Viator Exclusive: Palace of Versailles and Court of Scents Tour

Visit the UNESCO-listed Palace of Versailles, and then take a walking tour of the incredible Court of Scents (Cour des Senteurs) – it’s a unique tour combination available nowhere else! After exploring the lavish palace at leisure, where you listen to commentary using an audiopen guide and interactive map, stroll around Versailles’ sweet-scented courtyard with a guide. Learn of the role that perfume played in the days of King Louis XIV and visit the luxury perfumery Guerlain. This Viator Exclusive also includes a visit to the Royal Tennis Court and access to Versailles Gardens.

Meet your guide at the Court of Scents, located near the Palace of Versailles to start your Viator Exclusive – a unique tour combination that cannot be booked elsewhere. Receive your handheld audiopen and interactive map for your independent tour of the palace, and then skip past the entrance lines to explore the Palace of Versailles – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

All of the palace’s sites of interest appear on your map, so simply press your audiopen against the room you are in to hear a unique description. Explore the King’s Grand Apartments as you hear tales of King Louis XIV, for whom the Baroque palace was built, and walk through the lavish Hall of Mirrors to admire its incredible mirrors and chandeliers.

After exploring the palace, head into the grounds or Versailles old town for lunch (own expense). Then, meet your guide and start your Court of Scents walking tour, discovering the importance of perfume throughout Versailles’ history. Personal hygiene in the 16th century was poor by today’s standards, so noblemen and ladies turned to decadent scents to mask unpleasant smells. An expensive commodity, perfume became a sign of wealth and extravagant King Louis XIV was an eager consumer.

Today, the Court of Scents is home to three big-name luxury brands: Guerlain – the perfumery – plus Diptyque and Maison Fabre. Another luxury boutique inside the site is Lenôtre, a famous confectioner that sells high-quality chocolates, macaroons and pastries. Your guide will point out the shops and you can return when your tour has finished to browse for souvenirs, if you wish.

Another highlight of the courtyard is the Royal Tennis Court, a 17th-century building where the Royal Tennis Court Oath of 1789 was signed. Here you'll learn about the historic oath that ended the monarchy and sparked the French Revolution.

Return to the palace estate and explore Versailles Gardens at leisure with your audiopen. The extensive gardens emulate the palace’s opulence with miles of parkland. If you visit on a Saturday and Sunday, enjoy the fountain show accompanied by music. Similarly, if you visit on a Tuesday, enjoy a classical music broadcast as you amble around the palace gardens. The tour finishes when you hand your audiopen back at the Court of Scents.

• Skip-the-line entrance ticket: Palace of Versailles and gardens
  
• Use of audiopen and interactive map
  
• Tour of the Court of Scents with a guide
  

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
  
• Audiopen deposit (20 Euros per pen)
  
• Food and drinks
• Gratuities (optional)
• Transport to/from Versailles