---
title: "Palace of Versailles Entry Ticket: Skip the Box Office"
date: 2026-10-07
canonical: https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/palace-of-versailles-entry-ticket/
---
# Palace of Versailles Entry Ticket

- Ticket price: From 15 EUR per person (Prices checked 2026-10-07, prices may vary)
- Duration: Self-paced, plan 3 to 5 hours
- Best for: Cheapest way in, self-guided
- Tickets & passes
- Check availability: https://www.getyourguide.com/paris-l16/palace-of-versailles-full-access-passport-ticket-t59565/?partner_id=D7H7I6M&cmp=ticketspalaceofversailles_com_agent_markdown (GetYourGuide · This site contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you.)

- ★ Full access to the Palace, Gardens and Trianon estate on one ticket
- ★ Timed entry means a fixed slot in, but no fixed time to leave
- ★ Entry to the Musical Fountains or Musical Gardens show in season
- ★ The lowest price among every ticket and tour on this page

## Our take
This is the ticket I would book first for almost any first-time visit, since it covers the palace, gardens and Trianon in one timed entry at the lowest price on this list. The drawback is that nobody explains what you are looking at, so if the history behind the Hall of Mirrors matters to you as much as seeing it, pair this with a guidebook or step up to one of the guided options instead.

The **Palace of Versailles entry ticket** is the most direct way into the palace, from EUR 15 per person. It is a timed, self-guided ticket that covers the State Apartments and Hall of Mirrors inside the palace, plus same-day access to the Gardens of Versailles and the Trianon estate across the park. There is no guide included and no transport from Paris, so you book your own travel and your own pace once you arrive.

## What does the Palace of Versailles entry ticket include?

Your ticket covers a single timed entrance to the palace, where the booked time slot controls when you go in but not when you leave. Once inside, the same ticket also unlocks the Gardens of Versailles, the Grand and Petit Trianon, and Marie-Antoinette's Estate, all on the same calendar day. During the show season from April to October, it typically includes entry to the Musical Fountains or Musical Gardens show as well, though this depends on the exact date you book. Temporary exhibitions are included when the palace is running one.

## Is the Palace of Versailles entry ticket worth it?

For most first-time visitors, yes. You get the full site, palace plus gardens plus Trianon, at the lowest entry price among the options on this page, and there is no reason to pay for a guide if you are happy reading a little history as you go or beforehand. I would only skip it in favor of a guided option if having someone explain the Hall of Mirrors while you stand in it matters more to you than the savings, in which case our [skip-the-line guided tour](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-skip-the-line-tour/) covers similar ground with narration included.

## What will you actually see with this Palace of Versailles ticket?

The palace itself began as a modest hunting lodge for Louis XIII before his son, Louis XIV, expanded it into the seat of French royal power and moved the entire court there in 1682. The Hall of Mirrors, 73 meters long with 357 mirrors facing the garden-side windows, is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, and it remains the single most photographed room on the ticket. The State Apartments show the daily ritual of monarchy, from the King's Bedchamber to the Queen's formal reception rooms, and the gardens outside were designed by André Le Nôtre on a scale meant to be seen from the palace windows as a single composition. The Trianon estate, a separate walk across the park, is where Marie-Antoinette kept her private retreat and rustic hamlet, a deliberate escape from the formality of the main court.

## How much does a Palace of Versailles ticket cost?

This entry ticket starts at EUR 15 per person, with the time slot locked in at booking. Prices for palace tickets shift with demand and season, and EEA versus non-EEA pricing can differ, so treat this figure as a starting point and check the current price before you commit to a date. If you want someone to narrate the visit for you without paying for a live guide, the [audio guide ticket](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-ticket-audio-guide/) sits a little higher and adds a multilingual audio tour app.

## Getting to the Palace of Versailles from Paris

The easiest route is the RER C train to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, about a 10-minute walk from the palace gates, or the SNCF train to Versailles Chantiers, a slightly longer walk. Neither route is included with this ticket, so budget for a standard public transport fare on top of the entry price. If you would rather not plan your own transfer, our [guided train tour](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-train-tour-from-paris/) and [guided coach tour](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-coach-tour-from-paris/) both bundle the ride with the ticket and a guide.

## Who should book this Palace of Versailles entry ticket?

This suits independent travelers who are comfortable arranging their own transport and reading up on the palace before or after their visit, budget-conscious visitors who still want the full palace-plus-gardens-plus-Trianon experience, and anyone who has already done the guided introduction and now wants to revisit at their own speed. It is a poor fit for visitors who want history explained on the spot, since the on-site panels are informative but brief.

