Are you planning to visit Claude Monet's sumptuous gardens, water lily pond, and home in Giverny from Paris?
If so, you may be wondering: what is the easiest, most stress-free way to get to Giverny, and how can you get the most out of your experience?
For most visitors, guided tours from Paris are the perfect fit when you want maximum convenience. In addition to including transportation on comfortable air-conditioned coaches or minivans (easier/faster than taking the train from Paris to the closest station, and boarding a local shuttle for the last few miles), you'll enter through a dedicated tour-only entrance gate.
Our Top Picks for Giverny Tours
- Giverny: Monet's Garden Half-Day Tour - Highly-rated small-group tour
- Monet's Garden Bike Tour - Explore Giverny by bike, picnic by the Seine, and soak up the beauty of Monet's home and gardens
- Giverny & Versailles Day Tour with Lunch - Make the most of your time by visiting both sites in one day, plus a tasty French lunch by a picturesque windmill
Depending on which tour you choose, you may also get the insights and and insider knowledge of an expert tour guide, transportation to see other nearby sights related to Monet, and lunch (there's even a gourmet option). If you choose a private VIP tour, you'll enjoy the luxury of being picked up and dropped off at your Paris hotel or apartment.
To help you choose the best tour to fit your schedule, interests, and budget, we've compiled a list of the top 10 half-day and full-day tours of Giverny from Paris, including several combined with a visit to the Palace of Versailles, one with a fun bike tour of the Giverny area, and one which also takes you to Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh spent the final months of his life creating 70+ painting inspired by the beautiful Normandy landscape.
Here's what you'll find in this article:
- Half-Day Tours to Giverny from Paris
- Full-Day Tours to Giverny & Versailles from Paris
- Full-Day Tours to Giverny (Bike Tour & Giverny-Auvers Tour)
Top photo: Claude Monet's pink manor house with green shutters in Giverny, France, (c) Paris Discovery Guide
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Best Half-Day Tours of Giverny from Paris
These half-day tours of Monet's home rank at the top of the popularity list for Giverny tours because they're the easiest, fastest, and most convenient way to visit the gardens, pond, and house of the famous artist - and still have half a day left to do other things in Paris.
1. Giverny: Monet's Garden Half-Day Tour from Paris (Small Group Tour)
The highly-rated Giverny: Monet's Garden Half-Day Tour starts with a comfortable trip by air-conditioned minivan from Paris, which whisks you and up to 7 other participants through the beautiful Normandy countryside west of the city.
As you enter the small Norman village of Giverny, you'll see charming stone houses and ivy-covered walls lining the narrow lanes. Within a few moments, you'll arrive at Monet's estate where your guide will whisk you through a special tour-only entrance into the lush gardens.
Your guide will find a quiet spot to give you a quick briefing about Monet's life in the pink manor house at Giverny that he moved into in 1883 with Alice Hoschedé, who would later become his second wife, and their blended family of eight children.
You'll learn how he carved out his now-famous gardens and pond from an unpromising piece of land divided by a road, and how he used them to inspire the approximately 250 oil paintings of water lilies he created between 1896 and 1920.
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You'll then be free to explore the house, gardens, and pond on your own until the designated departure time. Since Monet's house can become crowded at times, this approach lets you choose a non-busy time to enter and explore as much (or as little) as you wish.
In the gardens and pond area, avoiding the crowds is much easier, since there's much more space for spreading out.
As a bonus, before you leave the village of Giverny, you'll visit the Romanesque-Gothic country church (Église Sainte-Radegonde de Giverny) where Monet and his family worshipped, and the adjacent cemetery where he and numerous family members, including his sons Jean and Michel, are buried.
In addition to the Monet tomb, you can also discover a number of other interesting gravestones in the Giverny graveyard, including one shaped like a very large book.
If you have a few minutes to explore, look for a gravestone with three British flags waving in the breeze.
This simple tomb, perhaps the most moving memorial in the cemetery, contains the remains of seven British airmen from the Royal Air Force. They died nearby when their plane was hit on the day after the D-Day landings, a reminder of the fierce fighting that took place in this now-tranquil spot during World War II. Closer to the church, a propeller from their downed plane is embedded in another memorial commemorating their sacrifice for France.
2. Half-Day Trip to Giverny from Paris
If your goal is to see only Monet's home, gardens, and water lily pond, the Half-Day Trip to Giverny from Paris tour is an excellent choice.
On this large-group tour, you'll travel to Giverny in a comfortable, large air-conditioned coach. Choose a window seat to enjoy wonderful views of Normandy's golden wheat fields and rolling hills through the large windows - easy to imagine 19th century Impressionist painters such as Monet being inspired by this lovely landscape.
