Versailles: Food & Palace Bike Tour

3000+ Reviews

★★★★★ 5/5

Escape the Hustle & Bustle of the City

On our Versailles Bike Tour join us to ride, taste & explore on this truly memorable day trip. Escape the crowds, skip the line, explore the Château, Royal Gardens, Hamlet & discover secret places seen by few tourists and even unknown to Parisians.

If you are looking for a unique experience, out of the city, away from hoards of tourists, and want to make the most of your time in Versailles – look no further than this day trip.

What's Included

Roundtrip Transportation from Paris to Versailles
Classy Bike & Optional Helmet
Skip the Line Entry to the Château via a Side Entrance Reserved for Licensed Guides
Guided Tour Inside the Château de Versailles with a Licensed Guide
Guided Tour of the Royal Inner Gardens & Fountains
Visit to Versailles' Award Winning Open Air Food Market for Picnic Supplies (*picnic at guest's cost)
Guided Bike Tour of the Royal Grounds
Guided Tour of Marie Antoinette's Private Hamlet

Duration: Full Day
Intermediate Cycling
Central Paris Meeting Point
Travel to Versailles by Train
Group Size: Up to 12
Skip the Line Access
Hosted in English
Guaranteed Departure

Adult: €145
Under 18: €99
Petit 2-4yrs: €37

Book with Confidence: Any experience can be cancelled up to 24hrs before the experience starts.

What to Expect

Why walk with the crowds & stand in line when you can ride a bike & skip the line?

We take the fast train to Versailles, hop on bikes to explore our beautiful town, award-winning food market & shop like a local for a French picnic lunch. We ride through the breath-taking Royal Grounds, admire Louis’ Royal Gardens & Fountains, ride past the Trianons & visit Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet, all whilst hearing the gossip & scandalous tales of the French Royal Family.

Having worked up an appetite we lay out our authentic French picnic lunch by the Grand Canal. There is no better place to picnic & relax in the sun!

Our Versailles Bike Tour includes a skip the line guided tour inside the Château. Versailles was home to the most powerful family in the world for over a century, if there is one Château to see, this is the one!

Good to Know

All adult guests must be able to ride a bike. Leisurely riding on this tour – far from the Tour de France!

Meet in Central Paris & travel with your guide to Versailles.
Bikes based in Versailles (no need to carry them on the train).
Bikes available for all ages: including childseats & tag alongs.
Fountains are turned on: Saturdays & Sundays in summer.
Full Versailles Access Included, Picnic at guest’s cost.
Return to Paris around 6pm

Prefer A Private Tour?

All of our tours are available as private experiences which are tailored just for you – Versailles at your pace with only your favourite people.

Our Guided Tour of the Château

We enter via a side entrance reserved for licensed guides & guide you inside the Château through the Grand Apartments, State Rooms, King’s Apartments, Hall of Mirrors & Queens Apartments.

Your guide will skilfully lead you through the Château and bring it to life with stories & anecdotes – crafting a meaningful, entertaining & engaging experience.

We are proud to be one of the few tours licensed to guide inside the Palace & mic up so you that you won’t miss a thing!

Great experience! The guide was informative, patient, and did her absolute best to give us the best experience. I wouldn't want to tour Versailles any other way.

Warning to others: do NOT book this if you aren't confident about riding a bike, especially in traffic. We had somebody in our group who wasn't very good at biking and scared of riding next to cars. I think he spent more time WALKING his bike than riding his bike (which caused us to wait for him way too much).
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Elfrey
6/26/2022

Such a great way to see Versailles!
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Kerry
6/29/2022

Our guide was Nicholi and I don’t think we could have had a better guide. He was very knowledgeable, about the history, he shared good stories, he was easy to communicate with. And for me most of all it was not boring. Being able to mix up touring Versailles, biking thru the town, shopping at the market, having a picnic lunch, it was absolutely perfect in every way.
Thank you for doing this tour, that we can experience so much in one day.
I highly recommend you do this tour.
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Jackie
9/20/2019
Great experience to see the palace of Versailles and all that it contains! Eleanor was a great tour guide for our group! She was very patient, knowledgeable and funny. Loved this experience!
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Alex
9/23/2022

