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Paris Day Trip: Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte Castles Exploration
4.1
344 Ratings
Paris
Embark on a captivating day trip from Paris to explore the enchanting Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte castles. Immerse yourself in the rich history, art, and opulence of these magnificent French landmarks, and wander through their stunning gardens and grounds.
Embark on a captivating day trip from Paris to explore the enchanting Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte castles. Immerse yourself in the rich history, art, and opulence of these magnificent French landmarks, and wander through their stunning gardens and grounds.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Le Styx, River of the Underworld - Travel in style on a luxury coach heading southeast to reach Vaux le Vicomte, approximately 35 miles (55 km) away.
- Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte - The main highlight is the Vaux le Vicomte Castle, a stunning Baroque chateau that is said to have inspired the Palace of Versailles. Disembark from the coach and…
- Le Styx, River of the Underworld - Travel in style on a luxury coach heading southeast to reach Vaux le Vicomte, approximately 35 miles (55 km) away.
- Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte - The main highlight is the Vaux le Vicomte Castle, a stunning Baroque chateau that is said to have inspired the Palace of Versailles. Disembark from the coach and embark on an audio-guided tour. Upon arrival, explore at your own pace with the provided audio guide. Discover the intricate interiors and vaulted cellars, and learn about Nicholas Fouquet, King Louis XIV’s finance minister, who commissioned the chateau. The king, feeling overshadowed, imprisoned Fouquet after the chateau’s completion. After exploring inside, step outside to enjoy the 99 acres (40 hectares) of grounds featuring fountains, flowerbeds, and expansive lawns. If you’re feeling peckish, visit the onsite café for lunch (at your own expense) before returning to the coach.
- Fontainebleau Forest (Forêt de Fontainebleau) - At 1:15/1:30 pm, head south to Château de Fontainebleau, the only royal castle in France to have been continuously inhabited for over 700 years.
- Tourist Fontainebleau - With its Renaissance architecture, ceiling frescoes, 15th-century furniture, and intricate wood carvings, this World Heritage site offers a wonderful alternative to Versailles. Explore the building independently with the audio guide, learning about the French royalty who once resided here.
- Chateau de Fontainebleau - Château Fontainebleau, the only royal castle continuously inhabited for more than seven centuries, stands as one of France’s most remarkable palaces, earning its place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
Explore the building independently with the audio guide, listening to stories of the French royalty who once lived here. Château de Fontainebleau also boasts extensive gardens and lakes, so take the opportunity to stroll through the grounds.
What's Included
- Access to the dome of the Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle
- Period costume rentals for children to transport them back to the 17th century
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Audioguides at both castles
- Entrance tickets to Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte castles
- Access to the dome of the Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle
- Period costume rentals for children to transport them back to the 17th century
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Audioguides at both castles
- Entrance tickets to Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte castles
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Guided visit
- On-board WiFi
- On-board restrooms
- Headset
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Guided visit
- On-board WiFi
- On-board restrooms
- Headset
Additional Information
Embark on a day tour from Paris to visit the splendid French fortresses of Vaux le Vicomte and Château Fontainebleau! Each location includes an audio-guided tour offering insights into the history, art, and the fascinating monarchs who once lived there. Take advantage of your leisure time to wander around the castle gardens, marveling at the opulent…
Embark on a day tour from Paris to visit the splendid French fortresses of Vaux le Vicomte and Château Fontainebleau! Each location includes an audio-guided tour offering insights into the history, art, and the fascinating monarchs who once lived there. Take advantage of your leisure time to wander around the castle gardens, marveling at the opulent fountains, lakes, and landmarks that epitomized palace terrains in the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
- The access to the dome of the Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle is reserved to people over 1.35 m
- Arrival in Paris at the end of the tour expected around 6:15 pm
- Audio guided tour of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (available in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese)
- Audio guided tour of the Château de Fontainebleau (available in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and Polish)
Location
Pullman Paris Centre - Bercy
Rue de Libourne
1 Rue de Libourne, 75012 Paris – Hotel Pullman Bercy – Meet our Extime Travel ambassador outside the hotel, in front of the main entrance
In case of problem, contact us on:
1/ WhatsApp +33 6 14 96 42 81
2/ Phone +33 1 44 55 60 00
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(344 Ratings)
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Edithk_m
May 14, 2026
Very organized and quick... - Very organized and quick check in. Motor coach was super comfortable and the driver was very good.
We enjoyed having the audio, rather than a guide, so that we could move at our own pace.
Review provided by Viator
Alexander_s
May 5, 2026
Enjoyed this self tour.... - Enjoyed this self tour. Not crowded. We were given plenty of time. Long day but worth it. The bus ride was comfortable
Review provided by Viator
Karen_w
Apr 25, 2026
Great castles - This tour is transportation only. The tours are audioguides. They were very well organized and interesting
Review provided by Viator
Marjorie_m
Oct 23, 2025
Magnificent Chateaux to view - There’s a lot of walking involved, but lots to see! Many of the rooms are furnished in authentic pieces & fabrics.
Review provided by Viator
Richard_g
May 17, 2026
As Advertised - Provided on time transportation as advertised on clean, modern bus. USB ports and wifi would have been nice touches.
Review provided by Viator
Christopher_m
May 5, 2026
Vaux le Vicomte had no... - Vaux le Vicomte had no handrails to enter the building, and it lacked an elevator. Thus, it was extremely difficult for a person with a cane. The chateau staff were not at all helpful.
Review provided by Viator
9travelfiend9
Sep 26, 2025
Beautiful castles - This is a large bus tour with no tour guide. You basically get transportation to the castles and admission tickets with an audio guide. The bus driver kind of points you in the direction you need to go and tells you when to be back to the bus. I enjoyed both castles and it was an efficient way to see them. There was plenty of time at each castle with enough time to get lunch in town after the first castle.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V7jfrqdvcp
Oct 3, 2025
I expected a guide to at... - I expected a guide to at least accompany us on our trip, possibly discuss some of the local history. We had only a bus driver, who was friendly but gave us no instructions. The buildings were amazing. I really wanted to row a boat at Fontainebleau, but they were not open that day; there was no explanation why.
Review provided by Viator
Carmen_m
Aug 12, 2025
Enjoyable but could be better - Unfortunately this fell a little short of our expectations. Whilst it was professionally organised there is no commentary from the bus driver. He pulls the bus up somewhere near the entrance to the palace / chateau and didn’t even tell us the direction to go to get in. This left everyone a little confused. Fontainebleau and Villa Vicomte were enjoyable though.
Review provided by Viator
Disgruntled011
Nov 12, 2025
Beware Paris City Vision - My wife and I booked this tour through Viator with the operator, Paris City Vision, 157 days before our visit and paid $265 well in advance of day it was due. My wife and I began to feel ill several days before the trip and worsened the day before.We called to cancel 20 hours before the trip was scheduled and asked for a refund . We were denied even a partial refund as the company cited their “ 24 hour cancellation policy “ that they couldn’t possibly violate.My wife and I could have gone on the tour and exposed guests and staff to our illness but we did the responsible thing and stayed away. To add insult to injury the company was offering the tour on the day we were scheduled for half of what we paid ! We will have to rethink our strategy of booking in advance in light of this operator’s inflexibility and their willingness to slash prices .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
