Immerse Yourself in French History: Châteaux, Gardens, and Exclusive Versailles Private Tours

6/8 Hours

For first time visitors to Versailles we start with a tour of the state apartments including the King Louis XIV’s bedroom, the Hall of Mirrors, and the recently restored Dauphin’s apartments. We then explore the formal gardens and fountain displays. We recommend having lunch on site. 

For visitors who would like to delve into the history of Versailles and would like to learn more about French art history and decorative arts, we recommend tours to the Private Apartments. These tours must be reserved in advance and require extra fees.

Please contact us for details about these exclusive tours.

4/6 Hours

Our visit to the gardens of Versailles explores why and how Louis XIV’s landscape garden embodied the absolute power of the French monarchy for over 200 years. We examine the political, social, and cultural aspects of André LeNôtre’s design as we stroll the Petit Parc, discovering the fountains and exceptional plantings.  

This tour includes the Petit Parc, lunch in the gardens and can be followed by a visit to the Grand Trianon and its surrounding gardens.

Please note this tour is designed for walking at least 6 miles. Golf carts may be available upon request but include an extra fee.

6/8 Hours

Less well known than Versailles, Chantilly boasts exceptional architecture, a world renowned art collection, horse stables, and magnificent gardens. The gardens were designed by France’s most famous landscape architect André LeNôtre. The present-day château was singularly restored by Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, who was one of the most important 19th century collectors. Aumale decreed that the collections would never travel beyond his museum. One of the first celebrity chefs, François Vatel, introduced nouvelle cuisine here. We recommend lunch in the gardens followed by a tasting of one of Vatel’s most celebrated recipes for Chantilly cream at the Hameau, an exceptionally picturesque location in the gardens.

4 Hours

Our tour to Empress Joséphine’s former residence offers a unique glimpse into the private life of Napoléon and Joséphine, whose passionate love affair, marriage, and divorce captivated contemporaries. Empress Joséphine transformed the grounds of her country house into a flourishing English-style garden from 1799-1814.  

Joséphine found solace and amusement at Malmaison, where she dedicated herself to her garden and natural history (she raised black swans and kangaroos on the estate) and passionately pursued floriculture. Over 2,000 plants were acclimated to France for the first time at Malmaison. Josephine also collected more than 250 varieties of roses. Some of these varieties continue to bloom in the gardens.

8 Hours

The château and gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte predated Versailles and are widely considered the most beautiful example of 17th-century French formal gardens. The privately owned château once belonged to Nicolas Fouquet who commissioned three of the greatest artists of his time - the painter Charles LeBrun, the architect Louis LeVau, and the landscape architect André LeNôtre- to create his fabulous estate. Together these artists transformed French art, architecture, and landscape design. Our visit begins with a short trip to the nearby château of Blandy-les-Tours, a medieval fortress that provides an opportunity to better understand how Fouquet encouraged LeNôtre to create a modern cultural landscape.