Millions of visitors come each year to marvel at the glory the Palace of Versailles, miss the beautiful private domain of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Distance the crowds and access areas reserved for the private lives and loves of the royalty. With a diamond-encrusted key, Louis XVI offered his beloved wife Marie Antoinette an escape from the ritualized public life she found so suffocating in the Palace. This key unlocked the small Petit Trianon palace, sheltered from gossip and criticism, where she could feel free to be herself. Follow in her footsteps, through her English gardens and into the place she called home. The furniture and decoration authentically represents the queen’s own taste and favored craftsmen. You won’t forget Marie Antoinette’s private theatre, a hidden jewel of Versailles, installed so the queen herself could star in popular plays applauded by her fashionable ladies-in-waiting!

Just down the path from the richly adorned palace, Marie Antoinette commissioned a replica rustic village, evoking Normandy with its thatched cottages and dairy herd. Here she appreciated the informal atmosphere and healthy air, and indulged in pastoral amusements with her closest friends and confidantes. We'll also explore her beautiful, landscaped English gardens as we make our way from the Petit Trianon to her hamlet. This hidden paradise is a world away from the crowds at the palace nearby. Make the most of your visit and spend an enchanting afternoon in the private world of Marie Antoinette.  Please note we will use the 'Petit Train' to take us back from the Petit Trianon, to ensure your visit is comfortable and to reduce the amount of walking. From the drop off at the Palace it is just a short walk back to the RER train station for your direct train back to Paris.