This tour blew us away! Our guide Marijke was a wealth of information and so friendly! Definitely the highlight of our stay in Paris. If you have a chance, do this tour. It was such a unique way to see Versailles and so relaxing to ride bikes through the gardens. We loved it!
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Jennifer
6/03/2022

This tour was hands down the best tour we’ve ever been on and we’ve travelled all over the world! Stu & Niki we’re fabulous hosts and they made the day more personable and enjoyable with their little touches!
The whole experience from start to finish was very well organized and the whole group was amazing. Versailles was out of this world, awe inspiring and really made you think about French history. The bikes were all in good working order and both Stu & Niki made sure everyone was comfortable before we set off!
We are starting a new life in Paris and it was just the tonic we needed to let us know that we have absolutely made the right decision.
We will be returning to Stu & Niki for more tours and we will be sending along friends & family when they visit.
We would (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) % recommend this tour!
Thank you Stu & Niki for a wonderful day out!
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Christina
8/14/2021
AirBnb Experiences strikes again in the best way possible! What a special way to see Versailles. Niki was so warm and welcoming and Nicola, our guide, was so full of knowledge and very engaging, not to mention a great photographer. Skipping the lines, receiving a guided tour by a true professional that has a real passion for history and art, biking around the canals and park, and having a lovely picnic by the water made for such an incredible experience. I would recommend this outing to anyone and everyone!
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Ashley
9/05/2019

This was such a wonderful experience. Everything was so well planned out and organized. Our tour guide, Nico, was excellent. He really made the history of Versailles come alive and presented the information in a memorable way. I really appreciated his patience, his humor and his passion. I would highly recommend this experience.
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Laura
9/01/2022

What a fantastic way to spend the day touring around the town of Versailles. You can’t cover all the ground we did any other way but on bikes. The château is beautiful as are the gardens surrounding it, but the highlight was going to the market to get our lunch provisions and the ride through the park to picnic along the canal. Dina was our guide and she was very knowledgeable about the history of the château and the Kings Louis who lived there. Riding through the town was a bit challenging but we all made it through thanks to Dina’s capable skills. Merci, Dina, for sharing your expertise on the history of Versailles and biking!
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Marci
8/30/2022
Lola is fantastic and an expert in her field! It was a perfect day to bike around Versailles and hear about the history. We were lucky enough that the market was open that day and had a nice lunch/nap 🙂 Thank you for the experience!
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Stephanie
9/10/2019

What an awesome day! Riding bikes through the Versailles grounds, touring the Palace and shopping in the market was such an amazing experience. The picnic on the grass was a real treat and the entire day was well planned and executed. Loved our guide!
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Samantha
8/02/2019

Our family of four (with two teens) enjoyed the bike tour very much. We enjoyed beautiful sights, especially Marie Antoinette's hamlet and grounds, experienced a charming market and tasted a variety of local cheeses and charcuterie, and learned a lot about the history of Versailles. We enjoyed Clara's competent and easy-going guide style. She is a reservoir of knowledge, we asked her a ton of questions throughout the tour and she was prepared to address them all.
The hand-made British bikes with woven baskets were a pleasure to ride. We appreciate the personal attention in making sure bikes were properly adjusted for each person, and making sure we had all we need to for the picnic on the Grand Canal - from plates, forks, and napkins to wine bottle openers and cups. Clara did a beautiful job keeping us safe, comfortable, and ready to learn about and enjoy Versailles. We had an unforgettable experience! Merci beaucoup!
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Mariana
8/13/2022

You'll Love

Floating past the long lines, with your own guide to chaperone you skillfully through the Château, sharing stories at every turn.

Feeling like a local as you explore the town of Versailles, and it’s award-winning market!

Riding away from the crowds to explore the very best of Versailles.

