Palace of Versailles Weather and the Best Time to Visit
The weather here does not just change how comfortable you are. It changes the closing time, whether the fountains run, and whether the gardens cost anything at all. Those three things move together, and they turn on two dates: 1 April and 1 November.
What the weather does to a visit here
More than half of what you have come to see is outdoors, so a wet day costs you the gardens rather than the Palace. Summer costs you comfort: there is no air conditioning inside and reviewers cut visits short in July and August because of the heat. Winter costs you an hour of daylight and gives you the gardens for nothing.
The Palace of Versailles month by month
January
Cold and quiet, and the cheapest the estate gets. The Palace closes at 5.30pm and the gardens at 6.00pm, and the gardens are free every day. The first Sunday of the month is free across the whole estate. Statues in the gardens sit under winter covers.
February
Still low season, still free gardens, still a 5.30pm close. Half-term brings French families at the end of the month, which shows inside rather than outside. A good month to walk the Grand Canal with almost nobody on it.
March
The last month of low season, and the last of the free gardens — they revert on 1 April. Light improves noticeably and the estate is still quiet on a weekday. Book a morning slot and you will have the Hall of Mirrors nearly to yourself.
April
Everything changes on the 1st. High-season hours start, the Palace stays open to 6.30pm, and the Musical Gardens and Musical Fountains Show begin — which means a garden ticket on show days. Easter is the first genuinely crowded week of the year.
May
Long light, mild afternoons, and the gardens at their best before the summer heat. Public holidays on the 1st and the 8th are busy, and the estate is closed on 1 May. The Trianon estate opens at midday as it does all year.
June
Warm, long evenings and the fountains running. This is the month the estate looks the way the photographs promise. Weekends fill up, so take a weekday morning slot if you can choose.
July
The hottest and busiest month, with no air conditioning in the State Apartments. Reviewers cut visits short because of it. Engineering work has closed the RER C branch to Versailles for part of July in recent years, so check your line before you set out.
August
As busy as July and often hotter. Carry water, take the earliest slot and give the gardens the afternoon rather than the middle of the day. Paris empties in August but Versailles does not.
September
The best compromise of the year. High-season hours and the fountains still run to 1 November, the heat has gone, and the crowds thin out after the first fortnight. If you can pick any month, pick this one.
October
Autumn colour in the park, mild days and shorter queues. High-season hours hold until the 31st, and the garden shows run to 1 November. Rain becomes likelier, which matters more to the gardens than to the Palace.
November
Low season starts on the 1st: the Palace closes at 5.30pm and the gardens go free again, every day. The first Sunday of the month is free across the estate. Wet, quiet and cheap.
December
Short days, low light and very few people midweek. The estate closes on 25 December. The free first Sunday applies, and the gardens cost nothing all month, so a winter walk to the Grand Canal is the best free thing to do here.
The seasons, and which one you want
September and early October are the best weeks of the year: high-season hours, the fountains still running, and the crowds gone. April to June is the classic choice and the gardens look their best. July and August are hot and full. November to March is cheap, quiet and short on daylight, and the gardens are free.
What the season does to the price and the opening times
The two dates that move everything are 1 April and 1 November.
| 1 Apr – 31 Oct | 1 Nov – 31 Mar | |
|---|---|---|
| Palace closes | 6.30pm | 5.30pm |
| Gardens | 7.00am–8.30pm | 8.00am–6.00pm |
| Passport | €35 | €25 |
| Gardens cost | a ticket on show days | free, every day |
| Fountains and Musical Gardens | 1 Apr – 1 Nov 2026 | not running |
| Free first Sunday | no | yes, Nov to Mar |
Best time of day
First slot, whatever the month. You get the Hall of Mirrors before the coaches, and on a hot day you get the Palace before it warms up. The gardens work the other way round: they are best in late afternoon, when the light is long and the day-trippers have gone. Do the building first and the grounds second, which is also the estate's own suggested order.
Frequently asked
Does anything close for weather? The Palace runs whatever happens. The bike departures state that they operate in all conditions, and two operators may cancel for genuinely bad weather with a full refund. Do the fountains always run? No — they run to a set timetable inside the season, and one reviewer notes that they are held back in hot weather to save water. More in the FAQs, and the events page has the 2026 season dates. A Versailles palace and gardens tour is refundable up to 24 hours ahead, which is what makes booking around a forecast safe. Every departure is on Palace of Versailles Tours.
Departures worth booking around a forecast
Versailles Full Day Bike Tour with Palace, Gardens, & Picnic
Bike includedGardens includedMax 20
From $128 per person
Versailles Palace and Gardens Tour by Train from Paris
Transport includedTimed entryGardens included
From $103 per person