Versailles Domain Day Bike Tour with Trianon Estate from Paris

Riding bikes is a great way to see Versailles!

Rory was an awesome guide! He was incredibly informative but also made the tour fun (and safe). We started at the Versailles market, and picked out our picnic goods (fresh bread, produce, meats, and cheeses). The grounds are enormous, and there is so much to see, so if you go to Versailles riding a bike is really a great way to see it all. We also met other couples during the tour which added to the fun.

Versailles Bike Tour with Rory

Rory made our bike tour of Versailles an incredible experience! He was very knowledgeable and his sense of humor made the history interesting for everyone. We will definitely recommend this tour to any of our friends planning to visit Paris.

Great way to experience Versailles

The cycle tour must be the best way to experience the grounds of Versailles. Our guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. At the market he gave great recommendations of where to buy our supplies and at the palace advised us of what not to miss. The palace itself is so majestic! The downside is the number of tourists going through the palace at the same time, it was a bit overwhelming. There were lots of coach tours. Maybe it is quieter on a weekday???

A must!

This was amazing and we enjoyed every minute! The bike portion helped us see much of the grounds and included an idyllic picnic. Great stories and insights. Highly recommend!

Good not great

Although we enjoyed this tour we felt that we could have seen everything in 4 hours rather than the 8.5 hours it took. The tour guide was nice, and knowledgeable though. Versailles was the very last thing we saw and we wished it was at the beginning…could have skipped some of the middle stuff

Fun-interesting and a beautiful tour.

O.J. Was MADE for this type of job. Knowledgable, funny and handsome! Always mindful of everyone’s safety and abilities.

Highlight of our Paris Visit!

Toby was an awesome guide and we loved every minute of this tour. This was our first visit to Versailles and this format was perfect for our active family of 4. What a great way to experience Versailles! The tour company was well run and organized and very responsive. Top notch tour with great guides and great customer service. Book it!

Hope to come again with more family

An excellent and friendly guide, Dani took care of us from the meeting point to the moment we detached from the group to explore the main palace on our own. Her knowledge of the best places in town to buy supplies, to the picnic site, to her thoughtful explanations on all things related to Versailles made it all a great experience.

Explore the estate on 2 wheels

Fun and educational this tour helped to burn the extra carb calories from the French pastries we have enjoyed. We were transported to Versailles via the rail system, then fitted with bikes and off to the open air market. Note that there are very few public restrooms, so hydrate carefully. However, our guide did know about all the best restrooms and instructed us to make use of them. We bicycled around the estate stopping periodically to learn about important sites and areas. Then we picnicked on the lawn before going on to our next adventure. Our guide dropped us off at the gate to the castle where we were able to tour at our own pace. The entry was quick and the line was not bad at all. When we did get into the castle, there were certainly huge groups of people, but it was completely navigable and we were able to see those things that were important to us. We never expected to be alone, so the number of tourists didn't bother us.

Everything was great!

It was a great and wonderful day at Versallies. Our tour guide, Ogulcan, was the best tour guide ever. Everything was made very simple and easy for us so that we could enjoy our day.

Fun family day!

Wonderful day. Our tour guide Harrison was fun and knowledgeable. Enjoying hitting the markets to grab lunch. Biking around the gardens with lovely. The VIP tour of the palace was ok, but at the end of a long day in the sun I would rather have just wandered the palace solo. All in, excellent experience.

The best way to truly see Versailles!

According to all the travel guides and articles I read before coming to France, Fat Tires has been doing bike tours all over the world longer and better than anyone. So even though it wasn’t the first company listed on Trip Advisor for a Versailles bike tour, I booked them anyway. They lived up to their stellar reputation! From the personalized app they provided for our trip, to the video that showed the exact meeting point, to the fabulous guide (OJ), they didn’t disappoint. They were both organized and thorough. The amount of time allocated for each stop was perfect, and for us the highlights were everything before the actual palace— the market, lunch by the lake, the Trinanons and Queen’s Hamlet. There is no way to see all of this on foot; the full grounds are far too large and extensive. This was worth every penny we paid! *Special recognition: once we picked up the bikes, my adult daughter realized she forgot how to ride a bike (yes, I guess you actually can forgot this after riding as a child!) and decided she couldn’t do the tour with us after all. Our guide (OJ) was kind and understanding. He took the time to map out an alternative plan for her day. She ate at the market, relaxed at a cafe, visited street vendors, and toured the gardens on her own by foot with a map he provided. Then she later met us at the palace for the timed entry to tour the palace at the end. This could have been a disaster and ruined the day for us, but OJ handled everything like a professional and was both compassionate and efficient—making sure the group schedule stayed on track and on time. And, making sure my daughter still saw the palace and gardens. Thanks so much, OJ!

