Versailles Extended on 2 days tours services
When people tour Versailles, they almost always say the same thing:
"I wish we could spend more time here! "
And why not?
The gardens and the palace, along with all the fascinating houses and grottos and hidden treasures that populate the grounds, are a one-of-a-kind treasure.
It’s a cradle of immaculate artistry and vaulting ambition — perhaps the grandest palace in all the world.
That’s why Flora and her specialized team put together the two full days tour of Versailles.
This experience promises to bring you inside the world of French royalty like you never thought possible.
In contrast with my highlights tour of Versailles, my Versailles complete tour can be an expansive one to two day event. This way, you can actually see and do everything you wish.
This is an exciting and fun tour, with plenty of entertaining moments for couples or families with children. We can make it comfortable with a private driver or golf carts rental on site— this is a tour of a luxury palace after all, we will be here to learn and have fun.
Of course, everything we offer can be customized to fit your exact timeline, including one-and-a-half day and one day versions, but the two day extravaganza is the perfect way to take in all the wonders of Versailles.
Two Days of Versailles
Tours & sights for 2 days in Versailles
So what will you do on this royal retreat? Below, we’ve assembled the biggest highlights from your two days at Versailles.
Day One Highlights
The first day acquaints us with the grounds surrounding the palace. These are filled with sculptures and meticulously designed features — everything preserved to be historically accurate by a world-renowned team of researchers.
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The top Gardens: The Gardens of Versailles are one of the most historically influential in all of Europe. They helped to make the French formal garden style the most sought after feature of royal palaces throughout the continent. When you visit, you’ll see why. They are expansive and elaborately designed, with every inch of its thousands of acres carefully tended.
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Fountains show: The fountains at Versailles use the same hydraulic system installed in the 17th century! From the Spring to the Autumn, they give off delightful shows that awe spectators through the warmer months of the year. They also host feature incredible sculptures that take visitors into a mythical world.
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Petit Trianon: This charming residence was created for King Louis XV and his Queen the Madame du Barry. But when Louis XVI came to power, he allowed Marie Antoinette to fashion it however she liked. Having an eye for style, she created a marvelous miniature palace surrounded by gorgeous gardens influenced by the latest innovations coming out of England and Asia.
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Queen’s Hamlet: Built for Marie Antoinette, this rustic complex arises out of a fairy tale. This quaint playground of medieval times entertained the Queen and also provided housing for the head gardener, Marie’s guards, and other people who worked on the grounds of Versailles. Children especially fall in love with this fantasy setting.
Day Two Highlights
Moving into the second day, we go deeper into the lives of the kings and queens who called Versailles their home. Providing you unprecedented access into realms of the palace few have ever been allowed into, Flora gives you an intimate look into the places only monarchs were meant to go.
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Bike / Golf Cart: Biking along the canals, we can see so much of the waterway that once played host to royal boat parties. This is a fun and lively way to start our day.
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Eat at a Special Restaurant: You can sit at the king’s table, eating in the private garden of former French royalty. Not only that, but the food comes from the same garden that the King’s chef once picked his ingredients from.
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Go Behind Locked Doors: The VIP experience means you get to go into the hidden rooms where the public isn’t allowed. This is an extremely unique opportunity — something that you will be talking about for years to come! *More in details about the Petit Appartement du Roi below.
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Grand Trianon: Larger than the Petit Trianon, this is one of the true architectural marvels of Versailles.
Features included in the Versailles Extended tour
Below are a few of the incredible features of the Versailles extended tour. And remember, your expert tour guide can provide added information on any subject that strikes your curiosity!
The Versailles Dress Code & Art of the Table
Versailles was not only a place to carry out official business of state and attend lavish parties. It was also where the height of French fashion took center stage. Much of that is preserved and presented by the museum at Versailles.
When you take the Versailles VIP tour, you’ll learn all about the elaborate costumes that royalty and aristocrats wore — both day-to-day and for special occasions. You’ll learn about the wigs, robes, and all of the detailed elements of their garb. Plus, Flora can go into the meaning behind all of these pieces.
You will also learn about the strict dress code for workers on the property, as well as the way that the social elite expected one another to dress.
The Clocks and Pendulum of Versailles
One of the collections at Versailles that best illustrates the grandeur and sophistication of French royalty are the clocks. These are extremely fine-tuned instruments, made with true engineering genius. They not only showcase the mechanical prowess of the clockmakers, but also the mastery of elaborate decorative arts.
The most impressive is by far the Passemant astronomical clock. It was designed by Claude-Simeon Passemant and Louis Dauthier around 1740, and it continues to tick on in the 21st century. This technological marvel not only tells you the hour and minute, it tells you the day, month, and year — and it will do so until the year 9999. The Passemant also gives you the moon phases and the position of seven planets, measuring these astronomical changes with extreme accuracy.
The visual design shows you what was so popular in Louis XV’s time. The clock’s organic forms, lush with curves and leafy shapes, soften the look of this technological feat. It is a feast for the eyes as well as the intellect.
The clock took around 35 years to complete. In that time, imagine the high level of observation, design, crafting, and testing that must have gone into this masterpiece.
Optional : Meet a Versailles Artisan: Hats, Wigs, Gold leaves (at least 2 months in advance)
With three to six months head start, Flora can arrange a meeting with an artist or artisan who works in one of the traditional trades that would have been crucial to the operation of Versailles :
Hat makers, wig makers, and goldsmiths were employed year round to produce the fashion and fineries that made up the king’s life.
We will visit an art studio preserved from the 19th century, allowing you to see how these works were created in the past.
How do we find these one-of-a-kid Versailles artists?
They are still in high demand for historical movies and television shows, as well as for Versailles renovations and repairs, ceremonies, and documentaries.
These artists strive to preserve the wisdom of past generations, and you can meet them and learn their secrets!
The tour includes all the Sights of Versailles
Included with all of the unique things you get to see thanks to the VIP tour, you will also have time to actually take in the most popular sights. With two full days, you don’t have to rush through the famous landmarks that define the greatest palace on earth.
Even with a full day tour at Versailles, groups have to pick and choose what they will see. Think of having to skip any of these major features:
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The Hall of Mirrors: A grand hall immortalized in countless paintings. This gallery has views of the garden, but it is the fantastic ceiling fresco by Charles Le Brun, gold leaf, marble, and mirrors that will take your breath away.
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State Apartments: The Salon of Venus, Apollo, Mercury, and so on are all wonders of architecture and interior design, bedecked in gold leaf and artwork of fantastic beauty. Each one of these can take hours to fully absorb.
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Royal Chapel: This massive religious section provides a colorful domed ceiling filled with splendid paintings and Corinthian colonnades that impress a feeling of awe in the visitor.
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Royal Opera: This opera house is fully functional, with performances still held here. The interior is devastating in its scope and beauty, with the finest woodworking, frescoes, and sculpture you can imagine.
With two full days, you can spend time in each of these areas while also hearing the stories that still haunt these halls today.