Nov 1, 2024
Tour guide was very... - Tour guide was very patient and he explained the history very well. Helpful and answered politely whenever we asked questions. I find the entire tour well organised and Viator customer service response time was quick too.. yes I recommend this tour. But beware to clock almost 25k steps, you need strong legs and good walking shoes :)
Review provided by Viator
Aug 11, 2023
Great family memories of Versailles! - The guide was great and she spoke English very well.
We started the tour with the Palace of Versailles, then moved on to an overview of the gardens and fountains from the terrace above the Escaliers de Latone (Latone's Stairs) that gives a panoramic view of the grounds. The guide gives you hints about their favorite things to see, and then you are free to roam the grounds until your tour's assigned lunch time, when you meet at the restaurant (La Flotille) by the boat pond at the end of the long promenade between Latona's Fountain and the Apollo Fountain.
Lunch was excellent and very satisfying.
After lunch, you are given tickets (self guided) to the Trianon. I mention that the Trianon tour is self-guided, because one of the people in our tour group was upset because that she thought that the tour of the Trianon would be guided. Our family was glad that it was not guided because that allowed us to wander where our interests dictated at our own pace. BE WARNED; the walk from the restaurant to the Trianon is not short (but very rewarding). There are golf carts for up to 4 people available for rent if you prefer to ride to the Trianon. (You can not rent carts at the Trianon for the return trip from the Trianon back to the starting point - the carts are round trip from the starting point.)
HINT: There is a free app available for your smart phone that will give you a visual / audio guide to the palace, gardens, and Trianon estate from the official Versailles website. This app can be downloaded prior to your visit and viewed offline while on site (no internet connection needed once you have downloaded the app). We did not use this app, so I can't speak to how well it works.
We walked to the Grand Trianon and toured at our leisure, then went through the Petite Trianon to gain access to the trail leading to the Hameau de la Reine (Queen's Hamlet) - a group of rustic Normandy cottages around a man made lake that Marie Antoinette had constructed during her stay at Trianon. This is a real treat that is not to be missed, but it is NOT a short walk from the Petite Trianon. You can not ride a golf cart on the trails to the hamlet, so plan on walking to this site whether or not you have a cart.
When you initially get off of your bus, your guide will give you a meeting place in the parking lot and let you know what time you need to meet the group at that designated spot to board your bus. Make sure you keep track of how long it takes you to get to the farthest spot that you adventure away from the starting point on the terrace so you know how much time to budget for the return trip to make it back to the departure point in time to meet up with your group. We kept that in mind, and made it back in plenty of time to use the restrooms and visit the gift shop near the entry gates before joining our group in the parking lot for the ride home. Also keep in mind that it is a slightly uphill walk from the Trianon to the grand terrace in front of the palace, so plan on a few rest stops.
Overall, my family had a great time and made memories to last a lifetime! And we got in some nice healthy exercise in the mix.
Review provided by Viator
Nov 8, 2024
Great Experience! Definitely worth it! - Bus was on time and ready for us plus great guide through Versailles. Tour was great!! Had a wonderful time!
Review provided by Viator
Oct 2, 2024
Protest cuts short time at Versailles - Our guide was very good and informative. The only problem was that our bus was delayed an hour leaving because of a protest at Versailles. But instead of getting to stay an additional hour as we were told when we were picked up we had to leave at the original time. So our time in the gardens was cut short by 1 hour. Very disappointing.
Review provided by Viator
Aug 6, 2023
Highly recommend! - The tour was very good. The bus was very comfortable and it was nice to know transportation was looked after, especially after a full day tour.
Our guide Cecelia was very personable, knowledgeable and had some fun & interesting anecdotes! Felt a bit rushed in the Palace but I understand they limit viewing time to manage crowds and allow as many people through as possible.
The set menu lunch was ok. Good value for money but also felt a bit rushed and like they wanted us out as soon as possible. This was also a good opportunity to meet others on the tour and hear their travel stories.
When they said they’d pick us up at 6pm. I wondered what I’d do for 6 hours but in the end it wasn’t enough to see all the gardens & grounds. It is huge and truly magnificent!