Absolutely perfect

The best day of the trip! This was an incredible tour and the highlight of our trip to Paris. The equipment worked great- our guide was great and the market to stop to get food was amazing.

Great Tour - But There are Risks

The best way to see as much of Versailles as possible is on a bike tour. Our guide, Nick, had a wonderful knowledge of the history of Versailles and a great sense of humor. Unfortunately, one of our group of four fell and fractured her ankle. My recommendations are (a) the guide should instruct people to get off of their bikes on the street and not pull up onto the grass areas, where everyone gets congested on uneven ground; and (b) they need to have some form of transportation out of the grounds when someone is hurt. She had to walk to the front of the palace and then all of the way to the street for us to get a taxi back to Paris. Luckily the bone did not dislocate and we were able to get her to a hospital, have it casted, and get back to the U.S. for surgery.

Magical, History, Culture & Fun all in One !

The trip was not only a breeze because we were so well taken care of, but I cannot imagine a better was to enjoy Versailles ! The brilliance of the way the bike tour is done gets you French culture, amazing food from fresh market (you pick & buy, but wise direction is given), fun history lesson & not to mention riding a bike on the groups of Versailles is magical !!!

Have to be honest

The bike route went through city traffic, had to avoid cars and pedestrians. Inside the park it was often over muddy trails, tree roots and puddles, not the straight paved lanes they show in pictures. The guide was good but rode really fast and you couldn’t look around to enjoy the scenery. You had to keep eyes on the trail just to navigate. The market was great but there were no public bathrooms there so if you had to go you went to a cafe with one bathroom and waited in line for 20 minutes so missed out on seeing much of the market. They should provide bathrooms at the bike shop after the train ride to Versailles. You ride or walk for about 6 hours straight with a short stop for lunch. So by the time we got to the palace a number of those in our group were too pooped to even go in. You see a lot of the grounds and hear the history but the whole time seemed very very rushed.

Well worth taking the whole family

Toby, our excellent guide, provided a safe, thorough, and fun tour. He handled a flat tire repair without skipping a beat.

Fabulous guide and day in Versailles

I had been to Versailles several times prior to this bike tour with my daughter and granddaughter but this was the best. We happen to hit a day in which the market was in full force. What a treat that was. Our guide Dovi was fantastic. His knowledge and stories about the kings, history and grounds was outstanding. Hope you can get DOVI . He is the best !

Love love loved it!

I could not have loved this more. Starts with a trip to the market to pick up picnic lunch items and then continues with biking around Versailles. Then a picnic lunch by the water - I was so completely charmed by the experience. The guide was awesome as well. I would do this again when visiting this area of France.

See all of Versailles

Great way to see the grounds and learn a lot of the history. Aaron was a great guide. Go on Sunday for the market. Picnic by the canal was lovely

Fun bike trip around Versailles with Rory

Rory was our tour guide and he was very experienced, funny and knowledgeable about the history of Versailles and the Kings and Queens of France. He made sure we got on the train and then got us all around the grounds at Versailles. Although it’s a long day, it flew by with the fun we had! Would highly recommend!

Versailles by bike- PERFECT!

Versailles was beautiful, and Fat Tire Tours was the perfect way to enjoy it all! Our guide, Aaron, was amazing!! He was so energetic and knowledgeable! I’d recommend Aaron and the bike tour 110%!

Memorable experience!

Great fun biking around the wonderful Versailles palace grounds and its many unique spots. The guided tour with Martin was exceptional. Memorable experience for the entire family, including packing a picnic at the local marketplace.

Rory was great!

Rory was an awesome guide. Brought history to life and kept up with practical details! My third trip to Versailles, but added a new dimension.

Great tour

We thoroughly enjoyed out bike adventure through Versailles. We were able to see so much more than if we would have just walked. Our guide Rory was excellent! He met us in Paris at the train station and was a wealth of knowledge giving us tons of information along the way.

Amazing bicycle trip while in Paris

Amazing day with wonderful tour guide Nick! Enjoyed gathering lunch at the market and wonderful history told by our guide. A very special way to see Versailles and the gardens.

