Opening Hours Of Palace Of Versailles
Palace of Versailles is not a single building with one simple timetable. It is a full estate, and each area has its own clock. The Palace is the headline visit and it is open every day except Monday. It runs 09:00 to 18:30 in high season (April 1 to October 31) and 09:00 to 17:30 in low season (November 1 to March 31). The key detail is that entry stops well before closing. In high season, last admission is 17:45 and the ticket office closes at 17:40. In low season, last admission is 16:45 and the ticket office closes at 16:30. If you arrive close to those cutoffs, you are not buying yourself a calm visit, you are buying yourself a fast walk.
The Estate of Trianon follows the same weekly rule (closed Mondays), but it starts later. It opens at 12:00. In high season it runs 12:00 to 18:30 with last admission at 17:45. In low season it runs 12:00 to 17:30 with last admission at 16:45. There is also an on-site rhythm to remember: the gardens around Trianon close at 18:30 and evacuation can begin earlier, so late entry is rarely a good idea.
The Gardens and the Park are open every day, and they are your best “flex time” if you want a slower Versailles day. In high season, both are listed as 07:00 to 20:30. The Gardens have last admission at 19:00. The Park stays accessible later, with a last admission time that varies by gate and is generally later than the Gardens. In low season, both are listed as 08:00 to 18:00, and some groves can be closed.
One more thing changes the experience for many visitors: on Musical Gardens and Musical Fountains Show days, access to the Gardens is not free. This is normal and planned, not a surprise fee, so it is worth checking your date before you assume you can wander in without a ticket.
If you are booking through Tiqets, use it to lock the right ticket type and your entry plan, then use the official last-admission rules above as your safety rails. Also remember the Palace requires a time slot to access the interiors, so your real “opening hour” is the time you can reliably arrive for your slot without rushing.
Opening and Closing Time
09:00 - 18:30 (The Palace)
18:30 - 09:00 (The Palace)
08:00 - 20:30 (The Gardens)
20:30 - 08:00 (The Gardens)
Opening Hours Table of Palace of Versailles
Day | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
Monday | Closed |
Tuesday | 09:00 – 18:30 |
Wednesday | 09:00 – 18:30 |
Thursday | 09:00 – 18:30 |
Friday | 09:00 – 18:30 |
Saturday | 09:00 – 18:30 |
Sunday | 09:00 – 18:30 |
Opening Hours Table of Versailles Gardens
Day | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
Monday | 08:00 – 20:30 |
Tuesday | 08:00 – 20:30 |
Wednesday | 08:00 – 20:30 |
Thursday | 08:00 – 20:30 |
Friday | 08:00 – 20:30 |
Saturday | 08:00 – 20:30 |
Sunday | 08:00 – 20:30 |
Closing Day
Closed Every Monday
Closed on 1st January, 1st May, 25th December
Last Entry Time
45 Minutes Before Closing
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Palace of Versailles is when you can keep the Palace visit calm and still have daylight and energy left for the Gardens. The least effort is to win by being first. A morning Palace passage has the advantage of a fluent passage of entrance, a larger area in the State Apartments, and a greater opportunity of pausing without being pressed on by the room behind you, in the Hall of Mirrors. and it leaves you a generous second act as well, the Gardens and Park, which are open later in high season than the Palace.
Select your day selectly. Mondays are the days when Versailles are closed, and there is a risk that the energy of the first day back can be introduced on Tuesdays, and weekends can attract larger numbers of people by their nature. Get to midweek, if you can. It is not that you have the estate to yourself, but that you have a visit that is not crammed.
Plan now about the actual cutoffs, not the closing time. Last admission is 17:45 in high season. In low season, it is 16:45. Late arrival means using your mind to do some time calculations as opposed to relaxing in the rooms. A wiser policy that is not so late is the converse: Palace first, Gardens last. By this, although the estate may be busy, you still maintain your own pace.
Change of season changes the mood. The high season is between April and October with longer hours of operation and demand. Lower season is November to March, where it closes earlier and it is a quieter atmosphere within the Palace. When interiors and fewer peak-hour surges are more important to you, the low season can be more comfortable. When gardens are your top priority, the show days in high season are spectacular, but it is important to remember that Gardens access is paid during Musical Gardens and Musical Fountains Show days and therefore you would want to plan this on the show days and not realize it at the gate.
Lastly, only one rule to yourself, do not strive to be last admitted. Intend to be indoors at least an hour earlier than it. When I am not in a hurry, Versailles is better.
Visitor Traffic Year Round
Months | Visitor Traffic Level | Note |
|---|---|---|
January | Low | Winter calm, easier entry |
February | Low | Quiet weeks, lighter lines |
March | Medium | Spring visits start building |
April | High | Holiday weeks raise demand |
May | High | Fountain days draw more crowds |
June | High | Long days, strong demand |
July | High | Summer peak across the estate |
August | Medium | Busy, but crowds spread out |
September | High | Strong return after summer |
October | High | Pleasant weather, busy month |
November | Low | Fewer tourists, calmer visit |
December | Medium | Holidays lift visitor numbers |
FAQ
No. The Palace is closed every Monday, and it is also closed on 25 December, 1 January, and 1 May. Always build your itinerary around Monday as a non-visit day
Even though closing can be 18:30 in high season, last admission is 17:45 and the Palace is large. Arriving early in the morning or by early afternoon gives you room to enjoy the main rooms properly.
To access the Palace, visitors must book a time slot. Your slot is your real entry appointment, so plan transport and arrival time around it instead of relying only on the opening hours.
The Gardens are generally free, but not on Musical Gardens or Musical Fountains Show days. Their opening hours also differ from the Palace, especially in high season when they stay open later.
Use last admission as your hard boundary: 17:45 in high season and 16:45 in low season, with the ticket office closing even earlier in low season. If you arrive near the cutoff, the visit will feel squeezed.
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