The key differences between this and the above tour are: 1) group size - this tour is with a potentially much larger group, 2) you'll go only Monet's house, gardens, and pond, and 3) as soon as you arrive at Giverny, your guide will give you a brief informative introduction about what you can see at the estate, but you'll explore on your own while using (if you want) an app for guidance to the house, gardens, and pond.
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If you choose, you can spend some of your time enjoying a quick lunch at one of the town's charming cafes before you meet up with your group for the trip back to Paris.
Bottom line: What you get with this tour transportation, a quick briefing by your guide, the app, and entrance to the estate - much more convenient, comfortable, and faster than getting a train from Saint-Lazare station in Paris and then taking the shuttle to Giverny. Think of the app as a bonus - use it if you want, but if not, just soak up all of the sensory pleasures of this spectacular destination.
3. Monet's Gardens & House with Art Historian: Private Giverny Tour from Paris
For a special VIP experience, the Private Tour of Monet's Gardens & House with an Art Historian tour is an excellent choice for 2-8 participants, including up to 3 children (17 and under) - perfect if you're part of a family or friend group. The cost varies by group size, but the per-person rate drops as the group size increases.
You'll be picked up from your Paris hotel or apartment (and also dropped off there after the tour), and will travel in a private air-conditioned with a licensed professional guide who is also an art historian passionate about Monet and Giverny.
Your guide will share lots of informative, in-depth commentary about Monet, art, and the French countryside, and will customize it to your particular interests.
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Once you arrive at Giverny, you'll enter with a skip-the-line ticket, and explore the house, gardens, and pond.
As a bonus, you'll also get to visit the village of Giverny, which is filled with charming cafes, boutiques, and art galleries, as well as the rose-colored Hotel Baudy where other Impressionists such as Manet and Renoir used to paint after after Monet made Giverny famous.
Best Full-Day Tours of Monet's Garden in Giverny & Palace of Versailles
Do you have limited time in Paris but want to see both Giverny and the Palace of Versailles? Full-day tours give you a convenient way to see the most iconic attractions at both destinations while saving you time and money compared with making separate half-day trips.
We profile five excellent options, with some key similarities as well as differences.
Similarities: Air-conditioned transportation from Paris, skip-the-line admission, and an expert tour guide (one tour lets you opt for an audioguide). You'll visit Monet's home, gardens, and pond in Giverny, and the most famous parts of Versailles, including the Hall of Mirrors, Royal Apartments. Except the private option, you'll be picked up and dropped off at a central Paris location.
Key differences: 1) Group size (large, medium, small, private), 2) lunch (included or not), 3) tour guide vs. audioguide, 4) Versailles' Palace gardens (included or not), 5) pickup location (only the private tour picks up and drops off at your Paris hotel or apartment
Here are the best full-day trips to Giverny and Versailles, with highlights about what makes each one unique.
4. Giverny & Versailles Day Tour with Lunch at Moulin de Fourges
Giverny & Versailles Day Tour with Lunch - Medium (14 or less) group tour in a minibus.
When you arrive at Giverny, you'll explore Impressionist artist Claude Monet's home, gardens, and the ponds where water lilies inspired his most famous paintings.
After enjoying a delicious 3-course lunch with wine at Moulin de Fourges, a restaurant in a delightful old mill house by a scenic river about 5 miles from Giverny, you'll head to Versailles.
An art historian will lead you on a guided tour of the Palace's most famous rooms, including the spectacular Hall of Mirrors. Headsets will be provided to enable you to hear the guide.
This tour also includes access to Versailles' magnificent gardens, which means you'll get to see the Fountain Show or Musical Gardens on the days when they're available.
Please note: the private option mentioned in the "Includes" section of online description appears to not be available at the current time.
5. From Paris: Versailles & Giverny Full-Day Trip - Small Group
Giverny & Versailles Full-Day Trip - Small (8 or less) group tour in a minibus. Your guide will share lots of interesting information during the drive, and will brief you on more details and give you a general orientation as soon as you arrive at each destination.
Then you're free to explore on your own, and spend as much or as little time as you want in each area. At Versailles, you'll be given an audioguide to use (if you want) to get more details about each of the famous rooms and the garden.
Lunch is not included.
Versailles garden access is included, which means you'll get to see the Fountain Show or Musical Gardens on the days when they're available.
6. From Paris: Day Trip to Giverny & Versailles
From Paris: Day Trip to Giverny & Versailles - Large group tour in a large coach. When booking, you choose one of two options: 1) a guided tour at both locations, or 2) an audioguide, meaning that you explore on your own.
Lunch is included.
Versailles garden access is included - except on Fountain Show and Musical Gardens days, which take place almost every day during the summer and some days during spring and fall. However, you can buy a garden access ticket once you're there.