Exploring the Grounds of Versailles in a Unique Way

I had visited Versailles years ago and found that this tour was a unique way to experience the grounds. The tour group conveniently met at Javel station in Paris where we met our tour guide, Rory. Rory was fantastic and had a high school history teacher vibe (though we confirmed he is not a teacher) of telling stories about the history of France in a way that was humorous, easy to follow, and relatable. He was truly a highlight of the experience! Rory kept the group together and guided us every step of the way about what to do and what to expect. When we got to Versailles, we walked a short way to pick up our bikes and then we headed over to a local market where he pointed out places we could go to get the best assortment for our picnic later in the day. Then we met back and starting cycling through the streets to enter the palace grounds. We spent the next several hours riding around together, making stops along the way for photos, stories, and visits to the Petit Trianon (the Queen's house) and the Queen's Hamlet (peasant village commissioned by Marie Antoinette). Somewhere in there we also stopped to enjoy our picnic lunch! This was a different way of experiencing the grounds at Versailles, which are extensive! If we were coming on our own to visit the palace, we would never have seen this part because it is simply too far and too exhausting to explore on foot. The only drawback of this tour is that we spent so much time out on the palace grounds that we only ended up having about an hour to explore the palace at the end of the day before closing. We felt rushed as we tried to first get oriented inside (the palace is vast!) and then hit the high points before we heard announcement that the palace was closing. If we could change one thing about the tour it would be to get us back to the palace with at least 2 hours to explore. My wife, who was a first time visitor, felt a little disappointed that we did not get more time inside (hence the 4/5 stars). Overall, I would highly recommend this sort of tour to explore parts of the grounds you would typically not easily get to visit and to have the unique experience of a picnic and a bike ride.

Best way to see Versailles!

We loved our bike tour of Versailles! Our guide Nick was so funny, knowledgeable, and organized. He made it so fun for both myself and my teenagers. It was the best way to see the grounds, learn the history, and enjoy the day. Would highly recommend as I wouldn’t want to do it any other way. It was also a nice break from all the other days of walking we’d been doing.

Worth it

Despite the rain the trip was very enjoyable- the town and grounds were beautiful. Toby our travel guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly remembered everyone’s name.

Highlight of our trip

We had the most delightful day with Rory as our tour guide! He was fun, informative and made the day so enjoyable!! Our day at Versailles was one of the highlights of our trip!! Highly recommend this tour and ask for Rory!!

An excellent tour

Wonderful tour guide and operator. Versailles by bike is the way to go! Going by bike on the grounds of the estate is really eye opening and gives you a great overall experience

Amazing Versailles tour

Amazing tour by Dave Lombardi our guide. Super safe and fun. Lots of info delivered in a friendly way. We specifically recommend doing Versailles by bike to be able to visit the whole extension of the gardens. The visit to Marie Antoinette’s quarters were the highlight of the visit. Doing the tour on a Friday when the town’s market is in full movement is highly recommended. We did a picnic on the grounds of the Palace and it was amazing!!!

Tour guy, Rory YOU ROCK!!

Rory is absolutely amazing!! We got off at the wrong spot on the train and Rory patiently waiting for us. Rory is an absolute legend for this tour. Now the tour itself is nice!

Great time

Guide was very knowledgeable and was on time. Bikes were in excellent condition. Would do this again except when you have a big group it is hard for the guide to talk to everyone while riding. So we felt we missed some information.

More than just a ride through the gardens

This was a jam-packed day of history, exercise and food. Despite the rain, we enjoyed our time with Rory as we rode through the gardens, had a picnic, and visited some of the palaces. Rory is a very thorough guide and is so knowledgeable. We really appreciated his stories at each stop.

Fun day at Versailles!

Martin was our guide and he was wonderful! He gave us so much information on the tour! Bikes are not electric but I didn’t need it. Area flat and easy to ride! We stopped and got to walk on our own at many stops. Kids had a great time. Plenary of time to explore palace after tour.

Good

The most memorable parts of this tour was the market and the picnic. Versailles had a bomb threat during our time, so we had to leave the grounds. Then it opened up I and we went back to rush through the building. Rory our tour guide was good. Glad we had some sort of refund.

Great way to see Versailles!

What a great way to spend the day. Our guide Mia was fantastic! So much energy AND historical perspective to share - wish my history professors in school were this good. Her story telling was so on point, I could visualize every detail - loved it. And our picnic (of self selected) meats, cheeses, baguettes, fresh fruits & treats, etc., might have been the best part of entire trip! So delicious...

A great way to see Versailles

This was a great day out. Everything was organised to perfection, with plenty of time to see all the sites, and all the information and organising you need. Fat Tire Tours, and in particular our host, JF, were a pleasure to deal with. JF’s knowledge of French history was impressive, and he really brings the Palace and its gardens to life through his storytelling, not to mention his expert tips at the market in the morning. Highly recommend this tour.

Great tour because of a great guide!

OJ was a great guide— helped everyone in the group; gave great directions and helped us navigate the marketplace, the grounds of Versailles, and the palace plus made sure we all knew how to take the train back to Paris. He really “made” the tour.

