Versailles Palace Bike Tour with Market & Marie-Antoinette hamlet
Description
Discover the true beauty of Versailles on this full-day tour from Paris. Meet up at a train station in Paris and board the train to Versailles with your guide. You'll visit an award-winning French Farmers Market with fabulous food stalls. Leisurely cycle around the gorgeous 2,000 acres Royal Domaine of Versailles to see swaying wheat fields and lush green forests. Enjoy a picnic on the soft grass as you look out over a lake with swans in it. Visit two smaller chateaux called the Grand and Petit Trianon. Pet a sheep while you explore Queen Marie-Antoinette's adorable Private Farm village with thatched roof buildings. Learn all about the extravagance of King Louis and the French revolution from our fun and personable guide and, of course, visit the stunning Palace of Versailles with its famous Hall of Mirrors! All train and entrance tickets are included in our tour price.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Once the royal Palace of France's most famous Kings, the Chateau of Versailles is simply outstanding. We'll make a timed entrance reservation for you and you'll be able to stay inside of the palace for as long as you want at the end of the bike tour.
Opened in the time of King Louis 14th, the Versailles Farmers Market is outstanding! Your guide will give you a market tour to get you familiar with where all the best foods can be found. Then you will have 30 minutes of free time to roam the brimming food stalls and pick up whatever you want to eat for the picnic that will happen later in the day.
This was the hide-away of Marie-Antoinette! Seeking a complete break from royal life Queen Marie-Antoinette had this private farm village built so that she could pretend to be a commoner. You'll do a walking tour on the little paths through the village and farmyard and be able to pet some of the adorable animals that live there today such as the pigs, sheep, goats, geese, and cows.
With more than 2,000 acres of beautiful landscapes, fields of wheat and beats, an immense artificial lake, and perfectly trimmed trees the Royal Grounds will amaze you. We'll cycle around them in a leisurely way so that you can see the best of the Royal grounds without spending a lot of energy.
Built by Louis 14th as a summer house. This mini palace is where the French Kings would go to escape from the etiquette of the court but still be close at hand in case they were needed. You'll learn about the Grand Trianon's history from your guide and then be able to go inside of it and explore the beauty of its French gardens full of flowers. Tickets into the Grand Trianon are included in the tour price!
Enjoy your lunch while sitting in the soft grass gazing over the largest lake in Versailles. You’ll love the view over the lake of the Palace from this secluded part of the grounds. This is where you'll eat the picnic supplies that you purchased earlier at the Versailles Farmers Market.
Built for the King's favorite mistress Madame de Pompadour, this little chateau was later given to Queen Marie-Antoinette. You'll learn all about it from your guide and then have free time to explore inside and see where Marie-Antoinette used to sleep and eat. Tickets to the Petit Trianon are included in the tour price.
Feel the breeze and smell the trees when you ride through the lush green of the Royal forests. You'll see where the French Royalty used to spend their afternoons hiding from court protocol hunting stag, pheasant, wild boar, and fox.
The Royal grounds of Versailles have dozens of fountains and water displays on them. The fountain of Apollo is the most famous one as it represents the Sun God Apollo rising from the darkness to bring light. the world. King Louis 14th called himself "the Sun King" because he thought himself to be like Apollo as he brought light and wealth to his country.
Mirrors were extremely rare and expensive in the 1700s. So when King Louis 14th had his main reception hall completely covered in them it showed his great wealth and extravagance to the world. You'll have free time to visit the famous Hall of Mirrors and be able to take the perfect selfie as a souvenir of your time in Versailles.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please bring an ID for travelers under 18 years old
- All Tour participants over the age of 9 years old MUST know how to ride a bike solo.
- Children aged 6 months to 4 years old can sit in a child seat on their parents bikes. Infant seats are available if advised at time of booking.
- Children aged 5 to 9 years old can: cycle solo, if capable, or on a tandem attachment bike.
- Not recommended for travelers who weigh more than 270 pounds or 122 kilos.
