One day at Versailles is enough to see the highlights, but two days lets you see them properly. The palace alone takes about three hours, the estate of Trianon and the gardens fill another half day, and the town has its own market, museums and royal sites. This itinerary spreads the sights across two days so you are never rushed, and it keeps one rule in mind throughout: the palace and the Trianon estate are closed on Mondays, so build the trip around a Tuesday to Sunday.
Day one, morning: the palace
Book a timed ticket in advance and aim for the first slot of the day. In low season, from November to March, the palace opens at 9:00 with last entry at 16:45, and an early start means you reach the State Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors before the crowds build. Allow about three hours, and consider a guided visit if you like the stories explained. If you want the gallery explained in detail, the Hall of Mirrors tour with priority entry is a useful alternative to the standard route.
Day one, afternoon: the Notre-Dame quarter
Leave the palace for lunch in the old town. The Notre-Dame market has covered halls open Tuesday to Sunday and open-air stalls on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings, so a picnic or a quick lunch from the halls is easy before the market closes in the early afternoon. After lunch, walk to the Royal Tennis Court, where the deputies took the Tennis Court Oath in 1789, and the Gallery of Coaches, both free. If you prefer a museum, the Musée Lambinet tells the story of the town and the Revolution, though it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. End the day with a walk to the Potager du Roi, the king's walled kitchen garden, which is quiet and pleasant in the late afternoon.
Day one, evening: the stables
On weekends the Royal Stables stage the equestrian show La Voie de l'écuyère, directed by Bartabas, in the old riding hall facing the palace. Performances are usually on a Saturday evening or a Sunday afternoon, and the show is in French, so check the booking page before you plan around it. If your two days do not include a weekend, replace it with dinner in the Saint-Louis or Notre-Dame quarter.
Day two, morning: the gardens
Start in the gardens, which are free every day in low season and charge admission on fountain-show days from April to early November. On show days the Musical Fountains Show brings the basins to life with baroque music, and the Musical Gardens run on weekday afternoons in the same season. Walk or ride towards the Grand Canal, which is more than a kilometre long, and notice how the perspectives were designed to draw the eye. Wear sturdy shoes, because the paths are gravel and the distances are long. A bike tour covers the Grand Canal, the Trianon estate and the palace in one outing and is a fine alternative to a day on foot.
Day two, afternoon: the Trianon estate
The estate of Trianon is closed on Mondays and opens from midday in low season. It holds the pink-marble Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet, a cluster of thatched cottages built for Marie-Antoinette. It is calmer than the palace and has a different atmosphere, closer to a country retreat than a theatre of power. Allow two to three hours, and leave time for the walk back through the park.
Where to stay
Staying overnight in Versailles lets you reach the palace at opening time without a train. Le Louis Versailles Château MGallery is the closest to the gates, the Hôtel Le Versailles and the Mercure are in the Notre-Dame quarter, and the ibis is the budget choice. If you are driving and want free parking, the two Best Western hotels in Guyancourt and Buc are a short drive away.
Practical notes
Travel light, because large bags go in the cloakroom. Carry water in summer and a warm layer in winter, since the gardens are exposed. Rooms and apartments sometimes close for works or events, so check the booking page for the day. The RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche takes about forty minutes from central Paris, and the town itself is best covered on foot.
If you only have one day
Take the palace in the morning, lunch at the market, and the gardens or the Trianon estate in the afternoon. Skip the Royal Stables and the museums, and book the earliest slot you can. If you have three days, add a day trip to Rambouillet or Saint-Germain-en-Laye, covered in our guide to day trips from Versailles.
