Having inspired countless royal residences around the world, the château of Versailles is the original symbol of royal power and wealth. Built as the palace for the French monarchy in the 1600’s, we can still visit the King’s home and personal backyard that’s larger than life. We’ll have a chance to see the palace, the grounds, and the formal gardens all in a day!
Versailles is located just 16 kilometers/12 miles from Paris, so we’ll meet near a metro station within Paris before beginning our journey. From there, we’ll take the suburban rail together (about 30 minutes) and then pick up our bikes just across from the train station. Our first stop will be the famous city market where we’ll shop for our picnic supplies (cost not included) to enjoy a lunch fit for a King (or Queen!) once on the grounds. Then, we'll cruise through the Château's enormous park along a network of fantastic trails and tree-lined paths, pausing along the way to share the rich history of the palace and French monarchy. Next, it's on to our picnic at the end of the Grand Canal where we'll settle down for a royal feast.
After lunch, we'll continue through the grounds to visit Marie Antoinette's Hamlet and the area known as the Trianons, which were pleasure palaces for the royal family. The Grand & Petit Trianon were home to visiting heads of state during their stay in Versailles, mistresses, extended royal family members, and day apartments for the Queen. After visiting these lesser-known but magnificent satellite palaces and Marie Antoinette’s controversial peasant village, we’ll make our way back to the front of the palace, drop off our bikes, and enjoy our skip-the-line entry into the château.
Once inside the palace, you will be able to see the room where Marie Antoinette’s guards were killed as they protected her from the mob at the beginning of the Revolution. You can walk through the breathtaking Hall of Mirrors where King Louis greeted guests, and centuries later the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War I. When you ride with us, you will explore exponentially more of the 2,000+ acres of royal property than you would ever be able to see on your own.
*Please note that we require the names & ages of all guests so as to ensure a skip-the-line entry.
Mon. | Tues. | Wed. | Thu. | Fri. | Sat. | Sun. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Versailles Bike Tour | X | €109 | €99 | €99 | €109 | €109 | €109 |
VIP Versailles Bike Tour | X | €149 | X | X | €149 | X | X |
Sunset Versailles Bike Tour | X | X | X | X | X | €129 | X |
This tour meets in Paris, in a small park/clearing on Avenue Emile Zola opposite a café named "Café Regalia".
The closest métro station is Javel-André Citroën (line 10). Use exit 1 (sortie 1, right side).
The easiest taxi address: 1 Avenue Emile Zola, 75015 Paris. Your guide will be wearing a Fat Tire Tours t-shirt and holding a sign.
Booking for children? Review our bike options here to help you reserve the correct equipment. All participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and carry proof of age documentation.
This tour meets in Paris, in a small park/clearing on Avenue Emile Zola opposite a café named "Café Regalia".
The closest métro station is Javel-André Citroën (line 10). Use exit 1 (sortie 1, right side).
The easiest taxi address: 1 Avenue Emile Zola, 75015 Paris. Your guide will be wearing a Fat Tire Tours t-shirt and holding a sign.
Booking for children? Review our bike options here to help you reserve the correct equipment. All participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and carry proof of age documentation.
This tour meets in Paris, in a small park/clearing on Avenue Emile Zola opposite a café named "Café Regalia".
The closest métro station is Javel-André Citroën (line 10). Use exit 1 (sortie 1, right side).
The easiest taxi address: 1 Avenue Emile Zola, 75015 Paris. Your guide will be wearing a Fat Tire Tours t-shirt and holding a sign.
Yes! The tour price includes the RER train to Versailles and the return to Paris.
Your tour will end in Versailles with your skip-the-line access into the chateau, at which point your guide will provide you with your train tickets and directions back to the train station, about a 10-minute walk from the chateau. This allows you the freedom to explore the palace and the formal gardens at your own pace and return to Paris whenever you'd like. Trains run until approximately 11pm.
While all of our tours maintain a leisurely pace, we want our guests to have fun and be safe, so being able to ride a bike is paramount.
Our Versailles Bike Tour is perfect for intermediate-athletic bike riders. We have children join us on this tour all the time so it completely depends on your confidence with a bicycle!
You should have good balance, be able to start and stop comfortably, and be familiar with hand brakes. Although most of this tour takes place in a park there are city riding portions and a few hills. In an effort to see everything that Versailles has to offer, riders should be prepared to keep pace with the group as it covers more ground than many of our other tours. Safety is our number one priority but confidence in yourself is the first step to overall group safety.
If you're not sure how you'll fare, we invite you to try our Paris Night Bike tour first.
Absolutely! Please meet us at our Versailles office, located at 10 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 78000 Versailles
Please make sure we can reach you by the phone provided at checkout.
When making your reservation, be sure to leave us a note in the comments section to indicate that you will meet us directly in Versailles. Your guide will pick you up when they arrive in Versailles with the rest of the group. Please aim to be there between 9am-9:15am and know that you may have to wait up to 30-45min for your group to arrive.
You can view our bike options here. Unfortunately, we do not have adult tricycles, adult tandems, or bikes with training wheels for adults or children that may be less confident in their riding ability.
Yes! Our Versailles Bike Tour is a wonderful way for kids comfortable on bikes to discover Versailles. We only ask that your children have been riding for a while, or, if they're under 10, you can reserve a tandem for them. You can reserve kid's equipment during the booking process.
You can use this bike chart to help you reserve the appropriate bicycles for your little ones. Please keep in mind that children under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult on the tour.
No, lunch is not included in the cost of this tour. You will have the chance to buy picnic supplies from numerous vendors at the market. Some vendors may accept credit cards, however we feel it is best to have cash in euros available as well.
No! You will get the bikes when you arrive in Versailles. We will then leave the bikes at our Versailles office at the end of the riding portion, giving you the freedom to choose exactly how long you would like to stay in Versailles.
In Paris adults are not obliged to wear a helmet, however they are mandatory for children under 12. We have helmets of all sizes available, free of charge.
All scheduled tours are in English, but private tours can be scheduled in other languages. Please reach out to us at [email protected] to learn more.
We're happy to reschedule you for free (based on availability) or cancel and fully refund your Versailles Bike Tour with a minimum of 72 hours notice prior to the activity time. Due to the skip-the-line nature of this tour, within 72 hours, we are only able to issue partial refunds or future credit.
Our tours run rain or shine, and we have rain ponchos available for purchase in our office for anyone that needs them. We will gladly buy the ponchos back if they are not used during your tour. We encourage all guests to consult the weather forecast and to dress accordingly.
Our Versailles Bike Tour covers approximately 10.1 miles (16.25 km).
If you are having difficulty finding the meeting location for your tour, please call us at+33 1.82.88.80.94 and our staff will be happy to help you find your way.
Yes! Some of our private tours can be reserved directly online, but if you're looking for something unique or have questions about a private group, simply send us an email at [email protected]