VIP Versailles Bike Tour
Description
Duration Approximately 8.5 hours
Activity Type Bike Tour
Activity Level Athletic Cycling
Time of Day Morning
Ride All Around Versailles with this VIP Bike Tour This is the ultimate way to see everything that Versailles has to offer! Many people venture to this 16th century palace to marvel at the ornate gold furnishings, or the plush, velvet-lined walls of the corridors. But Versailles has hidden secrets throughout it’s 2,000 acres, and we’ll see it all on this tour!
You’ll meet your guide near a train station in Paris for this short 23 minute journey to Versailles. Located just 17km/10 miles from Paris, this journey will give you the opportunity to get to know your guide, relax and take in the scenery of the suburbs. Your bikes will be ready and waiting for you once you reach the town of Versailles, and it’s just a short ride away to the open-air market where we’ll collect a picnic lunch.
The market is another great opportunity to partake in French culture. This market has repeatedly been voted the most beautiful in the Parisian region, and for good reason. Amid flower stalls and local crafts you’ll find the crux of our agenda; delicious bread, produce, cheese and meat, and wine! Your guide will give you helpful hints to navigate the market, and you’ll have some time to collect all of the trappings of a picnic fit for a King, or Queen! With our picnics in hand, or in the baskets of our comfortable bikes, we’ll make our way onto the grounds of Versailles. We will stop near the tapis vert and walk into the formal gardens where you can marvel at the historic fountains accompanied by classical French music. Then it’s back to the bikes for a leisurely ride around the Grand Canal, a man-made aquatic cross lined by perfectly manicured trees; the perfect setting for our picnic.
Once we find a suitable spot, we will stop for a leisurely picnic in the grass. Your guide will provide you will all of the picnic accessories that you need, and continue to give you information on the park and history of Versailles as you enjoy the local delicacies that you’ve procured. It’s always difficult to leave such a perfect setting, but we’ll still have a lot of ground to cover after lunch, so it’s off to the Trianons and the Hameau; the playland of Marie-Antoinette. As you walk around this area, known as the Domaine of Marie Antoinette, you’ll have a chance to see where the Kings and Queens of France went to relax from all the hustle and bustle of the palace. These smaller, still highly decorated buildings, offer a view into the world of the French royals.
After visiting every corner of the grounds, we’ll make our way to the chateau for a behind-the-scenes entry into the private apartments of King Louis XV. Away form the crowds, led by a licensed palace guide, you’ll have exclusive access to the palace whilst learning about royal life in the 17th & 18th centuries. Afterwards, you can continue on to the famed Hall of Mirrors, see all of the royal bedrooms on display, and revisit the formal gardens before venturing back to Paris.
If you require children's bikes (24", 20", baby seats, trailers, or tandems) and they are not available at the time of check-out, please let us know in the 'comments' section of your booking so that we can contact you to ensure your reservation. There is no additional charge for these.
Summer Versailles Bike Tour Pricing (May 22nd - July 31st 2020)
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 €149 €149
Sunset Versailles Bike Tour X X X X X €129 X
Tour Highlights Versailles Open-Air Market
Entrance into Marie Antoinette's Hameau
Entrance into the Grand & Petit Trianons
Picnic Lunch along the Grand Canal
Guided Tour of King Louis XVI's Private Apartments
Skip-the-Line Access to Château de Versailles
Audio Guide inside the Château
Hall of Mirrors
Musical Fountain Show
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- Bike
- Helmet (provided but optional)
- Roundtrip transportation from Paris to Versailles
- Live Guide
- Visit to Versailles open-air market
- Picnic lunch along the Grand Canal
- Entrance into Marie Antoinette's Hameau, the Grand & Petit Trianons, and Formal Gardens
- Guided tour of King Louis XV and XVI's private apartments
- Skip-the-line access to Château de Versailles with audio-guide
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- Cost of items purchased for picnic lunch
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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.
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English
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- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour departure.
- We highly recommend using public transportation to get to the meeting point as car traffic is quite dense in this area.
- All of our tours operate rain or shine, and we have rain ponchos for sale in our office.
- All participants over 12 years of age must be able to ride a bike.
- All participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and carry proof of age documentation.
- This includes roundtrip RER transportation to and from Versailles from central Paris. Your guide will provide you with your RER ticket to return back to Paris at your own pace. Guests typically finish touring the chateau around 4:30/5pm.
- If possible, please bring a small backpack or tote bag to carry your food for our picnic. Be sure to bring cash in euros for picnic supplies as well!
- Tandems must be reserved and are for children less than 70lbs/32kg
- Trailers must be reserved and have a 2 child capacity with a combined maximum weight limit of 88lbs/40kg.
- Babyseats must be reserved and have a maximum weight limit of 48lbs/22kg.
- All participants over 12 years of age must be able to ride a bike.
Additional Information
- Duration: All day
- Minimum Age Required: Ask us
- Language: English