Review provided by Viator
Jun 23, 2024
Stop! Don’t do it! Terrible tour operators in Paris! - When we arrived at the pick up location in Paris, the tour operators treated us with indifference and rudeness. They seemed dismissive and annoyed that I would be asking them if I was in the correct location for the tour bus. Then, when we arrived at Versailles, there was confusion for a good 20min, because they had reserved a Spanish speaking tour guide for our English only group. Then they rushed us through Versailles for the next 90min, only to then let us know we were on our own to find the gardens and Trianon and find our way back to the bus. There was then confusion at the bus area, since no one in our group received specifics on exactly where the bus would be or what it would look like or how it would be labeled. The only reason I gave 2 stars instead of one is because at least the Viator Paris team was extremely responsive via WhatsApp. This was greatly appreciated. Versailles itself was incredible. The tour operators however left much to be desired.
Review provided by Viator
Nov 6, 2024
Over Priced Bad Guides - I Was told this was an all day guided tour and it was not. The tour guide did not introduce himself and never gave his name simply “red umbrella”. Nor was he wearing visible name tag Red umbrella finished tour of Versailles castle approximately 10:35am. For visiting the Trianon & Queens Hamlet he told us to go to the garden and that it was a 35 minute walk each way. He was asked 3 times is there another alternative to walking his response go to the garden iI specifically asked if the path was well labeled and in English his response go to the garden. We got lost in the garden with no signs and contacted tour company for help and they refused to help. We also found out Trianon & Queens Hamlet did not open til 12noon. We should have been advised to grab lunch and YES there was a great option for getting to Trianon & Queens Hamlet, there is a small hop on hop off train which does a loop and takes you to all places. More efficiently audio phone with recorded tour are available at all locations. Better choice then bad guide that does not give you all the information and causes you to loose time and wander around lost for 1.5 hours pre purchase your own tickets get uber rent audio phone and use hop on hop off train. When i pay that much money for a tour i expect a complete tour not partial and a knowledgable guide
Review provided by Viator
Oct 23, 2024
Terrible & Expensive Tour - This is booked as an 8 hour tour with a professional guide. In fact, we received a 1 hour guided tour of the Palace. Then we were told that we had to meet back at the bus in approximately 45 minutes for the return bus ride back to Paris. Or, we could stay and visit Trianon on our own and find our own way back to Paris. This tour was a total rip off! It was extremely expensive! And it didn't deliver the benefits worth the cost! I asked Viator for 1/2 my money back and they simply said no. I will not use Viator again. And, I have written many reviews for Trip Advisor but I am now of the impression that Trip Advisor owns Viator. When you call Viator the canned message refers to them as a Trip Advisor company. I am thinking of deleting my Trip Advisor account as well and not using them for travel information. You can probably tell I am pretty irritated and unhappy with Viator and Trip Advisor.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 17, 2024
Skip Viator - This tour was a terrible disappointment! This was supposed to be a full day tour. We had a 1 hour guided tour of the palace. Then we were told we had about an hour to see the gardens and the Marie Antoinette hamlet unguided before returning to the bus. We were told we could stay longer but we would have to find our own way back to Paris. It also seemed as if Viator wasn’t running the tour but had piggy backed on some other tour operators. You could take the RER train and pick up a self guided audio device for 1/2 the cost and just as much benefit! I will think twice before I use Viator again!
Review provided by Viator
Sep 21, 2023
Worst tour ever - This was a terrible experience. Went from 8 hour tour to 10 1/2 hour, which made us miss our dinner reservation. The tour guide did 2 hours at the place and then left the tour group in the garden, no maps or direction was given. It was not a all day guided tour. Andre was mad that my husband had to go to the restroom and asked him why he didn't go earlier. He was irritable, seemed annoyed and did not seem to want to show the tour group anything. Stated in the garden, Lunch is over the hill at the restaurant. There were 3 restaurants and we were not told which one to go to. He did not know about any alternative transportation. "Well if you have 38 euros you can rent a cart if you want to spend the money." The train he didn't even suggest. We have taken tours on Viator for years and this was the worst one. We feel we should get a refund.
Review provided by Viator
