Day trip

Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte Châteaux Day Tour from Paris

Activity provider:ParisCityVision
Day trip

Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte Châteaux Day Tour from Paris

Activity provider:ParisCityVision

From US$ 112.44 per person

Visit the magnificent châteaux of Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau on a full-day day trip from Paris. Marvel at the opulent interior of Vaux-le-Vicomte, and UNESCO-listed Fontainebleau, dating to the 12th century. Explore the stunning gardens as well.

About this ticket

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Covid-19 precautions
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Duration 9 hours
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Driver
Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, German, Italian
Audio guide included
Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese

Experience

Highlights
  • Visit 2 French castles in 1 day on an excursion from Paris
  • Marvel at the opulence of Vaux-le-Vicomte Château, and the extravagant interiors that put its creator in prison
  • Tour Château Fontainebleau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore the gardens
Full description
This full-day trip from Paris takes you to the Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau châteaux for guided tours of the castles and a chance to explore their gardens. Set off from Paris at 09:15 on the hour-long drive to Vaux-le-Vicomte, the château that inspired King Louis XIV to build his Versailles Palace. A masterpiece of mid-17th century classical architecture, the château and its grounds were created by 3 talented artists working for Nicolas Fouquet, a rich, high-ranking French official and Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finance. The 3 artists were the painter and decorator Charles Le Brun, the architect Louis Le Vau, and the landscape gardener André Le Nôtre. With an audio guide you’ll explore Nicolas Fouquet's private apartments, the state rooms, and the château's great kitchens and vaulted cellars. Enjoy a stroll through the stunning French-style formal gardens on the estate’s 86-acre grounds, featuring sculpted bushes, lakes, and multicolored flower beds. If you like you can eat lunch on the lawn or in the Vaux-le-Vicomte restaurant. You’ll leave Vaux-le-Vicomte at 13:30 for the second part of the tour, heading to the heart of the forest of Fontainebleau. Fontainebleau is the only royal château to have been continuously inhabited for 7 centuries. Dating back to the 12th century, it was one of the residences of French rulers from Francis I to Napoleon III. During your audio-guided visit, you’ll explore the richly furnished château, admiring its unique collections and key pieces such as the throne of Napoleon I and the famous horseshoe-shaped staircase. You’ll also see the spacious private apartments. After the tour, you’ll have time to explore the vast grounds surrounding the château, as well as its 3 lovely gardens. Departure from Fontainebleau is scheduled for 17:00, with arrival back in central Paris at around 18:15.
Includes
  • Round-trip transportation from Paris by luxury air-conditioned coach
  • Audio-guided tour of the château at Vaux le Vicomte and a visit to the formal gardens
  • Audio-guided tour of the château at Fontainebleau
  • Admission to both châteaux
  • Hotel transfers
  • Lunch
  • Live tour guide
Not suitable for
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet in front of the main entrance of the Hotel Pullman Paris Bercy. Find your guide holding a Paris City Vision sign.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Pets
  • Luggage or large bags

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.3 /5

based on 129 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4/5
  • Transportation
    4.1/5
  • Service
    4.3/5
  • Organization
    4.4/5

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Star rating:

The bus was clean and comfortable. It was a warm and sunny day. The only problem was on the way back to the city, the bus driver did not put the air conditioning on and according to the temperature sign at the front of the bus, it was 31°C. It was great that we had transportation to both places. It was a very nice trip. The chateaus were very interesting and it was nice to enjoy the gardens at both places.

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November 14, 2022

The meeting location seemed a little far away from city center, but an easy Metro excursion. Then once on the small bus, we were on the highway in no time. Fountainbleau could use an upgrade on the whole tour experience or we should have had a guide to get us through the maize of beaucracy and find the toilettes. The Vaux-le-Vicomte audio self guided tour was outstanding and we enjoyed the golf cart tour of the gardens.

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October 20, 2022

The experience was ok, with a few faux pas. The tour host did not give me and my mother a sheet for an audio guide. One of our co-passengers helped us. The air-conditioning in the bus was not functioning, which made the ride less than comfortable on a sweltering day.

July 31, 2022

Product ID: 53754