The Park of Versailles is free every day for visitors on foot and on bikes. The Park lies beyond the Gardens, around the Grand Canal. Half-hour hire costs €8 for a bike and €16 for a rowing boat.
Updated Hours and hire prices Palace of Versailles: the Park and Palace of Versailles: practical information, read ; tour prices read
The Park begins where the Gardens end. You can cycle here and picnic by the Grand Canal.
The Park
The Park lies beyond the Gardens. Straight paths cross the Park, which is enclosed by a wall with gates. Use the map of the Park gates to choose your entrance.
2 sheets of water shape the Park: the Grand Canal and the Lake of the Swiss Guards.
The Grand Canal is 1,670 metres long. André Le Nôtre designed it, and the work took 11 years, from 1668 to 1679.
In 1674 the Republic of Venice sent the king 2 gondolas and 4 gondoliers. The buildings that housed them at the end of the Canal became known as Little Venice.
The Lake of the Swiss Guards covers 12 hectares. Digging started in 1679 and ended in 1686.
Entry and gates
The Park is free for pedestrians and cyclists every day. Vehicles pay an entrance fee at the gate. If you have proof of disability, vehicle entry is free.
Choose your Park entrance by the area you want to visit. The Queen's Gate is to the north-east on Boulevard de la Reine, near the Gardens. The Saint Anthony Gate is to the north, near Marie-Antoinette's Estate. The Sailors' Gate is to the south, on the road to Saint-Cyr.
From the Gardens, the Little Venice Gate and the Menagerie Gate open onto the Park by the Grand Canal.
Car parks inside the Park stand at the Grand Canal, the Petit Trianon, the Grand Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet.
Opening times
The Park8:00 to 18:00. Every day, last admission 17:30
The Gardens8:00 to 18:00. Every day
Low season, 2 November to 31 March. open, you can enter open, last admission has passed
The Park is open every day, Mondays included. The hours follow the season, as in the Gardens.
Snow or strong winds can close the Park.
Bikes, boats and wheels
| Hire | Price | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Bike | €8 per half hour, €10 per hour, €21 per half day, €23 per day | Valid ID per bike as deposit |
| Electric bike or tandem | €16 per hour | Same hire points as the bikes |
| Rowing boat on the Grand Canal | €16 per half hour, €20 per hour | Standard capacity: 4 people; an adult in every boat; valid ID as deposit |
| Electric vehicle | €42 per hour | Standard capacity: 4 people; driver aged 24 or over; original driving licence as deposit |
| Little train | €9; €7 reduced rate; €5 for a single trip | Reduced fare for Friends and Subscribers of the Palace; free for children under 12; no service on Mondays |
Official prices, read 14 November 2026
You can hire bikes at Little Venice, on the bank of the Grand Canal. At weekends and on public holidays, you can also hire at the Saint Anthony Gate and the Queen's Gate. Bike hire closes for winter.
You can hire rowing boats on the Grand Canal outside the winter closure. Valid ID is required as your deposit.
Golf cart rental at the Palace of Versailles costs €42 per hour. You can hire an electric vehicle next to the Palace, on the terrace of the Water Parterre, or at Little Venice. Electric hire also has winter closures.
The little train stops at the Palace's north terrace, then at the Petit Trianon and Grand Trianon. The circuit also calls at the top of the Grand Canal near Little Venice before returning to the Palace. You can get on and off within a circuit.
What to do: Hire a bike if you want to ride around the Grand Canal. Take the little train if your goal is the Estate of Trianon, 30 minutes from the Palace on foot.
Rules
Picnics are allowed in the Park. You can also play ball games on the Saint Antoine Plain, between the Palace and the Trianon palaces.
You can cycle in the Park. Bikes are not allowed in the Gardens of the Palace or in the gardens of the Estate of Trianon.
Keep your dog on a lead in the Park. Dogs cannot enter the Gardens, except guide dogs with proof.
Drones and model aircraft need written permission.
The Park of Versailles lies beyond the Gardens, around the Grand Canal. The Park is free every day for pedestrians and cyclists. The Gardens charge admission on Musical Fountains Show and Musical Gardens days. You can cycle and picnic in the Park. Bikes cannot enter the Gardens.
You can hire small electric vehicles next to the Palace on the Water Parterre terrace, or at Little Venice by the Grand Canal. Hire costs €42 per hour. A vehicle seats 4 people. You must be at least 24 to drive and leave your original driving licence as deposit. Electric hire has winter closures. For a guided visit, compare Versailles golf cart tours.
Yes. You can hire bikes at Little Venice on the bank of the Grand Canal. A bike costs €8 per half hour, €10 per hour or €23 per day. You leave valid ID as your deposit. Bike hire closes for winter. You can cycle in the Park, but bikes are not allowed in the Gardens.
Yes. Rowing boats are hired on the Grand Canal for €16 per half hour or €20 per hour. A boat seats 4 people and must have an adult aboard. Valid ID is required as your deposit. Boat hire closes for winter.
The Grand Canal is 1,670 metres long. André Le Nôtre designed the Canal, and the work took 11 years, from 1668 to 1679. Little Venice takes its name from the buildings that housed the king's Venetian gondoliers. You can hire a rowing boat on the Canal.
You can board the little train in a wheelchair with the driver's help. Of the electric vehicles for hire, 6 are equipped for a wheelchair. Rowing boats are not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Plan your visit around the transport you can use.
With a guide
A bike tour covers the Park with a guide. Each tour below rides through the estate. The bike tours page compares more of them.
If you want to set your own route, hire a bike. Choose a tour if you want a guide and the included Palace entry.
Train travel and Trianon visits
With Blue Fox, 8 hours covers the ride and visits inside the Grand and Petit Trianon. Up to 14 guests share the day. Choose it for Trianon interiors before an independent Palace visit.
from €109 per adult
See the tourPark, Petit Trianon and Queen's Hamlet
Compared option: Classic Bike – English
Keep the morning free with Fat Tire's 4 hours afternoon ride from Versailles. Up to 15 guests visit the Petit Trianon and Queen's Hamlet before the Palace. You arrange your own travel to Versailles.
from €89 per adult
See the tourMarket, Grand Canal and Trianon grounds
Start at Bike About's Paris café if you want an escorted train ride to Versailles. The 8 hours 30 minutes day has up to 14 guests. After the market and Trianon grounds, you explore the Palace independently.
from €109 per adult
See the tourPrices in euros per adult, read : the usual lowest price of each option, without short sales. The booking page shows the price for your date. We add no fee.
Nearby
Fountains, groves and the days with free entry
Louis XIV's palace, open from 12:00
Three stations and the walk to the Palace
