RoamRide
CultureHikingHistorical

Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux Day Trip from Paris

4.1(353 reviews)Paris, France
9hDurationMobile ticketTicketNot includedPickupModerateLevel

About this experience

Travel from Paris to visit two notable French chateaux: Vaux le Vicomte and Château Fontainebleau. The tour includes audio guides at both locations, providing insights into their history, art, and the royals associated with them. Participants will have free time to explore the gardens of each chateau, featuring fountains, lakes, and monuments typical of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. This experience is suitable for history and architecture enthusiasts. The tour does not specify group size or any restrictions.

Itinerary

1

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Its star attraction is the Vaux le Vicomte Castle – the impressive Baroque chateau that allegedly inspired the Palace of Versailles – so hop off your coach and head inside for your audio-guided tour.When you arrive, you are free to explore independently using your provided audio guide. See elaborate interiors and vaulted cellars, and learn about the man behind this massive home, Nicholas Fouquet, who was King Louis XIV’s minister of finance. After Fouquet commissioned Vaux le Vicomte to be designed by a top architect, the king felt upstaged and threw the minister in jail. When you’re finished inside, walk outside to discover the castle’s 99 acres (40 hectares) of grounds made up of fountains, flowerbeds and sprawling lawns. If you’re hungry, grab some lunch from the onsite café (own expense) before returning to the coach.

2

Fontainebleau Forest (Foret de Fontainebleau)

Then at 1.15/1.30pm,make your way south to Château de Fontainebleau, the only royal castle in France to be continuously inhabited for more than 700 years.

3

Tourist Fontainebleau

With its Renaissance architecture, ceiling frescos, 15th-century furniture and detailed wood carvings, this World Heritage site is a great alternative to visiting Versailles. Tour the building independently via the audio guide, listening to tales about the French royalty who once lived here.

4

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Château Fontainebleau. The only royal castle to be continuously inhabited for over seven centuries, Fontainebleau is one of the country’s more exceptional palaces – deservedly taking a place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list Tour the building independently via the audio guide, listening to tales about the French royalty who once lived here. Château de Fontainebleau is also home to extensive gardens and lakes, so take time to wander the grounds

What's included / not included

Access to the dome of the Vaux-le-Vicomte CastlePeriod costume rentals for children to transport them back to the 17th centuryAir-conditioned vehicleAudioguides at both castlesEntrance tickets to Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte castles
Hotel pickup and drop-offGratuitiesFood and drinksGuided visitWifi onboardRestroom on boardHeadset

Additional information

Accessibility and comfort

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Good to know

  • The access to the dome of the Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle is reserved to people over 1.35 m
  • Arrival in Paris at the end of the tour expected around 6:15 pm
  • Audio guided tour of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (available in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese)
  • Audio guided tour of the Château de Fontainebleau (available in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and Polish)

Traveller reviews

4.1353 reviews

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