Giverny and Versailles in one day: the combo, hour by hour

Who I recommend it to, and who I don’t

I recommend it to visitors passing through Paris who have only one day for the countryside and who, without this option, would choose Versailles and skip Giverny. Here, they see both, with a driver, a guide, and two skip-the-line tickets. I don’t recommend it to those coming specifically for Monet. An hour and a half in the Fondation Monet, an hour and a half in the village, then the coach. No time to wait for the light to change over the pond, no time to return to the house once the crowd has passed. For them, the half-day excursion or the on-site guided tour is a better choice.

The schedule, hour by hour

The meeting point is at Place du Général-Kœnig, in the 17^th arrondissement, next to the church. No hotel pickup is included with this option. The coach takes about 75 minutes to reach Giverny. You then have 1 hour 30 minutes in the Fondation Monet, self-guided with the audio guide app and provided headphones, which matches the duration recommended by the Fondation for a self-guided visit. Then 1 hour 30 minutes of free time in Giverny: enough to have lunch in the village and walk up to Monet’s tomb at Sainte-Radegonde, about a ten-minute walk away.

The transfer to Versailles takes an hour. On-site, two hours of guided tour of the palace with an English-speaking specialist guide and skip-the-line access, followed by two hours in the gardens on your own. Return to Paris in 45 minutes. Meals, tips, and hotel pickup are not included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

The Giverny/Versailles imbalance

Three hours on one side, four on the other, and especially a guide for the palace but not for Monet’s gardens. The reviews, rated 4.5 out of 1,526, almost all mention the same regret: “a little more time in Giverny would have been nice,” “less free time at Versailles and more in Giverny.” One visitor also noted that despite the booking, she found a long line at Giverny. This isn’t contradictory with the skip-the-line ticket: the line she’s referring to is likely the one for the house, which is small and fills up just as the coaches arrive, between 10:30 and 11:30 AM.

My tip for making the most of the Giverny portion: head to the house first, right after getting off the coach, before the water garden. The line for the house grows faster than the one for the water garden. For the months when this makes the biggest difference, see best time to visit.

What the combined tour does well

The Versailles portion is solid: a guide who knows the palace, a skip-the-line ticket that matters more there than in Giverny, and two hours in the gardens, which is enough to see the grand basins and get away from the palace. Reviews mention guides who are “knowledgeable and clear” and a “very good driver.” For someone who has never seen either, the day is long but delivers on its promise.

Comparison with other excursions from Paris

Book the combined tour

If you prefer a full day for Giverny alone

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★ 4.8 · 238 reviews

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