rains: The tower stays open in light rain; in low cloud, swap the tower and the Sacré-Cœur dome for the Musée de Montmartre.
Departure morning: a last coffee on the Left Bank
On the last morning, have breakfast in Saint-Germain or the Latin Quarter, where the RER B to the airports runs from Saint-Michel and Luxembourg.
If you liked Versailles, the shops of the palace and the Louvre sell good books on the court of Louis XIV and Marie-Antoinette for the flight home.
- The RER B from Saint-Michel serves both airports.
- Keep your Versailles ticket: it makes a good souvenir.
- Allow plenty of time for an international flight.
Which day goes where
The three days can run in any order. Use this table to keep every sight off its closing day.
| Day | Closed on |
| Day 1: Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Louvre | Tuesday (Louvre Museum) |
| Day 2: Versailles: the palace, the gardens and Trianon | Monday (Palace of Versailles, Estate of Trianon, Queen's Hamlet) |
| Day 3: The Eiffel Tower and Montmartre | Any day of the week |
Versailles in one day: the plan at a glance
Versailles is a palace, a garden and a second estate, and each needs its own time. The table shows how Day 2 divides the day so that you see all three without rushing.
| Time | Where | What to see | Why then |
| 9:00 to 11:00 | Palace | State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, Royal Chapel | Before the tour groups |
| 11:30 to 13:00 | Gardens | Groves and fountains | Fountain shows run late morning on many days |
| 13:00 to 14:00 | Grand Canal | Picnic, rowing boats | A rest at the midpoint |
| 14:30 to 17:00 | Trianon | Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, the Hamlet | Trianon opens at noon and is calmer later |
Is Versailles worth it on a 3-day trip?
- Yes, if you love history, gardens or architecture, and you are happy to give it a whole day.
- Yes, if your trip is between April and October, when the fountains play and the gardens are at their best.
- Maybe not, if you only have three days and have never seen the Louvre, the Orsay or Montmartre; the classic route might suit you better.
- No, if you can only spare half a day: the queues and the scale make a half-day visit frustrating.
If you decide against it this time, the classic 3-day route covers Paris without Versailles, and the 4-day route adds Versailles as a fourth day.
More 3-day routes
- From the Bastille to the Liberation: the uprising of 1789 that emptied Versailles.
- 3 days with Disneyland: the other big day trip from Paris.
- Paris with Giverny: Monet's garden instead of the king's.
- Paris at an easy pace: the city with fewer stairs.
- Getting around Paris in 3 days: the RER C to Versailles.
- 5 days in Paris: Versailles without squeezing the city.
- All the 3-day routes, by theme