Wonderful time

Martin was wonderful! I was nervous about biking through the streets of Paris but Martin kept us very safe and all together. Id highly recommend this tour because Versailles is HUGE and you can see a bunch more with biking. The picnic in front of the palace was unforgettable!

Our Favorite Day in Paris!

AMAZING! This was definitely one of the best days we had in Paris! Loved shopping for our picnic at the outdoor market and the bike ride through the grounds of Versailles was fabulous! OJ was our guide and he was the absolute best! He had extensive knowledge about Versailles, french history and Paris in general. He was so much fun and we had the BEST day! If you’re thinking about doing this tour, do it! You won’t regret it and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get OJ as your guide!

Best Way to Experience Versailles & Learn French History

Our tour started in Paris at a small park near the Javel Train Station. We received detailed communications via email & text in advance confirming location, times & itinerary. The tour includes train tix to /from Versailles along with timed entry to Palace & Gardens. Our guide Nick clearly explained every step. In short, they make it as easy as possible to relax & enjoy the adventure. Our group of 12 took 30 min train ride directly to Versailles. The bike shop is conveniently across the street. After getting everyone on bikes we rode through town stopping a few times to learn from Nick until we reached market area. From there Nick explained all our options & gave us 30 mins to purchase food & drinks for lunch we’d have in few hours. While the bikes all have large front baskets it’s helpful to have a cloth bag to pack everything in, thicker the better if you plan to buy wine. Most of the ride is over hard-packed but uneven trails so whatever you pick up will get bounced around. We used a small recycled grocery bag which worked great. Some folks opted for traditional French experiences & bought bread, cheese, meat etc to make their own picnic. We opted to buy premade ham & Brie sandwiches & deserts from the local bakery, plus chips & wine from the nearby Franprix grocery store. It’s all within 5 min walk. Easy, simple & all delicious. We then had more free time to walk around the market area. From that point frwd it’s all touring the grounds & listening to history come alive through our entertaining guide Nick. A brief stop along the canal for lunch & eventually drop off at the Palace to tour on your own. Be sure to get a map. We spent an hour in the Palace & another 2 hours in the garden. There is a small cafe tucked away in the garden to grab drinks but it closes around 5PM. The tour provides flexibility to choose which return train time to take back to Paris. They run until approx. 10:30P. We opted to stay in Versailles & enjoyed an amazing dinner at Vous, a neighborhood restaurant that opens 7PM & takes reservations (recommended), before walking 10 mins back to the station to catch the 9:45P. Great day - thank you Nick!

An Unforgettable Versailles Experience

We LOVED every minute of this tour. Fat Tire Tours did not disappoint. Our guide was JF and he was fabulous. Personable and knowledgeable, he made the day an outstanding one from the market to the gardens to the palace. His knowledge of the history and landscape was amazing. We highly recommend this group and JF in particular.

Amazing Experience at Versailles

We covered a lot of ground at Versailles on the bike tour which also included some hiking around the Queen's Hamlet. We had a lovely picnic along the Grand Canal. Our tour guide had taken us to a market prior to the bike tour and made recommendations as to vendors for cheese, pastries, meats and of course wine! He was funny, informative and had supplies for the picnic including a ground cloth and cups for the wine. The tour also included admission to the Palace which you did on your own. We returned to Paris exhausted with lots of wonderful memories.

Fun, well organised and informative.

Easy ride, lovely market visit and picnic lunch. Rained early on but cleared up. Well organised and fabulous guide in David.

Great way to see the grounds at Versailles.

We had so much fun and David, our tour guide, was great! Loved hearing about the history. Stopping at the market for picnic supplies was fun and riding in the rain made the whole experience more memorable.

Unique and informative tour!

This was a great all round tour. Staff were friendly at the check-in point and Nick was a great guide. He was a wealth of information about the history of Versaille and gave us lively bike tour of the grounds. The stop at the market to pick up items for our lunch and the picnic stop were highlights. Nick gave us lots of hints about where to buy each of the picnic items. Bikes took a little bit of getting used to but they were a great mode of transportation to get around. Would highly recommend this tour.

The stories our guide...

The stories our guide shared with us made the place come to life. It was so much more interesting to tour the chateau and grounds knowing more about the lives and personalities of those who lived there. Riding a bike was so refreshing!!

Versailles is better than Paris

This tour was fantastic! We had a very knowledgeable guide names Mado (sp) who was also very personable. The market had loads of fresh fruit, cheese, breads, and meats to offer and wine of course. We lucked out with a gorgeous weather day. The Versailles Palace itself was very crowded. We enjoyed a brisk pace to be outside in the gardens and fountains.