Day Trip to Giverny and Versalles from Paris (small group)

 

Discover the Palace of Versailles, residence of the ‘Sun King’ and the home of Claude Monet, ‘Prince of the Impressionists’ in just one day. Make your own way to the meeting point, close to the Eiffel Tower, to meet your guide and small group of up to 16 people in time for an 8.30am departure time. After a 1-hour journey to Giverny, Traveling aboard an air-conditioned minibus, you will first visit the idyllic home of Claude Monet on the edge of Normandy. The leader of the Impressionist School lived here from 1883 to 1926, the colourful décor and pink brick facade are an intimate reminder of its former life. The precious collection of Japanese engravings is displayed in several rooms, hung in the marmer chosen by the master of Giverny himself. Claude Monet’s property at Giverny, left by his son to the Académie des Beaux-arts in 1966, has, after completion of large scale restoration work, become the Claude Monet Foundation, inaugurated in 1980. The huge Nymphéas studio, a stone’s throw from the house, has also been restored and contains the Foundation’s Shop. The gardens have been replanted as they once were and offer visitors the “painting from nature” which Claude Monet’s contemporaries considered to be one of his masterpieces. The rectangular Clos Normand, with archways of climbing plants entwined around brilliantly coloured shrubs, lies before the house and studios, offering from Spring to Autumn the palette of varying colours to the painter-gardner who was “ecstatic about flowers”. Lastly, the Water Garden, formed by a tributary of the Epte, lies further away, shaded by weeping willows. With its famous Japanese Bridge, its wistarias, azaleas and its pond, it has once more become that casket of sky and water which inspired the pictorial universe of the water lilies. You will enjoy a fabulous 3 course lunch at the “Moulin de Fourges” restaurant, a 200-year-old mill. The architecture of this listed site, dating back to the 18th century, draws its inspiration from the hamlet of Marie-Antoinette at Versailles. It offers a unique setting with its rural grounds and spacious terrace on the banks of the Epte. In the afternoon, we will take you back to the Golden Age of France with a visit to the Palace of Versailles. The chateau and gardens count among the most prestigious monuments of the world’s artistic heritage, and are certainly the finest and most complete achievement of 17th century French art. Former residence of the ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV, this sumptuous royal palace was home to three of France’s most illustrious Kings for over 100 years. The audio-guided tour of the palace includes the State Apartments of the King and Queen, Royal Chapel and Hall of Mirrors, a richly decorated gallery which boasts 357 mirrors, french bay windows and crystal chandeliers. At the end of your visit there is free time to discover the famous gardens à la française ; a 2,000 acre park designed by André le Notre with its magnificent groves, statues, and fountains. Highlights Full-day Giverny and Versailles tour from Paris Visit Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny Lunch at the Moulin de Fourges restaurant Guided tour of the Palace of Versailles Great-value tour includes entrance fees, lunch, and round-trip transport Small-group tour ensures a personalized experience Language Guided Tour in English inside the Palace of Versailles