Highlights

Easy to find.

Our Versailles Bike Tour meets at a train station in central Paris:

Gare Montparnasse, 17 Boulevard de Vaugirard, 75015 Paris

Please meet us at the top level of the Montparnasse train station, under the Platform 20 & 21 sign.

We take the train to Versailles where bikes are ready & waiting. We recommend using the app City Mapper to navigate your way around.

Want to meet directly in Versailles? No problem, just let us know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to cycle in Versailles?

It is almost as if Versailles was designed with our bike tour in mind. The majority of our ride takes place within the Royal Gardens, where we can enjoy stress-free cycling, far from the traffic and crowds. Outside of the gardens, cycle paths weave their way throughout the town and are set on the footpaths, away from traffic.

Where in Paris do the Versailles bike tours meet & when does the cycling start?

Our Versailles Bike Tour meets at a train station in central Paris:

Gare Montparnasse, 17 Boulevard de Vaugirard, 75015 Paris

Please meet us at the top level of the Montparnasse train station, in Hall 1, under the Platform 20 & 21 sign.

Do feel free to come earlier for a coffee & croissant to kick start your day.

Once in Versailles we saddle up on bikes that are stored at our base in Versailles.

Is this tour appropriate for children?

We frequently have children join our tours, and have a fleet of children’s bikes, tandems, child-seats and helmets for them – we love sharing the day with families and take great pride in entertaining and ensuring the safety of all ages throughout the day.

*Whenever possible we try to group families together which can great when the children are of similar ages.

Do your tours of Versailles include a guided tour of the Château?

Of course. All our tours of Versailles include a guided tour of the Palace with a fully licensed member of our team. We do not abandon you with an audio guide. We use earpieces so you can hear your guide, can ask questions & don’t miss a thing! If there is one Palace in the world to visit, this is the one!

What happens if it rains?

All of our tours operate rain or shine and we provide free rain jackets. As we are licensed to guide inside the Château we do adapt & spend more time inside the Palace. We bring rain jackets, good humor & a sense of adventure!

How many riders per group on a Versailles bike tour?

We limit our group sizes to 12 riders per group in Versailles to keep you safe, cover more ground & offer a personalised experience.

Do I need to carry my bike onto the train?

Absolutely not, our bikes are located in Versailles.

We are staying in Versailles, can we start the tour there?

Yes, simply let us know in the notes section when you book and we will contact you with details of where and when to meet us in Versailles.

What should I bring?

We provide all the essentials for your day in Versailles; all you need to remember is to pack your camera and some euros for your picnic lunch.

Do your tours of Versailles include the Musical Fountains?

Yes, we include the inner gardens and fountain show as part of our tours. However, please note the fountains only turn on at set times, on set dates – every Saturday & Sunday in the summer.

We still visit the inner gardens on days the fountains do not run as Versailles “was a garden before a castle, a feast before a garden, a night before a thousand suns. If you want to understand Versailles, one must first walk through its gardens”.

Do I need to purchase any extra tickets on the day?

No. All tickets, travel (including train tickets to and from Versailles), access to Versailles, the gardens, the Hamlet and the fountains are all included.

What is the difference between 'Versailles: Food & Palace Bike Tour' and 'Bike & Brunch the Best of Versailles'?

Versailles: Food & Palace Bike Tour

This is our most comprehensive tour of Versailles. It is a full day but not structured like a normal tour with plenty of time to relax, drink wine, ride a bike and explore. On this tour we visit:

The town of Versailles
The award-winning farmers market
The Inner Gardens & Fountains (on set days)
Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet
Picnic by the Grand Canal
Guided Tour of the Château
Picnic lunch at guest’s cost, while exploring the local farmer’s market

Bike & Brunch: The Best of Versailles

This tour is designed for those travellers who wish to see as much of Versailles as possible in just half a day. On this tour we visit:

The town of Versailles
The Inner Gardens
Picnic by the Grand Canal
Guided Tour of the Château
Lunch provided