## Insider tips for the Palace of Versailles ticket

Book the earliest time slot you can get. The palace interior gets genuinely crowded by late morning, especially around the Hall of Mirrors, where everyone stops walking to take the same photo. Bring water and comfortable shoes, since the gardens alone can add several kilometers of walking if you continue on to the Trianon. Check whether your visit date falls on a Fountain Show day, since the gardens cost extra to enter on those days unless your version of the ticket already bundles it. Entry to the gardens themselves is free from November through March, so if you only care about the palace interior, the shoulder season can save you a separate garden fee.

## How does this compare to the other Versailles tickets?

Think of this as the baseline option: cheapest, simplest, and the right call if you are comfortable exploring on your own. Add the [audio guide ticket](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-ticket-audio-guide/) if you want narration without a live guide, or step up to the [skip-the-line guided tour](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-skip-the-line-tour/) if you want a real person answering questions as you go. For a day that bundles transport from Paris, look at the [train tour](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-train-tour-from-paris/) or [coach tour](https://ticketspalaceofversailles.com/tours/versailles-coach-tour-from-paris/) instead.

## What's included
- ✓ Entry to the palace at a selected time slot
- ✓ Same-day access to the whole Versailles domain, including the Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's Estate
- ✓ Same-day access to the Musical Gardens or Fountain Show during the show season, April to October
- ✓ Temporary exhibitions, when the palace is running one
- ✗ Transport to and from Versailles
- ✗ A guide or audio guide
- ✗ Food and drink

## Route and itinerary
1. **Arrive at the Place d'Armes for your timed slot**: Your ticket is tied to a specific entry window, so arrive 15 to 20 minutes early at the Place d'Armes in front of the palace gates. Security screening can add a short wait even outside peak season, and the queue moves fastest right when your slot opens.
2. **Walk through the State Apartments**: Once inside, you move through the King's and Queen's State Apartments at your own pace, roughly 45 minutes if you read the panels. These rooms show how Louis XIV turned a hunting lodge into the stage set for absolute monarchy.
3. **Stand in the Hall of Mirrors**: This 73-meter gallery of 357 mirrors and gilded ceiling painting is the reason most people book this ticket. Give it 15 to 20 minutes, and go either early morning or late afternoon if you want a photo without fifty heads in it.
4. **Cross into the Gardens of Versailles**: Your full-access ticket covers the gardens on the same day, so leave at least an hour here. The Latona Fountain and the Grand Canal are the two set pieces, and the gravel paths are flat and easy walking.
5. **Catch the Musical Fountain Show if it's running**: From April to October on select days, the gardens host a Musical Fountains or Musical Gardens show included with this ticket, timed to classical pieces from Louis XIV's own court composers. Check the show calendar before you book your date, since it does not run every day.
6. **Walk or shuttle to the Trianon estate**: Your ticket also covers Marie-Antoinette's Estate and the Grand and Petit Trianon, a 25-minute walk from the main palace or a short paid shuttle ride. Budget at least an hour if you want to see the Queen's Hamlet as well.
7. **Head back to Versailles Château Rive Gauche station**: There is no closing checkpoint, so you can leave whenever you are ready. The RER C station at Versailles Château Rive Gauche is about a 15-minute walk from the Trianon gate and runs trains back to central Paris.

## FAQs
### Does the Palace of Versailles entry ticket include a guide?
No. This is a self-guided, timed-entry ticket. If you want narration, choose the audio guide ticket, or book one of the guided tours instead.

### Is the Palace of Versailles entry ticket the same as the Passport ticket?
It covers the same ground, the palace, gardens and Trianon estate, in one timed entry, which is what GetYourGuide markets under both names.

### How long should I plan for a self-guided Palace of Versailles visit?
Most visitors spend 3 to 5 hours if they see the palace, gardens and Trianon in one day. The palace alone can be done in under 2 hours if you are short on time.

### Do I need a separate ticket for the gardens?
Not with this ticket. It already includes same-day garden access, including the Trianon estate, as part of the full-access entry.

### Is the Palace of Versailles entry ticket cheaper onsite?
Booking ahead online guarantees your time slot and skips the ticket office queue, which can run long in peak season even if the walk-up price is similar.

### What is the closest train station to the Palace of Versailles?
Versailles Château Rive Gauche, served by the RER C line from central Paris, is about a 10-minute walk from the palace gates.