Reviews(2,872)
We had an absolutely outstanding day at Versailles! Everything was perfect from start to finish. Meeting at the train station was seamless, and our tour guide immediately made everyone feel welcome with his friendly personality and enthusiasm. The market was incredible, and it was so much fun sampling all the different foods. The bike ride was definitely a highlight of the day it was easy, relaxing, and such an enjoyable way to explore the grounds. Our tour guide struck the perfect balance of being informative and entertaining, sharing fascinating stories and historical facts throughout the tour. The picnic lunch was another memorable experience. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow travelers while enjoying delicious treats we had picked up at the market. Learning about King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette brought the history of Versailles to life, and our guide's knowledge and storytelling made it even more engaging. The only downside was that the palace itself was hot and very crowded, but that's to be expected at such a popular destination. Aside from that, it was a truly perfect day and an experience we'll always remember. We couldn't have asked for a better way to visit Versailles!
This bike tour was the best thing we did in Paris so far. We loved riding along the royal grounds and we went to places which we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. Our guide, Aaron was amazing: his English was fantastic and he made the whole day fun with lots of interesting historical facts and stories. We couldn’t recommend him enough.
Thank you for your kind words! We’re so happy you enjoyed the Versailles bike tour and Aaron’s stories. We hope to see you again soon! Kind regards, - Alice
Very well made tour, with a local tour guide who effectively shows you the entire Versailles grounds. The tour is very enjoyable being able to move around quickly on good quality bikes, stopping to learn about the creation and history of late monarchial france. Noval lunch system by having a picknick on the grounds, getting the food from a local food market of amazing quality.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the Versailles bike tour, the guide’s insights, and the picnic experience. We’re happy you had such a memorable day with us! Kind regards, Alice
We had the best time with our guide Théo! His vibe was friendly and chill but he was also very knowledgeable. It was the highlight of our trip despite the heat! I highly recommend this trip.
We had a wonderful tour with Joris. He was super friendly, helpful, and told us about the history in an entertaining and easy to understand way. The bikes were in good shape and the ride was lovely. Very much enjoyed it.
We traveled to 5 cities across Northern/Southern France and Paris and taken several tours over 2 weeks. This tour was the entire family’s favorite tour because it literally had something for everyone! The directions to meet were perfect. Our first experience in the market was so much fun tasting food and then buying our lunches for a picnic. Our guide Aaron was our best guide of our vacation and we learned a lot, he was caring, helpful, just an all around great young gentleman! Once we finished in the market, we started our bike tour and it was a blast and Aaron was good about taking care of us. He even stopped when a lady from another tour fell off her bike as her guide was no where to be found and made sure she was ok. We had an amazing 80+ person in our group and he also looked out for her to ensure she finished with us. The tour of Marie Antoinette's garden was superb! This is amazing fun for the entire family and then you can walk the Palace. This is money well spent for a great time!
Thank you for your amazing review! We’re thrilled to hear that the Versailles bike tour was the favorite experience of your vacation. We’re so happy that Aaron made your day special with his knowledge, care, and kindness. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome your family again soon! Kind regards, Alice
Our host was wonderful, and the tour was really informative and great value for money, however I feel like the way it was structured wasn’t the best. We spent a full 8 hours riding around the gardens (which was fun and beautiful) but by the time we got to the actual palace, we were so exhausted and it was super busy that it was hard to take it in and enjoy it (and this was what I was most excited to see) I think if the palace was first and riding around the gardens afterwards it would’ve been much better. That said, still a great experience overall.
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour and found it informative and great value. We appreciate your comments regarding the itinerary and will take them into consideration to continue improving the experience. We’re happy you had a great time with our host and hope to welcome you again soon! Alice Kind regards, Alice
Joris is the type of guide that one will remember & talk about for decades. He’s entertaining ( literally sang his own history based songs) caring and our group just fell in love with him!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that Joris made your experience so memorable with his passion, knowledge, and unique personality. We’re happy he helped create such a special day for your group! Kind regards, Alice
Wonderful tour of the gardens and market! It was very hot out but the bikes (non electric) really helped us explore the grounds and Hamlet with ease. The breeze was wonderful!
This is the BEST way to experience Versailles. Would not hesitate to recommend to anyone. Felt safe the entire time. Comfortable pace for everyone. Guide was outstanding.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear that you had such a great experience at Versailles and felt comfortable throughout the tour. We will be happy to share your kind words with our guide. Kind regards, - Alice