7. From Paris: Giverny & Versailles Palace Guided Day Trip
Giverny & Versailles Palace Guided Day Trip - Medium-sized (20 or less) group tour in a coach. Guided tours at both attractions are included. Headsets may be provided when appropriate to enable you to hear the guide.
Lunch is not included, but a lunch break is provided so that you can buy whatever you want. Versailles garden access is included and you get to see experience the Fountains Show or Musical Gardens (when they are available).
8. From Paris: Giverny & Versailles VIP Private Full-Day Trip
Giverny, Versailles, Trianons, & Hamlet Private Full-Day Trip - Private VIP tour for your group of up to 7 people in a Mercedes sedan or mini-van, with pickup and drop-off at your Paris hotel or apartment for the ultimate convenience. Ideal for families and friends groups who want to see the two top destinations outside of Paris in one day.
You will explore Monet's home and gardens, and will have free time to visit the village for lunch and the Museum of Impressionism in Giverny.
During the ride to Versailles, your private guide will history to life by sharing background information about the Palace of Versailles, which you will explore on your own (with the included audio guide) as you visit the Hall of Mirrors, the King's Apartments, and the Queen's Apartments inside the Palace.
You'll then have guided visits to the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's charming Hamlet.
Finally, you'll stroll through the beautiful Versailles gardens before your return trip to Paris and drop-off at your hotel or apartment.
Please note: This tour usually books up fairly far in advance, especially during the summer months, so check availability as soon as you know your travel dates to avoid disappointment.
Best Full-Day Tours (Including a Bike Tour) of Giverny & More
Do you want to see Giverny but hope for an experience beyond just a quick visit? Consider these two special full-day excursions:
9. Monet's Garden Bike Tour from Paris
Monet's Garden Bike Tour (which includes private transportation from/back to Paris) combines a visit to Monet's home, gardens, and lily pond in Giverny with a picnic lunch in a park, a leisurely 3 mile (5k) bike ride from the nearby town of Vernon, and time to explore the charming village of Giverny, located on the Right Bank of the Seine River.
Starting with the tour bus ride from Paris and continuing thoughout the day, your guide will give you lots of interesting stories insights about Monet and the birth of Impressionism, point out wheat fields, windmills, and other parts of the landscape that inspired Monet, and even teach you a bit of French before you stop at a local open-air market in Vernon to buy picnic supplies for a picnic lunch by the Seine River.
You'll see all the top sights in the area, including Giverny's small Romanesque-Gothic church and its 17th century cemetery where Monet and his family plus the downed RAF airmen from World War II are buried, plus the town of Vernon, Giverny village, and paths along the Seine River.
You'll have time to explore Giverny's narrow lanes, filled with small cafes, galleries, artist studios, and the Museum of Impressionism near Monet's estate, and soak up the pleasures of being in a small French village.
Of course, the biggest highlight will be the time you spend in Monet's home and gardens, soaking up the beauty that inspired his famous water lily paintings.
After your fascinating day in Giverny, you'll appreciating the relaxing trip by coach back to Paris.
10. Small-Group Giverny & Van Gogh's Room in Auvers from Paris
On the Giverny & Van Gogh's Room in Auvers small group day trip (maximum of 8 participants) from Paris, you'll travel by air-conditioned minivan to Giverny, where you'll visit Monet's gorgeous home, spectacular gardens, and the lily pond he created by diverting a branch of a nearby river - much to the chagrin of neighboring farmers.
You and your guide will also visit the peaceful country graveyard where he is buried next to the church he attended with his large family.
Then, you'll head to the small town of Auvers-sur-Oise, located just 17 miles (27km) from the center of Paris, where Vincent van Gogh and a number of other Post-Impressionist artists such as Cezanne and Pissaro lived and created some of their most memorable paintings there, inspired by the beautiful hills and wheat fields.
Auvers is also where Van Gogh died by suicide in 1890.
After lunch (on your own) at one of the small cafes or boulangeries, you'll explore the narrow cobblestone streets of the town and visit its surrounding area, inspiration for over 70 of Van Gogh's paintings.
As you walk around, you'll be in the actual places depicted in some of his famous works, such as "Church of Auvers" and "Wheat Field with Crows." Finally, you'll visit Van Gogh's simple gravesite before your return to Paris.
More Articles about Popular Day Trips from Paris
- How to Get to Giverny from Paris - 6 options for you to consider
- Top Things to See at Versailles Palace - You'll need more than a day!
- Best Palace of Versailles Tours from Paris - Which one will you like best?
- Easy Day Trips from Paris - Versailles, Giverny, Mont Saint Michel, D-Day Normandy Beaches, Disneyland Paris, Champagne tastings, Loire Valley castles, London, Bruges, & more!
