Giverny from Paris: half-day or full day with Versailles

Half-day: the must-book experience

This is the classic tour, the one with pages of glowing reviews. With air-conditioned round-trip transport, a professional guide, entry to Claude Monet’s house and gardens included, and a self-guided audio app in ten languages. We depart from Notre-Dame-de-Compassion church, Place du Général-Kœnig, in the 17th arrondissement, at Porte Maillot, and return to the same spot about six hours later. A hotel pickup option is available, and the meeting point changes—check your voucher.

The 3,393 reviews are strikingly similar—and that’s a good sign. Helena from Australia calls the trip “well-organized” with a “friendly and knowledgeable guide,” adding that “the skip-the-line ticket alone was worth the trip.” Debora from Guam mentions Dee, “a fantastic, friendly, and well-informed guide.” Lisa from New Zealand talks about Lawrence, “wonderful, informative, and engaging.” Ayaka from Japan says the guide “taught her so much” she didn’t know. The only recurring complaint, when it comes up, is the time spent on the bus: 75 km each way is noticeable.

This product has the “Likely to sell out” and “GetYourGuide Certified” badges—and it often does in spring. It’s not wheelchair-accessible, doesn’t allow strollers or large luggage, and child seats must be brought along. The tour is conducted in English.

Full day with Versailles: for those with just one day to spare

Same starting point, Place du Général-Kœnig, near the church, same air-conditioned coach, same audio app in ten languages, with provided headphones. The day lasts 11 hours and 30 minutes and adds a guided tour of the Palace of Versailles, skip-the-line access, gardens included, before or after Giverny depending on the day's schedule. Meals are not included, nor is hotel pickup, nor tips.

The 1,508 reviews first mention the guides. Joselito, from the UK, notes that "the guides at Versailles and Monet's home are very knowledgeable." Henriette finds hers "excellent, insightful, funny." Anastasia, from Cyprus, sums it up: "a beautiful combination of sites." Angela, from Canada, appreciates "plenty of time to explore." Same restrictions as the half-day: no wheelchairs, no strollers, no large bags.

The season, and how it changes

Giverny opens from late March to November 1st and closes for the winter. Both excursions follow this schedule. In April, the tulips; in May and June, the irises and the first wisteria on the bridge; in summer, the water lilies, those from the paintings; in October, the dahlias and fewer crowds. If your stay falls between November and March, the question doesn’t arise: head to the Marmottan, which is open year-round except Mondays, where the Water Lilies never fade. I explain the difference between the two sites on Giverny or Marmottan.

And what about the museum?

Neither the half-day nor the full-day tour with Versailles includes a stop at the Musée Marmottan Monet. In Giverny, you see the garden, the house, and the reconstructed studio, but not the paintings: the originals are at the Marmottan, in the 16th arrondissement, bequeathed by Michel Monet in 1966. Two ways to complete the experience. Either you do the half-day one day and the museum another, without booking anything for the latter—the ticket is available on-site. Or you choose the Marmottan + Giverny day tour, which starts at the museum with included tickets, in a group of four instead of a coach.

To compare these two day trips that include the museum, the table on the all visits page puts them side by side.

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