Exact hours for the Palace, Gardens and Trianon, plus the crowd calendar locals actually use.
The estate runs on three different clocks. The Palace opens at 9:00, the Gardens and Park at 8:00, and the Trianon estate not until 12:00. The whole estate is closed on Mondays, and the Palace also closes on May 1 and some official ceremony days.
High season hours, from April to October, end at 18:30 with last admission at 17:45. Winter hours, November to March, end at 17:30 with last admission at 16:45. The gardens stay open later than the buildings in summer, until 20:30.
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Book NowPalace: 9:00 to 18:30 April to October, 9:00 to 17:30 November to March, closed Mondays. Trianon estate and Queen's Hamlet: 12:00 to 18:30 in summer season, 12:00 to 17:30 in winter season, closed Mondays. Gardens: 8:00 to 20:30 in summer, 8:00 to 18:00 in winter, open every day.
The Park, the free wooded area beyond the formal gardens, opens at 7:00 in summer and 8:00 in winter, and stays open until sunset for walkers, runners and cyclists even on Mondays.
Wednesday and Thursday are the quietest days. Tuesday is the busiest, because many Paris museums close that day and their visitors migrate to Versailles, and it is often a fountain show day on top. Sunday afternoons and Saturday mornings fill quickly year round.
Avoid free first Sundays from November to March unless your budget requires it: entry is free but the whole Île-de-France knows it. Rainy weekdays in January and February offer the emptiest Hall of Mirrors you will ever see.
Book the 9:00 slot and be at Door A by 8:40, and you will walk the State Apartments ahead of the tour groups, which surge between 10:00 and 11:00. The other calm window opens after 15:00, when day trips begin their journey back to Paris.
A proven afternoon plan: gardens and Trianon first while the palace is packed, then the Palace itself at 15:30 or 16:00. You trade the morning light for rooms you can actually stand still in.
April to June is the sweet spot: fountains running, gardens in bloom, days long, crowds heavy but manageable outside weekends. July and August bring the year's biggest crowds and occasional 35 degree heat, with little shade on the main axis. Carry water; fountains for drinking are limited.
September and early October offer show days with fall light and shrinking lines. From November to March you lose the fountain shows but gain free gardens, empty rooms and the palace at its most atmospheric, especially in low winter sun through the Hall of Mirrors windows.
No. The Palace, the Trianon estate and the Queen's Hamlet are closed every Monday. The Gardens and the Park stay open, and from November to March the gardens are free, so a Monday garden walk is still worthwhile.
For a morning visit, book the 9:00 slot and arrive by 8:40. Security opens with the palace and the first half hour is the emptiest the State Apartments will be all day. For an afternoon visit, enter the palace after 15:00.
45 minutes before closing: 17:45 in summer season, 16:45 in winter season. Ninety minutes is the realistic minimum for the interior, so book a slot no later than 16:30 in summer.
January, excluding the first free Sunday. November and early December are close behind. Among warm months, the first half of June beats July and August by a wide margin while offering the same long days and fountain shows.
Tickets sell out fast in high season. Book your timed entry today and enjoy free cancellation on most options.
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